Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Nancy in Los Angeles on October 13, 2007:

My Dad complained once about my Mom's attempt at a candlelit dinner with "If I can't see it, I don't eat it." As for air quality, hey, I live in Los Angeles: If we can't see it, we don't breathe it. Thank you for your commentary and pictures - greatly enjoyed!

Posted by Alan. U.K. on October 13, 2007:

Do those loose ring pulls not even raise a consideration from airline security? Those things can be a lot sharper than the nail clippers etc that get confiscated.

Have fun out there Randy and perhaps find some examples of your own of Engrish (Google it for examples).

Posted by Tracey, So.Cal on October 13, 2007:

The old-style pop tops are actually a VERY good idea in China! Remember, in most of the country you must be very careful what you eat and drink to keep from getting really sick -- don't eat any fruit you can't peel yourself, do NOT eat any raw vegetables, no ice unless you KNOW it was from boiled or bottled water, brush your teeth in boiled or bottled water, and so forth. Our bodies can't handle the germs in their water.

The can tops may be contaminated, even if they've been washed, and you don't want the stay-on top to go inside the can where it contacts the liquid. The best thing to do is pour it into a clean glass. If you drink from the can your mouth is touching the can, but in HK you're probably fine. Just be careful in the rest of China!

Posted by Bob, Miami on October 14, 2007:

I think it's wonderful that China is opening up. Now we Americans can be ugly in more parts of the world! I like your emails but I don't much care for your condescending tone in this article. But hey, no matter! You keep on believing "this is the greatest country on earth" and China will keep getting richer and freer while America sinks into the depths of socialism and stupidity. In spite of what's drummed into our heads from birth, occidentals are really not superior to orientals, and the Chinese are probably superior in many ways to us. My 2�

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My, but aren't we incredibly touchy? Suddenly I'm again racist? Uh huh. The fact is, the air in much of China is terrible. To say we learned our lesson from the 1960s is simply true; to note that China didn't learn from our stupid mistakes is simply sad. But it's not racist; to say that I cannot find fault here is. -rc

Posted by Stephen on October 14, 2007:

Randy, We still have the "old style" pop tops in Australia. Haven't managed to swallow one yet.

The one thing that has changed is cans and bottles are getting larger. When I lived in Korea the standard size for a can was 250ml, not the 375ml in Oz.

Posted by Robyn, Maryland on October 14, 2007:

My brother has been to China since his wife is Chinese. He has another tip. Bottled water is NOT necessarily safe. He bought some bottled water and got really sick. They had just put untreated tap water in an old bottle and resealed it. His wife told him they do that all the time to make money off of unwise (aka stupid) travelers. You have to boil water if you want to be 100% safe.

Posted by Nick, Melbourne on October 14, 2007:

China is a developing country. Do they deserve the right to learn from their own mistakes or do they have to learn from developed countries that have already made the same mistakes in regards to pollution therefore making it more expensive for them to make products from the get go, rather than building up their business, then becoming environmentally conscientious.

We know the damage that certain industries can cause, but is the fact that China are building up business to a level that will allow their population to subsist in a reasonable way and dealing with the consequences after they get there any different than what the rest of the world has or is doing?

It is easier to be "green" when you can afford to....

I agree with your bottom line. And yes, they have the right to destroy their own environment. But I also have the right to be saddened by it. -rc

Posted by Peter, Wuxi, China on October 14, 2007:

Good comments. I've been to Hong Kong twice and observed the same conditions. Have you seen the sidewalks busy with cockroaches after dark? If not, you've really missed one of the "sights."

I returned to China 3 weeks ago after heart surgery in Canada and immediately ran into breathing problems. There is no doubt the pollution needs attention. Yes, you are right, China is the North America of the 60's, making the same mistakes, just delayed a little.

Hope you make it to the mainland! I'd be glad to join you in Shanghai for coffee. It's only an hour away by high speed train.

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I missed the cockroaches! Darn. And yes, see another entry for our itinerary -- we have moved into the mainland, but are not getting to Shanghai this trip. Maybe we'll do coffee next time you're in Colorado. -rc

Posted by Dan, Missouri on October 15, 2007:

Unfortunately, Hong Kong itself does not have a huge lot of control over the air quality coming at them from the industrial development immediately to the north. "One country, Two systems" works both ways -- HK may be free to govern its own affairs, but they do not have control over the rest of China's affairs.

You are partly right about things being different in the 1960s (I spent my teens there, from 1963-1969) but when I looked at my mother's photos of HK in the 1940s the amount of haze was dramatically less back then than even in the '60s.

Posted by Randy Guinn - Michigan on October 15, 2007:

I'm truly sorry to hear about the pollution problem in Hong Kong. I was there several times in the 1980's while serving in the Navy. I have always said it is one of the two places I would like to get back to with my family, (the other being Thailand). I now must rethink my plans. Another tip; go ahead and pony up the extra penny and ride first class on the Star ferry between Kowloon and Winchai. ;)