HK Ocean Park

Ocean Park is the largest recreation and entertainment resort in Southeast Asia, with 87 hectares of exciting thrill-rides for the whole family.

Start the day by catching the cable car that runs from the lowlands to the headland and provides amazing scenery of the South China Sea and from here on a clear day you can actually see China. You can get a better view from the tower, which revolves to give 360 views.  

The latest attractions at Ocean Park are Pacific Pier and Mine Train. Pacific Pier is modelled after the natural habitat and waters of seals and sea lions from the coasts of California, USA. You can greet the seals and sea lions face to face on the upper level and even feed them during specified time. Mine Train is well decorated with all the Wild West peripherals to give it an authentic outlook.

Ocean Park's other attractions include the world's largest Atoll Reef Aquarium, which holds 2.2 million litres of water and more than 4,000 fish from 400 different species, dolphin and sea lion shows, a walk through Shark Aquarium, a walk-in aviary, children's play areas, and sky-high panoramic views of Hong Kong and South China Sea from the cable cars. Also, there are An An and Jia Jia, giant pandas from the province of Szechuan.


Ocean park opens from 10 am till 6 pm and extends to 12 midnight on the weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun). The admission price is HK$185 and children between (3-11) $93. This fee includes most of the attractions - except the skill games, the Grand Prix and Whiskers wild ride and any coin operated machines. So if you want to have a go at these rides bring some change. The big rides are all included like the rollercoaster and tower, log flume.

• Bus Route details

• Ocean Park Official Website

The Peak Hong Kong

What better way to see Hong Kong by going to the Peak and getting a 360-degree view! The Peak is the best place in Hong Kong to see the sunset.

Victoria Peak or "The Peak" is one of HK's most popular tourist "Must Do" - it gives you a spectacular bird's eye view of the city skyline, the Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. To get to the Peak is a pretty exciting journey.

 The Peak Tower, the most unusual building and icon. The unique "wok" shaped tower. At the top of the Peak tower, you can have different levels of tower offer spectacular views of the Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. Inside the Peak Tower, you will find some shops. restaurant, and Madame Tussauds - London's famous wax museum.

 Upon arrival at the Peak, away from the hussle and bustle of the city, you will feel the difference - the refreshing crisp air and the light breeze !

The best way to reach The Peak is to take a ride on the Peak Tram. The tram run from Mon to Sun, between 7:00 am and 12:00 midnight (every 15 mins).

If you take the MTR to Central, its about a 10 minute walk to the Tram that goes up to the Peak. It will cost you $33 for a return trip up. It’s a steep tram trip on the way up, and you have some great views of the skyscrapers, at about a 50 degree angle or so.

To get the best views, try to get seats in front on the right hand side for the journey upwards to Peak Tower.

* Best if you can go to the Peak during late afternoon, stay for the sunset and night view - the Peak offers different dazzling sights.

Directions:

You can reach The Peak Tram Lower Terminus by foot from MTR Central J2 exit (approximately 10 minutes), or by taking the shuttle bus:

Route No. 12S - Citybus
Admiralty MTR Bus Terminus to Garden Road (Lower Peak Tram Terminus)
Daily: 10:00 am (from Admiralty) to 12:00 midnight (from Garden Road)
Frequency: 12-15 minutes
Fare: HK$2.50

Route No. 15C - First Bus
Star Ferry Pier (Central) to Garden Road (Lower Peak Tram Terminus)
Daily: 10:10 am to 11:55 pm (from Lower Peak Tram Terminus)
Daily: 10:00 am to 11:45 pm (from Central Star Ferry)
Frequency: 10-20 minutes
Fare: HK$3.20 (Air-Conditioned or Open Top)

• How to Get There  
• The Peak Hong Kong Official Website
• Next Page: Ocean Park

