Are you happy here?

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  1. #11

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    But it is true. The water in HK is extemely clean until it reaches your water tanks / local plumbing. Whats so offensive about it?


  2. #12

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    unjustified nonsense

    Methinks, KIA that our friend WPF is referring to the bit a little further down then my reference to water tanks.

    WPF takes issue with my personal opinion on water passed through an Aqua Vortex. I think I am still allowed to do that, as is WPF.
    A chemist indeed would find no change in the water because there would be none from a chemical standpoint, as indeed there is no difference between ice water and steam.

    I got the Aqua Vortex about 2 years ago as a lark,and passed one onto a medical doctor-who kept give me quizzical looks over her spectacles. A couple of weeks on a got a call from the good doctor, requesting my presence pronto. On arrival I was given a flute of burgundy, and informed that I was no longer on her funny farm list. She had passed a variety of fluids through the aqua vortex and had taken before and after samples and poked and prodded them, and had found NOTHING different-but taste tests both blind and double blind found a slight preference for the energised fluids-except in the case of wine. Here there was a significant bias towards the vortexed vino.

    Well the two of us are still using the vortex and we have had a few converts- mainly people who have found that the water we serve at home if different.

    Lazurus- the water at work is probably distilled-which the the REAL water types insist is the worst type [too complicated to go into, and I do not agree with their reasoning]so as you say 'stick' to your Evian, though I'm a bit partial to Fiji natural artesian, myself, passed through my hand vortex, of course


  3. #13

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    previous post lastline last 5 words should read as " my handy vortex, course"


  4. #14

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    previous post lastline last 5 words should read as " my handy vortex, course"
    Hmm... is there's new number system? Because i only count FOUR!

  5. #15

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    Good one lazurus-I cant believe I made a typo in my correction. must be suffering the effects of dehydration - the last five words of my last to previous post should indeed read "my handy vortex, of course"


  6. #16

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    Haha... makes more sense now.


  7. #17

    sickly boyfriend

    Quote Originally Posted by Jesvoyz:
    My boyfriend have been getting allergy from the eyes and nose and also feeling very tiring of the pollution in HK. He's having big time communicating with Cantonese in here and not too happy about his job that he's working in. Would pollution causes him being unhappy? I've tried nearly everything to make him happy for example: asking him to go back home to see his friend, go on vacation and also ask him to do something that he would prefered but he's still feeling not up to it. Sometimes I wonder would it be me whose causing the problem or if I had spoiled him too much?? Anyone out there who can give me some advices??
    Hmm; air pollution can make you feel a bit off (reckoned to kill/accelerate deaths of 2000 or more Hongkongers per year), but seems your boyfriend's got more problems than that. Completely non-medical opinion: consider not spoiling him, do things you like, hope he sees some sence and starts enjoying hk (and his time with you).

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by lazarus:
    Well you’re on the subject of pollutions and stuff… there is something I haven’t quite gotten used to. It’s the quality of tap water, or lack of. Cold tap water taste awful, very metallic almost coppery! Especially when you’re brushing your teeth first thing in the morning. And cold boiled water… erm it’s not much better, still has an insanities look, maybe it’s me, but it seems to have a pale yellow colour. Anyone else noticed this?

    Thank God there’s Evian. If anyone’s making money, it’s definitely not me but those bottled water companies. Mineral and Natural Spring water is so hard to find here, most of it is distilled tap-water!

