Freely
According to the following news in Traditional Chinese about a recent campaign launched over the weekend in a favorite CCP-Mainlanders shopping area in Tsimshatsui,
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E8%A1%8C-%E6%AD%A3%E5%8F%8D-%E9%81%8A%E8%A1%8C%E5%BB%A3%E6%9D%B1%E9%81%93%E4%BA%92%E7%BD%B5-215604280.html
???
Pictures of the campaign banners,
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/international/20140216/345539/%E6%B8%AF%E4%BA%BA%E5%8F%8D%E6%AE%96%E6%B0%91%E3%80%80%E8%97%89%E9%A9%85%E8%9D%97%E8%A1%8C%E5%8B%95%E8%B6%95%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E9%81%8A%E5%AE%A2
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According to the latest Yahoo poll, 45% Hongkongers support the "Exterminate Locusts Campaign é©èè¡å".
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<>
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@ Naw Khaw,
The latest Yahoo poll shows a landslide of 95% Hongkongers support the "Get rid of Locusts Campaign" which echoes your answer.
Beneath is a similar news reported in SCMP,
Scuffles break out as protesters hurl slurs, abuse at mainland Chinese tourists
Police intervene as 100 demonstrators shout slurs at mainland shoppers and confront pro-Beijing group
PUBLISHED : Monday, 17 February, 2014, 4:54am
UPDATED : Monday, 17 February, 2014, 1:51pm
Ng Kang-chung
kc.ng@scmp.com
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Police intervene as scuffles break out at the start of the march in Tsim Sha Tsui with protesters urging the government to limit the number of mainland visitors.
Scores of protesters marched through Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday in an "anti-locust" campaign demanding the government curb mainland visitors.
Protesters said a massive influx of mainland visitors - dubbed "locusts" by critics, who accuse them of overwhelming the city and hogging its resources - had hit the livelihoods of locals.
During the 90-minute protest about 100 people marched from the Star Ferry pier to Canton Road, a street lined with luxury goods stores popular with mainlanders. The march got off to a tense start when scuffles broke out between protesters and people opposed to the demonstration. Police had to intervene.
The protesters waved placards and chanted slogans such as "go back to China" and "reclaim Hong Kong" as they marched. Some carried colonial-era flags, a popular
symbol for those who want autonomy or independence for Hong Kong.
Some booed and shouted abuse at Putonghua-speaking passers-by. The protesters also shouted abuse at mainland customers inside shops. Some shoppers took pictures while others ignored them. But some Canton Road jewellery shops closed.
A visitor from Shenzhen said: "We are here to shop. It helps the economy of Hong Kong. I do not understand why they do not welcome us."
Protest convenor Ronald Leung Kam-shing said he was pleased with the response after organising the campaign online.
"We do not need political parties. Just through the internet we can get so many people to come out," he said. "I think the government should listen to our voice seriously. It has to stop allowing Chinese tourists into Hong Kong ⦠We do not want them."
Among the protesters but keeping a low profile was primary school teacher Alpais Lam Wai-sze, who shot to fame for swearing at police officers over their handling
of a Falun Gong protest.
A pro-Beijing group, Voice of Loving Hong Kong, staged a rival "Welcome to Hong Kong" campaign on Canton Road. About 10 members distributed leaflets wishing visitors a happy stay.
Tourism from the mainland has boomed as the nation's economy has grown and rules forcing visitors to join tour groups have been eased. Some 40.8 million mainland visitors came last year.
EDIT
Sorry for not deleting all the irrelevant headings in time.
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EDIT
Apart from HK, Thailand is another favorite tourist spot for Mainlanders due to closeness and cheap. Thais too do not seem to welcome Mainland tourists,
More Chinese tourists isn't the greatest idea | Bangkok Post: opinion
www.bangkokpost.com/...more-Chinese-tourists-isn't... - Traduzir esta página
25/10/2013 - Pattaya is a good case in point, it is not exactly the place to be if you want to ... 6 Chinese tourists rent a room for 2/3 customers. The TAT say, the ...
Do CCP-tourists know they're not liked worldwide?
(CNN) -- It might be the biggest phenomenon to hit the global travel industry since the invention of commercial flight -- Chinese tourism.
The figures are incredible.
By 2015, 100 million Chinese will pack their bags to travel abroad, according to a report from the UN World Tourism Organization.
In 2012, Chinese overtook Americans and Germans as the world's top international tourism spenders, with 83 million people spending a record US$102 billion on international tourism.
