I'm back in Hong Kong, and picked up my driving licence yesterday (that's HK$900 gone!).

This time I haven't seen much changes in Hong Kong. Nash and Katie still look the same. Keith was totally different to what I was expecting (and no offence), but I guess he was tired from his flight from the US.

I mentioned in one of blogs that I will be travelling around China with my English friend Alex. Well, the plan is going to change slightly, as my father is not happy about us travelling around Mother China just by ourselves. He thinks he has seen and heard too much shit.

Here's one: two of his workers - they are brothers - were on their way back from their remote home to his factory. On the bus in Zone 2 of Shenzhen (the more industrial area compared to Zone 1), the older brother was asleep, and the younger one suddenly saw a thief cutting open his brother's bag, so he yelled. Then it turns out that the thief is not alone - his partner, without hesitation, stabbed the younger brother and told him to mind his own business. The older brother then woke up and saw what happened, and thrusted himself onto his brother and took the second, and fatal, stab. The two thieves then took the stuff away and got off the bus. Yes, no one cared, not even the bus driver wh should have kept them on the bus.

Then a few days ago, it was reported on the news that a pedestrian who got run over by a car was left on the road, and all the passerbys just drove slowly around the victim and left. No one wanted to stop and help him.

Everyone was, and still is, afraid of going through legal procedures.

Here's another one: my father was taking a group of Chinese CEO's and bosses to an inspection trip to Beijing, with the intention to witness the economic boost in the capital of China. After visiting a historical site (one of the Thirteen Ming Tombs), their local tour guide ont he coach told them that there are some fruit stalls nearby, and if they want to buy some fruit, they should only pay the exact amount of what each piece was labelled, no bargaining, and do not get change from them. One guy, however, must have been asleep or did not listen, went off to buy the whole coach some fruit. He bargained for a price, picked his own pieces and got change from the seller. The transaction was all done and seemed perfect until suddenly three big blokes came out of nowhere, and told him that it was not right: it was apparently a different price if he wanted to pick his own pieces.

And there they were, stuck there for four hours. Again, no one wanted to get the Police. In the end, they ended up having to pay the guys Y900 (which is nothing for those bosses), but everyone was pissed off big time. The idiot even asked the tour guide why he didn't explain more clearly, and, quite rightly, the tour guide said he had told them eveything, and then had a go at each and everyone of them.

Then someone poitned out that the fruit stall was actually appointed by the local tourist board, and that they should get it closed down. The tour guide then explained that if he had done so, he was afraid that he might get sacked.

The irony is that these guys were meant to see the result of China's economic growth.

So, no more exciting epic journey for Alex and I; we have to travel with a packaged holiday instead, which in a way is no worse as all the travelling is covered (and we will be flying rather than taking that stupid 26-hour train with a hard bed), with five-star hotel accomodation including buffet breakfast.

Yesterday I spent all evening working out a comparison table between going with a packaged holiday and going by ourselves. It turns out that with the packaged holiday, we get to travel to a few more sites and they are only available to coaches or Hong Kong tourists. One of the deals also includes a free night at the spa - I went there in December and really enjoyed it, although I am not sure if it is a good idea for the summer. The restaurant meals included are also fantastic - it would not make sense for just the two of us to have these expensive roast duck, ancient royal or dumpling meals.

It's still going to be fun, but I felt bad for Alex. I made a phone call to him last night, and I'm glad that he is still happy about it.

Anyway, that's it for now. Take care!