To ANNE FLEETWOOD: a public notice

I used to listen to Z103.5, but no longer.

I used to listen to Z103.5 but now I listen to KISS. 92.5 on the FM dial has better personalities and music.

Where to get the best currency exchange rates in Hong Kong (cash)

Currency conversion is an essential “to do” for international travel, and getting the best rates can make a difference in travel costs. In Hong Kong, the most important rule is to avoid exchanging money at the airport as much as possible, as the rates there are among the worst in the entire city. If you have absolutely zero or very few Hong Kong dollars, only exchange enough for your immediate transportation and survival needs, until you can visit a better money changer in town. I also recommend that you get one of the tourist products from the MTR (mass transit) that provides unlimited travel on the system, so there will be no additional transportation costs for visiting an in-town money changer. The “Airport Express Travel Pass” is especially worth looking into, and there may be a discount for purchasing that online or onboard a Cathay Pacific flight.

In-town, the best currency exchange rates in Hong Kong for cash can be found, in my experience, at Ngau Kee Money Changer (牛記找換) located at 1 Cleverly Street in Sheung Wan, between Connaught Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central. From Sheung Wan MTR station take exit B or C, or take the tram to Western Market (if you do not have an MTR unlimited travel pass). Indeed, that section of Cleverly Street is filled of money changers, so feel free to compare rates. However, my experience is that no one offers a better exchange rate than Ngau Kee.

Ngau Kee’s storefront on Google Streetview.

(“Ngau Kee” refers to a bull. With a rich agricultural heritage, “bull” is a common traditional Chinese name for men, as in “he is a strong as a bull”.)

Macau travel agency review: private tour with Gray Line Tours of Macau Limited

While Macau is known for having the best casino resorts in the world, it is much more than glitzy gambling venues. Recently I had to arrange for a half day tour of the city for a larger group of senior citizens, which meant that a private tour (i.e. our own hired vehicle and tour guide) was the best choice. The challenge I had was to find a reputable travel agency to handle the request: while anyone arriving in any of Macau’s entry ports would be greeted by assorted middle-aged men wearing shorts and sandals offering “cheap tours” and “discounted transportation”, the quality and safety of these offers are highly questionable.

I started my search at the most obvious location, the list of travel agencies licensed under the supervision of the Macau Government Tourist Office. Checking out websites, I found that Gray Line Tours of Macau (澳門錦倫旅行社) is one of the few agencies that conduct inbound tours. I also discovered that Gray Line is the Macau Government Tourism Office’s Appointed Travel Agency for its “Macau Highlight Tours”, attesting to Gray Line’s quality and reliability.

I booked a five-hour city tour on a 20-passenger minibus, with pick up at the Taipa Ferry Terminal and drop off at the Venetian Hotel Resort. Other tour vehicle options are by Mercedes Benz sedan or by minivan. The first challenge came when we were able to go on the ferry that departed half an hour earlier, so I had to move up the time for pick up by half an hour. Since the agency office had provided me with our tour guide’s mobile phone number in advance, it was not a problem to contact him and relay the request. Understanding that this request was to be met in a “best effort” basis, nonetheless the guide and the vehicle were able to meet us immediately upon our clearing immigration formalities.

Both the guide and driver were highly courteous and professional, and the vehicle was clean and well-maintained. The guide was knowledgeable in matters related to the history, geography, and significance of all tour highlights, and clearly answered any questions we had. He also gave good recommendations for our lunch in local cuisine (on our own). Also, the guide and driver remained flexible to our immediate customization requests: as it was a hot day, we decided to focus more on indoor (air conditioned) venues and just drive past some of the outdoor venues. The guide also provided us with discounted tickets to the Macau Tower, which was much appreciated.

The price I paid for the tour was HK$2500 ($322.65 Canadian/U.S., processed by Gray Line’s Hong Kong office), paid by Visa or Mastercard at least 5 days before the tour. Tour prices are dependent on the type of vehicle and the length of the tour. Cash tips for the guide and driver are extra and were cheerfully given. Gray Line provided an excellent tour experience, and I highly recommend their tours when visiting Macau.

Hong Kong private transportation/limousine service review: Trans-Island Limousine Service Limited

Hong Kong has an excellent public transit system, but when one needs to move a bigger group of people it is often more convenient to look into private transportation/a limousine service. This is especially true if luggage is involved.

