A couple of years ago, Hong Kong's life expectancy was the highest in the world!! Yep! The highest in the world! On average, a dim-sum-dining local was destined to rack up 83.42 years! Not a bad effort, given worldwide, the average life expectancy at birth was 67.88 years. And just in case you didn't know, women on average live longer than men in most countries, besides Tuvalu, Tonga, Kuwait and Qatar. In 2012, Hong Kong women surpassed Japanese women in life expectancy rates for the first time in 26 years. The grand figure - 86.7 years! So naturally, these highflying milestones got me thinking, what's so special about Hong Kong? (Particularly given this newspaper report out, lamenting air pollution as the leading cause of cancer.) Asia's WORLD CITY it may be, but to use a really old quote by Benjamin Franklin, "just as the only things certain in life are death and taxes"….you can also be pretty certain there's pollution in Hong Kong, by the truck load. As enchanted as I am with the Fragrant Harbour, there are many days where it's not quite so fragrant. Pollution here is a serious issue with visibility less than eight kilometres for 30 per cent of the year, which of course attracts its fair share of unwanted attention from around the globe. With seven million people living in extremely close proximity (think sardine-like existences), 200-thousand red taxis trawling the roads and giant coal-fired power stations nearby, not to mention the tens of thousands of factories in neighbouring Mainland China puffing out their fumes, is it any wonder? And let's not forget the ever increasing gap between the city's rich and poor! On the surface, it doesn't bode well for the average citizen to live a long healthy life, or does it? I'm not going to harp on about the inequality or the pollution predicament….you can read more about it here though (if you so desire) in this previous post 50 Shades of Hong Kong Grey or in this post on Hong Kong, a City of Contradictions. Today, I want to talk about why Hong Kong is one of the healthiest places to live, on the planet! What are these people inhaling besides pollution and fumes from a lot of very fast cars? Having skulked around these parts for a few years now, I've got a few good theories of my own going on (aside from those obvious ones the government likes to tout, such as a low birth rate and better medical treatment). Of course the Chinese have a civilization that stems back thousands of years, so they've naturally had the upper hand when it comes to unravelling the mystery of longevity. The saying goes, 'if a man in China dies before 90, other people treat the death as early and tragic.' I'm guessing that means you're still a spring chicken until at least 70! Experts say there's no one single elixir, but perhaps it's a healthy combination of the following? First things first, let's talk about DIET. One of the things that's quite obvious when you arrive in Hong Kong is the small fact there are very few 'big' people. To see someone who is overweight is a rarity, in fact, it's such an anomaly, you can't help but make comparisons with the western world when you do (let's face it, these days to be obese, for a lot of people, is becoming the norm). A report on obesity which put the US at the top and Australia 4th, has ranked Hong Kong so far down, it's not even listed. So what do we attribute this to? It's no secret Asians like rice. A LOT of rice! Ask anyone outside of Asia to name what they eat in the far East and you'll get rice, noodles and the obligatory dim sum. Nearly all of the protein Chinese consume is from plant sources, while 70% of what Americans eat comes from meat products. The simple facts are - heart disease and cancer cases in the US vastly outnumber those in China. I'm starting to wonder if aside from oodles amounts of noodles, steamed fish, vegies, rice and congee -- if the ingredients to long life also include things like drinking water warm instead of cold (which admittedly took me a couple of years to come to terms with) along with copious amounts of herbal tea and when I say copious I mean non-stop. Locals believe during a meal, your tea cup should never be empty. (Which just quietly makes for an awful lot of bathroom stops.) Salt and sugar is rarely used in authentic Chinese cooking and carbs like bread and potatoes, limited. If you're from the West, you may even notice the local's 'sweet tooth' is diluted. Sure they are partial to a cake or dessert as much as the next person, but as a non-recovering chocoholic, I've gotta say, sweets 'round here are lacking a serious sugar hit! But it looks like they're having the last laugh - their unsweetened palates working in their flavour favour. It's not just about the food either, Chinese are quite specific about their utensils. Enter