Hong Kong, a city of contrasts
Mar 2022
Andrés Calamaro, argentine and spanish rock icon, used to say that what does not exist in Hong Kong does not exist at all. This small independent region located 10,574 kilometres from my home city, Madrid, is one of the most diverse places I have ever been to, with an admirable and eventful history. Many people think of it as a concrete jungle with its huge, endless skyscrapers, thinking that this is all there is to be. And they are not wrong in part because Hong Kong is a jungle, and it is concrete. I remember being shocked when I read that this city, one of the most modern and cosmopolitan in the world, is 75% protected space. Hong Kong is people, a lot of people in a quite small space running around. But it is much more than that, it is also a place with a strong culture, a meeting point between East and West and a city that never ceases to surprise. A city that has overcome great challenges and has established itself as one of the main cities of Asia.
Mar 2022
Andrés Calamaro, argentine and spanish rock icon, used to say that what does not exist in Hong Kong does not exist at all. This small independent region located 10,574 kilometres from my home city, Madrid, is one of the most diverse places I have ever been to, with an admirable and eventful history. Many people think of it as a concrete jungle with its huge, endless skyscrapers, thinking that this is all there is to be. And they are not wrong in part because Hong Kong is a jungle, and it is concrete. I remember being shocked when I read that this city, one of the most modern and cosmopolitan in the world, is 75% protected space. Hong Kong is people, a lot of people in a quite small space running around. But it is much more than that, it is also a place with a strong culture, a meeting point between East and West and a city that never ceases to surprise. A city that has overcome great challenges and has established itself as one of the main cities of Asia.
I will never forget my first walk around the city, through the Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood. I had emerged from the terrible 21-day quarantine, during which I lost all sense of weather and time. My connection with the rest of the world had been limited to, from my window from a 16th floor, observing a park where locals used to rest with little movement. My break was watching people having a break. That was all. I also remember when the “astronauts” arrived to perform the PCR with a discreet smile that was valueless for me because their only words for me were limited to “Passport please” and “Open mouth”. The only four words I heard in 21 days.
I guess culture shock must always be strong, for sure, but it must also be intensified when someone as myself has been isolated for 21 days. It is a difficult feeling to explain, you probably have to live it. It reminds me of the film "The Terminal" in which Viktor Navorski played by Tom Hanks finds himself in the middle of John F Kennedy airport, completely disconnected from the airport that is so different from everything he knows. This memory will always stay with me. When I think of Hong Kong it is often the first thing that comes to my mind, it is a fundamental part of my being, and somehow it gives me a certain adventurous spirit and brings out that more innocent and restless side of me. It is a feeling that you have to experience and that makes you a better person. People often believe that just before dying, one sees his own life pass by in stretches. No doubt this experience will be one of them.
Living in a place so different from what one is used to really opens one’s eyes. I have always considered myself a fairly mature, restless and open-minded person, but when the change is so noticeable and continuous I think it is actually when one is able to appreciate what living in these places is all about and benefit from it hour by hour, day by day. I would not say I will come back as a different one, my values and principles are pretty solid. But I know that the personal growth I have gained from this experience is enormous, and I am sure it is something that will have a strong and positive impact on my life. That is the reason why I strongly recommend to anyone who meets the opportunity, not to be afraid and go for it.
Regarding Hong Kong as a city, there is no-much to say. It is absolutely spectacular, full of contrasts. You can lose yourself for days and days between the opposites: modern and old, local and western, natural and artificial... Something that drives me crazy is the possibility of having a coffee at a 118th floor and then taking a 10-minute taxi ride to hike among monkeys or swim in the beach while having a cocktail. Diversity is what actually makes Hong Kong rich. For so long, this metropolis has been home to people from all over the globe who have formed a unique community and have transferred that diversity into their daily lives, making it a city where many people wish to start a life.
They say that all past times were better, and this saying is something around Hong Kong you often listen to. Recent history of Hong Kong includes the famous protests and the pandemic that now has the city in check. After a year of having managed to control the coronavirus very efficiently the city is now in a dramatic moment and I really hope that soon it will have again the life and joy that it has always had. Im sure Hong Kong is a special place that nothing and nobody can extinguish. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end, but it is clear to me that I would repeat this experience and that the door is still open to return one day. See you soon, Hong Kong.
I guess culture shock must always be strong, for sure, but it must also be intensified when someone as myself has been isolated for 21 days. It is a difficult feeling to explain, you probably have to live it. It reminds me of the film "The Terminal" in which Viktor Navorski played by Tom Hanks finds himself in the middle of John F Kennedy airport, completely disconnected from the airport that is so different from everything he knows. This memory will always stay with me. When I think of Hong Kong it is often the first thing that comes to my mind, it is a fundamental part of my being, and somehow it gives me a certain adventurous spirit and brings out that more innocent and restless side of me. It is a feeling that you have to experience and that makes you a better person. People often believe that just before dying, one sees his own life pass by in stretches. No doubt this experience will be one of them.
Living in a place so different from what one is used to really opens one’s eyes. I have always considered myself a fairly mature, restless and open-minded person, but when the change is so noticeable and continuous I think it is actually when one is able to appreciate what living in these places is all about and benefit from it hour by hour, day by day. I would not say I will come back as a different one, my values and principles are pretty solid. But I know that the personal growth I have gained from this experience is enormous, and I am sure it is something that will have a strong and positive impact on my life. That is the reason why I strongly recommend to anyone who meets the opportunity, not to be afraid and go for it.
Regarding Hong Kong as a city, there is no-much to say. It is absolutely spectacular, full of contrasts. You can lose yourself for days and days between the opposites: modern and old, local and western, natural and artificial... Something that drives me crazy is the possibility of having a coffee at a 118th floor and then taking a 10-minute taxi ride to hike among monkeys or swim in the beach while having a cocktail. Diversity is what actually makes Hong Kong rich. For so long, this metropolis has been home to people from all over the globe who have formed a unique community and have transferred that diversity into their daily lives, making it a city where many people wish to start a life.
They say that all past times were better, and this saying is something around Hong Kong you often listen to. Recent history of Hong Kong includes the famous protests and the pandemic that now has the city in check. After a year of having managed to control the coronavirus very efficiently the city is now in a dramatic moment and I really hope that soon it will have again the life and joy that it has always had. Im sure Hong Kong is a special place that nothing and nobody can extinguish. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end, but it is clear to me that I would repeat this experience and that the door is still open to return one day. See you soon, Hong Kong.