Hong Kong Expat Forums

Free medical insurance with work but what doctor to use for check ups

Oxygen — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:18:41 GMT

Hi kids,

When you get/got your free medical cover did you get recommended a doctor or told your company uses Dr X (not a super villain) or did you choose your own. Do most policies include routine check ups or is that extra? Do you use private clinics or normal hospitals.

Cheers kids

Oxy

China Multiple Entry VISA

m@c — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:48:43 GMT

Am I able to apply China multiple entry business VISA?

I'm currently own a company in Macau and have 2 entries in China on single VISA.

After I successfully registered a company in Macau, I knew that I couldn't get any type of Macau VISA as a company owner expect tourist VISA. And I've finished over 20k HKDs just to go to India(I'm Indian) to get new tourist visa to Macau.

I've heard from somewhere that i could just buy China multiple entry business VISA for around 10k HKD but it's illegal. I don't want to get in any trouble.

I've no interest to go China also but if I could get any long term China VISA then I could just go to China and come back to Macau to get new tourist VISA then that will be real great help.

My one friend told me that I could apply for China multiple entry business visa on the base of my Macau company. Is that true?

If any of you have any suggestion that will be really great help.

If you know any agency I can apply for any type of VISA that is useful for me then please let me know.

Please help me to get through this. Thanks a bunch!

Reintroducing megafauna into Hong Kong: Wishful thinking or real possibility?

Watercooler — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:42:10 GMT

I was speaking to a biologist friend of mine the other day and he was saying, from an ecological perspective, it may be beneficial to reintroduce "megafauna" predators (large carnivores) to Hong Kong. Tiger and Leopards once existed in the city he said. And despite the lack of historical records, it was plausible that crocodilian species once existed in the distant past here, given the city is at the right latitude with the right climate for alligators to thrive.

Theoretically, it was possible to reintroduce them in the city, he said, except for one major drawback, the likelihood of human-animal conflict and outcry from hysterical opponents.

Which got me thinking. Is it actually possible for megafauna predator introduction in HK? After all, in Florida, we have up to a million of potentially dangerous American alligators living side by side with human habitation. But of course, that is not likely for Hong Kong. We don't have the space, and more importantly, Hong Kong culture don't really place coexistence with nature as a priority. Even if certain people in HK accept such reintroduction, the government will never tolerate it. Neither will the useless busybodies in Legco. Or am I wrong?

But suppose it is possible, what "megafauna" creature will you want to see in Hong Kong?

Math for primary student

zacpower — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:21:27 GMT

May I know where is good for math tuition for primary math for international school student? Thanks

Convert chinese charactes to a romanisation system.

arrowsmith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:46:56 GMT

I'm just posting a link to a useful tool I found which will help anybody looking to learn Cantonese and anybody that may do a search in the future:)

This website is has got lots of good stuff on it anyway:

http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/

But in particular it has a Chinese word parser which will convert characters into the Jyutping romanization.

http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scr...se_chinese.php

For example if you input: 銀行係邊度

It will give you: ngan4 hong4 hai6 bin1 dou6

It's not perfect and sometimes it gives you more than one possible pronunciation for a character.

Still, I've found this really useful as I don't have the inclination to learn Chinese characters and most Cantonese speakers don't know how to write using a Romanization system.

Bookmaker Affiliates

longlyfe — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:18:12 GMT

Hi all,

I am a webmaster of a soccer/football website providing betting "tips". I am thinking of having some bookmaker affiliates on my site so I can earn when people that are not in HK place bets using my affiliate link. Bet365 does not allow registrations from Hong Kong but I know some sites allow.

I understand that gambling (placing bets) with a bookmaker other than HKJC is illegal here in HK, but I can't figure out whether it would be illegal to have a bookmaker affiliate on my website.
So does anyone know if it will be illegal in HK, if I register a Bookmaker affiliate for my site? or could I use an address that is not located in HK?

Thanks

Help using thermometer

arrowsmith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:35:45 GMT

Just bought a cheap thermometer from the pharmacy because I'm not feeling too great.

It appears I don't even know how to use it. It's made of glass and has got a scale printed on it but there doesn't seem to be anything that can indicate a reading?

Anybody used one of these?

Day out on a Junk for 30 something workaholics - 20th July 2013

PJ1000 — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:12:15 GMT

Hi there

I posted an invite for a day out on a junk a year ago, and some of the people that came along from Geoexpat were great. Two of them have turned into best friends, therefore I'm doing it again this year. I am organizing a junk for friends and we still have four places left. It will be a mixture of couples, singles and expats mostly in their mid 30's.

Catering on the day will be included. Guests are expected to bring their own alcohol, water and non alcoholic drinks on the day.

If you don't get seasick, and if you are happy to meet some new and very friendly people, please send me a pm for the price per head, departure location and time.

Have a good week.

Regards,

P

Negotiating with terrorists....see the surprising results here!

