Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2020complete | Page 86

own identities in a post-British era. They are growing more aware of their own history and culture.
Mainland China has a different political system and self-awareness. We have seen how these differences are
played out in current events. Our challenge is to find ways to benefit from the connections of the Greater
Bay and let different communities still maintain their individual identities. I have learned from my own
involvement with the charity group “Feeding Hong Kong” about how non-government organizations can
make a profound positive change. You and I can only get stronger if we can respect each other’s differences.
We have talked a lot about the Greater Bay’s overall impact on large groups. But how will this future affect
individuals and daily lives? Well, let me introduce you to my family friend Chad Ching. Chad was born and
grew up in Hong Kong. His dad, Ka Ching, works in the import-export-trading company in the Kowloon
peninsula. He moved to the Greater Bay Area due to job prospects. He met Bara Bing Ching in a public
event. Bara Bin Ching moved from Switzerland to the Greater Bay Area to conduct research on merging of
cultures. Due to Ka Ching, she ended up moving to the Greater Bay Area. Chad went to the United States
for college. He majored in economics. After college, he decided to return to Hong Kong and got a new job
at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, an opportunity that would not have existed
five years ago. This is a job Chad has been super excited for. He always wanted to do something along these
lines. Chad speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English so he is at an advantage. Now, why are we talking
about Chad? Well, Chad is one of the 69 million others who will live in the Greater Bay Area. His life is
being affected by the development of the Greater Bay Area. In Chad’s daily life, he interacts with a spectrum
of different people. There are people like Chad who were born and raised in Hong Kong. There are also
many immigrants who moved to the Greater Bay Area for jobs and opportunities. There are also many
Mainland business people who come for their jobs and diverse communities. Regardless of their different
backgrounds, people are here for the same reason that Chad had for his return. The Greater Bay offers
tremendous opportunities for everyone. These are the types of people the area can bring together, a mix of
people with different backgrounds working cohesively on a common goal. This is certainly Chad’s goal, that
is, to enrich his own identities and to gain experiences he could not have anywhere else.
The Greater Bay Area will be the home of millions of people, who at the end of the journey may come out
as different individuals. These people will share incredible journeys with others like them. Our friend Chad
might one day go out to the world and introduce himself this way: “Hello, I am Chad. I am not from
Southern China. And I am not from Hong Kong or Macau, either. I am from a place that is defined by a
large body of water and the massive land that surrounds it. It is called the Greater Bay…”
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