Great to send some tips. I'm helping to assemble more but here's the brief version:
1. Bring shorts and sandals. It's hot, humid and rainy. Bring one set of nice clothes for the opening party and going to bars, but make it light slacks and soled shoes. As Jon said: jeans are not useful.
2. Bring a light jacket and umbrella (or purchase on here for HKD 60). It can get cold indoors where it's super-air-conditioned. You can go from 35 C to 20 C in a matter of a few meters, as you go from outdoors to indoors.
3. Get an Octopus card right away for mass transit and cash payments around the city.
4. Mobile data users: CSL/one2free Power Prepaid SIM card for will get you a phone number and unlimited 3G data for one week at HKD 78. That's a pretty good deal. See: http://one2free.hkcsl.com/jsp/prepaid_sim_card/power_prepaid_sim/card_featur...
5. 7-11 shops are 24 hours here, for those jetlagged midnight cravings.
6. Exchange rate here is roughly 8 HKD for 1 USD, or 10 HKD for 1 euro. Big banks like Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered all have ATMs hooked up to global networks.
See you in HK.
-Andrew Lih Associate professor of journalism USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Email: andrew@andrewlih.com WEB: http://www.andrewlih.com BOOK: The Wikipedia Revolution: http:/www.wikipediarevolution.com PROJECT: Wiki Makes Video http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Wiki_Makes_Video
On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 7:10 AM, Sumana Harihareswara <sumanah@wikimedia.org
wrote:
I happened to get this and thought others might like it. -Sumana
-------- Original Message -------- Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 18:22:09 +0900 From: Jon Robson jrobson@wikimedia.org
I just arrived so thought I'd share a few of my findings so far in case they are useful.
Hong Kong express train is 100HKD and takes you directly to Kowloon or Hong Kong Station. I'm staying in Hong Kong island at the moment and grabbed a taxi from the HK station. 3 mile taxi cost me about HKD40.
I'm guessing the airport has them but I arrived jetlagged and late so I delayed getting one and Des Voeux Road near Central/Hong Kong station has lots of sim cards with data plans [1] for all you data nerds.. I got a data prepaid sim card there from the 3Shop for HKD$198. It was a little confusing but I'm pretty sure it will cover me for my whole trip (see if you can decipher the plan - they all look like this [2]) It's worth getting one as the mobile Wikipedia Nearby page shows a few places in need of photos - I already sorted one of them out :-) [3].
It's very hot and wearing jeans is the worst idea ever. I just spent a day in them and from now on I will be wearing 3/4 length cargo pants. The shopping malls are the best refuges ever in this heat, when walking make sure one is always nearby.
I already found an awesome Michelin starred dim sum place for all you dim sum lovers. I'd recommend a visit whilst here [4].
See you all soon!
[1]
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=%09Shop+1,+G%2FF,+Unicorn+Trade+Centre,+127+D... [2]
http://www.three.com.hk/website/appmanager/three/home?_nfpb=true&_pageLa... [3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/566116338 [4] http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=7204
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l