Hong Kong is a mixed bag of a city. It is where Mercedes outnumber taxi cabs, partygoers count down to Christmas every December 24, and larger-than-life billboards of fortune tellers and cram school tutors compete with breath-taking skylines. This is a collection of essays by a popular blogger who zeroes in on the city's idiosyncrasies with deadpan precision. At once an outsider looking in and an insider looking out, Ng has created something for everyone: a travel journal for the passing visitor, a user's manual for the wide-eyed expat, and an open diary for the native Hong Konger looking for moments of reflection.
Born in Hong Kong, Jason Y. Ng is a globe-trotter who spent his entire adult life in Italy, the United States and Canada before returning to his birthplace to rediscover his roots. He is a full-time lawyer, a magazine columnist and a resident blogger for the South China Morning Post. His social commentary blog As I See It and leisure review site The Real Deal have attracted a cult following. Jason has been featured at the Hong Kong Book Fair and the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. He has been profiled in Time Out, The Sun, SCMP, various other publications and numerous overseas blogs. Jason speaks frequently at local universities and art festivals. In addition to being a writer, he is also a social activist. He is an ambassador for Shark Savers' FINished With FINs campaign and an outspoken supporter of foreign domestic helpers, new immigrants and other minority groups in Hong Kong. Jason's day job and personal interests make him a frequent traveler: over the years, he has visited over 100 cities in more than 35 countries. In 2011, he was named Man of the Year by Elle Men magazine, and in 2013 he was keynote speaker at the Harvard Club Book Prize award ceremony. He lives in Hong Kong.