HONG KONG CHRONICLES — Friday, 4th August 2024

𝗠𝗬 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦.

𝗖𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗔𝗕
This story is well known by all current Hong Kong residents, but it’s too good a story not to communicate to the wider world.

A passenger hailed a taxi in Causeway Bay earlier this week and, after a few minutes, realised there were cockroaches crawling all over the interior — on the ceiling, the rearview mirror, and even on the driver’s seat. Unfortunately, she did not notice the invasion until the taxi has already reached the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, on its way to Tai Kok Tsui, so was unable to get out. Bizarrely, the taxi driver didn’t seem to care.

She was able to exit the taxi at Jordan MTR, but will probably have nightmares for weeks to come.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗞𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗬𝗣𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬
The first licenses under Hong Kong’s new crypto regime have been awarded to HashKey Exchange and OSL, legalising the retail trading of tokens in the City.

Hong Kong has been striving to establish itself as a global hub for the digital asset industry. However, while designed to draw more cryptocurrency business, Hong Kong’s fresh licensing scheme is also intended to lessen risk in the aftermath of a turbulent 2022, which witnessed the downfall of several prominent exchanges, including Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧
New tolls have been set for the three road harbour tolls, the first which came into effect on Wednesday after the government took back ownership of the Western Harbour Crossing.

The “633” fixed toll scheme resulted in the toll rate for private cars using the Western Harbour Crossing being reduced from HK$75 to HK$60, while the fee for private cars travelling through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing have risen to HK$30, from HK$25 and HK$20 respectively.

The new scheme aims to encourage taxi passengers to use the Western Harbour Crossing, and reduce the jams at the Cross Harbour Tunnel.

BTW, it appears that a “603030” scheme would have been too hard for the public to understand.

𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗘
No, not a single orca has been sighted around Hong Kong (luckily for them), but I have to report the sad death of our visiting Bryde’s whale, caused by thoughtless and selfish sightseers.

As reported in MWTW of 14th July, the whale was first spotted off Sai Kung mid-July. However, despite conservation groups urging the public to keep their distance and not surround the animal with boats, the poor mammal was inundated with sightseers wanting to get their all-important photo. As a consequence, the whale could not feed properly and might have suffered injuries from boat propellers.

The whale was found washed up on the shore on Monday, and had several wounds, including a fresh one near its dorsal fin.

Until next week …