Never Let Your Asset Stand Idle

For the past few weeks, worker bees like me coming to work every morning in Central have been greeted by a 27-storey tall billboard featuring Djimon Hounsou (of Gladiator and Blood Diamond fame) in all his shimmering, naked glory save for a well-stuffed pair of Calvin Klein briefs.

Up till a month ago, that building was the Ritz Carlton Hotel. However, as office towers generate far more profits than hotels, the owner decided to tear it down and rebuild.

It's a pity, since the building is only 15 years old and the hotel was doing well amidst a shortage of hotel rooms in Hong Kong. Its demolition will also generate a substantial quantity of construction waste that will have to be dumped in landfills that are close to capacity. But Money talks in this town - it's all about squeezing more and more at every opportunity.

And since demolition won't begin for some time, the owner is happily raking in the advertising dollars - why let an empty building go to waste ?

Noodle Bar Pager

I almost forgot that I had taken this picture :



The Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport has a great noodle bar that serves favourites like wanton noodles and dan dan mian. It's understandably popular with Asian passengers so it does get busy at times and one might have to wait 8-10 mins for a bowl of noodles.

When that happens the staff would give you one of these devices so that you can piss off and wait at your table, rather than crowd around the bar and getting in other people's way.

Cool, eh ?