Spanish restaurant in Hong Kong. Video produced by www.foodeasy.com

Vancouver International Airport in Canada, also known as YVR, is the second largest airport in the North America’s west coast. Situated about 15 kilometers from Vancouver, on Sea Island, in Richmond, in British Columbia, Vancouver International Airport is the shortest as well as fastest route to many of the major cities in Asia.

For instance, Vancouver is just about 1250 kilometers away from such Asian destinations as Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As a result, the YVR serves as a foremost getaway between North America and Asia. The airport also operates non stop flights to several destinations in Europe as well as Mexico, apart from a large number of destinations in the US, Caribbean, and Canada. The airport consists of three terminals, such as, Domestic Terminal, the International Terminal, and the South Terminal.

The Domestic and International terminals are connected each other via an enclosed corridor. However, the South Terminal is a separate facility, and is primarily used to serve as a regional hub for helicopters, corporate charters, float planes, and small aircrafts.

In other words, the South Terminal mainly operates flights to places within British Columbia. Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Air Canada Tango, Canadian Western Airlines, Northwest International Airways, Western Express Airlines, and Zoom Airlines are some of the airlines operated by the Domestic Terminal. Among the airlines served by the International Terminal are Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Oasis Hong Kong International, Northwest Airlines, Aloha Airlines, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, and United Airlines. The airlines served by the South Terminal include Canadian Western Airlines, Hawk Air, KD Air, Seaair Airplanes, and West Coast Air.

Managed as well as operated by the Airport Authority (AA) – a not for profit, community based organization, since 1992, the Vancouver International Airport is among the top ten international airports in the world, and in 2007, it won the won the Skytrax ‘Best North American Airport’ award. It is estimated that the airport serves about 18 million passengers per year. The airport is also a major getaway to international trade and commerce.

Beyond arrival, departure, and three terminals serving an array of airlines from across the world, the Vancouver International Airport in Canada provides a diverse range of most sophisticated facilities as well as attractions for passengers. For instance, if you are at the airport and want to communicate with your friends, relatives, or business colleagues, then take advantage of leading edge communication facilities available at the airport.

There are about 500 voice payphones, spread across different sections of the International and Domestic terminals. The airport also provides a number of eMillennium payphones coupled with high speed internet access. Apart from these, wireless internet access is also available at the airport. Likewise, if you are a busy traveler or a passenger whose flight time is delay, then the airport offers superb options to relax and rest. The hotel at the airport is attached with accommodation choices replete with high end comforts. Further, a host of facilities are available at the hotel, such as, business center, executive meeting room, luxury day spa, and fully equipped health club.

Further, excellent facilities are available for passengers touring with children. A plenty of play areas can be found throughout the airport, which in turn allows kids to enjoy and unwind. Since these play areas are close to security checkpoints, you needn’t have to worry regarding the safety and security of your children.

For travelers, who are required to stay at the airport for long hours, one of the best ways to avoid boredom is to take a walk around the airport and enjoy its incredible interior designs. There is an art foundation within the airport, which is a dramatic as well as colorful depiction of the natural scenery and native wildlife of the country. Fine examples of Northwest Coast Aboriginal Art can also be found here in the form of totem poles and wooden sculptures.

Superb dining and shopping facilities are also there within the airport, with an array of outlets to cater every taste and budget. Above all, excellent transportation options are available to and from the Vancouver International Airport, boasting of more than 400 taxi providers. For travelers seeking luxury and comfort, better options are available in the form of limousine services are available. A large number of car rental outlets are also within the airport.

Where else could you be served a burger by Murder Wong, do aerobics with Cinderella Pong and work with Popeye Wan? I kid you not. Unusual names were just one of the great memories of expat life in Hong Kong in the 1990’s.

After the handover from Great Britain in June 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China. While many things have changed and today the names may be less exotic, you’ll still marvel at this melting pot of east meets west. A dynamic city filled with amazing sights and sounds around every corner. Working here will be one of the best cultural experiences of your life.

