Autumn has only made a fleeting appearance, before the temperature started tumbling to almost zero a couple of weeks ago and the sun began its hibernation. The end of summer (daylight saving) time last Saturday must be heralding the advent of an early winter.
So when I met my friend who's arrived from Hong Kong not so long ago on Saturday, I reminded him to wind back the clock by one hour before going to bed. He was obviously curious about how this time changing scheme works, and he asked whether things like bus time tables would be affected, such that a bus scheduled for 3.30 would depart at 2.30 instead. Of course that wouldn't happen, as I explained to him that time tables would still follow the original published times.
Little things like this are all part of the learning curve when settling into a new place.
I still remember how I demonstrated to him unlocking the shopping trolley with a one-euro coin and got him to practise a couple of times, when I took him to the supermarket for the first time more than a month ago. While this is so commonplace in many Western countries, it's certainly a small surprise to someone who has never lived outside Hong Kong!
On the way home, my friend wanted to use the ATM. Knowing that he wouldn't understand any of the German terms on the screen, I helped to explain what was going on. So many years ago, it was my dad who got taught by his colleagues on how to use the ATM when he first arrived in Japan for work. All these years later, it's still the same story, be it in Munich two days ago, or some other corners of the world on some other days.
這個秋天好像特別短，早兩週左右氣溫已急降至零度邊緣，太陽也樂得天天躲在灰色的被窩裡蒙頭大睡，前天又是夏令時間結束之時，冬天真的不遠矣。
前天跟新來的香港朋友上街時，便提醒他就寢前記得把時鐘校慢一小時，他好奇地問，時間慢了一句鐘，那麼公車的時間表又如何，例如三點半的車會不會兩點半便開出了？那當然不會啦，我給他解釋，時間調校後，公車時間表仍會按照原來的時間。
入鄉除了要隨俗，還得學習及適應當地的生活小節！
還記得個多月前帶他第一次到超市購物，便要示範取手推車前要插一枚一歐元硬幣才可把推車的鎖解開，然後着他試一兩回。在外國，以硬幣取手推車可普遍不過，但對剛從香港來的人來說，這倒是新鮮事兒呢。
前天晚上回家時，他要用提款機，面對一螢屏的德語，我得給他幫忙解釋一下，令我想起，多年前家父前往日本工作之始，其同事也曾教他使用提款機。這個劇情，換了角色，昨日千里迢迢移師到慕尼黑，相信在世界其他角落，同日或他日也會繼續上演。
The original purpose of going out on Saturday, with this Hong Kong friend, was to look for a luggage strap for my trip to the USA on 1st November. I still remembered that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the US forbids the locking of luggage so that it can be opened as required by the security screening personnel. If the luggage happens to be on a normal lock, the TSA will do all they can and cut it through, no questions asked, and certainly no replacement policy!
I went into a luggage shop and asked a lady for such a strap. I tried to strike a conversation by telling her my reason, and it turned out to be quite helpful as she found me something else - a lock that complies with TSA requirements. Just let me for once run a free advertisement for the manufacturer Samsonite! (Go and check the photo below.)
What's so special about this lock? This lock is marked with a red diamond-like symbol that signifies its compliance with the TSA. There is a TSA key number which will notify the personnel the correct key to open the lock if need be. This will give you one less big worry when travelling to and within the USA. The lock was found on a rack that was full of nothing but luggage straps and other locks for use in the USA. Who can blame the Americans for wanting to set themselves apart on everything?
There's bound to be good business behind those fancy locks. Out of the 10 euros that I had to pay for a set of two locks, I'm sure there would be a decent profit margin. Speaking of government policies being turned into profits, nothing will ever compare to what happened in Australia in the previous decade. It was all triggered by a spate of fatalities where children drowned in swimming pools at homes around Melbourne without any adult supervision. Government authorities with a right mind would have called for every parent to take greater care of the kids, but the state government of Victoria had other ideas: swimming pool owners were forced to erect fences around their pools or install high locks on all doors that could give access to the pools. This legislation was unopposed by almost everyone - certainly not a whole industry and its cadre of workers who should have been very thankful to this godsend ...
其實前日逛街，本來是想買一條綑行李箱的帶。後天（11月1日）要往美國，但我記得，美國運輸安全局（TSA）禁止行李上鎖，好讓保安員可隨時打開行李箱檢查，屆時如果真的用了個普通鎖，保安定會把鎖剪開，那個鎖就此報銷！
走進一家專賣行李箱的店鋪，問售貨員那些帶放在哪裡，又多口道出原委，想不到她便給我介紹了符合運輸安全局規格的鎖！我也不妨在此為製造商新秀麗（Samsonite）賣個免費廣告（見上面的相片）。
這個鎖原來可容許運輸安全局用其一套特別鑰匙打開，鎖上有個紅色鑽石形標記識別，又寫明特別鑰匙的編號，適合前往美國或在美國境內使用。整個貨架，除了行李綑帶及這些美國特別鎖，別無他物，美國人之惡，也可見一斑。
鎖的背後，是一片商機：一套鎖有兩個，價值10歐元，製造商可盛惠不少。靠政府政策發一筆財，這個例子算不了甚麼，十多年前在澳洲墨爾本，接連發生兒童無人看管下在家中泳池溺斃，但當時的維多利亞州政府，非但沒有特別呼籲家長要好好照顧兒童，反而下令全州的家中泳池要安裝圍欄，又或在所有能通往泳池的門的高處加裝門鎖！一個政令，無人異議下，便造就了一個行業、養活了一班人……
So when I met my friend who's arrived from Hong Kong not so long ago on Saturday, I reminded him to wind back the clock by one hour before going to bed. He was obviously curious about how this time changing scheme works, and he asked whether things like bus time tables would be affected, such that a bus scheduled for 3.30 would depart at 2.30 instead. Of course that wouldn't happen, as I explained to him that time tables would still follow the original published times.
