Hong Kong

I have just spent a week in Hong Kong.

Before visiting my grandfather showed me pictures of the place from when he was here in 1946. It has changed!

Hong Kong is a city of 7 million people. People from all around the world have flocked here. They have prospered.

Insecurity
There is an interesting uncertainty that is just below the surface. Many of the Chinese hong lingers fled here from mainland communist china. Many of them were prosperous but lost everything and many lost most of their families to the tyranny of Mao. With the communist dictators now running the city state – or at least their appointed voice – many wonder if change will return again.

Pollution
The air pollution is appealing. What you think is fog at first sight is in fact smog. It seems it is from mainland china’s factories across the sea.

I could never understand why people wore the face masks like those worm for garbage burning. I now understand why they do.

Companies
Chatting to informed people it is interesting to learn, or have confirmed, that many Chinese companies Are simply fronts for the red army or communist party leAders.

Green and concrete merge
The island is a mix of shopping malls, tower blocks and green. The tower blocks are tasteful and go on for miles and miles.

Consumerism
The culture is focused on consumerism. Women will spend up to 20% of their income on facial skin hair products. It’s a boom for companies selling $200 shampoo. They sell well!

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Service

The service culture is high, very high. The staff everywhere are helpful and speak superb English. It is an international city supplying for an international market.

The bar is high.

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