Hong Kong Shopping

by Neil Woodburn on

Only a week of shopping left until Christmas.

For those of you with the means, consider jetting off to Hong Kong for a spending spree in one of the world’s greatest shopping cities.

Rosemary McClure, writing for the LA Times, has put together a nice little Hong Kong shopping primer for all budgets.

At the high end of the spectrum, she directs readers to the more affluent stores where photos of American celebrities who have shopped there line the walls. From antiques to Gucci, the deals according to McClure are similar to those found in America, but there is no sales tax and “the selection is vast.” More importantly, she tells her readers that if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can find someone who will make it for you.

For the more frugal shoppers, Hong Kong offers some of the best deals on this planet. I’ve never been myself but so many friends of mine have returned with extra suitcases packed with everything from custom made suits to silk ties–all for a fraction of the price they would sell for back home. Of course, the money spent buying a plane ticket for the sole reason of snatching up great bargains in Hong Kong would cancel out the actual savings, but if you happen to be in that part of the world, be sure to stop by with a couple of extra suitcases. You’ll need them.

China Sticks

by Neil Woodburn on

One of better pieces of advice I was given before heading off to travel China was to bring my own chopsticks. This is not because China has a shortage of them, by any means. No, I was told to bring chopsticks because the majority of restaurants provide their guests with wooden chopsticks which are not thrown away after being used, but are washed and given to the next person who sits down to eat.

The problem is that the nooks and crannies of cheaply made, wooden chopsticks are great places for germs to hide. Unless those chopsticks are thoroughly sanitized with copious amounts of steam or hot water, the last stranger to have inserted them into his mouth has probably left a few little surprises for you. Yum!

Of course, you can buy your own set of chopsticks at practically any street stall in China, but why not bring your own? Especially if they are as cool as the Flip Stick made by Brunton. As you can see by the above photo, the bamboo shaft folds nicely into a stainless steel handle for easy transport.

Of course, for the $20 they cost, you can hire your own Chinese peasant to personally hand feed you throughout your entire stay in China.

Odd Story: Super Shepherd Saves Marine Mammals

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s one you don’t see everyday. It is a heart-warming story for both the conservation minded and the ectomorphic (you know who you are!). This BBC piece has it that the world-s tallest man saved the lives of several dolphins by putting his looooong arms way up inside of them and removing several dangerous plastic pieces of, um, plastic. The man’s name is Bao Xishun and his occupation was listed on his MySpace site as a Mongolian herdsman. The dolphins had swallowed said shards in their aquarium in Fushun, north-east China. And as soon as the news was heard the they were injured someone said, Hey, you now that Mongolian herdsman? That reaaaly tall guy? He’ll be he can help. The rest, as they say, is history. Always nice to have the tallest man alive around when you need him.

Counterfeit Chinese Lard

by Neil Woodburn on

File this under You Never Know What You are Eating When Traveling Abroad.

Authorities in China recently shut down a lard making factory in the town of Taizhou for producing a rather nasty product for human consumption.

Apparently, the Fanchang Grease Factory rendered their namesake not from hogs, which was what was required by Chinese law, but rather from a combination of “swill, sewage, pesticides and recycled industrial oil,” according to the AP.

Hmmm, I wonder if they sold their product to restaurants in New York?

Pee Before You Board Your Plane

by Adrienne Wilson on

Tonight I’ll follow in Iva’s foot steps by providing you with news on bowel movements in the world of travel. In case you were still wiping the coal from your eyes when you read that a woman and her flatulence grounded an American Airlines flight headed into Dallas I suggest you go back and re-read the post here. It’s true. It wasn’t that she had uncontrollable gas; it was her trying to cover the malicious odor up by lighting matches. Now what ever gave her the brilliant idea to light matches on planes?

Okay, so now that I’ve got your mind on odors, flatulence and other bodily functions lets talk about peeing on planes. You must be wondering by now what troubles peeing on planes can cause airlines? According to Jaunted, China Southern Airlines is encouraging passengers to take a leak before boarding their flights. Why? Apparently somebody out there had enough time to calculate how much energy is used when you flush and that equals as much as a car driving about six miles. And of course all that flushing is causing tons of energy and money to be wasted when you could have gone before your flight. My question is who thinks of this stuff? Every time I head into a lavatory now I’m going to picture a car driving down a six-mile stretch of some desert like road with yellowish and orange hues of color. Great!