The mighty HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) ....

The mighty HSBC

What a joke... in brief... I went to get my bank card renewed because of a fault in the card... Feb 20th.... they say, we will mail u new card in 3-4 wds... great... Mar. 1st still no card... go into bank again Mar 3rd and they say...oops no new card requested on system (cannot see application, same girl did the first transaction telling me this... kwan, I think or kwok …), but dear, they already sent me an sms cancelling old card Feb. 22nd!?!... ok let's reapply for new card again... I can do this for you, sir.... wow, what elegant service... and this time we will call you when card comes in...? To pick up and we can change your pin at the same time... so you don't have to come in twice... oh yes, they said initially I could use same pin? … ahhh...??? ok... just call me... in 2/3 wds? ..... when card comes in ...

Mar 8th..? still no call or card?... ok... I call in this time, rather than trek down to the bank…, and after many attempts finally get thru.... oh... we'll call you back.... after much explanation.... they don't really speak English in HK nowadays... even though it is a British bloody bank! And they don’t really connect with the retail side….! (Think they lost the application again!?!)

In the middle of my afternoon nap... yes, I was napping, at my age, and try to do my business in the morning, I get a call.... sorry but we will apply for your card... (no explanation this time about having nothing on the system.... a failure or what?) ... shall we send it in the mail...? FUCK!... ok... send it in the fucking mail... and we'll get your pin to you as well in the mail at the same time ... woow ........ ok.... click....

True story... zero out of ten for customer service, so far, right now for the mighty HSBC... and I still have not got my card yet... I am waiting to give them negative points...! ... this is going into my blog!..... Frigging joke!... the fucking banking system in Hong Kong.... and this is not the first screw up by HSBC ......

Efficient but not very effective!

And to think I used to complain about the Canadian system!

More later.... lol ....

How's it in HKG?

How's it in HK?.... ok.... not great.

HK is not exactly a nice place to retire to... it is expensive for quality like US or Can. The pollution is endemic, the politics is abysmal.. it is really an enclave of China and Deng just prolonged the agony, because he did not want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg...

And retirement type jobs are impossible to get. One reason is 55 is the year of forced retirement. The ones with networks simply get contracts. u can only play so much golf at US$100 a pop.

So.... medicare is expensive, food is expensive, housing is expensive, the air sucks, water is not great... buyers paradise, but how much can one old man consume... lol....

But spouse's career is here, so i will ride it for a bit...... but think North America is still the place to be in the latter years of life...

So when are u coming into town?

Season of Mists

To Autumn, per Keats, is the season of mists...

But October is Springtime in Australia! Oh, cruel month!

Ablutions: economics vs governance

Does economics drive the world, or does the world drive economics?

Or is it just HK?

Or is it a chicken or egg argument?

Ablutions: HK investments

Hong Kong people don't make investments, they make gambles.

Caprice at the 4 seasons HKG

Caprice at the Four Seasons, Hong Kong, is a three star michelin restaurant! You have to be kidding! It is not even close to Senderens Paris, or La Grand'Vigne at Les Sources de Caudalie, bordeaux. And these are only two stars, granted the story behind senderens is that he renounced his 3 stars, but still was given two..... and Les Sources restaurant have their own bakery, winery and charcuterie.....

And everyone knows where i stand on Macau's only 3 star Robuchon a Galera. It's a joke! .... really. They don't know the difference between raw and processed cheeses........lol....

Spoon by Alain Ducasse HKG

If Spoon by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong's Intercontinental is one michelin star, then this is clearly an indication of my premise that the eastern and western stars are different! I would definitely not give this restaurant a one star.....; a mention maybe, by at C$250 pp for dinner, it is definitely not even good value either... the food is at best mediocre and the opened wines ok. The breads were quite interesting and i am not a dessert fan, so.....