Ni Sol Banganan

Kung ikaw ay mahilig mamasyal sa Wan Chai, tiyak na hindi makakatakas sa iyong paningin ang napakalaking pagbabago na nagaganap doon. Mahigit tatlong dekada ng hang-out ito ng mga OFW sa kanilang holiday... magmula sa mga naghahanap ng goodtime, hanggang doon sa ang hanap ay datung o papa. Ngunit nitong nakalipas na dalawang taon, parang kabuteng nagsulputan ang mga propesyunal na prostitutes o sa palasak na salita, `tatsing o prosti, sa mga kalyehon, at bars doon. At kung pagbabasehan ang kanilang mga kilos, masasabi mong hindi sila biktima ng human trafficking kundi mga kusang pumarito upang kumita ng dolyar.

Hong Kong Office Life
Jon Mariano

It rained here in Hong Kong today. When it rains, people don't want to walk far to get their lunch. When that happens, the queue in nearby restaurants and food stalls are so long you wouldn't want to waste your time waiting with a lot of hungry people.

One of the things Hong Kong brags about is the industriousness of its people. I can see that myself first hand. Hong Kong's professionals are real professionals that they would even sacrifice family affairs and events for the call of duty. To a fault they really do.

Office workers don't want to be the first one to leave the office. If the office hours are 9 to 6, it's impossible to catch anybody punching the clock on the dot. More often than not, the first one to go punches out at least 6:15. It doesn't matter whether all has been done and nothing else left to do for the day.

This antagonism to being the first to go is pervasive. Me being an example of it too. I don't like it, but I don't want to rock the boat!

If you're used to having your lunch at 12:00 noon, you'll definitely suffer starvation for one hour here in Hong Kong because we have 1:00 as our lunch break. I had a hard time getting used to it, but I am now.

The question for many in the Philippines would be: How do get to work as a professional in Hong Kong? There are some ways that I know of.

1.) Work for a company that has a branch in Hong Kong, or one whose base is in Hong Kong. When an opportunity arises for an opening and you're qualified, apply for it. Some have been picked to work here, that's the easiest way and the best way because you get to decide whether you want to come or not. Not all want to work far from their home country and family.


    Opportunity to become a Hong Kong Resident thru employment.

    When an opportunity like this happens, your company will sponsor for your working visa and once that is approved and you start working here, you become a Hong Kong resident. That's not the same as permanent residency; it just means that you are residing in Hong Kong, or that you're living in Hong Kong (just like me, an OFW living in HK!).

    After 7 years of residing here, you can then apply for the Right of Abode (ROA) or the equivalent of permanent residency.

    The working visa usually lasts for 1 year and renewed every year and in addition, you can only work for the company that sponsored it for you. It doesn't stop you though from looking for other employments although you start from the beginning where your prospective employer will apply for your visa. The good thing is that the counting of the 7 years for applying for the ROA does not. If you have 7 employers and you worked for them 1 year apiece, you have already satisfied that requirement. Usually though, you only stay with the same employer until you acquire permanent residency.



2. Marry a local resident. This is very famous in the United States and other western countries including Canada, London, and in Europe. It is also here. In fact there are scams done by some Filipinas here where they've been found to have paid some locals for a sham marriage. Some have been caught by the police.


    Opportunity to become a Hong Kong Resident thru marriage.

    With the approval of the Immigration Department, a dependent can work in Hong Kong.

    When you're married to a Hong Kong resident, you can apply for a dependent's visa. Depending on the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, it's either 1 month validity first, then 3 months the next, then co-terminus with your spouse's working visa. If you stayed here together for the same period of time, you can apply for the permanent residency together.

    If your spouse is already a permanent resident upon your application of a dependent's visa. You may still go through the 1 month, then 3 months, then 3 years affectivity of the dependent visa.

    After 3 years of continuous residency in Hong Kong as a dependent (of a Permanent Resident), you can change your status to "Unconditional Stay". This allows you to be independent from your spouse's visa. Meaning you can deal with the Immigration Department without sponsorship or support from your spouse. Where can this be advantageous? I don't know. Maybe when you get separated or divorced before you become a permanent resident.



