Live Talk Transcript: China and Hong Kong

Ron Gluckman: A great question. Some people, Americans in particular, have a hard time getting used to the notion of not tipping, but to others, like the Australians, it's simply the normal state of affairs. And trust me, one you will quickly learn to appreciate.

Much of Asia has little notion of tipping. In Japan, waiters have chased me out the door for leaving behind change. China is not so strict, but there is a genuine tradition of service, in which nobody expects anything extra for, say serving you food. Taxi drivers may take tips; some don't, but they won't find it an insult. And guides used to working with foreigners generally have come to expect a token of appreciation for service.

Hong Kong's service industry has gradually woken up to the virtues of tipping, but it's more a token show of appreciation than a grand gesture. At restaurants, it's common to tip up, say if the bill is HK$382 (about $50), it would be customary to leave HK$400. Likewise, in taxis, they will usually round up the bill slightly to the nearest dollar, say if it is HK$19.20, just consider it HK$20. But you aren't expected to tip hotel staff.

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Little Rock, AR: You live in and around Hong Kong. Are you lucky or what? How much is gasoline or is public transportation the better mode of travel? Also, is the Playboy Club still in business? Is capitalism alive and well in Hong Kong since the turnover? What side of the road do you drive on? P.S What is the conversion rate? And finally can you speak without fear of censorship? Thanks.

Ron Gluckman: Well, I certainly feel lucky (and that, after all, is the origin of my German surname). I passed through Hong Kong in 1990 on an around-the-world trip and never went any further. To me, it was simply the most electrifying, magical place of infinite possibility.

Taxis in Hong Kong are plentiful, but on the expensive side for Asia (anywhere from $2-5 for trips in the main areas of the island), as is practically everything else from food to lodging. However, Hong Kong enjoys easily the best public transit system anywhere, with an amazing matrix of trams, buses, mini-vans and a magnificent subways system that reaches practically anywhere in the sprawling territory, and for a pittance. And just as amazing, the transit system is well utilized and profitable.

Capitalism is raging as usual in Hong Kong. You drive on the left, just like in the UK. One US dollar is about HK7.75-7.8; it stays within that band since it's pegged to the US dollar. And no, there really isn't much censorship, but a definite growing self-censorship in the media. That is very worrying.

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Tucson, AZ: Is a Yangtze River cruise still worth going on even though the river is becoming a gigantic lake?

Ron Gluckman: Is everyone in Tucson headed to the Three Gorges this year? I've already discussed the river and the dam, but let me just add that the cruises get a wide variety of response. I know some people who feel a few days on the river is wasted time away from another dozen temples or ancient alleyways. But I took my father and his new bride on a cruise soon after they were married (both in their 70s), and they felt it was a highlight of the trip. I also did some stories, so I talked to enough people on board to get the feeling that the satisfaction level was well over 90 percent.

One key word of advice: when you book your cruise or tour, ask a lot of questions about accommodation and food. These are the major complaints of those on cruises and invariably people say they wish they had spent a little more to upgrade in these areas.

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Las Vegas, NV: What are some places to go in Shenzhen, China? What do you think of Shenzhen?

Ron Gluckman: Shenzhen is perhaps the single most astonishing mark of China's rise in the past decade or so, from bare farmland to a soaring city of high-rises, malls and factories. With all the amusement parks and swank hotels, Shenzhen has lately acquired more of a kind of tourist appeal, although most visitors are still transiting to textile or electronics production centers, or day-trippers from Hong Kong after some shopping bargains.

For me, Shenzhen offers the worst of all worlds, sort of a sleazy second-rate Hong Kong combined with little of the mystique but all of the misery of China: tall, ugly buildings; massive shifts of migrant workers a long way from their families; and exploited factory workers. This isn't particular to China. I think it's common to border cities of this kind (think the Tijuana of South China). As always, I feel, rather than dip your toes in a country or a culture, like at a border town, why not plunge in?

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Las Vegas, NV: We visited Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing last month and loved it. The air pollution in Beijing was atrocious. Even though we saw plenty of bicycles in use, couldn't China learn from our dependence on oil and pollution?

Ron Gluckman: Actually, China has learned. It's now the second-largest consumer of oil and, given its growth rates and population, will someday overtake America for the dubious distinction of greatest guzzler of fossil fuels. But I guess that's not the lesson you meant.

Pollution in China is a major drawback to life here, even as some of my neighbors keep pointing out that it's not as bad as it used to be. It isn't, but that doesn't make the skies blue on a particularly gloomy Gray-jing day.

Yet, it's impossible not to notice that things are getting better. Factories have been closed inside and on the ring of the city and coal has been banned inside the city center, although that ban is rarely enforced. China is now one of the world's largest markets for pollution control equipment and everyday you hear about another ecological campaign or project.

Even without thinking of the human cost of the pollution, Beijing has to be concerned, and well aware of the American example. Beijing's leaders have watched as the country has gone from an energy exporter to one of the larger importers. These are all trends no leaders want to see continue. I do think China is learning from the green examples of other countries and trying to adapt the best technology it can afford.

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Atlanta, GA: Just wanted to make a comment -- returned from HK on Sunday after a weeks vacation there. It has to be said it was the best vacation ever. Such a diverse place -- eating seafood on Lamma vs. living it up at Felix in the Peninsular, shopping in the chaotic markets vs. the haute couture malls, staying in Central vs. partying in Wan Chai! Being a Brit, I felt remarkably at home there -- next challenge to get work there and an affordable apartment in Stanley!

Ron Gluckman: A wonderful report on Hong Kong! You could put me out of business. And a great point; Hong Kong retains a marvelous sense of its British-colonial past.

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Cleveland, OH: What are the best things about life in modern China? What are the worst?

Ron Gluckman: A fantastic question, Cleveland, and one that would take several sessions to even barely address. I first traveled through China in 1990, but have been back repeatedly every year since, and of course have lived in Beijing for the past four years. I've been through everything: awe, love, admiration, disillusionment, despair, and grudging praise once again.

China is a fascinating place, and changing so fast it boggles even those of us who live here. You go to a restaurant one night and go back a few days later and it's not only gone, so is the entire neighborhood. Watching all the change and the modernization has to be one of the most interesting things in life, if you happen to be a paid observer.

The good thing about modern China is much of what used to be a constant battle is easier. Getting supplies like coffee and cheese no longer means that friends of friends have to feel like pack animals whenever they pass through. And there are simply more nice places to shop, dine and entertain.

That said, the downside of modernization is that what attracted most of us to China in the first place was how different it was to the rest of the world, and all the odd discoveries of a largely ancient place that had been closed off for so long. As things get easier, the rough edges disappear, and so does some of the charm.

But the real sad things about modernization, anywhere, are not only the traditions that get lost, but the people, too. No question that many have fallen behind in modern China, as I mentioned already.

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Ron Gluckman: Well, that's all the time we have now. Sorry that I didn't have time to respond to all of you. Thanks for your questions, thanks for "tuning" in and my greatest thanks for reading and supporting the wonderful media that makes all my travels possible.

My pledge to you: Keep reading and I'll keep roaming around!

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