Jul 2008

Every Wednesday we have been lucky enough to have industry speakers come to Multifunction Hall A and lecture us on how achieve our dreams.
Alexandra Harney was by far the best seminar speaker we have had so far. Her book The China Price is about the topic of those cheap items that come out of China and what we pay for it. How it affects our lives and everything from politics, to policies written by the government to our family budget. How it affects the daily lives of Chinese workers and other migrant workers in China.
She was an eloquent speaker, never boring, knew exactly what she was saying and could even give the background information of detailed issues, themes, policies regarding her topic. Which led us to believe she was on top of her game. At the end of the speech my fellow students fired some tough questions that she was readily poised perfectly to answer. Alexandra was able to retort in smart and calculated ways.

The thing that Ms. Harney said that stuck out in my mind the most was how to make a difference as an American.

Know your purchase. Know where items come from and what the company policies are of those objects that you buy the most or prefer. Learn about how and where things are made. Most importantly, ASK QUESTIONS!!

All in all if I had a dream job it would be hers. Challenging yet it would be fulfilling, interesting and difficult, basically to be knowledgeable about issues theat matter to a majority of the world. To make informed decisions and have your word carry weight on paper about things that matter, by going out there and exploring them firsthand.
In her book, Alexandra Harney explains how China as a country has redefined the global manufacturing map. “China has put legions of people out of work around the world and become an open wound in international trade relations. “ She writes, “Shopping has become cheaper because of China, in fact one estimate says that products made in China have saved the American family $500 dollars a year.
She mentions, how wages in China, even out in the middle of nowhere, have gone up and the cost of goods are increasing, wages having gone up almost 30 percent in the last two or three years. Ms. Harney asks us how this affects the environment and the daily lives of those indirectly dealing with the effects of careless actions. She opened her lecture with personal tales of individuals who live the lives that most consumers in first world countries pretend don’t really exist. The big box companies and our government almost truly believe that America doesn’t care where or how they get what they consume, as long as it’s cheap by the actions we lead. Do we really not care? Why does everyone think this way about the U.S.A.? Several of her accounts on personal details of lives of factory workers left much to think about and deeply ponder. One story was about human rights and how Chinese workers are beginning to demand their rights. Another story told of what it takes, for sweatshops and large factories to cook up fake documents, to fool employers like Wal-mart and Target to make more money. While in the meantime not paying employees even $100 dollars a month for 18-hour shifts and denying them insurance or health benefits.

The aim of her lecture was to bring awareness as to discovering the true cost of China’s competitive advantage. “Who are the people behind the China price? How do they make goods so cheaply? At what cost to them and to us? And how long can they keep it up?

For the last two days the Southwesterly wind has died and the pollution up in the air has descended to eye-level into the Hong Kong. Since yesterday views across the city have been clouded out by a reddish haze. I am from Mexico City so I know about pollution, but geez, this is ridiculous! Walking outside at 36 degrees and 95% humidity with an API of 93 air pollution (yesterday the API was 117), it really makes you think about carbon emissions, global warming, water pollution and the loss of 6 million hectares of land per year. Where will this earth will be in 50 years if we keep going as we are? After not feeling physically well after being outside (walking from train to office). I did some research as to what we've been breathing the last 48 hours. I found that the majority of the pollutant in the air has been composed of Nitrogen Oxide. Scary.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

The many chemical species of the oxides of nitrogen are collectively termed as nitrogen oxides (NOx). This group of gases usually enters the air as a result of combustion processes which involve high temperatures, such as those produced by power plants and vehicular engines.

Nitric oxide (NO)
Nitric oxide is the main NOx emitted during combustion and it can be converted into nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Nitrogen dioxide is a corrosive and highly oxidising light brown gas which has a characteristic pungent smell at high concentrations. It is the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with reactive organic substances, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), in the presence of sunlight that produces ozone (see information on 'Ozone and Photochemical Oxidants)'. Nitrogen dioxide is, therefore, an important part of urban haze or photochemical smog.

Station ------ ----API----- Air Pollution Level --------Contributing Pollutant

Causeway Bay --------93 -------------------- High ------Nitrogen Dioxide
Central---------------87------------------------ High -----Nitrogen Dioxide
Mong Kok-------------83------------------------High-------Nitrogen Dioxide

Let the Games begin!

Food in Hong Kong is great. At least in my opinion. I love steamed dumplings for breakfast, english tea time (I am a teaholic) and Morrocan food. Cantonese food comforts me everyday even though I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Traditional Chinese in a way is like food from my home country Mexico. Tasty, varied and can be spicy or not! Every item has a million ingredients and is made from encyclopedia-like recipes. Although Chinese food is renown for Monosodium glutamate (MSG), it is not served everywhere anymore. Don't try to be a vegetarian here cause if you ask for no meat they'll give you vegetables boiled in chicken broths or fried in pig fat. NO VEGANS HERE! When you ask for vegetables in Hong Kong you get boiled kale but after you get over the essential changes and food shock, you'll find that is really quite good.

Yes, I've eaten the pigeon at the tai pai dong in Tai Po next to the bus station and it was succulent, and yeah snake soup really does warm you up but don't believe when they say "you eat this, you live long time."........'Cause that is not the case with some food, especially the deep fried food no matter what it is stuffed with. In some restaurants now, but traditionally in all places you were given a bowl of lemon tea to clean yourself (and what ever else)! See how it's done!
Fred before lunch is served!

Hong Kong has been good to me. Let explain a fraction of the reason why.
The city has so much to offer to inbound travelers from all over the world. This community includes, residents of Hong Kong (those born abroad but living here), visitors (everyone from backpackers to high end visitors from the mainland as well as abroad) and serious expats who have left their home countries and claimed Hong Kong as their own. Every person I have met here that fits into this category has shown me wonderful qualities of those who travel or live abroad. Qualities that include adaptability, determination and courage all with a dose of happiness and ingenuity. People in Hong Kong are generally those who have immigrated here for the great weather or incomparable unique lifestyle, so I guess my category includes everyone one the island!! What a great opportunity to have ben able to come here and to make it even better, having people facilitating and adding quality aspects to my stay has been the icing on my cake. The potential Hong Kong has is astounding and there is so much going on and so much left to do. I have enjoyed my stay and will miss the tea drinking culture, excellent public transport and the awesome city lights. I will think about those that I have met along the way and those who left a deep impact on my life. It has been imbedded in me, the wonderful cultural imprint the city offers and I know I will have no choice but to come back to taste and experience it again!