Recently, I had to arrange for transporting a larger group of senior citizens from Hung Hom train station to Happy Valley, then on another day from Happy Valley to the airport. As multiple taxis for each trip would be a logistical nightmare and a hassle to keep the group together, I looked for a reliable vehicle hire service. After some research, I chose Trans-Island Limousine Service (環島旅運有限公司), a leading company in providing private transportation services. As they also provide coach services between the airport and various hotels, as well as between Hong Kong and various mainland China cities in Guangdong province, they are a reputable company with an excellent safety record (in contrast to the casually-dressed men touting “cheap van transportation” in Hung Hom train station, whose record is questionable).

Various vehicle types are available through Trans-Island, including Mercedes Benz sedans, Bentley sedans, minivans, 23-passenger minibuses and 45- passenger coaches. Wedding packages are also offered. For our trips I hired 23-passenger minibuses. In both cases the vehicles were well maintained and clean, the drivers were courteous and professional, and the trips were safe and comfortable. The drivers provided much assistance with the many pieces of luggage that we had, which was much appreciated. Dispatch was only a phone call away to ensure that meeting up with the minibus was smooth and without problems.

The price I paid from Hung Hom train station to Happy Valley was HK$600 ($77.51 Canadian/U.S.), and the price I paid from Happy Valley to the airport was HK$1214 ($156.44 Canadian/U.S.). Prices are dependent on the exact pick up/drop off locations, and payment is by major credit card at booking. Cash tips for the drivers are extra and were happily given.

Whenever private transportation/limousine service is needed in Hong Kong, I highly recommend Trans-Island. I will contact them again when I need such service again in the future.

A story of doing Customer Service WRONG! (Velcom DSL)

This is a re-post of a Facebook note by Jenny Stadnyk. Please distribute widely to increase awareness:

I wanted to share this message with everyone, and encourage you to share it with others if you know of anyone thinking of subscribing to Internet service with Velcom DSL.

I had been a happy customer with Velcom DSL since July 2008. When I moved from the condo to the house on March 31st, the Internet was transferred over. The very first week, we did not have an Internet connection. Over the month of April I made over 20 calls to Velcom, repeatedly telling them that the connection kept dropping and that when I first had service at this location in 2008, the same issue happened, and it turned out that Bell didn't connect the line properly. I did all the tests Velcom told me to do, accepted a test modem (with a $45 deposit paid), tried it and determined that the modem was working fine. I sent the modem back at a cost to me of $13.90. They finally agreed to call Bell to come out but wanted a $100 deposit on the call because if the problem was within the walls of my house, I would have to pay a service fee. I managed to have the fee waived, Bell came out on May 1st, inspected the line, took a look at the connector boxes in the neighbourhood and determined that my Internet connection was hooked up to the wrong house!! They said the reason why I sometimes was able to connect to Internet (for 30 seconds to 3 minutes at a time) was because I was connecting to someone else's connection).

This is where the problems began. I called Velcom to request a refund for the month of April because the line was hooked up to the wrong house and they refused!! Initially the customer service reps I spoke with agreed that I would be reimbursed for the $45 modem deposit, the $13.60 shipping fee and a full month service fees, however once I was connected with the manager, they told me that I hadn't called them to complain, even though my cell phone bill lists 20 calls each of over 15 minutes with the company since the 4th of April. Then they told me that when I did call I was calling about my wireless router, although there was never a problem with my router. Finally they agreed to refund two weeks only but would not refund the shipping cost of returning the modem. even though I told them from the very beginning that the problem was with the line and that the modem worked perfectly in the condo, only days before the move.

I provided the company a detailed list of the calls I made and the problems I was having and each time I called I was told that a manager would call me back in the next day. Two days would go by, I'd call again and be told the same thing.

Finally yesterday, my husband called them a final time and was told the same thing, that we never called to complain and that even though, yes they admit that the line was connected to the wrong house for an entire month, they would only reimburse us for 2 weeks of service.

We had him email proof of how much credit is remaining on our account and cancelled our service as of the last paid-up-to date. I told the manager how disappointed I was that they didn't care about me as a customer and didn't appreciate my business and kept getting the "I understand, but we're not budging".

So. I want everyone to know about my stressful experience with Velcom and warn those of you currently with the company or thinking of signing up with them. They do not care about you as a customer and do not go out of their way to be understanding when there is a problem with the service.

I am now hunting for a new ISP, so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, and I am making a phone call to the Better Business Bureau, as I feel that Velcom is withholding my own money paid to them, although I did not receive a service in return.