the ubiquitous chopsticks and porcelain spoons. Ancient mythology claims knives, cleavers and forks are to be left in the kitchen in case they undermine the fact that Chinese cooking is meant to be 'humanizing' as opposed to 'brutish' (not that I'm one to eat dinner with a meat cleaver). Anyway, brutal utensils aside, all this brings me to Yin & Yang. Black and White, Positive and Negative, Masculine and Feminine, the Chinese firmly believe ALL of life involves balancing these opposing forces. When it comes to food, Yin favors feminine, damp, mild and cool elements while Yang is bright, masculine, dry and strong. It's thought an imbalance of the two (natural "heat" and "cold" in the body) can cause disease or make you more conducive towards sickness. So if you're getting a cold, when most of us in the Western world reach for a packet of Codral, here it's all about miso soup with hot ginger... (at the very least you'll be offered a glass of warm water). Of course treating a cold or fever with a hot cup of chicken soup is an ancient and time honored tradition the world over, but Chinese believe certain soup has special healing powers. Take Bird's Nest Soup for example, it improves libido and digestion, alleviates asthma and increases focus, not to mention its overall benefit to the immune system and it gives you glowing skin (who needs beauty potions). And let's be real, how often do you see an Asian person with wrinkles? Like, almost never! (Trust me on this, I've observed!) Other foods like Abalone shell fish are not only a status symbol but said to be an adjunct therapy for cancer and a brightener and healer for the eyes, increase appetite and a health food for the liver and kidneys. Eczema sufferers will be warned to stay right away from garlic; Chinese black mushrooms eaten to help lower blood pressure and it goes on....for more on chinese food and traditions, check out my post Date with Destiny. There's even a saying from Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu. ”The best physicians always treat disease when it is not [yet] a disease And so [their patients] are not ill. So it seems the Chinese diet isn't doing any harm in the health stakes…..but we all know Hong Kong is without a shred of doubt, a frenzied and fast paced city that never sleeps. To many, living in Hong Kong is perceived as a stressful way of life. How do you stay calm amongst the madness of a city with multiple personalities? A quick look out my window before 7am and it's not uncommon to see people well into their seventies and eighties doing this... Every morning in parks and gardens around the city, you'll see the slow moving, martial arts tradition of Tai Chi being practiced in earnest. To be honest, to my untrained eye, this activity executed at snail's pace has never looked all that 'physical,' but alas, these ancient and fluid movements are said to help balance the body’s internal yin and yang, doing as much for the mind and soul as for the body boosting cardiovascular strength. With no statutory retirement age it's also uncommon for locals to retire before the age of 70 or 80. This is often because with no pension they're forced to earn a living, but maybe it's also a case of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!' Hong Kong and much of Asia has a culture that doesn't mind women carrying the load, physically and literally. It's not unusual to see older women pushing extremely heavy loads through the city streets or hard at work on construction sites. As tough as it looks, these women are as tough as nails! Hong Kong's senior citizens also love a bit of socializing, even if it's just playing the centuries old tile game Mahjong down a side alleyway or out the back of many restaurants or shops (possibly in the same spot for 20 years). Ageing experts say the mentally stimulating tile game can help delay dementia by stimulating parts of the brain that controls memory and cognitive abilities. You can't accuse the Chinese of leading a sedentary lifestyle. I also believe family ties, which are rich here in the Kong, play into the longevity equation. Family comes first and foremost (whether you like it or not) and it's not uncommon for up to three or four generations to live under the one roof. Family care and support is crucial with Nursing home/Retirement Villages not an option for the elderly who (in general) are held in high regard by younger family members. Many studies have pointed to the fact that people who live alone die sooner. Here's the other thing, while Hong Kong has an extremely intense work ethic - six days a week, 16 hours a day….I suspect, maybe they're combatting the stress with a little nap here and there. It's not uncommon to see this....in public areas, a lot. There's also talk that such high density