Friday, 17th February 2012
Pakdokter had to make a weekend trip to Hong Kong for a regional psychiatric meeting on the invitation of one of the main pharmaceutical company from France which has developed a new anti-depressant for the world market. Having used this drug in pakdokter's practice and having participated in its early stage trial when it was first introduced in Malaysia about a year ago - pakdokter gratefully accepted this trip which was fully sponsored by the company.
Participants came from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea - countries where the novel drug have been used by the doctors. The expert speakers came from France, Spain and Canada while lead researchers from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore presented the outcomes of the clinical trials in the respective countries.
The Malaysia Airline flight came in into Hong Kong at around noon and we had the rest of the day free. We were housed at the Park Lane Hotel in the Causeway Bay area of the island. In previous trips pakdokter had stayed in the Kowloon area mostly and thus took this opportunity to explore this part of Hong Kong.
Pakdokter remembers the Causeway bay as an area of street bazaars and stalls - not much different like our Chinatown. But of late this area has seen a lot of development. The ground level of many of the residential blocks have become upmarket boutiques and restaurants and many shopping malls have sprouted up in the area.
Pakdokter walked along the streets parallel to the waterfront. The showrooms facing the road along the waterfront were mostly of upmarket motor-cars - the Bentleys, Rolls Royce, Ferraris, Porcshes etc. The inner street was mostly of shops and showrooms of marbles, tiles, baths, pipes, mirrors and everything else that a house-builder would require.
We walked on to the HK Convention Centre where the HK International Jewellery Fair 2012 was being held. This was a huge fair with a world-wide participants. Many countries like Italy, Turkey etc had one exhibition hall to itself.