The unusual names I encountered during my 5 years at various advertising agencies still make me smile and I look back on them with real fondness. People still don’t believe me when I tell them about the colourful characters you could meet not just in adland but in everyday life – and you didn’t have to look far. Just to the office phone list for a thesaurus of treasures and imaginative English spellings: Jam and Coffey, Milk Shake and Madonna, Adolf and Wood – witty and wonderful names.

A casual flick through the South China Morning Post would easily reveal even more gems that certainly stood out from your mundane Tom, Rick and Ari. There was Bulldozer Chan, Icey Tung, Apple Mak, and my all-time favourite, Licky Ho. There was even a little inter-agency rivalry between my expat pals and myself to see who could trump you with an even better name. I confess Spoon Poon and Felix Mao are still hard to top.

Up here, it was easy to become immersed in your work and the whole social scene. Long hours, big nights, too many margaritas in Lan Kwai Fong, not to mention the never-ending temptation of shopping. You went out for groceries and came home with a little Gucci something…not that hard to do, when the shops stay open late every night. My downfall was earrings. Big, small, sparkling or plain, I amassed quite a collection of baubles.

There were some things I did miss about Australia, like having a bit of space to myself and some solitude occasionally, but that didn’t last long. One thing I didn’t miss was the spiralling interest rates on home mortgages. They certainly got out of control back then and seem to be heading upwards again in 2007. The one thing that can save you is a fixed rate home loan. Well worth looking into if you are travelling for a few years, so you don’t hit with nasty surprises like rate increases.

While the opportunities are not as diverse as they used to be for expats, working in Hong Kong promises to be give you so much from a professional and personal perspective. The place fills your mind and heart. You gaze in awe at the Manhattan-style skyline filled with dazzling modern architecture and just a few streets away, bargain your heart out for silk and jade at a local market. There’s nowhere on earth as fast, entrepreneurial and fun as Hong Kong.

If you get the chance to work up here, go for it and soak up every second. And look out for Licky Ho!

Four Tet Live in Hong Kong at Pi Club. 10th June 2006.

Hong Kong is in a prime position to take advantage of China’s growing economy – and they have both taken advantage and built an economy under their own steam. The latest figures make the Hong Kong property market one of the most attractive in the world. We look at why it would a be a good idea to jump on this speeding boat, before it blows out of port!

Hong Kong’s real estate and property markets are on the up and up at the moment. Official figures from the Hong Kong land registry show that both the total number of transactions, and the total number of [property transactions is increasing at a rate of knots. January’s figures showed 67.8 billion HKD in property transactions – a 149.3% increase from the same time last year, and an increase of 5.2% from the month previous. In terms of overall transactions, the land registry recorded 16,984 transactions, which is an increase of 92.8% from the same time in 2007, and a jump of 8.9% from the prior month, December 2007.

Obviously this trend has been forming in Hong Kong for a while now. And it is not only the number of transactions that are increasing in the Hong Kong property market, but the value of the property being traded is going up as well. If you are looking to directly invest in the Hong Kong property market, now is the time to start the ball rolling, while prices are relatively low and growth seems set to continue.

Tourism is another area where the country should see a sharp increase in the number of transactions. Jeff Voyles of Globalysis said that “Hong Kong faces stiff competition for tourist dollars from other Asian destinations”, and it has met the challenge wonderfully. Hong Kong expects to see around 30 million visitors in 2008, representing an increase of 7% over the previous year, and the revenue from these transactions is set to grow to around $155 billion HKD. Hotels in Hong Kong will see sustained growth this year, as will airlines, and business oriented services.

An example of the growth that is being seen in Hong Kong recently is shown by the purchase of tracts of land for development in Shatin and Mid-Levels by Henderson Land Development Co, for around $128 billion HKD. Work on the high-rise apartment blocks and several low-rise blocks should be completed by April and March 2009, for separate parts of the projects, in time to cash in on the breakneck economic growth.

