Former employees of Paul Y Engineering, one of the most respected names in Hong Kong construction, have reacted with disbelief to plans to change the name of the firm to Louis XIII Holdings. The move has been prompted by the decision to build a five star 236-room hotel and casino complex, called Louis XIII, on the Cotai Strip in Macau. Paul Y Engineering, which "traces its origins to Shanghai in 1946" according to the firm's website, has been involved in building the North Lantau Expressway, the Cheung Kong Center, Polytechnic University and the Ting Kau Bridge among other projects. Danny Chung, a former Paul Y surveyor, said the name change was "unbelievable. Our predecessors will be rolling in their graves (or niches)". He added: "I can't think of a more embarrassing name for a company. To see Paul Y and other brother companies reduced to being a subsidiary of a French monarch …"
Our recent piece about a young mainland woman who lost her luggage on her first visit to Hong Kong has struck a chord with readers. It will be recalled that her taxi sped off with her luggage. The girl was initially told that the police could not help her, but they have subsequently asked for more information to help them with their inquiries. Another reader writes with a more cheery taxi tale. He and his wife got out of a taxi at the Macau ferry terminal during the Lunar New Year holiday and disappeared into the building, only to realise they had left their luggage in the taxi. He rushed back to the taxi rank to see if the taxi was perhaps still waiting. But it had gone. Thinking it may have gone round the block and come back, he walked along the line of taxis but without success. Just as he was turning away, a hooting taxi cut into the line of waiting taxis and out jumped the driver who inquired if our reader was missing his suitcase. Delighted that he would no longer have to endure his wife's wrath, he offered the driver a HK$200 reward. The driver took HK$100, saying that was sufficient compensation for his lost time.