Picture - Chocolate Candle for Pracob's Birthday since the night before January 1, 2010
Picture - We could use the Airport Express from Hong Kong to the HKIA (airport). It is like the Airport Link of Suvarnabhumi Airport, about 35 km distance away from the city. However, we decided to use the service of the Hotel limousine, which fit our 3 members, with 3 pieces of luggage, at the cost quite reasonable.
A Trip to Hong Kong : Day 3
This is a part of 5 presentations in essays with pictures.
During December 29, 2009 to January 1, 2010, I and my family, Pracob, Natti, and Palm had a trip to Hong Kong.
During the New Year 2010 Vacation. We spent 3 nights and 3 days in Hong Kong. Day 1, we visited Venetian Macau, the world largest Casino complex, with gambling areas, shopping area, and food service area. Day 2, we visited some places in Hong Kong, including the Kowloon side, via traveling by MTR, the Hong Kong subway, and taxi. Day 3, we went to shopping malls did some shopping and exploring more food.
I also presented the transportation system - how to travel to Hong Kong and in Hong Kong. We also concluded our viewpoints about Hong Kong in a very short summary - with some selected keywords. We are grateful for the useful materials from Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia.
Pracob Cooparat
E-mail: pracob@sb4af.org
The followings are the final part about our Day 3, the final day in in Hong Kong:
January 1, 2010
7:00 am, woke up, but still in bed. I got up around 9:00 am, quite late.
We all 3 woke up at about the same time. It would be good for the group tour and family traveling to test the functional design of hotel room or suite.
We realized the good design of modern hotel, quite good use of 3 separated facilities; toilet room, wash basin area, and bathroom.
Taking pictures of Filipino women workers, holiday at the near by park, Statue Park
Filipino Domestic Helpers
I took a few pictures of Filipino Domestic Helpers at the Park
Picture - New Year Greeting atmosphere at the park near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong
Picture - Foreign domestic helpers gathers at the park every Sunday or holiday, like the New Year Day.
Foreign domestic helpers (traditional Chinese: 外籍家庭傭工) in Hong Kong are foreign domestic workershousemaids employed by Hongkongers, typically families. They make up approximately 3% of the population of Hong Kong and an overwhelming majority of them are women. In 2005, there were 223,394 foreign domestic helpers in the city; 53.11% were from the Philippines, 43.15% from Indonesia, and 2.05% from Thailand.[1] They usually live in their employer's residence and perform various household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and child-minding, and domestic support services.
There are on average around 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, of whom most work as foreign domestic helpers. Filipino maids are known by the locals as feiyungs and the slang bun muis or bun buns. In some cases Filipino women with university degrees are willing to work as maids and nannies for the higher salary and better lifestyle they will receive in Hong Kong than they could make at home.
On Sundays (when most domestic helpers have a day off) and on public holidays thousands of domestic helpers gather in Central, Victoria Park and around Hong Kong Cultural Centre to socialise and picnic.
The Gathering
Foreign domestic helpers from mostly Philippines women, gathered during the January 1, 2010. From what I know, they can sing well, speak fluent English, had mobilephones, and can communicate effectively among fellow workers from Philippines. Usually, they gathered every Sunday, having picnic, bring food of their choices, to eat at places quite well known among their network.
Picture - New Year 2010 celebration - singing.
Pictures – at the Statue Square
Breakfast
9:40 am breakfast at Mandarin Oriental. We had to wait in line, served with orange juice during the 10 minute waiting.
Picture - Breakfast - Dim Sum, fruit juice, miklk, and coffee
Picture - Watermelon, papaya,
Picture - Breakfast as usual
I had limited breakfast. Natti was planning to shop at Marks & Spencer at the Time Square - she would look for a pair of walking shoes. I would also look for a pair of sneakers, comfortable to wear and walk, and not too fancy.
The Plan
It was the last day of our stay in Hong Kong, we had the following plan:
14:00 hrs lunch, somewhere
As planned
18:00 hrs, Leaving the hotel
22:00 hrs Cathay Pacific departed Hong Kong for Bangkok
My reflection about Hong Kong "What kind of a city is it like? - I would try to gather as much as possible information, and ideas to really write useful conclusion about our impression toward Hong Kong, since we came here 10 years ago.
Words reflecting Hong Kong would be; efficiency, quality, no nonsense, Airport, buses, double deck tramps, Taxi, limousine, MTR, ferry, macro plannin, etc. We may not be able to really find satisfactory keywords yet, but I will try - You, as readers, can sent us some suggestions about your impression toward Hong Kong.
13:30 hrs, Causeway Bay - at Time Square, I finally bought a pair of Nike Sneakers, easy to take care of, look good, functional, and comfortably to wear and walk, look good but not too fancy.
I got a nail clipper at HKD 20 at a Bonjour Cosmetics. It should be good for cutting my hard toe nails. I think it was made in mainland China.
Causeway Bay
Shopping areas of our last day is the Time Square at Causeway Bay area.
From Wikipedia - Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, located on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road (銅鑼灣道). The rent in the shopping areas of Causeway Bay is ranked as being one of the most expensive in the world, near that of London's Sloane Street and New York's Fifth Avenue.
The followings are pictures I and Palm took from the Causeway Bay Areas:
Picture - Elevators are parts of living in the stack up society.
Picture - Foods you can take away to reheat and eat at home.
Picture - Waiting in line to get into the elevators, up to find place to eat.
Picture - Various restaurants to choose from, including the western fastfoods.
Times Square
Times Square (Chinese: 時代廣場) is a major shopping centre and office tower complex in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.
The complex, owned by Wharf Properties Limited, part of The Wharf (Holdings) Limited group, was opened in April 1994.
