0034 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kenice Chan Man Wai, registered quantity surveyor (since 1993), Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

0033 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kings King Shu Chan, registered accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Most Unfortunate Novel Names in the UK and US

The BBC website has an interesting story on novel names. The main difference between people’s novel names originating from English-speaking countries (i.e. in this case, from the UK and US) and from countries where English is a second or third language (i.e. in this blog’s case, from Hong Kong Chinese) is that the former are supposed to have a good grasp of the English language plus, I imagine, a warped sense of humour (or at least the parents who named their children did). The latter have little clue of nuances in the English language and simply do it (i.e. choose their own novel names) as a means to stand out from the crowd … and thus inadvertently also allowing this blog to regularly feature HKSAR Name of the Day!

Anyway, here are some of the Most Unfortunate Novel Names in the UK and US taken from the BBC story and from the source of the story, The Baby Website, which has a collection of silly names:

Britain’s Most Bizarre Names

Barb Dwyer
Pearl Button
Hazel Nutt
Ray Gunn
Helen Back
Stan Still
Jo King
Lee King
Terry Bull
Mary Christmas
Paige Turner
Sonny Day
Teresa Green
Will Power
Anna Sasin
Chris Cross
Doug Hole
Justin Case
Barry Cade

America’s Bizarre Names

Anna Prentice
Annette Curtain
Bill Board
Carrie Oakey
Dr Leslie Doctor
Dr Thoulton Surgeon
Dr Payne
Les Plack (dentist)
Priti Manek
Dr Sumey

0032 HKSAR Name of the Day

Natural Chan Chi Yin, registered doctor, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

Bizarre Sentry Box with Refrigerator Capability

With the relative humidity in Hong Kong beginning to reach 90 to 95%, I thought I’d show this HKSAR picture.

Sentry boxes (i.e. for security guards) are a relatively common sight on the streets and pavements of Hong Kong. Guards sit inside and they usually have a small rotary fan turned on to keep them cool. However this is a bizarre box because it has a fitted air-conditioner, which appears to be about one-fifth the size of the box’s capacity. Providing the windows and door are nicely sealed, it wouldn’t take very long to turn this sentry box into a large walk-in refrigerator.

0031 HKSAR Name of the Day

Rollin Chan Hon, registered solicitor, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

0030 HKSAR Name of the Day

Alnwick Chan Chi Hing, registered surveyor (since 1987), Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation

HKSAR’s Population at 7 Million

At the South China Morning Post, some letters to the editor are really clever, while some letters leave a lot to be desired. The letter (below) is an example of the latter; it does not provide a compelling argument to support its claim that HKSAR’s chief executive is wrong to predict that Hong Kong can optimally accommodate a population of 10 million.

Further note: if there was an attempt at sarcasm (i.e. mansion, bodyguards), then that also failed. Culturally and generally speaking, Hong Kong Chinese are not the best when it comes to sarcasm (although admittedly, there is no indirect way of knowing for sure whether the letter writer is Hong Kong Chinese or not).

Fanciful idea

Feb 19, 2009

I refer to the story (“HK population passes 7m on surge in births”, February 17).

It was reported that Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen had said he thought “Hong Kong’s optimal size would be about 10 million”.

If he gets out of his government limo and out of his government mansion and walks the streets of Hong Kong without his bodyguards to clear his way, then he will know what the optimal population size of Hong Kong is. Give us a break – 10 million?

Alec Leung, Mong Kok

0029 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kenson Kin Sang Chan, registered accountant, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: son suffix

0028 HKSAR Name of the Day

Bronwyn June Chan, registered doctor, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare