Last day in Hong Kong

I spent my last day in Hong Kong flat hunting and to say its depressing would be an understatement.
$3500 US a month gets you little more than a prison cell. Some of the "bedrooms" in the apartments weren't big enough to fit a roll away cot.
When looking for an apartment a curious HK tradition can be confusing and disheartening. Square footage is quoted taking into account a proportional share of the common areas in any particular building.
A big lobby= less ACTUAL living space in the flat.
750 square feet equates to something closer to 625.
Annoying to say the least.
Hopes raised and smashed against the rocks of a real estate machine designed to extract as much as it can for as little as possible.
The property market is following the global trends however. Selling prices have stalled and some speculators are taking a bath.
The estate agent showing me around was defiant in the face of news that investment banks were laying people off in their thousands in NYC and London.
"No!...No can be! Bankers pay big money...They have Big money!....Really?.....Not MY bankers...NO....no......mutter, mutter vitriolic cantonese curses under the breath"
The gravy train was pulling out of the station and what I told him was clearly backed up by recent signs he had seen in terms of shrinking relocation packages.
Smile.
Mean as it was I enjoyed his discomfort. He'd just showed me a tiny hell hole with windows the size of portals and told me with a straight face it was going for $4K a month.
The search will continue in a couple of weeks or so, but I'm pretty much resigned to living differently to the way I am now.
Scattered here and there though out this city of moo-lah are reminders of what happens when you can't stump up the cash.
Last night I went to an "ice- vodka bar" with a a guy I met whilst he was playing at an old HK institution "The Wanch". He did a credible take on rock-a-billy and drew curious Chinese into the tiny bar in Wanchai off the street. No, none of the ice was real.
It was cold (ish) and at least the vodka was frozen.
A fake fur coat, blasting aircon and a nice premium on the usual inflated prices.
Kind of a novelty to get a chill on the sweaty brow after a day of fruitless flat hunting.I've been concentrating my search in "Mid Levels" or more specifically SOHO (South of Robinson Road). Its expat central with a smattering of folks here and there who aren't of the investment banker pedigree.The central feature of Mid Levels is the "escalator" I've gone into some detail in earlier posts ( a year or so ago), but its a unique feature and since its construction caused the property values in the area to rocket. It also affords some cool views from above.Today there were groups of earnest young folks getting out the vote for their candidate. Even in HK , you can't escape the US presidential election.

That's it for today.

I'm on my way to Dubai and should arrive in the blast furnace about 4:30 am.Love to all

T