Disneyland Hong Kong is quickly building up to completion. I can follow progress every day as I pass it on the ferry from Discovery Bay to Central.

But this week they seem to be struggling with a small but important detail in their total service delivery; the menu for private banquets in their hotels. It includes a controversial item: shark?s fin soup.

I agree some cultural traits in Asia and especially China go against everything we’ve learned in ?the West?. However, I tend not to be bothered with it too much UNLESS it involves an animal species that is actually threatened. That is the case with shark?s fin soup.

There?s a good article on the weblog below explaining the details of this ?Chinese tradition’.

http://www.flyingchair.net/story.php?storyID=1263

Fortunately this is turning into such a media storm, that I predict an announcement from Disney soon that they will either take it off the menu or replace it by something less controversial?

Meanwhile, please don?t order shark?s fin soup, and stick with your usual gwailo-sek.

Marc

Interestingly both my mother country and my present country of residence released unemployment figures today.

Netherlands is at an increasing trend and went from 6.7% to 6.9% unemployment rate, while Hong Kong is at a downward trend and dropped from 6.1 to 5.9%.

Seems I’m in the right place then!

On the other hand: other news today was about the trading range of the Hong Kong Dollar. It may get a downward push versus the EURO as it will be allowed to trade in a wider band versus the USD.

When I started working here, one EURO would get you 7 HKD. Today 1 EURO will get you 10 HKD. That’s almost 50% more…

So Europeans it’s time to visit Hong Kong, spend your Euros and create even more employment here.

Cheers,

Marc

Just came back from Amsterdam. I was lucky to be there on Queen’s Day or “Koninginnedag”.

What a great city Amsterdam is, and especially on a day like this. Great atmosphere and lots of fun people on the streets. Perhaps it’s time to go back again…?

More pictures are here: phlog.marcdelange.com