The thing I find the most amusing is on the main page of their website it says "At Velcom, we have high standards. Our primary goal is to be the strongest, most infrastructurally sound Internet Service Provider in Canada. We put our years of experience to work for you every day, and are committed to providing 100% customer satisfaction to every client".

Thanks for listening,

Jen

Restaurant review: Earls (Toronto - King Street West)

There has been considerable buzz lately in the Toronto area dining scene regarding Earls, a recent arrival from the West. Several locations are now open, including one in the downtown financial district at 150 King Street West:

When I arrived at slightly past 11:30 am for lunch, the place was already an impressive 70% full. The atmosphere was casual but classy, and exudes the sense of a stylish place for influential people to unwind while taking a break from their deal-making.

My server introduced herself and took my drink order very quickly after I was seated. When she brought my Coke ($3, free refills) she also gave me a glass of water unprompted, which was excellent.

To start, I ordered the Clam Chowder:

It was nice and packed full of clams, bacon and vegetables. The taste was optimal and the thickness indicated high quality chowder – definitely no watering down going on here.

For the main course, I decided to go for the Bourbon Mushroom 7 oz Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin ($25.50):

The steak was thick cut, and I asked for medium rare. Was it prepared correctly?

Of course it was! The outside was crispy but the inside was just as medium rare should be. The meat quality was excellent with all the juices one expects from Angus beef locked within. The mashed potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus were done perfectly as companions to the steak. Just one area for improvement: the gravy was a bit too salty and I found it to have distracted from the natural taste of the steak. For later bites I found myself “wiping off” the gravy on the plate before eating.

Service was excellent and with a bright smile. I already mentioned how my server provided water without prompting, and in addition to that she checked up on me at appropriate intervals so my needs were met without undue delay. I observed that all staff kept themselves busy with service, and evidence of good teamwork was visible.

Earls staff also stand out with a stylish dress code. Female servers wear little black dresses while males are in dark shirts and ties. Nothing is sloppy at Earls.

A patio is being built outside the entrance, and looks like it should be ready by the summer season. I recommend calling ahead if visiting during peak dining times, as the good word on this location is clearly getting around.

For a smart casual dining experience with high value for the money, I recommend Earls. A return visit is highly likely!

What the Bible says will really happen to people who die without believing in Jesus Christ

For the Bible’s true teaching on the eternal fate of those who die without believing in Jesus Christ, as opposed to the false feel-good teachings preached by some who call themselves pastors, listen to the excellent message ”What Happens When People Die Without Christ?” by Steve Irvin.

Of course, my related earlier blog post, “Will there still be an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ at the Final Judgement?”, is also worth a read. :)

A letter to my 13 year old son whom I bailed out following the post-budget protest (Translation)

(Backgrounder: After the government of Hong Kong presented its budget for 2011-12, a violent protest against the presented measures resulted in over 100 arrests. This letter in Chinese is supposed to be a message from a father to his arrested young son, and was posted on Yahoo! Forum by “kai”. Since this is such a powerful message, I find it worthwhile to share it with a wider audience. I will add my own comments and its relevance to other protests around the world, following my translation of the letter.)

[Translated text follows]

My son, the moment when I went to post bail for you at the police station, I felt a myriad of emotions in my heart.

My son, daddy is not blaming you for making me take a trip to the police station, rather I am worried whether you understand your actions. That was why I discussed your actions after we returned home. I asked you when did you join the demonstration and protest, you replied that the protest was because: the government budget was not good, the budget did not help senior citizens, there were no retirement security measures proposed, there were no measures to help out 13 year old me, and I will not be receiving $6,000 nor other subsidies. On the one hand, I am glad to see your attitude of concern to current affairs, but on the other hand I am very worried about your continual demands to society or the government.

My son, when you continually make demands to society, to a certain extent this increases your reliance on society. Daddy did not receive higher education; I was already working outside of home at 18. Like many other people of Hong Kong, I enjoyed the fruits of my own labour, and relied on my own hands and effort to work towards a better future. Of course I have to admit that in society not everyone has the inborn ability to live off their own efforts, so this group of people must receive help from society. But to 13 year old you, why do you not work hard to improve your standard of living, instead demand more benefits from the government? Why do you ask society for more, when you have not contributed anything to society? At the moment we are only an ordinary family, but we have three full daily meals, and we have the basic ability to work hard without worries. Your life is just beginning; you can change or improve your future through studying, education, hard work, intelligence, opportunity, etc. You said to me, “without revolution, how can there be change”, but I believe in “without effort, how can there be change” instead!! I hope you can rely on yourself to build a future!!

