A free market at the doorstep of the largest market in the world, Hong Kong enjoys the very best geographic and socio-economic situation in the world.
Unfortunately, Hong Kongers failed to take advantage of their city’s prime situation. Or, to be more precise, they simply are unaware of the ridiculously high potential of their own city.
One gold medal; One silver medal; One bronze medal. That is all Hong Kong has ever won at the Olympic Games.
When it comes to sports, both Hong Kongese athletes and the city suck. Why?
If you enjoy walking around, in Hong Kong, you’ll probably have noticed the flabbergasting amount of wasted opportunities the city is dotted with.
From sea-side promenades missing cozy terraces on which to behold the setting sun whilst enjoying an ice-cream or coffee, to monuments left to rot in plain sight, it seems Hong Kongers are unaware of the gem they are sitting on.
If you’ve ever walked in Hong Kong you’ll probably have noticed the mindbogglingly high density of smartphones in the city. They are everywhere. In the streets, on the MTR, in shopping malls,… Everywhere.
As a result, it will come as no surprise that Hong Kong came second, in 2018, in the global ranking of mobile cellular subscriptions per capita with 270 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people.
And that high density of smartphones in a city such as Hong Kong leads to some frustrating issues.
When you travel to Hong Kong, your first impression is one of sheer awe. As the airplane circles over the city, you’ll be given plenty of time to admire the city’s skyscrapers. A lot of skyscrapers. Nothing but… skyscrapers.
This unique mix of skyscrapers has given Hong Kong Island one of the most iconic skylines in the world.
Alas, Hong Kong may be beautiful from a distance, it is also far from beautiful.
I like a nice steak… but not in Hong Kong. Meat in Hong Kong is downright scary. See, in Hong Kong, the meat that you are going to eat is often carved on the sidewalk. And I mean that in the most literal sense of the term: on the sidewalk. Come Winter, come Summer.
When I first visited Hong Kong as a tourist, in 2009, I was mesmerised by the cleanliness of the city. Mind you, as the typical tourist, I only visited the tourist attractions of the city which, obviously, were spotless. This cleanliness, I later realised, was mere illusion.
If ever you come across a Hong Kongese child playing in the dirt, put everything you’re doing aside, and watch. Simply watch. Are you going to be late at work? Don’t worry, it’s just a matter of seconds before the show starts. You’re about to witness a thing of beauty: a Hong Kongese parent going ballistic.
Forget about Operation Jericho. Forget about Operation Thunderbolt. This is a Hong Kongese parent. And his child is playing in the dirt. And a Hong Kongese parent whose child is playing in the dirt would put the Navy SEALs to shame. Yes, Hong Kongers are usually slow and inefficient, but when they see their child play in the dirt, they turn into the epitome of efficiency.
If Christmas is a secondary celebration in Hong Kong, one festival is of the utmost importance in China (including Hong Kong): Lunar New Year. Or, as Westerners call it, Chinese New Year.
And, if you don’t know how important that day is, don’t count on Hong Kong and its citizens to remind you that Lunar New Year is one of the cornerstones of the Chinese tradition.
As a matter of fact, a foreigner who’d visit Hong Kong around the time of Lunar New Year -or even on Lunar New Year’s Day- wouldn’t realize New Year is coming. Unless someone told him, that is.
Apartments in Hong Kong are not spacious. That’s a euphemism. In fact, they are tiny. Horrifyingly minuscule. And I’m not talking about the infamous cages stacked in even tinier rooms. No, I’m talking about the average apartment you will find in Hong Kong. At a whopping 484 sq ft, said apartment is -surprise, surprise- the smallest in the world.
Let’s compare the housing situation in Hong Kong with the situation in a comparable city/country. It so happens that such a city exists and is indeed often compared to Hong Kong. That city is none other than Singapore. And the comparison is not exactly flattering.
Gweilo Rant