Pretty much any country with "Approved Destination Status" -- a bilateral tourism arrangement with China -- has remarkable numbers to throw out on Chinese tourism growth, from the United States to France.
The figures are even more dramatic closer to home. South Korea recently reported that in February, for the first time ever, Chinese tourists overtook Japanese tourists in terms of arrival numbers.
Hong Kong and Thailand cite similar growth.
Your re
"But the majority of [Chinese] tourists still need to develop. One problem area is advance planning. We have few clients who plan six months ahead. So they end up giving last minute requests for Michelin-starred dinners and they just can't get in.
"Then they become unhappy because they think money can get anything. The game in the international market is slightly different. So advance planning is something they're learning."
Tourists behaving badly
No discussion of Chinese tourism would be complete without addressing the backlash now making the rounds in some sectors of the travel industry.
This is the fun for them. You toss some coins and Western people dance for you.
Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
To put this into context, Zhang describes a popular urban legend about a wealthy Chinese tourist who entered a famous luxury boutique in Milan with a lit cigarette.
When asked to put out the cigarette, the woman replied that she'
she'd buy 20 purses if she was allowed to smoke in the shop.
Next thing you know, the woman is handed an ashtray, and the boutique did indeed earn a nice profit that day.
Zhang says allowing that behavior is a double-edged sword.
"Rich Chinese tourists are pushing the boundaries and unfortunately some of these places are bending to their will," she says.
"Particularly the newly rich, who think, 'If I'm paying money then I'm God.'"
Arlt says Chinese are often proud of the fact that they're at the top of the wealth chain, given that the Cultural Revolution is still fresh the minds of people over 40.
"This has happened all in one generation," he says. "Many [Chinese tourists] have parents who didn't have shoes. All this growth happened so fast it's still in living memory.
"Now they're showing the world and themselves: 'I'm strong, I can go spend US$5,000 for nothing, just for my pleasure.'"
And t
they're more than happy to rub it in the West's face, he adds.
"The Chinese have the idea that since the Opium Wars they've been oppressed and looked down on, so now they're coming back rich," Arlt says.
"This is the fun for them. You toss some coins and Western people dance for you."
The scene is even more charged with emotion in Hong Kong, where mainland Chinese tourists face harsh resentment for a number of issues. Clashes between locals and tourists on public transportation and in restaurants have been caught on video, rapidly gone viral on the Internet and are regular press fodder.
Hong Kong Airlines has even taught its cabin crew kung fu to deal with drunken passengers flying to and from the mainland in light of what it says are continuous issues.
Dr. Yong Chen of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who specializes in Chinese outbound tourism, says all the bad press needs to be taken in context, given how many mainlanders are heading south of th
the border.
"There were 48 million tourists who came to Hong Kong last year and more than 70 percent of them were Chinese tourists," he says.
"There's no other country with such a high market share in the world."
When posted on the Internet, small, individual problems, like shouting matches on subway trains, have a way of transcending borders.
"Travel is a way of communication between cultures," he says. "Tourism will help people to get better and learn. It's a new experience for them."
Liu Zhen-xiu, a mother from Tianjin visiting Hong Kong with her young daughter, says she notices the resentment.
"We usually stay in five-star hotels, so people in the service industry of course have to be polite and friendly to us," she says.
"I haven't gotten into a situation where I was treated differently or rudely, but I can feel that local people do not welcome mainland tourists."
Learning global cultures
Fauna (who didn't
want her last name published) is the founder of popular English-language blog ChinaSMACK, which analyzes and translates online reaction to popular news stories in China.
If a non-Chinese points fingers at this kind of behavior, almost all Chinese feel very defensive. They will say, 'That's racist against Chinese.
Mei Zhang, WildChina
Responses to stories of Chinese behaving badly while traveling are mixed among China's online community, she says.
"If the focus is on the behavior of the mainland tourist, usually the reaction from mainland Chinese netizens is embarrassment," she says.
"If the focus is on criticisms of mainland Chinese by Hong Kong people or foreigners, then often there is defensiveness -- but also a lot of embarrassment -- and counter-criticism."
Zhang has a similar view, noting that the younger generation and wealthier Chinese are usually unhappy with those who damage the image of Chinese travelers worldwide.
"On the other hand, ther
there is this strong sense of patriotism and a bit of insecurity about our national identity," she says.
"If a non-Chinese points fingers at this kind of behavior, almost all Chinese feel very defensive. They will say, 'That's racist against Chinese.'
"There's the idea that, 'It's my dirty laundry, I know it's smelly and it's OK for me to criticize it, but it's not OK for you to say anything.'"