Prices are at their highest level in a decade in the Hong Kong property market, and they show signs of continuing to increase – in sharp contrast to the housing market in the US. A 50% increase in prices over the next three years has been predicted by analysts Merril Lynch. They have been joined in their positivism by Sun Hung Kai properties, as well as other developers. Investors seem to be recognizing and touting that buying an apartment is more profitable than buying shares at the moment.

All this means is that savvy investors will not miss out on the golden opportunities provided by property management in Hong Kong this year!

The Star Ferry is a hark back to the romantic colonial days of Hong Kong when it was the means of traveling across the ocean between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. During its 100 years in existence the Star Ferry has seen many changes take place in Hong Kong, its transformation from a sleep fishing port into a trading hub and subsequent industrialization, the hand over to China and now the economic slump.

The Hong Kong Star Ferry is operated by the Star Ferry Company Ltd. which has been in existence since 1898, since then its ferries have been busily shuttling passengers between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Today a fleet of twelve ferries are in operation and more than 26 million passengers travel on them annually at a rate of 70,000 passengers daily.

Even though there are other means of crossing the channel, the Star Ferry still provides an efficient and cost effective method of travel. The main route runs between Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui and Central on Hong Kong Island, the two main points of tourist interest. The ferries are popular because they are enjoyable and fast- it takes only 10 minutes to cross the harbor!

Since the year 2003, the Star Ferry Company has introduced a custom built ferry to be used for sight seeing in Victoria Harbour. The ferry has been modeled on boats that were used in the 1920’s and takes guests back to the days of the British colonialists. The ferry also features a coffee house and an open deck for sun bathing. A hotel in Hong Kong known as the Hotel Jen is located extremely close to the starting point of the ferry and thus provides easy access for travelers to get to Kowloon.

Searching For Health

            By Sandy Powers

Health: a state of physical and mental well-being– a desired goal we all seek, but not one we all attain.   Common sense tells us we begin by eating healthy, yet, what is eating healthy?

There are an abundance of diets on the market that claim this elusive road to well-bring.  High carbohydrates, low carbohydrates.  High protein, low protein. Total vegetarian containing no animal protein.  High fat, low fat.  Sugar busters.  All eating plans very diverse, yet they all lay claim to greater health:  reducing heart disease, cancer and diabetes while at the same time lowering cholesterol.   How is it possible that seemingly conflicting diets profess similar success yet still be factual?  For a limited time such assertions can be true.  For a limited time.  When we drastically alter our diet, our body will respond in kind—drastically.  Sometimes, it is to our benefit, other times not.  But what research has shown is that the benefits from these restrictive diets are often temporary.  Credible scientific and nutritional studies have proven the healthiest eating plans are diets that are balanced by containing food choices from all food groups.   The American Dietetic Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, and other major medical societies agree. 

Ok.  So, a healthy, well-balanced diet is the first step in searching for health, but what comprises this “healthy, well-balance diet” and how can it be measured?  By life spans.  The people who live the longest have the best diets.

According to the United Nations World Population study, the ten countries with the greatest life expectancies are Andorra, Macau, Japan, San Marino, Singapore, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Sweden, Australia, and Switzerland.  The United States has an overall life expectancy of 78.06, making it 45 in the United Nations’ ranking.   I have examined three of these top ten countries and their lifestyles in Searching for Health.

Andorra has the longest life span with an overall life expectancy of 83.52.  Andorra is a small mountainous country in southeastern Europe, located high in the eastern Pyrenees Mountain between France and Spain.  Andorran cuisine is composed of meat (usually lamb and pork), fish, pasta, vegetables, fruits, dairy (usually cheese), and bread.  Olive oil is used in cooking.  Wine is the preferred beverage. Luis Pallares, an Andorran consulting surgeon, said it is common to perform surgery on people in their eighties and nineties.  They soon return to their normal lives.  A frequent question from the patients is “how soon will I be able to walk in the mountains again, tend my garden and go into the woods to gather mushrooms?”

