IP: brief report from Hong Kong

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

I thought I would reverse my usual chronologically sequenced Travel Diaries this time and report on our  trip to Hong 
Kong. First a brief report from Singapore. GG tripped and broke a bone in her right arm. We were exposed to the 
excellent Singapore medical system aided by Dr Wong, the father of Meng Weng Wong, a recent graduate of UPenn CIS 
department. She is in a half cast, the break was minor but not having ones right hand to use is very limiting for her.


So our usual run about HK is limited a lot. We have been eating like there is no tomorrow. We are staying at a small 3 
star hotel which is much much to be recommended. It is the New Astor http://www.newastor.com.hk. The rate is great -- 
special summer rate of 670 hk$ for two including a big Good breakfast. the rooms are spotless and like a 3 star 
Japanese business hotel and the staff is extremely pleasant. The telephone system is net non friendly but the business 
center welcomes me and lets me use an outside line free for net access. 


I took my first trip to the computer stores near Causeway Point. Lots and lots, not the Akihabara but lots better than 
Computer City. I saw the Sony Vaio 505GX for about US$2100 with 64 megs and a Japanese keyboard. Whilst it was equipped 
with a Japanese keyboard and WIN95J they will convert it free to the US Win98 and put a lot of guess what software on 
free. That is $1000 less than the USA price for that machine.


I saw an Acer small unit US equipped for US$2000 -- a 133 mh -- rather dull, the new Toshiba and the Sharp are all in 
the same general price range as the Sony. I will try to go back tomorrow if I can. Aside from that not much new here 
cept I could get photo stamp paper for Inkjets that makes the photo stamps the Japanese so like -- as do I, The Sogo 
department store had a machine that makes those photo stamps from any photo or small object you have.


The food in HK is out of this world. Random places have gotten me great diem sum, Peking duck , .... I have avoided the 
great continental restaurants in favor of the local food. The economy seems to be slow, hotels are not full and the 
stores were in final sales days so they were crowded. 


It is the same HK that I liked so much and it is great to visit it again.


We return to the USA Wed. BTW we came into the new Airport in HK. It worked like a charm. The Express train to the city 
is better than the Narita Express and cheaper. Now that the bugs are out of the computer system, it is a pleasure tofly 
in to it.


I will, when next I go to Singapore on UA at least, go via HK and avoid the mess at Narita.




Dave and GG