Zhang says it will take time for attitudes to change, as more Chinese grow accustomed to global cultures.
Naicy Zhang, a Chinese tourist visiting Hong Kong from Dongguan, agrees.
"People are generally helpful, but I know there are differences in cultures between Chinese tourists and others," she says.
"The people here in Hong Kong, for example, are more polite and self-disciplined, they queue up for everything. But in China, no one will ever queue up and they will fight for things. If you wait, you will be left with nothing.
"It's true that Chinese tourists may not understand the local rules and customs in the beginning and make mistakes. But we will learn."
Arlt says too many locals are seeing only the negative side of Chinese tourism.
"The busloads of Chinese people run
running around and taking a lot of photos and making noise and behaving a bit stupid because this is the first time they're traveling -- these are the more visible tourists," says Arlt.
. .
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@ Well said, Dennis, your descriptions are thorough and detailed. Hope more CCP guys could grasp what's said and stop barking their silly myths.
CCP is trash, it's eager to transform HK into another $hitty place as Shanghai, Shenzhen with no one cares about obeying rule and order because money can buy everything including justice. So unfortunate HK has to merge with such a trash.
You and Naw's answers are best, I'll let the question go to voting and let more readers read your well written answer.
Answer
I'm from HK and I hope my answer may help.
The current tensions between HK-ers and mainlanders are not as simple as they seem. Let me ask you:
1. If you're living in HK, and you can't buy your daily necessities in any of the supermarkets in your neighbourhood because many mainlanders buy cartons and cartons of "Made-in-HK" or "Made-in-the West/Japan" beverages, instant noodles, rice, nappies, milk powder, medicines, Dettol disinfectant, etc. and smuggle them away from HK by the already-crowded commuter trains you take every day, what would you feel? (And indeed the HK Gov has imposed export quotas on milk powder to stop mainlanders from carrying out more than 2 cans of milk powder out of HK since last year.)
(Related articles: http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/47124/meet-the-smugglers.html
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1145530/millions-living-near-border-now-buy-their-groceries-hong-kong)
2. If you're a taxpayer in HK and find that many mainlanders abuse the service of public hospitals (like the NHS in the UK) by giving birth in HK so that they children can get the right of abode and enjoy the better social welfare in HK. The wards are now overcrowded and some mainlanders then leave HK without paying for the service, what would you feel? (*HK's taxation system is independent from that of the mainland.)
(Related articles: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/10/26/mainland-moms-get-jail-time-in-hong-kong/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/world/asia/mainland-chinese-flock-to-hong-kong-to-have-babies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)
3. Now you're a mother in HK and your child is getting into public primary school (or kindergarten) and find that the competition for school places is extremely vigorous since many children whose parents are not from HK occupy more than half of the school quotas, what would you think?
(Related articles: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/us-hongkong-education-idUSBREA1509Y20140206)
4. What would you think if your favourite local restaurant's gone because of the soar in rent and a new jewellery shop (or other high-end shops) is open? You never go there and only mainland tourists love them, what do you think?
(Related article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-01/hong-kong-businesses-vanish-as-rents-soar-real-estate.html)
5. Eating or drinking is not allowed on HK trains. You saw a mainland woman letting her child eat snacks on train. You go to remind her (in your native language Cantonese) and she refused to comply, saying that you should speak to her in Mandarin since HK is China. An argument follows and someone took the video and uploaded it to the web. A professor from the University of Beijing (the most prestigious university in China) watched that and criticised HK people for their refusal to speak in Mandarin and called HK people as "British running dogs" since many HK people still thought that British rule was better. And many mainlanders agree to the idea that HK's economic achievement is all brought by the "love and care of China motherland, so HK should be grateful to China". What would you feel towards their attitude?
(Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCU8LxeMXMI)
6. Imagine you're a new university graduate and want to buy a flat in HK. You earn about HKD10,000 a month but the cheapest private flat (200 sq. feet) is about HKD3 million.You find you can't get on the property ladder since many mainlanders feel unsafe about their money and purchase HK's flats for investment, which then pushes up HK's property price.
(http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=136299&con_type=3)
7. In your question you mentioned about "Jewellery made in HongKong..."
--> This is an untrue statement. Jewellery retailers in HK only import them and sell them. The only relatively "flourishing" manufacturing industry in HK is food manufacturing, and bare in mind that 90% of HK's GDP comes from services industry, and only 9% from manufacturing, and tourism only occupies about 4.5% of HK's total GDP. (http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/tourism.pdf)
And since there are too many jewellery shops in HK which is an already over-crowded place, the rent and hence living price increase every year, but the average salary of HK people has not risen that much over the past decade. What do you think? Does the increase in HK's GDP really benefit you?