Japan is the third ranking with an overall life expectancy of 82.02.  Japan is an island country in East Asia, located to the east of China.  Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods like rice or noodles, with a soup—usually a fish or meat broth—and dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, fruit, and tofu, a soy product.  Meals usually end with drinking green tea.  The most popular exercise is walking.

Australia is the ninth ranking with an overall life expectancy of 80.62.  Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere surrounded by the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.  Australians eat meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and vegemite, a dark paste made from yeast extract spread on toast and crackers.  Coffee and beer are the preferred beverages.  Since Australia has one of the highest incidence of pet ownership in the world, walking the dog is the most popular exercise.

In reviewing the lifestyles of these three countries, I discovered that the diets are basically similar with a few exchanges, for example, like rice in Japan, pasta in Andorra, and crackers and toast in Australia.  Walking is the common exercise in all three countries.  Evidence of the health benefits of walking has been documented by the recent Women’s Health Study, a major research project that verified walking 15 minutes a day cut the risk of death from heart attack and stroke in half.  Walking is also a great stress reducer. Reducing stress is a vital component to health and longevity.  The time honored mind-body techniques such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and meditation to reduce stress have passed the litmus test of rigorous medical investigations.  Positive effects on heart health, blood pressure, insulin, arthritis, and tension headaches are documented with the reduction of stress through these alternative therapies.

Searching for Health provides insight into achieving better health and a longer life expectancy by adapting our lifestyles.   These are the tools to become authors of our own health.

 

Hong Kong features a diverse mixture of characters as a result of long British occupation and a great Chinese influence. As a state of China, Hong Kong provides a good introduction to who ever wants to know more about China without entering the mainland plus a venue for more attractions with western culture and Asian spirit.

1. Hong Kong Museum of Art – Located at 10 Salisbury Rd Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Museum of Art is open to anyone who wants to take a glimpse of Hong Kong’s culture and history through its large collection of over 14,000 items ranging from calligraphy, paintings, Hong Kong treasure, art objects, antiques, and lithographs. The museum is open from 10:00am-6:00pm daily except Thursday (public holidays not included).

2. Hong Kong Disneyland – The newly open and the first ever Disneyland in Asia offers total fun and excitement for the whole family. The park is divided into four major attractions: Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Main Street, USA.

3. Victoria Peak – Soaring 1810 feet above sea level, the Victoria Peak is premier destination for tourists who want to take a birds eye view of downtown Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Victoria Harbour. Go another step higher and take a 10-minute hike to the actual Victoria Peak.

4. Lantau Island – Travel Hong Kong and take a cruise around the waters of Lantau Island and watch pink dolphins that only live in this waters.

5. Ocean Park – Travel Hong Kong and visit Ocean Park. This is one Hong Kong attractions where you and your kids will have a great fun. The park is one big oceanarium containing Lowlands Gardens where pandas live, goldfish pagoda and butterfly house are located, Marine Land where atoll reef and shark aquariums are found, and Headlands amusement park where you can go and take a ride with cable cars and roller coasters.

6. Water World – Travel Hong Kong with kids would never be so much fun without taking a plunge on Water World. Enjoy wave pools, play area, and water slides.

7. Middle Kingdom – A miniature China that houses Chinese shrines, street scenes, temples, and palaces only at Middle Kingdom.

8. The Central district – If you travel to Hong Kong because you love to shop, you better go to the central Hong Kong district where big shopping malls and several Western designer and signature boutiques are located.

9. Lamma Island – If you want to see a different Hong Kong, try Lamma Island. It hosts several outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking. And if you love to taste fresh Hong Kong seafood in great dining ambiance, Lamma Island is still the preferred place to go.

10. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (Sha Tin) – Located at New Territories, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery features Buddha in different poses and colors.

11. Hong Kong Space Museum – See what’s in store for you in the future at Hong Kong Space Museum. The complex offers hundreds of displays ranging from telecommunications, robotics, energy, computers, and physics with hands on experience that will keep you interested.