Little things like this are all part of the learning curve when settling into a new place.
I still remember how I demonstrated to him unlocking the shopping trolley with a one-euro coin and got him to practise a couple of times, when I took him to the supermarket for the first time more than a month ago. While this is so commonplace in many Western countries, it's certainly a small surprise to someone who has never lived outside Hong Kong!
On the way home, my friend wanted to use the ATM. Knowing that he wouldn't understand any of the German terms on the screen, I helped to explain what was going on. So many years ago, it was my dad who got taught by his colleagues on how to use the ATM when he first arrived in Japan for work. All these years later, it's still the same story, be it in Munich two days ago, or some other corners of the world on some other days.
這個秋天好像特別短，早兩週左右氣溫已急降至零度邊緣，太陽也樂得天天躲在灰色的被窩裡蒙頭大睡，前天又是夏令時間結束之時，冬天真的不遠矣。
前天跟新來的香港朋友上街時，便提醒他就寢前記得把時鐘校慢一小時，他好奇地問，時間慢了一句鐘，那麼公車的時間表又如何，例如三點半的車會不會兩點半便開出了？那當然不會啦，我給他解釋，時間調校後，公車時間表仍會按照原來的時間。
入鄉除了要隨俗，還得學習及適應當地的生活小節！
還記得個多月前帶他第一次到超市購物，便要示範取手推車前要插一枚一歐元硬幣才可把推車的鎖解開，然後着他試一兩回。在外國，以硬幣取手推車可普遍不過，但對剛從香港來的人來說，這倒是新鮮事兒呢。
前天晚上回家時，他要用提款機，面對一螢屏的德語，我得給他幫忙解釋一下，令我想起，多年前家父前往日本工作之始，其同事也曾教他使用提款機。這個劇情，換了角色，昨日千里迢迢移師到慕尼黑，相信在世界其他角落，同日或他日也會繼續上演。
* * *
The original purpose of going out on Saturday, with this Hong Kong friend, was to look for a luggage strap for my trip to the USA on 1st November. I still remembered that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the US forbids the locking of luggage so that it can be opened as required by the security screening personnel. If the luggage happens to be on a normal lock, the TSA will do all they can and cut it through, no questions asked, and certainly no replacement policy!
I went into a luggage shop and asked a lady for such a strap. I tried to strike a conversation by telling her my reason, and it turned out to be quite helpful as she found me something else - a lock that complies with TSA requirements. Just let me for once run a free advertisement for the manufacturer Samsonite! (Go and check the photo below.)
What's so special about this lock? This lock is marked with a red diamond-like symbol that signifies its compliance with the TSA. There is a TSA key number which will notify the personnel the correct key to open the lock if need be. This will give you one less big worry when travelling to and within the USA. The lock was found on a rack that was full of nothing but luggage straps and other locks for use in the USA. Who can blame the Americans for wanting to set themselves apart on everything?
There's bound to be good business behind those fancy locks. Out of the 10 euros that I had to pay for a set of two locks, I'm sure there would be a decent profit margin. Speaking of government policies being turned into profits, nothing will ever compare to what happened in Australia in the previous decade. It was all triggered by a spate of fatalities where children drowned in swimming pools at homes around Melbourne without any adult supervision. Government authorities with a right mind would have called for every parent to take greater care of the kids, but the state government of Victoria had other ideas: swimming pool owners were forced to erect fences around their pools or install high locks on all doors that could give access to the pools. This legislation was unopposed by almost everyone - certainly not a whole industry and its cadre of workers who should have been very thankful to this godsend ...
其實前日逛街，本來是想買一條綑行李箱的帶。後天（11月1日）要往美國，但我記得，美國運輸安全局（TSA）禁止行李上鎖，好讓保安員可隨時打開行李箱檢查，屆時如果真的用了個普通鎖，保安定會把鎖剪開，那個鎖就此報銷！
走進一家專賣行李箱的店鋪，問售貨員那些帶放在哪裡，又多口道出原委，想不到她便給我介紹了符合運輸安全局規格的鎖！我也不妨在此為製造商新秀麗（Samsonite）賣個免費廣告（見上面的相片）。
這個鎖原來可容許運輸安全局用其一套特別鑰匙打開，鎖上有個紅色鑽石形標記識別，又寫明特別鑰匙的編號，適合前往美國或在美國境內使用。整個貨架，除了行李綑帶及這些美國特別鎖，別無他物，美國人之惡，也可見一斑。
鎖的背後，是一片商機：一套鎖有兩個，價值10歐元，製造商可盛惠不少。靠政府政策發一筆財，這個例子算不了甚麼，十多年前在澳洲墨爾本，接連發生兒童無人看管下在家中泳池溺斃，但當時的維多利亞州政府，非但沒有特別呼籲家長要好好照顧兒童，反而下令全州的家中泳池要安裝圍欄，又或在所有能通往泳池的門的高處加裝門鎖！一個政令，無人異議下，便造就了一個行業、養活了一班人……
Comments
看來德國己很凍了吧