8. The population in HK is only about 7.1 million. There were 54 million tourists coming to HK last year, and only 13 million are overseas visitors. The remaining 40 million are from the mainland and many are worried that HK's market are over-relying on China, leading to a rise in hotel room prices and stopping overseas visitors from coming to the over-crowded city. This may result in the loss of HK's diversity as an "international city".
9. And most importantly, every day you express your anger and complain to HKSAR government. Despite all the above social problems, government officials simply dismiss your arguments, claiming that HK is a city open for everyone, haranguing HK people to show more tolerance to mainland tourists since "we are a family!". And they then tell you that they want to increase the number of tourists (mostly mainlanders) to 100 million in the coming decade... and they even tell HK people "if you can't get on the train during rush-hours, you may have to wait for another one in the future!" (Obviously the government officials don't take trains and, I once waited for a train in a busy station and I can't board the train until the fourth one.)
(Related article: http://www.eturbonews.com/41835/hong-kong-tourist-numbers-can-rise-70-million?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Eturbonews-TravelAndTourismIndustryNews+%28eTurboNews+-+for+the+global+travel+professional%29)
The HKSAR government refuses to face the already-very-serious social problems and that's why some HK people go for a radical way -- to protest against the mainland tourists. I'm not saying the actions by these radical HK-ers are correct, but it's the only effective way to direct others' attention to the clashes between HK and mainland China.
I would say, because of businessmen's greed, HKSAR government's obsequiousness to the mainland authority and China's propaganda that "HK is already a part of China ", the HKSAR government dare not safeguard HK-ers' rights whenever the issues involve mainland China and this further infuriates people in HK. Also, HK-ers and mainland Chinese may be from the same race, but we are indoctrinated differently (due to the past British rule of HK and now the "1 country, 2 systems" policy) and this results in the current tensions between HK-ers and mainland Chinese. Many HK-ers feel the danger of losing their home and identity as HK-er and many are considering immigration now.
I'm from HK and I hope my answer may help.
The current tensions between HK-ers and mainlanders are not as simple as they seem. Let me ask you:
1. If you're living in HK, and you can't buy your daily necessities in any of the supermarkets in your neighbourhood because many mainlanders buy cartons and cartons of "Made-in-HK" or "Made-in-the West/Japan" beverages, instant noodles, rice, nappies, milk powder, medicines, Dettol disinfectant, etc. and smuggle them away from HK by the already-crowded commuter trains you take every day, what would you feel? (And indeed the HK Gov has imposed export quotas on milk powder to stop mainlanders from carrying out more than 2 cans of milk powder out of HK since last year.)
(Related articles: http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/47124/meet-the-smugglers.html
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1145530/millions-living-near-border-now-buy-their-groceries-hong-kong)
2. If you're a taxpayer in HK and find that many mainlanders abuse the service of public hospitals (like the NHS in the UK) by giving birth in HK so that they children can get the right of abode and enjoy the better social welfare in HK. The wards are now overcrowded and some mainlanders then leave HK without paying for the service, what would you feel? (*HK's taxation system is independent from that of the mainland.)
(Related articles: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/10/26/mainland-moms-get-jail-time-in-hong-kong/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/world/asia/mainland-chinese-flock-to-hong-kong-to-have-babies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)
3. Now you're a mother in HK and your child is getting into public primary school (or kindergarten) and find that the competition for school places is extremely vigorous since many children whose parents are not from HK occupy more than half of the school quotas, what would you think?
(Related articles: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/us-hongkong-education-idUSBREA1509Y20140206)
4. What would you think if your favourite local restaurant's gone because of the soar in rent and a new jewellery shop (or other high-end shops) is open? You never go there and only mainland tourists love them, what do you think?
(Related article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-01/hong-kong-businesses-vanish-as-rents-soar-real-estate.html)
5. Eating or drinking is not allowed on HK trains. You saw a mainland woman letting her child eat snacks on train. You go to remind her (in your native language Cantonese) and she refused to comply, saying that you should speak to her in Mandarin since HK is China. An argument follows and someone took the video and uploaded it to the web. A professor from the University of Beijing (the most prestigious university in China) watched that and criticised HK people for their refusal to speak in Mandarin and called HK people as "British running dogs" since many HK people still thought that British rule was better. And many mainlanders agree to the idea that HK's economic achievement is all brought by the "love and care of China motherland, so HK should be grateful to China". What would you feel towards their attitude?
(Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCU8LxeMXMI)
6. Imagine you're a new university graduate and want to buy a flat in HK. You earn about HKD10,000 a month but the cheapest private flat (200 sq. feet) is about HKD3 million.You find you can't get on the property ladder since many mainlanders feel unsafe about their money and purchase HK's flats for investment, which then pushes up HK's property price.
(http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=136299&con_type=3)
7. In your question you mentioned about "Jewellery made in HongKong..."
--> This is an untrue statement. Jewellery retailers in HK only import them and sell them. The only relatively "flourishing" manufacturing industry in HK is food manufacturing, and bare in mind that 90% of HK's GDP comes from services industry, and only 9% from manufacturing, and tourism only occupies about 4.5% of HK's total GDP. (http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/tourism.pdf)
And since there are too many jewellery shops in HK which is an already over-crowded place, the rent and hence living price increase every year, but the average salary of HK people has not risen that much over the past decade. What do you think? Does the increase in HK's GDP really benefit you?
8. The population in HK is only about 7.1 million. There were 54 million tourists coming to HK last year, and only 13 million are overseas visitors. The remaining 40 million are from the mainland and many are worried that HK's market are over-relying on China, leading to a rise in hotel room prices and stopping overseas visitors from coming to the over-crowded city. This may result in the loss of HK's diversity as an "international city".
9. And most importantly, every day you express your anger and complain to HKSAR government. Despite all the above social problems, government officials simply dismiss your arguments, claiming that HK is a city open for everyone, haranguing HK people to show more tolerance to mainland tourists since "we are a family!". And they then tell you that they want to increase the number of tourists (mostly mainlanders) to 100 million in the coming decade... and they even tell HK people "if you can't get on the train during rush-hours, you may have to wait for another one in the future!" (Obviously the government officials don't take trains and, I once waited for a train in a busy station and I can't board the train until the fourth one.)
(Related article: http://www.eturbonews.com/41835/hong-kong-tourist-numbers-can-rise-70-million?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Eturbonews-TravelAndTourismIndustryNews+%28eTurboNews+-+for+the+global+travel+professional%29)
The HKSAR government refuses to face the already-very-serious social problems and that's why some HK people go for a radical way -- to protest against the mainland tourists. I'm not saying the actions by these radical HK-ers are correct, but it's the only effective way to direct others' attention to the clashes between HK and mainland China.
I would say, because of businessmen's greed, HKSAR government's obsequiousness to the mainland authority and China's propaganda that "HK is already a part of China ", the HKSAR government dare not safeguard HK-ers' rights whenever the issues involve mainland China and this further infuriates people in HK. Also, HK-ers and mainland Chinese may be from the same race, but we are indoctrinated differently (due to the past British rule of HK and now the "1 country, 2 systems" policy) and this results in the current tensions between HK-ers and mainland Chinese. Many HK-ers feel the danger of losing their home and identity as HK-er and many are considering immigration now.
My daughter and 18 month old Grand daughter are flying to Hong Kong in a few weeks?
amfound2
Any ideas how to keep a small child amused on a flight lasting almost 12 hours?
Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant who used to be based in Hong Kong. I flew for 13 years and now fly a lot with my own kids since each was 4 months old.
Both at work and when I flew, I found this age to be the most difficult. Toddlers love to roam, hate being confined and don't usually understand concepts like "You'll have to stay seated but soon you can get up".
Our flights are almost as long, 11 1/2 hours. What I find that works are
-anything coloring related, even simple paper and crayons
-a backpack that they pick their favorite toys
-a new toy which I keep and show them onboard.
Don't depend on the airline to give you something. The age might not be appropriate and many airlines have cut those toys out of the budget.
I will say that I don't think a portable DVD player is that great an idea for such a young child. Will she wear the headphones? Can she watch it without sound? Will it really hold her attention for long enough to justify dragging such a heavy object onboard? Will she not spill anything on it or drop it?
For such a long flight, the DVD player would have to have a battery life of at least 5 hours, better more since it's not possible to recharge them onboard. If your daughter thinks it's a good idea, she better try it with your granddaughter at home first.
Just some general tips, I really recommend bringing her car seat and using it onboard. This works great for toddlers and I have had to strap an unhappy little person down more than once. Holding such a big baby in a lap for such a long flight wouldn't be too comfortable and the only way to fly safely with her is if she is strapped into her own seat onboard. Children under 2 are allowed on most airlines because the chance of anything happening are so slim but if something does occur, these children aren't protected.
If you're flying a U.S. airline, here is the relevant page;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
The CARES harness pictured above might be a good alternative if the car seat is not needed in Hong Kong;
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
If you're flying a non-U.S. carrier, check your airlines' website to see if your car seat will be accepted.
If a seat is not booked for your grandchild, see if they can put an extra seat next to them, if the flight's not full.
Both of you keep an eye out for her at all times. Two of my toddlers loved to run into crowds at airports.
Bring a change of clothes and about 1/3 more of everthing than you think will be needed. Put them in plastic bags and rubber band them to save space in luggage.
Advise your daughter to learn to change your granddaughter standing up. Try this at home first! Toddlers are usually too big for airline changing tables and they hate lying down in strange places anyway. This trick will mean not having to hunt down the changer and she can use the handicapped lav during the flight.
About 8 years ago I wrote an article on this subject for a local expat newsletter. Over the years, I expanded it and put it on a blog to share with other parents, many of whom have contributed. I wanted a non-commercial place on the net where parents could get both practical *and* professional information.
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
I also recommend a backpack or other carrier. Hong Kong is very crowded and sometimes a stroller is not the best idea. If you ride the MTR, it'll be very useful as those stations are very deep with a lot of escaltors.
Make sure you all visit the restroom and your granddaughter's diaper is changed before the very long ride from Chep Lak Kok into central Hong Kong. It's way out there!
Hope you all will be there during Chinese New Year. It's really an experience!
Have a great time!
I'm a former Flight Attendant who used to be based in Hong Kong. I flew for 13 years and now fly a lot with my own kids since each was 4 months old.
Both at work and when I flew, I found this age to be the most difficult. Toddlers love to roam, hate being confined and don't usually understand concepts like "You'll have to stay seated but soon you can get up".
Our flights are almost as long, 11 1/2 hours. What I find that works are
-anything coloring related, even simple paper and crayons
-a backpack that they pick their favorite toys
-a new toy which I keep and show them onboard.
Don't depend on the airline to give you something. The age might not be appropriate and many airlines have cut those toys out of the budget.
I will say that I don't think a portable DVD player is that great an idea for such a young child. Will she wear the headphones? Can she watch it without sound? Will it really hold her attention for long enough to justify dragging such a heavy object onboard? Will she not spill anything on it or drop it?
For such a long flight, the DVD player would have to have a battery life of at least 5 hours, better more since it's not possible to recharge them onboard. If your daughter thinks it's a good idea, she better try it with your granddaughter at home first.
Just some general tips, I really recommend bringing her car seat and using it onboard. This works great for toddlers and I have had to strap an unhappy little person down more than once. Holding such a big baby in a lap for such a long flight wouldn't be too comfortable and the only way to fly safely with her is if she is strapped into her own seat onboard. Children under 2 are allowed on most airlines because the chance of anything happening are so slim but if something does occur, these children aren't protected.
If you're flying a U.S. airline, here is the relevant page;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
The CARES harness pictured above might be a good alternative if the car seat is not needed in Hong Kong;
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
If you're flying a non-U.S. carrier, check your airlines' website to see if your car seat will be accepted.
If a seat is not booked for your grandchild, see if they can put an extra seat next to them, if the flight's not full.
Both of you keep an eye out for her at all times. Two of my toddlers loved to run into crowds at airports.
Bring a change of clothes and about 1/3 more of everthing than you think will be needed. Put them in plastic bags and rubber band them to save space in luggage.
Advise your daughter to learn to change your granddaughter standing up. Try this at home first! Toddlers are usually too big for airline changing tables and they hate lying down in strange places anyway. This trick will mean not having to hunt down the changer and she can use the handicapped lav during the flight.
About 8 years ago I wrote an article on this subject for a local expat newsletter. Over the years, I expanded it and put it on a blog to share with other parents, many of whom have contributed. I wanted a non-commercial place on the net where parents could get both practical *and* professional information.
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
I also recommend a backpack or other carrier. Hong Kong is very crowded and sometimes a stroller is not the best idea. If you ride the MTR, it'll be very useful as those stations are very deep with a lot of escaltors.
Make sure you all visit the restroom and your granddaughter's diaper is changed before the very long ride from Chep Lak Kok into central Hong Kong. It's way out there!
Hope you all will be there during Chinese New Year. It's really an experience!
Have a great time!
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