My son, daddy is already entering his middle or even senior years already. When I heard your demand for universal retirement security, my reaction was not joy but anxiety. I remember my father – your grandfather – telling me, he does not look forward to rely on me supporting him; he will not increase the burden on his children. I really appreciated him, for making my burden in later days light, and I can enjoy more. So daddy would like to continue this “tradition”, preferring to spend less myself, saving up more, not willing for my being a burden to you or to society after I enjoyed myself. Let me tell you something, one time, your uncle asked me to lend him money after he went gambling in Macao, I told him: “Why should you gamble instead of me! You went gambling for speculation and entertainment, why should I pay your bill”. At the end, I did not lend him a single penny. Even though I should be happy to have universal retirement security, as I am about to retire and so will enjoy it immediately, but in the future you and taxpayers will be paying more!!

My son, society at large is beginning to manifest the phenomenon of offloading one’s responsibility to others, which is in everything requiring reminders or warnings from others. Recall yesterday when we were shopping at the supermarket, a customer continually blamed the supermarket staff for not reminding him to collect shopping reward points; another example, a parent complained that the schoolteacher did not remind students to hand in their homework on time; the government is called on to be responsible for all affairs of the citizen etc. How can the government do so much? When everyone offloads one’s responsibility to others or to the government, it will only result in one being even less responsible, strengthening one’s dependence and lowering one’s vigilance. This is actually a very dangerous phenomenon. When we complain of the appearance of children who lack self-management skills, it actually originates from helicopter parenting. If we continue to offload one’s responsibility to others or the government, the one who suffers will only be ourselves!! “Treat others harshly, treat oneself gently” has already become a popular mentality.

My son, to speak frankly, I am very worried about your radical actions and behaviour. If we were located in Libya or Egypt with totalitarian governments, I would feel proud of your radical actions, because my son is not afraid of oppression, and is willing to sacrifice his life to fight for democracy and liberty, and to oppose tyranny. But you who live in Hong Kong, there are many avenues to express your grievances and complaints, including demonstrations and expressing disapproval of the government through the ballot. But why attack police, and obstruct traffic? Let us look at it from another perspective, your obstruction of the street resulted in obstacles to others’ comings and goings; is that not violating the freedoms of others? As for the police officers you attacked, they are only doing their job, why did you have to attack and injure them? Why not think from another perspective!!

My son, society needs to use laws to maintain order, and we need to use our virtues to make the world a better place. Remember one time riding the elevator with you, we went in first, I asked you to press the open door button so people who follow can enter. But you asked me in return, “why do I have to be responsible for pressing the button? Can’t others do it?” At the moment I was stunned, and of course I explained to you that this is to be considerate to others! Sharing, respects for others, manners, promoting others above self and being considerate to others etc. are all good virtues, but as society becomes indulgent people easily lose these virtues, and only look after themselves, without regard to other’s feelings, then society will only become more and more selfish!!

My son, daddy has neglected to discuss current affairs with you, and I am responsible for that. There are many opinions and reports in society that may not be comprehensive, and you being 13 years old may not be able to analyze clearly. Yet for me as father, I have the responsibility to analyze so you can think about problems in a multi-faceted and three-dimensional manner. Of course, the above is just daddy’s opinion, it is also for your information, I am not trying to force my perspective onto you.

There are many things in life that require personal experience and insight. This is a teaching moment, what happened this time is good as a valuable lesson on life for you, to lay a cornerstone for your future.

[End of translated text]

This excellent message is not only applicable to Hong Kong, but to other places that observe the rule of law. In the majority of cases, the vandals who use political cover to commit crimes of destruction are spoiled brats from well-off families who foolishly decide to rebel against the social structures that allowed them their privileged lives. I have written about this earlier regarding the 2010 Toronto G20 riots:

Toronto G20 Black Blochead “activists” are nothing but spoiled rotten rich brats

Criminals should pay for the damage they caused, not taxpayers

Across the Atlantic in the UK, we now know that one of the major organizers of the recent riots in London, nicknamed “Captain Anarchy”, is in fact the son of an aide to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and himself a government employee. Champion against poverty? Nah, just another spoiled rotten rich kid who was too lazy to find something better to do.

Civil servant son of Blair aide dubbed Captain Anarchy unmasked as organiser of cuts protest mayhem

If these foolish rich brats really want to help the poor, instead of destroying other people’s property then expect their rich parents to get them off the hook, they should work hard in business to create jobs for the poor. There is no one more stupid then the ones who attack the very society that gave them their comfortable upbringing.

