Hongkong Escapade

Well, its the start of a winter already. But this trip was last summer. To give you a roadmap, I am going to be in UAE from late June until the end of December. But before I arrive there, I will be spending 5 days in Hong Kong, basically taking a vacation before I arrive in Dubai. Today marks the halfway point in my Hong Kong adventure.

This city has to be one of the most amazing that I have ever visited. The skyline is without a doubt the greatest that I have ever seen. By day, the designs and layouts are awe-inspiring. It seems like the architects have free reign to create the most fanciful designs that come to their minds, and the results are stunning. I cannot even begin to describe them, it has to be seen. And night is a whole other story. Looking at the skyline is like being at a light show, even when there's no special occasion. Entire buildings are lit up with wild color schemes, moving lights, with words flowing across entire buildings. There are laserlights shooting off into the night sky, and flourescent beams shooting up down and around buildings chasing one another endlessly. The skyline is so dynamic that a picture of it wont suffice, only a video can capture its complete beauty and awe.

Down on the streets, the organization is amazing. That so many people manage to live in such a small space without pandamoneum is shocking. But everything flows perfectly, without any sort of hitch that I can see. Constantly moving, with perfect efficiency.

Another suprising aspect is the amount of greenery. Behind all of the countless sky-scrapers tower lush mountainous hills. Additionally, right behind central downtown is a huge zoological garden, free, with greenery everywhere. When I was looking at the jaguar cage, situated on what is probably immensely valuable land, a chinese man next to me joked that the jaguar probably had more living space than most of the humans in the city.

The city is simply exciting to be in. Everything is so alive, at all hours of the day. By day, everyone is going about their business, and at night the streets come alive with neon lighted signs pointing out above the streets.

Since this journal should technically be about Dubai. I'm stayin in a guest house that happens to be in the heart of HK. And it does feel like Philippines, in a funny way. If you've been to Philippines, there is small town called "China Town", you know how walking on the streets in a touristy city can be; every few seconds someone comes up to you and tries to sell sometihng, get you to come to their shop, etc. You know what Im talking about. It must just be an Indian thing, beucase none of the chinese shopkeepers here are doing it. Anyways, as annoying as it is, its actually turned out to be a blessing that there are swarms of touts on the road outside my hotel. All of them speak chinese. So a few words in chinese, a joke, a no thanks, seem to get them off my back. And they remember me too, so when I pass by I dont get a sales pitch but a hello or a handshake.

So...When I need to find a service, get directions, find something out, instead of belabouring myself to ask the hotel receptionist or to find a person on the street that speaks good english, I just go down to the street. Then I walk around until someone comes up to ask me if I want to buy a fake rolex. Then in chinese I tell them no, but if you wouldnt mind could you please tell me where I can find....... Its works actually. I love it.

Some thoughts on: Colonialism
So far, I have spend 2 days in HK, and one day in its colonial sister, Macau, a former portugese colony that reverted back to Chinese rule in 1999. These 3 days have made me thing a bit more about british colonialism, and has challenged a couple of ideas that have formed in my mind. In the last year or so I have visited a fair number of countries that have been former colonies, among them Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok, and now HK and Macau.

A few times here in HK I've found myself expressing wonder that all of the people in this colony, even though younger generation, all use, write and read chinese perfectly. After all, there are so many characters, and its not that easy to learn. But then again, why should this suprise me? fter all it is their language. I tihnk the reason is that While in the other british colonies I met so many people who either 1) didnt know how to read their native language, only english or Hindi, 2) prefered english, or 3) never went to school in a non-english language. So I've been forced to realize that HK is different, and that most everyone here does go to school in Chinese and it doesnt seem to be a matter of pride to be versed in english to the detriment of a native langauge. Here im thinking of the countless urdu speakers of Hyderabad that told me they had never bothered to learn to read urdu; for them it was only english.

The other thing that I had gotten used to was english in the former british colonies. There's always been at least someone who spoke a little english no matter where i've gone, and HK isnt really an exception. But Macau definately is. There, all the signs are written in Portugese and Chinese only. And not just government signs but advertisements as well. And from asking around and trying to use portugese, I've ascertained that no chinese people there at all speak portugese at all. Nor do they speak english. I've never had so much trouble getting around with only english. I had some luck though, since the portugese was pretty comprehennsible with a spanish background, so I could read, if not speak.

As a disclaimer, before I get anyone mad for comparing India to something else, note that these are just some thoughts that I've been musing over, and its not necessarily my final conclusion. I've much to learn, and thinking aobut it will get me there eventually. And these were my thoughts today.