CentreO Blog

Coffee is one of the most (if not simply the most) popular morning drinks in the world. A lot of us can not even imagine starting our day without it.  And with today’s array of drinks, it is more than easy to chose something to your liking. So we’ve decided to round up  some of the most popular choices with their pros and cons.

Espresso – a concise and proud drink, a true choice of connoisseurs and those looking for a quick memorable boost. This small cup is full of strong bitter flavour and caffeine magic.

Latte – lots of milk, not too much coffee. A great introductory drink and a big favourite with the ladies, non-coffee drinkers and the warm milk crowd.

Cappuccino – the definite classic of the coffee world. It features a great combination of espresso, steamed milk and foam. The first sip is softened by the gentle foam and soothing warmth of steamed milk – and then comes the coffee)

Mocha:  In this drink you have all you may ever need: chocolate, coffee, sugar, milk. Most importantly – chocolate. The signature bitter-sweet taste is addictive to say the least. Great choice for those of us who have a sweet tooth but feel too guilty about starting the morning with a cupcake.

Espresso Macchiato: It is still an espresso, but rounded off by a little bit of milk. Macchiato means “marked” and as the name  suggests the dollop of foam marks the surface.

So which drink is the best to start off your morning?

If you are a fan of milky coffees – these are the ones that are better consumed in the morning and may be too heavy for later in the day.

Espresso is great at any time when you need feel that you need more energy. But do try to limit yourself to 2 (max 3) cups a day.

Sweetened drinks (like mocha) are also better suited for the morning time, as it gives you more time to burn off those calories. But their light caffeine content also makes them a possible choice for other times of day.

 

 

Remember how in one of our blogs we mentioned that if you want to change an employer in Hong Kong, you will need to change your visa sponsorship? We would now like to go back to that in more details.

Once again: if you have left your current employer or planning to do so, you need to undergo a change of sponsorship application.

If you are seeking to work for another employer, you have to pass the employment visa approvability test.

If you are seeking to work for yourself – or in partnership with someone else – you have to pass the investment visa approvability test.

Take a look at the complete step-by-step instructions on doing this here.

To start your application you have to submit your application on the 5^th floor residents section of Immigration Tower with the correct application forms and expect the process to take between 4 to 8 weeks to complete. It could also take longer, depending on the quality of your application, the length of time you have previously resided in Hong Kong and whether or not you have breached your conditions of stay in any way.

For more details – contact us at sales@centreo.hk

We all love Christmas. But let’s admit it – choosing gifts for all your friends, colleagues and family can be a tough challenge. And every year, it doesn’t get easier.

Okay, when it comes to friends and family, we have a lot of information and may have actually voiced what they want for Christmas. But when it comes to colleagues….it get even trickier.

So we thought we might throw in some ideas for fun and unconventional office gifts.

Let the countdown begin!

Do you have a colleague who likes munching away at the desk? Then how about this mini tabletop vacuum cleaner that will clean up all the crumbs and dust in a matter of minutes! They come in fun shapes and colours and are sure to light up any desk)

Another fun idea) This USB Missile Launcher is perfect for resolving minor work conflicts and just  an inhouse alternative to an after-work snowball fight.

 

It is getting chilly. Especially for those of us who like keeping the windows open or working outside. So these gloves are a perfect way to keep up your productivity – just plug them into a USB post, slip in and feel the heat.

For the neat freak in your life, consider an Animal Screen Cleaner. Not only does the 2-inch critter hang out on the monitor, keeping desk clutter to a minimum, but it is also ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Simply pull the retractable cord and wipe the screen with the animal’s velvet belly.

Do you have sports fans among your colleagues? Give them a chance to play a favourite game without leaving the office. This desktop dunk is sure to bring some competitive spirit to your office.

Do you have a joker in the office? Than these fun key caps would make a great  and memorable gift!

No matter what you decide to settle on, we just wanted to let you know that there are lots of great gifts out there. You just need to look around)

We are very happy to have Stephen Barnes, author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook and renowned expert on visa and immigration matters in the HKSAR, to talk about the challenges faced by foreign national entrepreneurs in securing the necessary immigration permissions to join in or establish businesses here in Hong Kong.

This is a free seminar. Stephen will be spending quite a lot of time discussing one man investment visas and also explaining how the Hong Kong Immigration Department view such applications. Moreover, Stephen will also talk about dependant visa and employment visa applications, ways to improve chances of a successful application and giving detailed, practical step-by-step procedures (including all the resources you will need in your application.)

There will also be a Q&A section at the end of the presentation for your questions about your own visa.

Date: December 13th, 2013 ( Friday)

Time: 4pm – 6pm

Location:  HKTDC SME Centre
(Ground Level, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,
1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong)

RSVP: sales@centreo.hk

Briefly about Stephen:

Long-recognized by his peers as the leading authority on Hong Kong business immigration matters, LSE law graduate Stephen Barnes published the first edition of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook on the internet in 1996.

For the 17 years since then, Stephen (aka the Hong Kong Visa Geeza) has been at the forefront of the immigration services industry in Hong Kong.

A regular guest RTHK Radio 3, Stephen answers visa questions live on air, frequently delivers Continuing Professional Development programmes to Hong Kong’s legal and accounting professions on the topic of business immigration to the HKSAR and is in demand as a subject matter expert locally and internationally.

 

Christmas is coming, And, as usual we have been feeling its presence ever since November. Most of us have probably come up with decorations ideas for our home or may have even made all the necessary arrangements.

But what about the place where we spend most of our time – the office?

Sure, it is pretty common to hang an occasional Christmas sock or make your colleagues wear a Santa hat.  But some committed and holiday-inspired employees go a step further. Here are a few interesting ideas:

Centreo have also welcomed the Christmas spirit. Take a look for yourself: