7th Least Miserable Economy

The Bloomberg Misery Index sums a country's inflation and unemployment to determine how happy or miserable its people are.  With Czechland's record low unemployment it's not wonder that they finally cracked the Top 10 of the least miserable economies.

1.  Thailand
2.  Switzerland
3.  Japan / Singapore
5.  Taiwan
6.  Malaysia
7.  Czech Republic
8.  Hong Kong
9.  Israel / South Korea

The USA jumped six spots to the 13th least miserable economy.

Having low unemployment too low can be a bad thing.  Employers may not let people move to new roles because they will be unable to find a backfill.  If prices are too low it could mean that demand is low.

Venezuela is the most miserable as inflation is expected to hit 8 million percent this year.  8 million %!!    

Coming in behind Venezuela is Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, Greece, and Ukraine.

Australia-New Zealand-Hong Kong Trip Summary

We finally made it to Australia.  About 20 hours of travel but finally arrived in Sydney.

There is so much to see and do in Australia.  Another trip or two or three is definitely in order.  If only it wasn't so dang far away.  Starting in Sydney was brilliant.  Sydney is a modern, very gay friendly, European-ish city with a hip Asian vibe.  Loved it!

I really enjoyed the Blue Mountains and, of course, no visit Down Under is complete without seeing a Koala.  Marcus is now working in Sydney so it was good to catch up with him over dinner.



Most people take photos the Sydney Opera House but few actually go inside.  We were lucky to have tickets to the premier performance of Spartacus.

The performance was absolutely brilliant.

Here's the commercial from the Australian Ballet that I found out on YouTube.

©The Australian Ballet

From Sydney, it's possible to do a day trip to Canberra to see the capital.  In a perfect world, I would have preferred one full day there but when cramped for time then the four or five hours there on tour is enough.

Then it was on to Queensland to visit Cairns.  Nice little town but I could have done without the bats.  The best parts though of visiting Cairns were going to the rainforest in Kuranda and seeing the Great Barrier Reef.

The final stop in Australia was Melbourne in Victoria.  Melbourne definitely has a European feel to it.  One of the coolest things was the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and seeing kangaroos going full blast in the wild.

The Great Ocean Road is a must do activity in Melbourne.  The Miss Fischer's Tour was interesting but probably only for fans of the show.

Cristine moved to Adelaide almost two years ago.  Since I flew to Australia she flew to Melbourne for a weekend and it was fun to catch up.

Australia was awesome!  I can't wait for next time, well except for the long flight there.

Then it was off to Kiwiland.  Back in Wellington for a couple of days with Natalie and her family.  Fortunately there was no earthquake this time.

Then it was off to Hong Kong via Sydney.  Natalie was on her way back to Vanuatu and we happened to be on the same flight.  Yeah!

It was fun being back in Hong Kong even just for a couple of days. One of the biggest highlights was lunch at Tim Ho Wan.  I still have yet to see the Bruce Lee statue but I did have an interesting Thanksgiving dinner.

Another great adventure but I wasn't ready to give up the 24℃ (75℉) in Hong Kong for the 4℃ (39℉) in Brno.  Now to start getting ready for the 10th anniversary Czechsgiving fiesta.  How has it already been 10 years?

Back in Hong Kong

Hong Kong isn't that big but there's so much to see and do that you don't have to repeat the same sightseeing unless you want to.

Aberdeen is located on the southwest side of Hong Kong Island.  In Cantonese, 香港仔,  the name translates to "Little Hong Kong."  The area is home to around 80,000 people and its harbour is home to several floating restaurants.

There's a nice little promenade for a stroll along the harbour.

The local Tin Hau Temple was built in 1851.



In 2004, the Avenue of Stars opened along the Victoria Harbour waterfront.  It's the Hong Kong version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and it honours the local film industry.



I wanted to see the 2,5 metre Bruce Lee statue the last time I was here but it was closed off for renovations.



Well the whole avenue has been moved during the three year project but at least this time I at least got to see everything, except Bruce.  Damn!  Guess I need another return visa in a couple of years.

I was able to overcome my disappointment of missing Bruce Lee for a second time by having lunch at Tim Ho Wan.  Fortunately we timed everything right and we didn't have to wait in the queue for too long.



Lunch at a Michelin Star rated restaurant ticks another item off of my bucket list.  This place has to have the best dim sum I've ever had.  Lunch for two for less than €20.  Highly recommended!



One thing well worth doing over and over in Hong Kong is going to Kowloon to view the Hong Kong Harbour at night.  This never gets old.

