It's all Chinese to me...

Well now, this took a bit of sorting out this time because Debbie and I are in Hong Kong. When I went to add a new post to this blog the screen all changed to Chinese. Eventually I found a 'translate' button and then it got worse; I couldn't understand the English.

I love Hong Kong. I can't believe it is over 50 years since I was stationed here as a soldier in the Green Howards Regiment. SO much has changed in terms of architecture, road infrastructure, life style and yet I still see people sweeping the streets with old fashioned brooms. Sad to see that the thousands of small junks and sampans have gone and only a few ply their trade now.

Lovely to see they still use bamboo scaffolding.

The other major change is seeing how this Far Eastern gem has now become part of the Global Greed Economy. Prices were low here, and yet obviously the sellers were making a profit. Bearing that in mind you are forced to believe that other countries who charged more were making bigger profits so I guess landlords thought they could charge more rent. Then someone in Hong Kong thought that if people paid those prices over there, they could pay the same here and now Hong Kong is the same as any other big city... far too overpriced. All the top labels are here and I simply can't see how you can justify £420 for a pair of jeans.

Debbie found some nice material in a dress shop... it was over £600 per yard. I notice so many people using SLR cameras, all top makes, with zoom lenses on the front end that must put the price upwards of £1,500. I found that so strange because the vast vast majority of them will never print anything about 7" x 5", if they print them at all. Any of the compacts will turn out a more than adequate picture.

We have walked so far since we have been here but despite that, can't go to sleep at night because of the time difference. I have now read four books, mostly during the night. My eyelids are drooping but there is so much to see here.

Tonight Debbie wants to go to a night market, more walking, and hopefully that open air experience as opposed to the freezing air conditioned malls will do the job and we will enter the Land of Nod.

Have fun