living has its plus side. Experts say the skyscraper island offers a balance of the fast paced with the super convenient. Transport is slick, easy and cheap; shopping malls are underneath most high rises (which also takes care of the social side of life) and the shorter traveling time across the city which geographically has a small land mass of just over 1100 square km, allows Hong Kong people to carry out their daily activities with ease, thereby keeping them relatively healthy and quite possibly, low and behold, cheerful! There is a great maze of pedestrian walkways across the top of busy highways and with walking one of the main modes of transport, it helps make it less stressful. It's not uncommon for most people to walk one or two kilometres a day (at least) and the walking pace is oh so much faster. This I can vouch for, having become an avid street walker myself (in the best sense of the term). Like they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss! Unlike countries such as Australia, where we have a love-hate relationship with the sun, Chinese people aren't big fans of Mr Golden Sun. Preferring the paler look over the beach-bronzed goddess, they (sensibly) use umbrellas to shade themselves, even just walking down the street (which can make the fast paced street-march a tad difficult if you want to avoid a poke in the eye) and you'll often find locals scurrying to the pool or beach once the sun goes down. No sun-worshippers here! (Which also means, NO wrinkles or skin cancer!) Somebody bring me some birds nest soup and an umbrella! I'm also beginning to wonder just how much Feng Shui has to answer for in the longevity books. According to 'experts' on the matter - having good Feng Shui is all about trying to create harmony and balance in your home or office. It is the practice of arranging your environment so that energy or “chi” flows gently and smoothly through your environment. If it's not balanced just right, you could very well experience problems with your health, relationships, money or children. Beds, mirrors, even doors in the wrong place can cause all sense of havoc. Not even my husband can escape good Feng Shui in his work environment, with experts regularly visiting to "sort" out hotel space, not to mention his office! (A vase with water strategically added here, a blind pulled down here to stop the luck escaping out the glass window - in the world of Feng Shui, believe you me, you can't afford to get it wrong.) The humble tortoise is considered a symbol of longevity, thus its presence in any shape or form is coveted by many people who wish to live long, healthy lives. If it's a live tortoise, even better, it will ensure the family lives to a ripe old age! So in this global junction where east meets west, perhaps it's time to take a (herbal) leaf out of the Chinese book of life! Tai Chi, a tortoise, a cup of tea and a public nap....anyone? *Just for the record, according to the latest release of CIA's World Factbook, the world's longest living people are currently found in Monaco, with an average age of 89.5 years. … [Read more...]
12 reasons you know you’ve been EXPATIFIED in Hong Kong…
If there was a definition for EXPATIFY (which there's not) I'm pretty sure it would go something like this: Acceptance of the alien nature of an environment, development of new-found tolerances, greater objectivity and appropriate coping skills. Pretty much sums up the adjustment required when you become an expat don't you think? When you launch yourself into expat life -- for awhile, everything seems out of kilter. For me, stepping off the plane into the neon-lit metropolis of Hong Kong was akin to plunging head first into an ocean full of hungry sharks. I was frantically treading water, doing my very best not to get swallowed up. Everything in my new environment felt all-consuming, overwhelming and more than a little suffocating. I could literally taste the foreignness. Heart in my mouth, eyes wide like saucers, I struggled to soak in my new surroundings. The predominant and (for many) most memorable image - the rows upon rows of imposing skyscrapers that stand luminously guarding a city that's heaving with bodies. A city where the light never dims and everything and everyone operates in permanent overdrive. There's not a spare patch of land in sight - roads are packed with vivid red taxis jostling for position, while on the water, ferries zip in and out, past the Junks, weaving through the hundreds of container ships, docked briefly in one of the busiest ports in the world. Overhead, a constant buzz of helicopters criss-cross through a concrete jungle. A fragrant harbour loaded with its distinctive smells, in every direction it's sensory overload. To read more, continue over to Expat Focus>>> … [Read more...]