3. Become an investor. If you have 6.5 million Hong Kong Dollars and you're interested to live here in Hong Kong, read on from this link.


Wherever it is that you work, the concept is the same: Work to live, don't live to work!

Article Source:

http://hkbigmind.blogspot.com/

Very inspiring ... para sa mga overworked !

O, bakit ka na naman na-i-istress? Did you wake up on
 the wrong side of the bed?

 Meron ka bang deadline na i-bi-beat ngayong araw na ito?


 It's important to understand stress before we can
 effectively manage it

 kaya Stress ang pag-uusapan natin ngayon.

 Ayon sa mga scientists mayroong dalawang uri ng stress.

 Eustress and Distress.

 Eustress is positive stress. Ito ang nararamdaman ng
 isang dalaga

 kapag dumarating na ang kanyang manliligaw at may
 daladalang flowers.

 Eustress din ang tawag sa stress na nararanasan ng mga
 nagwo- work-out

 when they are doing their exercises.

 Ang mga athletes, pagkatapos na ma-stress ang kanilang
 muscles,

 they rest para ma-repair ang kanilang muscles.

 Kapag hindi sila nagpahinga, the stressed muscles will
 be injured.

 When injury happens, yan ang distress.

 Distress is the negative side of stress.

 Nakakaramdam ka na ng sakit ng ulo, pagsakit ng tiyan,

 hindi na makatulog, di pa makakain.

 Distress ang uri ng stress na nagreresulta sa kung
 ano-anong sakit
 
 tulad ng hypertension, minsan nga ay emotional breakdown
 pa.

 Ano ba ang pwede nating gawin para ang stress natin ay
 hindi maging distress? Famous author and inspirational speaker,

 Dr. John Maxwell has the following suggestions:

 Don't be overly sensitive to criticism.

 Tanggapin na natin ang katotohanang hindi natin kayang
 i-please ang lahat ng tao.

 Talagang mayroong hindi aayon sa iyo kahit na
 napaka-noble

 ng iyong mga intentions and motives.

 So when you receive criticisms, take it constructively
 kung sensible ang criticism.

 If you think the criticism is not objective, huwag na
 lang pansinin at ng hindi ka ma-distress.

 Don't take too much pride in your achievements.

 Ang pride ay parang uling, ginagatungan niyan ang
 distress.

 Ang taong proud ay mas lalong nadi-distress dahil
 masyado niyang iniingatan

 ang kanyang achievement at accomplishment.

 Minsan nga our achievements hinder us from growing and
 learning

 kasi sinasabi natin sa ating sarili, aba may
 na-accomplish na ko.

 Mas mahusay ako kaysa sa iba, hindi na nila ko pwedeng
 turuan.

 Ang lungkot ng buhay kapag naging ganyan ang attitude
 natin.

 Don't harbor jealousy over the achievement of others.

 Ang taong mainggitin madalas ding madistress,

 kasi nga totoo namang mayroong mas higit kaysa sa atin.

 Natural ang iba ay maaaring magkaroon ng achievements na
 wala tayo di ba.

 Instead of being jealous or envious,

 let's learn to rejoice in the successes of others.

 Malay mo malibre ka pa bogchi dahil nakikigalak ka sa
 kanilang tagumpay, di ba?
 
 Don't focus on your weaknesses and inadequacies.

 Ang sugat kapag mas lalo mong ginalaw mas lalong lalala
 at baka maimpeksyon.

 The more you focus on your weaknesses and inadequacies

 the bigger the tendency of wallowing in self-pity.

 While it is important to acknowledge your inadequacies,

 it is helpful to focus on your strengths and
 capabilities.

 One effective way of fighting distress is by counting
 our blessings -

 the good things which life brings.

 When we have grateful hearts,

 we will always be reminded that we are too blessed to be
 stressed!

 Someone wrote that

 "The shortest distance between a problem and a solution
 is the distance between your knees and the floor.

 The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to
 anything."