It has been quiet lately, but I came back recently from a trip from Hong Kong which was great! Actually I lived in Hong Kong for two years when I was a kid so this city has a place in my heart. As I visited, I pondered about what are the things I like about Hong Kong, and whether I want to live there in the future. So I decided to post my 5 likes and dislikes about HK.
Five likes:
5. Transportation: MTR and 2-level buses
The MTR (subway) is an immensely convenient way to get around. An engineering piece of art. While I really like the 2-level buses because it is so comfortable to sit in the top level (since I am always walking), and you get to see the city as you travel.
4. Efficiency
I am always impressed at how fast and accurate people deliver in HK. Whether it is serving your food, giving you change, processing paperwork...
3. Shopping
You can get very decent quality clothing at very cheap price. Or you can get brand name stuff too without having to pay sale taxes like in Canada. As well there are electronics stuff. Also, there are random stuff you can get in the streets. Moreover, shops don't close like until 10-11pm.
2. Excellent Food
There are many great places to eat, and it is relatively cheap. There is also a great variety of places, not to say that there is a restaurant every 10 steps you take. I have to make a honorific mention to hot milk tea. It is just intense.
1. Family
Both my dad and grandma are there, so it is also very valuable to spend quality time with them, and maybe get spoiled by them for a bit.
Five dislikes:
5. Salespersons
In some shops, when I enter to look at things I feel like a vulnerable deer getting attacked by hungry hyenas. And in some cases, salespersons are like robots because they just repeat the same phrase whenever they see you "Welcome" or "Feel free to look around". It's like they have a sensor, and whenever they detect a living organism, they will just spill out these words even though you heard it a few times.
4. Stress
Since things are so efficient that people are always on the go, very fast paced. No slowing down, and this leads to a very high levels of stress. It seems very challenging to have a good work-leisure balance. There are no places to sit in malls! That's how stressful it is.
3. Emphasis on appearance
I notice that people (especially female homo sapiens) like to dress well and look good. I think it is fair to want to look nice, but I feel that it is way too much. I don't have enough facts, but I get the sense that there is way too much focus on outward appearance.
2. Lack of personal space
It's crazy how pricey living space is, and unfortunately this leads to very cramped places where people barely has personal space to spend quiet time. If the environment is so fast paced and stressful, I personally need some down time with my own space to recharge. I think part of the reason why people go out a lot is because there is not much space at home.
1. Too much shopping
Though shopping is good in HK, the amount of people I see shopping after school hours or during weekends is crazy. At peak hours, I feel like an electron trying to pass through an insulator because of the insane amount of people. And there is shopping every where, and at all times... so it tells me that people are very materialistic. Also heard that HK has one of the best second-hand market, since people buy stuff and don't want it after a short time since new models are released. Yeah, it's kind of sad I think.
I just wanted to point out my random thoughts, but as well I realized that there would always be pros and cons in whatever place I choose to make a living. There will always be things I like about it, and things I dislike about it. As I continue pondering, I can see the factors of finding a good job and establishing a family as big weights for this kind of decision.
But I would like to add another factor, which is the vision that God has given me. Do I have a burden to invest in this specific city? How can I impact this city in a positive manner? How can I utilize the gifts that God has given me for His service? We are the salt and light of world, and so wherever we go, we ought to shine Christ.
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