My Hometown: Hong Kong

   Although I am not born in Hong Kong, I spent most of my childhood in this city and I consider Hong Kong as my hometown. If you look in the map, it is difficult to spot. However, my hometown is over populated. Imagine a regular tennis field, and 25 people equally share the tennis field. This is how much space each person has in Hong Kong if the land is equally distributed.

Photo Credits: Google

   Since the land resource is sacred, the government has decided to remove the mountain and landfill the ocean, in order to have extra land. In addition, the buildings are design as tall as possible and typhoon-proofed. When I was 6, I lived on 21^st floor and every time I had a mini heart attack when I stepped into the elevator. Living at high floor could be a nightmare during the typhoon. The room trembles and echoes with the thunder. I am relief when my family decides to move to a 2^nd floor.

Photo Credits: Google

   Hong Kong locates near China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and other Southeast Asia countries. As a result, these cultures can be easily found in the city. The fashion and food are heavily influences by these nearby countries. But this does not mean that Hong Kong does not have its own cultural food. Besides the tasty street snacks, dim sum and seafood are one of the famous foods in Hong Kong. If you are interested in what dim sum is, you can review my previous blog and lucky you can find a similar store in Austin.

Photos Credit: Google

   But what is famous about Hong Kong? Well, I will say, Shopping! Since Hong Kong is a small city, its daily demand depends on other countries’ supply. This means Hong Kong has very limited production and supply in agriculture, water, and energy. However, the city is filled up with shopping malls. Local and International brands are located almost everywhere. If you love to shop, Hong Kong has a huge variety and there is no sale tax.

   The general impression of Hong Kong in North America is that we speak a very harsh language and we value money a lot. I think the language, Cantonese, sounds harsh because most of the pronunciation is done at the throat. About the money part, I will say we are good at numbers… yep, let’s keep it this way.

   Next time if you need to travel to somewhere, I recommend that you can stop at Hong Kong as a transit airport. You can find many restaurants and stores in the airport so even if you are not in the city, the airport can give a glimpse how Hong Kong looks like. (Please let me know if there is something you want a detail description).

An Observation of a Local Activity

A Bus Trip

I am on the public transport 801, heading to my destination. The passenger contains a large variety of races and occupation. I can tell by looking at their outfit. Some of them are wearing dull suits and carrying a small suitcase with them. Some are wearing colourful hoody and carrying a stuffed boring backpack. One interesting thing is that everyone, regardless of their occupation or outfit, are looking down at their smart devices. I bet I would do the same if I did not choose to observe these commuters.

    One more interesting thing is that all of them have their earphone plugged in and enjoy a piece of isolated world that seems to be fragile to interrupt. In my childhood, textbook and movie always tells me that western culture likes to socialize with each other regardless of their age and locations. So I always thought passengers are busying sharing their weekend vacation or viewpoints on current news to the others. Or the typical, an old man talks about how things were when he was at my age. However, in my eyes, I only see people looking at the infinite far distance and listen to what their device has to offer. Once a while an elder enters into the bus 801, he/she actually looks isolated without his/her smart device. However, their eyes do not look beyond what is current happening in the bus. They look for conversation. I guess my old days textbooks or movies are either lying or aging.

        The bus is awfully quiet. Even there is a conversation begins, the length will not last longer than three sentences. All I heard are the roaming sound from the engine or the artificial human language transmitted from the bus system. Differ from Hong Kong, at least some of the passenger are talking on their phone when they are standing in the public transportation. Here in the bus, I do not hear anyone is on their phone. I do not know their background culture. I do not know what language they speak. I do not know their voices. This stresses me out. Since when, we begin to replace talking with texting? Since when, an hour long bus trip can be devastatingly exhausted that I have to rely on my smart device to kill the time? Since when, everyone lives on his/her smart devices? I decide to, once a while, shut down my device and speak to an elder. I would like to what Austin was like before 50 years ago. I would like to hear some real human voices, regardless of the origin, as long as the origin is vivid and animated.  

Observing a place and people in Austin

Rosalie’s Dairy – All of you, Some of you, You

    I have been living at here for a month, watching all of you walk by my home and appreciate that some of you will stop your lengthy legs and talk to me. Well, it is difficult for me to understand any of you. Some of you are so little that I can push you on the ground easily. Some of you have wrinkles on your bare skin. Some of you have extremely long hair and I wonder how you are going to groom that with your stretching paws. Some of you just have a different color. However, I really appreciate that you can give me a minute and speak with me because I am bored most of the time.

    Sometimes, some of you come inside my home, but all of you are tired of tapping on my windows. Some of you are little and screaming and some of you smell interesting. It doesn’t matter what kind of some of you are because I like all of you. Some of you come into my home just to visit some of my other friends. Some of you just want to impress your fancy-dressed up girlfriend. Some of you come in with colorful feathers; but, all of you are looking for a new family member from us. Well, from some of us. Some of us are lucky enough to join with some of you very soon. Some are still waiting for the one. I am patient because I know the one may look and smell different from some of you but the one will never think I am merely someone.

    I like all of you but I will love you the most. I will make you mine. I will be with you all the time. Although I may be involved in some of your life but you are in my whole life time. I will play with you. I will lick you when you are sad. I will do something to occupy some of your time. I will like you and I will love you. I will love you. I will wait patiently; I promise. It doesn’t matter if you toddle toward me or if you slowly bend down and hug me or you stroked me like a newbie. I know I will see your sparks glowing in your eyes. I will feel your affection through your warm paws and see your innocent smile that some of you have disclosed your flat teeth. I know you will then greet me with some nice words but I know you long ago so you don’t have to introduce yourself to me because no matter what, I will love you from now on and forever.

    Until you showed up, I will wait patiently. Congratulate some of my friends who have found the one from some of you at the mean time and wish you could show up sooner.