4 pairs of Socks, HKD 100
World Trade Center - WTC
Uniqlo - Quality at Low Price, good design Food Forum cueing
13: 50 hrs, I felt low blood Sugar, hungry, bought some shortbreads, caramel toffee.
14:00 hrs, all 3 to be at Starbucks, Time Square 14:30 hrs, taxi. Back to the hotel, using the bought the new nail clipper to trim my toe nails, quite good. I felt much better.
Demonstration
Demonstration calling for democracy in Hong Kong See also Taiwanese flags in the rally, Dr Sun Yad Sen, Civic Party, etc.
Picture - Demonstration for Democracy in Hong Kong, on January 1, 2010
Thousands of Hong Kong residents marched to the Chinese government's liaison office on Friday demanding that Beijing grant full democracy to the semiautonomous financial hub.
Chanting "One man, one vote to choose our leader" and clutching signs reading "Democracy now," the demonstrators set off from a crowded street in the heart of the Central financial district.
Dozens of the protesters tried but failed to breach a police cordon at the Chinese government compound. They staged a peaceful sit-in instead, joined by hundreds of others.
About 9000 demonstrators showed up.
Late Lunch
15:29 hrs, lunch at the hotel coffee shop, Hainan chicken rice, HKD 190, quite good
Picrure - Natti - Waiting for the late lunch, and watching the demonstration for Democracy in Hong Kong on the street nearby.
Picrure -Pracob - Waiting for the late lunch, and watching the demonstration for Democracy, January 1, 2010, in Hong Kong on the street nearby.
Picture - Salad
Picture - Salad
Picture - Salad
Salad is the most difficult kind of menu to make at home.
Picture - Pizza
Picture - Hainan Chicken Rice
Picture - Hainan Chicken Rice, with 3 different sauces, and light soup
16:40 hrs, waiting for the limousine to take to the airport, HKD 800 for round trips (between the hotel and the HKIA) - the other way to the airport was to take the Airport Express, or a regular taxi.
We were waiting at the lobby. I took a short nap, for I was quite full from the Hainan Chicken Rice, unshared by the other members.
Ready to Be Back Home
We, instead of waiting at the lobby of Mandarin Oriental Hote until the arranged timel, we requested to have the transportation to the airport a little bit earlier.
16:00 hrs, we went to the HKIA via Hotel limousine, Mercedes S Class latest model.
To use the limousine from the hotel served two purposes: First, as a package, the cost to us is quite reasonable, so we can experiences services from one of the finest hotels we know. Secondly, I had answer to my wife, who asked me teasingly whether we could afford to have a Mercedes S-Class like some of her friends have. We got the answer from the services. We are serviced with one of the finest car my wife may dream of, at the very affordable price - for the trip served by the Hotel.
Furthermore, requesting services from the hotel is a good idea, for we have 3 members in the group. If you came to Hong Kong alone as one, you may try the Airport Express at the cost of HKD 100 for one way trip. If you have less things to carry, it might be a good choice.
Picture – Mercedes S-Class -Natti used to tease me whether she could have a Mercedes S-Class. She got her request fulfilled, for we all had a full services of transportation with chauffeured Limousine, Mercedes S-Class
Hong Kong Airport Express
Picture - Airport Express train, Hong Kong and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
Picture 3 Inside the Airport Express train, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
The Airport Express is one of the lines of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) serving Hong Kong. It links the principal urban areas of Hong Kong to Hong Kong International Airport and the associated AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition and convention centre.
Although a part of the MTR system, the Airport Express is not primarily a rapid transit or metro line. Instead, it provides premium fare express service to and from the airport and exhibition centre every 12 minutes, using specially designed rolling stock intended to provide similar levels of comfort to that found on an airliner. The average maximum speed between stations is 130 Kilometres per hour.
The Airport Express line is the only rail link to the airport's terminal area. However, it is paralleled for most of its length by the Tung Chung Line, a more traditional rapid transit line. The Tung Chung line diverges from the Airport Express line just south of the channel between Lantau Island and Chek Lap Kok island (on which the airport was constructed), and terminates in the adjacent Tung Chung new town. From here bus links serve the various areas of the airport, including the passenger terminals.
The journey from Hong Kong Station to the airport takes 24 minutes. The line is indicated in the colour teal on MTR system maps.
At HKIA
We went through the check in process – immigration process
Vocabulary I plan to write about: - Duty free,coffee shop,electric carts, shuttle, at HKD 50'per person,money exchange,perfumes, etc.
During the trip back to Bangkok, we had more time to walk around the HKIA. There are more things I might try ot write about if we hav time:- restroom, toilets, family room, urinals (for men) Gates, lifts, Airline service desk. Airline transfer desk, Boards - Time, flight, destination, gate, status
Class- First, business, economy, etc.
Automated Teller Machine - ATM,Exit vs entrance,Airport, terminals, gates, boarding halls, etc.
21:01 hrs, I used the restroom of the HKIA, using the airport toilet, admirably clean and plenty of toilet rooms.
21:35 hrs, to be ready for boarding
Cx709 22:00 hrs to Bangkok, economy class. The food on the plane tasted better to me than the trip to Hong Kong 3 days ago, for we did not eat much prior to get to the plane.
The Bangkok time was 1 hour later than in Hong Kong, I set my watch time, including my iPhone time back to BKK time. The plane arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport on time. The re-entrance process for all passengers was quite efficient, no complaint about it. The Luggage processing system was good. We again used the airport limousine, Camry, NGV powered, the back trunk of the car space was occupied by the big gas tank. Two pieces of luggage was at the back trunk, and 1 used the front seat, and so all 3 of us sat at the back seats, no problems.
24:30 hrs, or the early hour of the next day, we were at home, quite tired, and all 3 of us went to bed in a short while.
Happy New Year 2010 to everyone, Happy New Year to you.
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