A book store near my house announced its closing sale out last week, but the store still keeps going on its business with a notice of closure postpone! Was that a kind of fake sale? Anyway, I could not make a judgment on this, because we are in recession here in Hong Kong after credit crunch in real estate markets of Mainland China. The coming next year should be very harsh to Hong Kong financial and estate markets. We experience 10 to 20 % cut of transaction price of gorgeous suits in central areas. Last month, it was November, people were very positive to a surge of the estate market. Now, they have changed an optimistic attitude. HSBC Headquarters has already noticed layoff of 3,000 positions inland and more in mainland branches. The largest network of a real estate agency here has also laid off 20% of its branches. Even before Xmas, they have done it. It must be horrible and make people upset so much in Europe.

Here is China and Hong Kong, where they don't celebrate Christmas as we do so. Yesterday, I brought a gift to my research partner here in Hong Kong at the department Xmas Party. He told me so: they would not give any Xmas gifts their kids. They do so on the Chinese New Year based on a classical lunar calender. In the party place, I found many oily fried chicken, shrimp, pork, vegetable, etc.. They are not my kind of lunch, anyway. I consumed a small amount of vegetable with a small cake. The party itself was nice. But, a dance performed by a grad student was somehow harassing me. She put on a very striking costume; it was tough for me to see her. While she was dancing, I could not but look the floor instead of enjoying it. Even though grad students in Mumbai danced their cultural and religious dances with similar dresses before me, they looked to me much comfort to enjoy. One was good to enjoy, the other is so harassing me. What makes so difference between them? Maybe, performance by Indian students has their respect to the culture and its heritage behind dances with religious belief in the Almighty God or some kind of spiritual entities, but here in China it's just an entertainment. I really enjoyed seeing dances performed by the grad students at Univ. of Mumbai.

Today is the Eve. Hope you reading this blog go back to tables and enjoy being with your family at home. Merry Christmas Eve!