Newsletter (2017-2018) November 2017 Newsletter | Page 16

Although Kai just moved to Hong Kong two months
earlier, he strode to the restaurant as if he knew Hong
Kong very well. (In fact, he already hiked many
mountains, hills, and reached several peaks in Hong
Kong.)
“I feel like I’m the tourist and you’re the guide,” I said,
following him with difficulty.
Somehow, he then mentioned one word:
downtown . Like magic, that word sank in my heart. 
survive. That couple is just an exception. Normally, we
are on our guard for everything. Public transportation,
such as MTR and bus, should operate with utter
precision, arriving at the time it displays on the shift
screen. Restaurants should serve food after 5 minutes
we order. You think on weekends we will book a cottage
overseas to idle away a week? Sit on a park bench to
read and enjoy some time alone? Sit by the beach and
watch the gorgeous sunset? Haha. You must be joking.
Instead of a cottage in a remote terrain, we choose a
hotel in the heart of a foreign city with bustling
On one side of Hong Kong, perhaps that’s where the
shopping malls, posh restaurants and civilised
rich live. On the other side, that’s where the poor live. attractions. Because somehow Hong Kongers are blind
What you see here are often contrasting: alleys and
to the most luxurious of the luxurious 5-star hotels,
skyscrapers; scruffy elderly with plain white vests, and multitudinous upper-end restaurants in our homeland?
fashionable teens with tie and suit, walking together Well, no — we choose to stay in cities when we travel
along the same street.
simply because  we cannot stop working. Having
nothing to do kills us. When living in a populated area,
Hong Kong is an ever-changing, exhilarating city.
we can look where people are going as a reference. 
There’s Chungking Mansions, where many people from
South Asia live in and sell their traditional curry. When This innate habit constructed the metropolis in which
you pass by Tsim Sha Tsui in the evening, you are likely we called home. About 40 years ago, Hong Kong was
to be stopped by the staff and given a coupon of their still a poverty-stricken city. Thanks to industrialisation,
restaurants. Also, there are upscale bars, filled with
Hong Kongers now live with riches and civilisation. In
Europeans who enjoy a drink after work. On Sundays, the past, working meant productiveness (not anymore).
domestic helpers usually gather in Mong Kok or
Productiveness is certainly one of the Hong Kong’s core
Causeway Bay, sitting on a piece of cloth singing,
values as the song, Lion Rock’s Spirit, rightfully echoes
eating, and listening to the radio in their language.
many citizens’ hearts.
When you listen closely to all the sounds in Hong
Kong, it truly is like a processed sausage, mixed with But, after our city flourishes, is it now the time for us to
all types of meats with all types of flavours. 
think about other things like creativity and just slow
down? 
Productiveness
Kai and I scurried to the restaurant until a couple
40% Green Areas & Heritage
blocked our way. The couple walked moderately fast, Truth to be told, there’re lots of historic and natural
which for me seems fine on a Friday evening to enjoy a places in Hong Kong. As our city has modernised,
slower-than-normal moment. Perhaps influenced by apartments have been mostly built in the centre of the
the vibe of the city, Kai, however, was agitated. He
city; hence, Hong Kongers aren’t aware of these
moaned about the couple and blew a loud, sustained valuable places. Plus, Hong Kongers are used to going
whistle to signal them to get out of the way. Yes, it
to downtown to shop and eat.
called the couple’s attention. They looked back — but
at once turned their face to front again with
Kai told me a funny fact. While weekends are supposed
nonchalance. Hong Kongers breathe efficiency to
for us to go away from the city centre where we already 
NOVEMBER 2017
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