Thanksgiving in Hong Kong

Next week is the 10th annual Brno Czechsgiving fiesta but today is Thanksgiving.


So tonight's Hong Kong Thanksgiving dinner was pork noodle soup and bubble tea.  Not a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but tasty nonetheless. 

People's Republic of China

In October is our long-awaited trip back to Asia.  After last year's visit to Hong Hong and Macau we wanted to check out China.  Pretty much everyone needs a tourist visa to visit China and for Americans it costs $140.  However, if you're only stopping through Beijing on your way to another country then you can visit the city for up to 72 hours visa free.  The plan is to spend three days in Beijing and then it's on to South Korea.  So here's a bit about China.  

The People's Republic of China, 中华人民共和国, was established in 1949 as a communist state after more than two decades of civil and international wars.

China is the largest country in Asia and the fourth-largest in the world after Russia, Canada, and the USA.  It borders Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, plus the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Geographically China covers five time zones but the entire country is on China Standard Time which is GMT+8.

China is slightly smaller than the USA (counting Alaska and Hawaii).  With over 1,379 billion people it is the world's most populous country.  Beijing is the capital city and Shanghai with more than 23,7 million people is the largest city.

China is home to one of the world's earliest civilisations.  China was traditionally ruled by dynasties which were basically hereditary monarchies.  The last dynasty was replaced by a republic in 1912.  There was a civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists that was interrupted by WW2.  However, it continued after the war until the Communists took the mainland in 1949 and the Nationalists fled to Taiwan.  Here's a short 3-minute video I found out on YouTube about the Chinese Civil War.

©Jabzy

In 1978, economic liberalisation began and has given China one of the world's fastest-growing economies.  It is the world's largest exporter and the second-largest importer of goods.  China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.  It also has the world's largest standing army.  Here's a video about how powerful the country is.

©Test Tube News

The official name of China's currency is Renminbi which translates to "the people's currency".  A unit of Renminbi is the Yuan (¥).

China is a huge country and it is home to around 290 languages.  The Beijing dialect of Mandarin Chinese is the official language.  About 70% of the country's Chinese speakers speak Mandarin. The written characters have been used for thousands of years.  Even if people speak two different versions of Chinese, and can't understand each other, they can still communicate and be understood through writing.  Traditional characters are still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas Chinese communities.  Simplified characters were introduced by the government in 1956 to replace the traditional ones.

  

In 1979, China implemented its one child policy in order to deal with its growing population.  In order to address the country's now rapidly ageing population and economic needs, as off 2016, couples are now allowed to have two children.

China has recently been building new islands in the South China Sea for military bases which are causing territorial disputes with neighbouring countries.  Here's a bit more detail about it.

©Vox

China and Czechland have pretty good relations.  The presidents of each country have visited the other over the past couple of years and there's a strategic partnership agreement in place.  Here's a bit more about the economic relationship.

©CCTV

Plus there's the Great Wall of China which is probably the best known symbol of the country.  No visit to China will be complete without a stroll along the wall.

Update 2025:  Here's a short video I found on YouTube about how China acquired nuclear weapons.

©History Matters

Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong & Macau Trip Summary

This was a fantastic holiday.  A whole three weeks away.  The only other time I've ever taken three weeks off was when I went home to Atlanta, Prescott, and Irvine back in 2012.  Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Macau.  Wow!

Krasimir and I met up at Heathrow and then we had a 13 hour flight to Singapore.  We enjoyed our time in Singapore.  I'm really glad that we had a four day layover here because it really broke up the travel time to New Zealand.

It was fun seeing the diversity in Singapore.  All of the unique architecture plus everything from Chinatown to Little India.  The hawker centres were fun and the food was incredible.

While it was fun, I don't have a burning desire to go back.  Don't get me wrong, I would for sure do a layover here again to break up another long trip but, I feel like we got the full experience.  One of the highlights was Changi Airport.  This has to be the best airport ever!  It is one of the busiest airports in the world and it focuses on travellers.  I've never been in an airport that provides art galleries, multiple gardens, a swimming pool and free movie theatres.  For Christmas I really want one of the free foot massage machines that are in the terminals.  

From Singapore we had a 7 hour 40 minute flight to Sydney with an hour layover before our +3 hour flight to Auckland.  New Zealand really is far away from everywhere else.  Auckland was fun and we got to spend time with our favourite Kiwi.

We did all kinds of fun things...hiked up a volcano, saw a gannet colony, saw the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and even saw Priscilla.