Qur’an-burning Florida pastor did it for “Christian accountability”

Yesterday, we learned of the tragic deaths of at least 12 United Nations workers in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. They were killed by rioters who were protesting against the March 20 burning of the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, by Florida pastor Terry Jones.

Afghans Angry Over Florida Koran Burning Kill U.N. Staff

Pastor Who Burned Koran Demands Retribution

So what was the motive for Jones’ Qur’an-burning stunt? His own words provide the answer:

“We must hold these countries and people ACCOUNTABLE for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam ACCOUNTABLE. Our United States government and our President must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. It is time that we call these people to ACCOUNTABILITY.” (Emphasis mine)

In other words, Jones is an advocate of “Christian accountability”, the idea that Christians can somehow “hold others accountable”. As I have discussed before in Bible-based objections to “Christian accountability”, this heretical teaching is contrary to the Bible, and is an unwarranted intrusion into other people’s lives. While in most cases the damage of this heterodox idea of “Christian accountability” or “accountability partners” is limited to severe emotional distress, Jones’ “accountability” has led to the deaths of at least 12 innocent people.

Remember, Jesus Christ is the only one who has the authority to hold people accountable. Not Terry Jones, nor any other Christian.

Let us give Deena Pantalone a break

Kathy English, Public Editor for the Toronto Star newspaper, wrote a cryptic article recently on March 11:

Journalists are not for sale

In summary, a self-described “web marketing consultant” asked Star reporter David Graham to remove a news report written by Graham from the Star website. “Web dude” claimed that he was hired, by the father of the woman who was the subject of the report, to improve the woman’s Internet reputation following the damaging news report by Graham. “Webdude” further said that he was paid $600 for the job, but would split it 50-50 with Graham, if Graham removes the news story from the Star website. Graham refused and notified English, and as a result English wrote her article, discussing the ethical issues raised by the offer. English did not disclose the name of “webdude” or the woman.

I was interested in this because 1) I do recall reading about initial story when it came out in 2009, and 2) the actions of “webdude”, had it happened in Hong Kong, would likely have been an offence against the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance there; in other words, had the Toronto Star been a Hong Kong newspaper, the Independent Commission Against Corruption would probably be involved in a criminal investigation of the matter by now.

So I decided to refresh my memory of the reported event. I know, from English’s column, that the report was written by David Graham, and the situation involved a red dress. So, I googled ”David Graham” red dress. I looked for and found the Toronto Star story in the search results:

The embarrassing case of the little red dress

So what happened back in 2009 was, Deena Pantalone wore a nice red dress to a party, and when she was asked where she got the dress, she claimed it was vintage or by Christian Dior (depending on which reporter asked the question), but it turned out that she bought it from Champagne and Cupcakes. Once people discovered that Pantalone failed to give proper credit, she was vilified on the Internet. Pantalone did make amends with Caroline Lim, designer and owner of Champagne and Cupcakes, by apologizing. However, according to “webdude”, people are still talking about this affair, and Deena Pantalone’s name continues to be associated on the Internet with the misattributed red dress:

Google search on “Deena Pantalone”

The Toronto Star story is listed high in the search results, which was the reason why “webdude” was very interested in having it un-published. What “webdude” failed to consider was that his attempted bribe was definitely unethical, and possibly criminal in certain jurisdictions.

But the important matter concerns Deena Pantalone. We know these historical facts:

1. She said something wrong to reporters; 2. She apologized to the injured party (Caroline Lim); and 3. Indications are that the injured party was satisfied with the resolution.

As Jesus said in John 8:7, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” I’m sure that every one of us has said something wrong sometime in our lives. There will also be times when we forgot to give credit where credit is due. So, to those who continue to hold Deena Pantalone with less regard because of the red dress misattribution, even though she has already resolved the error with Caroline Lim, my question is, are you sure that you are perfect yourself? If you were to make a mistake yourself, which has been resolved, do you want it to still affect your social standing years later? Would you want to be judged by the same standard that you are applying today to Ms. Pantalone?

Let us give Deena Pantalone a break, because we all make mistakes.

P.S. I receive no compensation for writing this post. If anyone wants to pay money after reading this, I recommend making a donation to Boost Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention. After all, the party where Ms. Pantalone wore the beautiful red dress was a fundraiser for this charity.