INXS — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:05:38 GMT

Taliban attack US base in Afghanistan after talks offer

Four US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, hours after the US announced direct talks with the Taliban.

A spokesman for the Taliban said the militant group was behind the attack at Bagram airbase.

Read on..

Jobs for Teenagers for the Summer

fjt95 — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:51:44 GMT

I'm a 17 year old girl living in Hong Kong, graduated from high school (international stduent) and waiting for results from IB.

In need of something to do during the summer and also to earn a little bit as my family are in a bad situation. I understand basic cantonese & mandarin. Fluent in English.

Are there any jobs out there such as dog walking, baby sitting, simple tasks such as organizing, tutoring?

Please message me if there are any opportunities!
Thank you.

Lions game this Sat - where to watch?

Irishbuachaill — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:10:25 GMT

Does anyone know anywhere good that will be showing the lions game this saturday? and by good I mean, decent boozer, good atmosphere, serving good beer. Bonus if it has an outside area.

I already know Delaneys in Wan Chai but I would rather drink my own piss out of a dirty old boot, than touch another draft beer in there.

Crazy cab driver

GeoYunny — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:07:37 GMT

Did anyone read about the bizarre ‘Space Mountain’ cabbie story in The Standard?

"Four young people feeling glum as they could not share a sunrise with the Big Buddha were told by a cabbie that he would cheer them up with a downhill trip from Nong Ping. But it turned into a Lantau hell ride… 64-year-old taxi driver So Hin's idea of fun was a hair-raising series of swerves and screeches downhill from Nong Ping that ended with a smash into a tree. But at least they escaped with their lives."

Reminds me of the time I took a taxi from the HK island to Yuen Long in a thunderstorm - the speed the driver was going on the motorway with the rain pelting down and lightning flashing, was seriously the scariest ‘rollercoaster ride’ I’ve ever had! :eek::eek::eek:

Anyone else experienced ‘near death’ taxi rides in HK?

Question on first registration tax for motorcycle

pariah — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:27:00 GMT

Hi

I'm about to buy a 2006 import which was first registered in HK a couple of months ago. First registration tax has already been paid according to the VRD.

I assume I don't have to pay any registration tax on this bike when I transfer ownership?

Do not update your PS3 system software!

Sunfire — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:59:17 GMT

Many reports of bricking with the 4.45 update:

http://community.us.playstation.com/...2247#U40712247

Sense of Touch Luxry Day Spa

MixKid — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:15:04 GMT

Hey Guys,

I saw a deal on Groupon for Sense of Touch:

http://www.groupon.hk/deals/hong-kon...ouch/717091462

I love Groupon but have you guys been to Sense of Touch before? It says it was awarded 2011 Luxury Day Spa of the year?

It's a little more expensive than the regular Groupon Spa deals but I'm willing to give it a shot if its good, has anyone been to Sense of Touch before?

Thank you!

Want to be cold in China

HowardCoombs — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:50:36 GMT

Its just too damn hot and I want to get away for a shortish break in China and want some cold. I know Lijiang and Songpan will be cold (they are possibilities). I know that parts of Heilongjiang will be cool/cold but thats a bit far and expensive.

Any other ideas for a short break that has cool/cold temperatures during the summer in China? Would like to stay under 3h flight time which covers a pretty big area.

Prefer to get away from big city and do some hiking or floating on a river/lake. Horse riding would be a bonus as will hot springs in a cool area.

tax return form part 8.1 spouse allowance

forgetmenot — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:59:06 GMT

We lived apart for a few months during the tax year. Since I have no income, my spouse paid all the expense.

Should I fill in 8.1 (2), paid maintenance fees of ( xx ) for his/her support during the year?
or it is for separated couples only?

Fridge freezer experts - ideally English speaking

MovingIn07 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:57:03 GMT

Our freezer is beeping. It's driving us crazy. We can't get it to stop (the control panel is not responding to commands) and MrMin thinks the circuit board needs replacing.

Anybody know any freezer experts who can come and fix? Its a Samsung brand big stand-up fridge freezer.

10 stocks in Hong Kong

Joseph098765 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:45:21 GMT

10 stocks you may keep your eye on for investment in Hong Kong. If you consider yourself a specialist, you may give 10 stocks for Trading and 10 for Long term investment.

Government Special Property Duties A Threat to Hong Kong's International Status

walkup — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:15:26 GMT

Asia Sentinel June 18 Philip Bowring
Another recent government decision strikes at the heart of Hong Kong's business traditions - imposition of special stamp duties (transaction taxes) on non-residents. Originally applied to residential properties, it is to be applied to all. In addition to a special Buyers Stamp Duty there is an additional duty of properties held for less than three years. Furthermore, the government is also making available land for residential developments which can only be owned by permanent residents.

All this is supposed to bring down prices and as a result has not been widely criticized by politicians who do not seem to understand how markets work or how these measures not merely further distort already distorted markets in Hong Kong but are now a real deterrent to business.