Then it was on to Napier which was a nice little town.  It was so wonderful to see the Pacific Ocean again.  This was my first experience with Jetstar airlines which was so much better than any Ryanair flight I've ever taken.



I was shocked however by airport security in Kiwiland.  For domestic flights security is way more relaxed than it is in Europe or the USA.  On some flights we just boarded the plane.  Others when we did go through security there were no restrictions on liquids.  I was shocked seeing being going through with water bottles.  Awesome!

After Napier we were in Dunedin on the south island.  The best part of Dunedin was going out to see the Moeraki Boulders.  Again, I got to see the Pacific Ocean.  It may not seem like a big deal but when you grow up in California and now live in a landlocked country it is a very big deal.

Then it was on to Wellington.  This really is a fab city and I wish that we had had more time here.  It was so great staying with Nat's folks and Robyn and Roger took such great care of us before and after the earthquake.

Leaving Wellington Airport

We were so lucky to have not been on our own on the south island when it happened.  One of my favourite things was sitting down to a Sunday family night dinner.  Everything was so delicious!

Then it was on to Hong Kong via Sydney.  I caught a view of the Sydney Opera House from the plane.  This has sparked a fire so maybe we'll have to head to Australia in 2018, and perhaps a return visit to Wellington (minus the earthquake).




I knew that we would enjoy Hong Kong but...damn!  It was so much better than I had pictured.

Hong Kong (and a day in Macau) in four days just let's you scratch the surface.  There is so much that I still want to go back and see.  If only I had unlimited holiday time.  

Oh well, next came the +13 hour flight back to Heathrow, a three hour layover before my flight back to Vienna and my Student Agency bus home. At least I've got time today to do some laundry before returning to work tomorrow.

Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, 香港, borders China's Guangdong province and is 60 km (37 miles) from Macau.  With 7,3 million people in an area of 2,755 km² (1,064 sq miles) it is the world's 4th most densely populated country.

As a Special Administrative Region of China it has its own immigration and border controls.  I had to fill out an immigration card upon arrival and was given a paper ticket to hold on to until I left.  The ticket takes the place of stamping your passport.

A skyscraper is any building that is 150 meters (492 feet) or more tall.  With 316, Hong Kong has more than anywhere else in the world.  And they are still building.



At night the entire city is lit up.  The most impressive lights are on the Hong Kong side of the harbour and the best views of it at night are from the Kowloon side.



Government House was built in 1855.  It is the official residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

The Cenotaph was unveiled in 1923.  It commemorates those who died in both world wars while serving Hong Kong in the British armed forces.

The Court of Final Appeal was built in 1912.  During WWII, the Japanese used it as the military police headquarters while they occupied Hong Kong.

St. Stephen's Church was completed in 1980.  It was renovated in 1995 and serves the local Catholic community.

The Rosary Church, built in 1905, is the oldest Catholic church in Kowloon.

The Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China serves the Protestant community.

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest such centres in the world.  It was founded in 1864 and was opened to the public in 1871.  There are over 600 birds, 70 mammals, 40 reptiles and over a thousand species of plants.



At Duddell Street are the city's last four remaining gas lamps.  They were completed in 1899.




The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum opened in 2006 to commemorate the 140th birthday of the Chinese statesman.




The Ohel Leah Synagogue was built in 1902.  Its renovation in 1998 won the Outstanding Project Award of the 2000 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.

This Hung Shing Temple is one of six on Lantau Island.  It used to be next to the Silver Mine Bay Beach but was moved here a few decades ago.




The Po Lin Monastery is also on Lantau Island.  The Buddhist monastery was founded in 1906.

Next to the monastery is the Tian Tan Buddha.  Completed in 1993, the Big Buddha is the world's largest outdoor bronze statue.

Nearby is the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

On the Kowloon waterfront is a replica of the Olympic torch used in the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Golden Bauhinia sculpture.  At this square was where the handover ceremony took place when the UK handed Hong Kong back over to the Chinese in 1997.

The pilar is in commemoration of the return of Hong Kong to China.

There are a few Man Mo temples but the largest is on the Hong Kong side in Sheung Wan.  It was built in 1847.

The Western Market opened in 1858.  It is the oldest surviving market building in the city and it takes up a whole city block.

The Observation Wheel opened in 2014.  It overlooks Victoria Harbour.

Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island.  The Peak is a great place to get the best panoramic photos of the city and to get an appreciation for all of the skyscrapers.