    Sorry to hear your boyfriend’s unhappy. I’m not a doctor, so I can only speak from experience. Usually if someone is unhappy, it’s more likely to be work related and stress than pollution. Air pollution can and will make you feel tired, irritated, cause dry skin and for those who are more sensitive, illness. Hmm…sounds more like he’s got a bit of depression than anything, has se ever had depression before? Well…I hope he’ll better about himself soon.
    Thanks Lazarus and Docbird. I don't think he had or has depression. But for sure he doesn't like his job at the time being and would want to look for a new job, or to leave HK or to live in the Mainland. I really don't see if he would feel any better to live in the Mainland. He is from England and have been to HK more than a year now and we've been going out ever since then. He's a lazy, depressed and introvert person ever since I known him and it makes him very difficult to meet new friend in HK and I truely believe that he would love to meet new friends in town. He found it very difficult to speak to locals in here coz they all speak Cantonese (I'm Cantonese myself) rather than Mandarin. Friends need time to build up and I didn't had much friends myself when I first got here. Would foreigners or "Gwei Los" find it difficult to speak or making friends with locals in HK?? I always told him it makes me feel good when I'm doing something I like as a job and he had made me become the person who I am. Funny thing is that, I don't think he knows what he want to do in the future except traveling around the world which he had done a lot in the past and have a keen interest in taking Mandarin lessons, which we're doing it together now. Until recently, he's really into taking pictures, hmm.....it sounds like a photographer's instinct??? What do you guys think??

  9. #19

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    Hi Jesvoyz, I'm also Chinese. Before relocation i seldom spoke Guangdonghua. Now I'm in HK, i find mixing with locals a little tricky mainly because we're not completely in-tune with each other... but i commit myself and try. So now i've built a small network of new friends.

    I don't know how hard will it be if you move to the mainland, as foreigners will need a different work visa and maybe a travel permit too. The salary there is much lower but Putonghua is so much easier to learn, so i've been told. There are only four main tones.

    He's a lazy, depressed and introvert person ever since I known him and it makes him very difficult to meet new friend in HK and I truely believe that he would love to meet new friends in town. He found it very difficult to speak to locals in here coz they all speak Cantonese...
    I don't know will you or your partner (or anyone else for that matter) be interested, but next month i'll be the host for the New in Town - Meet up Anyone and everyone is welcome to join. I think it's a great opportunity to meet with other people who are either new in town or newish. Even the natives are a tourist in some respects.

    It's great he's found a interesting hobby to learn and explore, maybe with this he can connect with other like minded people and learn some of the local lingo and have fun all at the same time.

  10. #20

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    Would foreigners or "Gwei Los" find it difficult to speak or making friends with locals in HK??
    I think been able to communicate is the key to success here. Hmm...I don't know, maybe, your boyfriend is either not interested in learning...too lazy, perhaps or haven't the time. Since being here, i've met many outsiders who have been here for several years, some even decades and still! They don't speak any Chinese.

    First thing. And I'm no expert. But, I think it's important to admitted to your/him/her self, "To survive here, I must learn and start to use Guangdonghua on a daily basis." Umm... I can tell you, It's not easy! My phonetics isn't perfect. Sometimes, I find people laugh (it's a little off putting) but at least I learn something and over time, i correct my tones. I can understand about 60% of what people say. However, getting your voice to reproduce those sounds is a separate problem entirely. Takes time, patents and a lot of practice.

    I also think for "Gweilo" learning Guangdonghua, it's even harder! Because they can't hear the tonal differences, for example "Mã, Má, Ma, Màh, Máh, Mah" (actually there are 9 tones in all, but until they know the difference of the first six, the rest will be useless and somewhat confusing.)


    Another member "Miffy_Maty" asked,
    "I was wondering how you managed to learn 60-70 % of Guandonghua in 5 months? Are you "Chinese born"? or learned some language class ? I do know more than little canto. and manda. and since I'm Bilingual (Fr-Canuck) I'm surprised you learned 70% of the hardest language! ...Anyway I loved your reply It really cheered me up! ...Thank for the Reply it give me hope!"
    Well.. I hate to burst his/her bubble. I am of Chinese decent, a 'BBC' if you will. I'm what the mainlanders would call a 'Keijaren' or native's say 'Hakka Person'. I've never taken any lessons but I speak a less common dialect, the words are similar to Guangdonghua and Putonghua. I think only the tonal sounds are different. Hence, why i can learn Cantonese with ease. Listen and understand without too much effort. I'm also keen to learn both writing systems.
    Last edited by lazarus; 07-04-2004 at 04:26 AM.