Bizarrely the pro-government automatons who are supposed to represent the business community have mostly been silent even though the data shows that trading in the most affected property sectors has almost come to a halt. The protests of foreign chambers of commerce have been ignored.

Chief Executive C.Y Leung is supposed to understand the property market, having been a leading surveyor who acted for several of the major companies. But it seems he and his none-too-bright civil servants' belief that knee-jerk response to rising prices will take the heat of popular dissatisfaction off them. In reality high prices are mostly the result of ultra-low interest rates and years of government deliberate starvation of land supply, The measures send a clear message to outsiders, be they foreign or mainland: we only want your business and investment if we start with an advantage. It goes against 175 years of Hong Kong practice. It is not even very effective. Since the discrimination began, transactions and prices of luxury flats of the sort bought by rich mainlanders have stalled or even slipped. But prices of the smaller flats which most Hong Kong residents rather than outside investors buy have continued to climb.
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?op...5507&Itemid=32

Tennis buddy - beginner

Nihaomahello — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:01:20 GMT

Looking for a tennis buddy. i am a begimner (female) and have been playing for few months. would like to find a tennis buddy with similar level to play on hk island side, weekday nights or weekends are ok.

Accomodation in HK: point me in the right direction

theluke79 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:53:09 GMT

Hello everybody... my first post here :D
I live in Luxembourg, I am now discussing a new job opportunity in HK, with a different company.
It is a huge change in our life (my girlfriend soontobe spouse & I) so I have to get this RIGHT :)
I am 34 yrs old, the company is located in Kowloon. I would need your support to know:

Which are the 2/3 best websites to find accomodation?
In Luxembourg you can rent an apartment of around 100 sq mt (1100sqft) for 15K HKD/month, included expenses, what about HK?
We're looking for a (relatively) calm area, we prefer to have a bit more space, where should we look?
My girlfried will have to look for a job once in HK, which are the richest resources?

Import royal enfiled from india

Sunjoke653 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:03:16 GMT

I talked with a guy from india they said they can export royal enfiled motorcycle from india..I asked him the price for classic 500 and he told me it will cost me usd 3475 which is around hkd 25000 including shipping charge and I think thats fair enough..i haven't seen any royal enfiled motorcycle in hk or does anyone here own royal enfiled In hk?also will it be able to pass the hk standard?

US' eagerness to invade into Syria - Syrian girl's understanding

Creative83 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:32:21 GMT

Her predictions from Aug 2012

Weekend Holiday suggestion (

Sherry5 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:17:25 GMT

Hi all,

We are a family of 3 ( incl 1 infant) recently shifted to Hong Kong and new to this place. Although we had explored a bit around ( Singapore, China, Macau) before, could anyone give us some new suggestion for weekend gateways? I heard Philipinnes is nice but not sure which place would be better. As we have an infant looking for max 3/4 hrs of flight reach destinations. Any suggestion for some good websites/travel agents etc. Thanks a ton!

Rgds

PCCW 8M vs. HKBN 500M???

HKnewarrival — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:53:57 GMT

Hi all -

I've been doing some research on Internet providers, and it's down to PCCW versus HKBN. We are in an old building where PCCW is limited to 8M at a price of $238/month. For slightly cheaper, it looks like we could get HKBN 500M instead.

I've heard from many people that HKBN's speeds tend to be slower than PCCW, especially for US sites, but that HKBN's customer service is better. We will be using our internet mostly for regular web surfing and online streaming from the US (no gaming). We don't mind paying a little more for PCCW if it is indeed faster than HKBN.

Given that our PCCW option is so slow (8M), would you recommend that we go with HKBN 500M instead?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

50% off: shenzhen <-> causeway bay in the same day

forgetmenot — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:22:50 GMT

well, if you have time.
take 968 at causeway bay then transfer to b1
KMB has unlimited ride in one day

Soda (Card) - anyone tried it?

robertlempriere — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:27:24 GMT

http://sodacard.com/

Check out the link above, essentially it's a loyalty program consolidator with some gimmicks thrown in.. anyone had any experience with it?

on a related note, many marketeers believe 'loyalty' programs are a waste of time, your thoughts? (McCafe keeps me coming back for the $12 cappuccinos, the loyalty card which makes it a $9.6 drink is just icing on the cake really)

Frozen spinach

dumbdonkey — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:36:47 GMT

our pns and wellcome / jasons have been out of frozen spinach for the past few weeks. does anyone know where we can get some from?

Typhoon Season 2013

INXS — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:28:34 GMT

We're well and truly underway!

Those of you who take more than a passing interest in such things will be paying more attention to the ALPA to the east of Hainan than the TD off the Philipines!

It's a bit disorganised now but you never know! Remember this time 2012?

If not, here's a reminder!

Talim

Happy Typhoon Season 2013!