More gadgeteering

Time for a small update! Currently I am experiencing one of my rare colds, which struck me hard and suddenly two days ago. It has kept me from working as I should, and I am currently behind schedule. Expect me to be 100% busy all the way to Christmas, and in January too. I want to finish the thesis in time, so that I can get my degree as soon as possible.

I’m sure you have heard something about the falling dollar? The Hong Kong dollar is fixed to the US dollar, which means everything just get cheaper and cheaper here in Hong Kong for me. During most of my time here, the rate was somewhere around 1 HKD = 0.95 Swedish Krona (SEK), in a sense meaning that I had a 5% discount on everything i bought in Hong Kong. Now, the rate is 1 HKD = 0.87 SEK and falling, giving me a whopping 13% discount on everything! A 15″ MacBook, as comparison, is listed as 18 000 HKD (with educational discount), which now only equals to 15900 SEK (included the 1.5 % currency exchange fee I have to endure). With less than one month left on my Hong Kong stay, buying or not buying those gifts, gadgets and souvenirs is a constant consideration.

This leads me to the shopping status update: I have ordered a tailored suit, black with subtle stripes (900 HKD), I have bought a new pair of glasses (700 HKD) – picture is coming, and my PS3 package (5200 HKD) is due to be delivered within one or two weeks! I am also definitely considering getting a DSLR, probably Pentax K100D, Canon Eos 400D or Nikon D80 (they all have their pro’s and cons, and they all are within the price range 5000-6000 HKD including lens). And with my room mate blessing his new MacBook, I never stop thinking about getting one too…

Of course, buying all this stuff will set me back a lot of dollars, and in a sense I am already spending the salary I (quite optimistically) expects to receive from February and onwards… I’m glad the Swedish government doesn’t ask where I spend the study money I borrowed from them