Luxury Brands in Hong Kong – A Design of the Times…
If you're partial to the odd spot of retail therapy like myself (I tell my husband it's hereditary) you'll appreciate my unbridled enthusiasm when I learned I'd be living in downtown Hong Kong, plunged like a pig in mud into the world's greatest shopping mecca! Oh yeh! Hong Kong is the bomb when it comes to shopping. To quote a Chinese website (China Highlights), "Hong Kong shopping is not only the act of buying things, but a form of recreation, a way of life." I hear you sister! This heaving metropolis can lay claim to having the highest density of luxury brands in its CBD anywhere in the world. Yep! pure, unadulterated luxury. For those who's budget permits, there's a Rolex store on every corner…. and sandwiched (albeit elegantly) amongst the strapping skyscrapers and some of Hong Kong's oldest lane ways overflowing with cheap and cheerful chintz, are glossy store fronts flashing names like Dior, Prada, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton (or simply 'LV' if you're up with the designer lingo). Much to my husband's relief, I'm not. (But off the record, let's just say I was…these days Hong Kong is not only the place to haggle for your fake LV handbag, ladies, it's the place to buy the genuine thang!) The city boasts seven Louis Vuitton stores - home to the french fashion house, Paris, has just six. For the most part though, when I'm not fantasizing about draping myself in diamonds from Cartier, these dazzling stores don't elicit too much attention from yours truly. Ok. Admittedly they get the odd sideways glance, a peek through the (oh so shiny you can see your own reflection in the) glass - but rarely do I let the blinkers come off. It's a dangerous game! (Last time I checked my Tom Ford sunglasses were in two pieces after catching the fashion-forward eye of my toddler who much preferred them to her Dora sunnies.) Occasionally it's awfully tempting to allow my high heeled tootsies (perfectly manicured for the occasion of course) to cross the threshold (past the security guard) into that world of beautifully branded bling….. but in stark reality when I have crossed the line into haute couture heaven, I've more than likely been wearing flat shoes, jeans and a t-shirt and...well, it's a bit like trying to venture into a nightclub when you're past that 'appropriate' age. (Guilty!) Neon signs flash loudly in my head, 'Who do you think you are…Posh Spice!' And let's face it, trying to disguise a stroller and a toddler with a penchant for sparkling shoes and 'hammys' doesn't go down so well. But that's OK. No really! Don't feel sorry for me. Whilst I'm partial to an Hermes Birkin (although my 'copy' has been eye-balled as the real thing) and I've got my eye on a pretty pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos (do they make any other kind?) for the most part - call me sensible, call me stupid, I'm not willing to part with a month's salary (and the rest) for one small, solitary item! (However perfectly handcrafted it may be.) What I'm about to say now might cause many a fashionista to gasp in horror at what could be viewed as a serious fashion crime - but in all honesty - I'd much rather be lauding it up on high street, where the fashion is fun, frequent and affordable! Enter: Zara and H & M, two of my best buddies….now they are the kind of friends who give you more bang for your buck! Trust me girls (and guys!) Loyal and available. Which is why you can imagine my sheer horror when I discovered that Hong Kong's biggest H & M (all four glorious floors) in downtown Central is closing. A frantic 'this can't be right' google confirmed, yes! the news is true... Swedish owned company H & M can no longer afford the $US700-thousand a month rent for the 2,800 square-metre flagship store. Yep a month! H&M will, however, retain its 11 other branches in Hong Kong. A small mercy.. AND Zara will take its place, forking out US$1.4-million a month for the site. Double that of H & M. (Still breathing?) So by now it will come as no surprise to hear that last year Hong Kong was ranked the world’s most expensive location for prime real estate and office rents. In the last two years rent increased by 19 per cent. As a consequence there's now a growing band of Hong Kong ground-level retailers and restaurant operators being forced out of prime locations. Smaller retailers are moving online and restaurant owners are moving upstairs. The spike is due to two major factors - a lack of new commercial premises available (in other words no space) and strong demand from foreign luxury-goods retailers for flagship stores in premium locations. Abercrombie and Fitch reportedly signed a $1million-a-month lease last year for a downtown location that saw a month long promotional campaign involving 150 male models parading around town half-naked on an open-top bus; when they weren't flashing their flesh on the street, you could find them lounging around at the W Hotel, eight packs and all! (Naturally I had to see what all the fuss was about!) Let's not digress….why the demand (no not for the male models) for prized locations from big name designers? Well, apparently it's being driven by a desire to cater to the increasing number of mainland Chinese flocking to Hong Kong to take advantage of the low taxes. The number of visitors from the motherland shopping up a storm has ballooned to 28 million each year…that's four times Hong Kong's population! As I write this, there are calls for the Hong Kong government to cap the number of mainland visitors, but retailers have slammed the calls as "irrational." I live (ever-so conveniently) above 'Elements' Mall. The Feng Shui designed shopping centre gets its name from the five elements of Chinese Daoist philosophy: wood, water, metal, fire, earth. There are five sections with these names in the mall and each sells different kinds of goods and services that match these ideas. Most of the goods and services I see though sell for far from down to earth prices. Not only is Elements a Feng Shui master's kingdom, it's a designer lover's paradise where Burberry, Balenciaga, Prada, Miu miu, Rolex and Chanel rule the retail universe. (Thankfully there's also an H & M.) Mind you, just how long it continues to supply my addiction is anyone's guess…no sooner do I turn my back for a Mint Mocha and those stores of the more common garden variety disappear making way for the more manicured lawns of McQueen, Cartier or Tiffany. Not that I'm staking-out how the other half shops or anything, but I can't help but notice most of these stores are empty. At any given time there are at least four or five retail assistants standing around idly, just waiting…waiting…waiting. Ok that's not quite true, yesterday I just happened to be walking past a luxury watch shop when I couldn't help notice the sales assistant 'spritzing' the place. Yep! spraying (insert french accent) 'perfume' inside and out (perhaps hoping shoppers would sniff out a potential bargain) Unlikely! How can they afford to be so empty? For starters, there's currently a $US8.6-billion railway under construction next door to carry bullet trains underground directly from China to Hong Kong. It's estimated by 2016 it will carry 99,000 passengers a day. My guess is the big name brands are getting in early, knowing once there's a 300 km per hour train grinding to a halt next door complete with customs and immigration facilities… you can betcha bottom dollar they'll no longer be empty. In nearby Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts, customers queue along the front of shop windows, outside the likes of Dior, LV and Givenchy, waiting patiently behind velvet ropes. A security guard manages the orderly entry and exit of customers and there's no telling how long the wait can be. (What was that I was saying about a nightclub earlier?) Experts say the extravagant spending is all down to a rapidly expanding middle and upper class in China, seeking to enhance their identity and quality of life with luxury goods. In the past 10 years, over 100 million people in China have moved up to the middle class and many thousands have moved up to the wealthiest class. In fact China now brags nearly 235,000 millionaires. The China Brand Association claims 13 percent of Chinese, that's about 170 million people, regularly buy top-tier brands. So what makes a top-tier brand? Not necessarily those you might expect. Brands westerners often perceive as medium quality are seen by Chinese as superior, glamorous, even exclusive. Think Starbucks, Apple and Holiday Inn. These are all associated with prestige and elitism by the new affluent urban Chinese consumer, while in most western countries they're considered high quality but functional brands. (A Starbucks coffee has been described by the Chinese as a "mini luxury in a cup" and who am I to disagree.) The US company expects China to become their second largest market in the world and nearly 30 per cent of all new McDonalds opened this year will be in the Motherland. To top off this brand-name frenzy, American luxury-accessories label Coach and the Italian fashion powerhouse Prada made headlines last year when they became the first companies from their respective countries to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. So far the Year of the Snake is off to an ambitious start with cash registers ringing loud and fast and average sales rising 20 per cent. Hong Kong….I'm in no doubt you've got the goods for those in need of a daring designer fix….but promise not to get too caught up in this luxury love affair. Some of us are in need of a retail therapy relationship with something a little more, shall we say, accessible…. Shopping spree anyone? … [Read more...]