HONG KONG CHRONICLES — Friday, 19th May 2023
MY WEEK THAT WAS.
FEELING HOT HOT HOT!
Hong Kong issued its first amber heat alert for outdoor workers yesterday, just four days after the system went into effect. The temperature reached 31 Celsius, with 74% humidity. The observatory expects the hot weather to continue this week, with temperatures rising to 32 degrees and humidity to 95%.
Yesterday’s heat alert coincided with my company’s 10th anniversary party. Despite the heat, we managed to pack more than 80 guests into The Dispensary and they were all kind enough to stick it out, despite the aircon being no match for the weather.
Thank you to all who came along and helped SEC Newgate Greater China celebrate this milestone.
100,000 LINED UP FOR FREE CATHAY PACIFIC TICKETS.
More than 100,000 hopefuls lined up for just 2,890 free round-trip tickets from the US and Canada to Hong Kong yesterday. The tickets are among the 700,000 being given away under the government’s “Hello Hong Kong” campaign to attract visitors to the city.
The tickets were available on a first-come, first-served basis. It must have been stressful for the hopefuls, as even if they reached the front of the line, they had to complete the site’s booking form in 30 minutes or they were timed out and needed to re-join the queue; a hopeless exercise.
SENIOR TAXI DRIVERS MAY NEED TO HANG UP THEIR BADGES.
In the wake of a series of accidents involving senior taxi drivers, the government is lowering the age requirement from 70 to 65 for taxi and commercial vehicle drivers to have an annual medical check. Eyesight and hearing tests have been added to the medical check. (You read that correctly — they were not included before).
The move is a sensible one but it does highlight the ageing of our taxi driver population. The proportion of drivers aged over 60 years rose from 49% in 2013 to 27% last year.
“WE DON’T NEED A BABY, WE HAVE A CAT.”
The bizarre image I have posted with the name of its proud creator, appeared in the SCMP on Thursday, to illustrate a story about Hong Kong’s low birth rate. (The copyright risk is worth taking, so I can share the picture).
Hong Kong has the honour of having the lowest fertility rate in the world. The number of babies born in Hong Kong fell each year since 2018 to a record low of 32,500 last year. Five primary schools are facing closure; secondary schools will be hit next, and hundreds of teachers could be made redundant. The impact on the workforce and the city’s economy will follow.
The fact is — many younger women and married couples simply do not want children. The SCMP quoted a 34-year-old married women who said the cost and Hong Kong’s competitive academic culture has put her off having children.
The couple adopted a cat last year (adopt, don’t shop) and regard it as a member of the family, hence the quotation in the headline.
Until next week …
