Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
I'm really hoping you can help me. You see, cockroaches keep running rampant through our house, and every time I see one scurry across our living room I scream bloody murder and yell for my husband to kill it. He's getting kind of fed up with all of this, and is looking for a more permanent solution—where can I find Hong Kong's best pest extermination service? —Bugged Out

Maybe a good thorough cleaning of your apartment is in order, Bugged Out. After all, a clean apartment doesn't attract pesky critters. But I do understand—cockroaches are a rather disgusting house guest. May I suggest you contact Asia Pest Control? (8-10 Prince's Terrace, 44 Caine Rd., Mid-Levels, 2523-8855, www.asiapest.com.hk) For the low price of $600, you can get your entire house sprayed, fumigated and fully de-bugged. The spraying takes 30-45 minutes, but the fogging afterwards takes 2-3 hours. If you hear the painful screams of bugs emanating from your apartment, it means the chemicals are doing their job.

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
I'm looking to start a new language, but all the ones on offer in Hong Kong are so... boring. Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Spanish, German, Italian—none of these appeal to me. What I really want to do is learn something that no one else really speaks around here, and I've settled on Russian. Unfortunately, the obscurity of this language also means it's not offered widely in Hong Kong. Perhaps you can help me find a place that teaches Russian? —Language Lover

If the classes are so obscure that you can't even find them, perhaps it's a sign that you shouldn't be learning it. Fortunately for you, I have amazing powers that can find anything in Hong Kong, no matter how complicated the request may be. Try Hong Kong University: Space (66 Leighton Rd., Causeway Bay, 2975-5689, hkuspace.hku.hk) They offer beginner's Russian classes for people who have never spoken a word of it in their life. It is a 10-week crash course for $2,850, and upon successful completion, you can move into their intermediate class. Alternatively, there is the Russian Language Centre (701, 7/F, Arion Commercial Centre, 2-12 Queen's Rd. West, Sheung Wan, 2598-8389, www.rlc.hk) where for $4,000 you can get also get a 10-week course in the nuances of the Russian language. This course however, is the first part of a 120-hour course, and fully complies with the Russian State Standard for Russian as a foreign language.