12. Wet Market – In Hong Kong, everything is fresh. And when they say fresh, they mean it. If you happen to travel Hong Kong to visit a friend or someone you know, come along when they go to wet market where the freshest among freshest seafood are for sale.

Hong Kong is a magnificent region of China and a significant draw for many travelers looking to explore various cultures and international customs. Made up of over 200 islands, this great city has a population that exceeds seven million people – one city!

Located in Eastern Asia, Hong Kong is situated near the South China Sea. It was in 1997 that the city was returned to China after being leased to Great Britain – this was quite an event and cause for celebration for the Chinese people. Previously fearful of losing their country completely to Great Britain, citizens threw parties for weeks afterward. Now, although neither its own country nor technically a city, it is referred to as a “region” of China.

The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, as many residents speak both fluently. Most foreigners actually do not have any difficulty with communication there because the Chinese population tends to speak a number of languages due to business and other pragmatic reasons. The type of money used is the Hong Kong dollar – you should always check the exchange rate at the time of travel.

This location in China is known to be a very modern region with wonderful food, energetic and hard working people, plenty of shopping areas that rival some of the most popular in the world, and local customs that will draw anyone into their vibrant area.

In fact there is so much to do and see, it can be difficult to know where to get started. If you travel to there and plan to do some shopping, look around and compare prices first. Depending on where you are at the time, you could be charged a whole lot more than even going to a similar market on a street one block away.

There is a great public transportation system throughout the land, which uses the Octopus payment card. This card is essential to getting around town as almost everyone pays transportation fees from it, except for taxi cabs. It can even be used at restaurants, convenience stores, and for almost any other imaginable purchases.

When you travel to this part of the world, there is much to be seen, so start slowly and take your time so you don’t miss essentials while trying to catch everything. Definitely include Hong Kong Island on your itinerary, which is the most urbanized district. Kowloon is also a great spot to take a day trip. It offers the best view of the skyline and is one of the most populated cities in the world.

The Chinese government and its citizens are very conservative, so be on your best behavior at all times to enjoy the beautiful country on their terms. It wasn’t long ago that very few visitors were even allowed into China from the outside and you had to jump through hoops to get a Visa to travel there.

Make sure to take a train through the land as well, allowing you the opportunity to restfully enjoy everything that this region has to offer. From fabulous food to amazing culture, you can hardly go wrong visiting Hong Kong.

Cottages are dwellings that are typically found in rural or semi-rural areas. It is built around natural surroundings, and most of the time the surrounding fauna intruding into the actual living space. The term cottages also means a small and cosy place of living, often located near a body of water.

These hut-type dwellings were christened cottages, mainly because they were the dwelling quarters of cotters, a group of people belonging to the serfs’ category during feudal times, who earned their livelihood working as peasants. Cotters did not own their own land; instead they worked on their lords’ fields. In return, they were given huts and gardens, and sometimes even a small share of their lords’ harvests. Later, with the Industrial Revolution, weavers’ as well as miners’ cottages were also developed.

There are slight differences and some distinguishing characters in the cottages that are located at different places. Canadian cottages are distinguished from others, because they are mostly located next to a lake or even the ocean, basically in areas of wilderness. They are mostly rented out to vacationers and are considered popular tourist draws. Used fro skiing, hiking and fishing trips, they are also called ‘cabins’.

In Finland, on the other hand, cottages are mainly residential buildings that are used as holiday homes or a relaxed dwelling. The main characteristic about cottages in Finland is that they are made of logs and they too are situated next to a water body. In Hong Kong, they are three storied brick structures, and commonly used as relaxing and rejuvenating getaways from the hustle and bustle of the city.

UK is famous for its holiday cottages. They are well equipped and comfortable buildings that can accommodate couples as well as large family groups. UK cottages are the prettiest cottages and have well-tended and beautiful gardens attached to them. They are usually fully furnished with self catering options as well.

Cottages have today become a symbol of a relaxed and comfortable way of living in the lap of nature, and provide respite to city dwellers from the hectic and stressed contemporary lifestyle.