#i dont live there but i do go back to the motherland almost every other summer... | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thevagabondlog · 7 years ago

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Ive been staring at this blank page for an hour now. I haven’t written a shred of anything in close to a year, but I feel like the current set of circumstances right now dictate it. Hermes guides me. I haven’t even written a draft by hand like I normally do, Im just letting this come out and it feels great.

The last two, maybe even three years of my strange trip on this planet have been such a surreal high paced blur. Ive come to realize that I do too much in too short a time, too many places visited, people met, things done in the dead of night and the overwhelming heat of the day. A few strings busted, a few hearts broken. Nothing out of the ordinary except the fact that my address is still changing every month and I’m still getting lost daily, both in reality and in my mind. Not that I’d change it for the world. I don’t even know who exactly reads this garbage but if you still are, know this is going to be a long one. Ive got a lot on my mind, time is on my side and there’s nowhere I need to be.

Everyday in the Caribbean is incredibly hot and sticky. Every night is mysterious and romantic.

Writing this is simultaneously difficult and surprisingly easy. Its difficult to explain whats been shredding through my head the last few months or however bloody long. Since I last attempted to write, if you can call it that, Ive since been through a serious and drama filled breakup with my long term girlfriend back home, been to seven countries including South Africa ( more on that later ), morphed back into the older Joshua Palmer and basically been running a permanent anarchic riot around the world. As I write now, its once again a hot day in the Bahamas and my head is still swirling with Ricardo Black Rum from the previous night. Special Edition, of course.

Church of the Open Sky.

April 5 - April 26, three weeks back in the motherland after more than a year and a half overseas. A lot of expectations held, almost none of them met. Im not quite sure why, but looking back now in June I realize i didn’t enjoy my stay there at all. Highlights include seeing my parents again (they wept) and one or two close friends who I’m not even sure are still friends at this stage. I came to realize I hate most of the people that fill up my tiny coastal hometown, largely due to the fact that they’re all hypocritical judgmental small minded people who have never been anywhere farther than the gas station in the next town. Keep in mind that these are the same people that said I’d never amount to anything and Id be back home after a month of failed traveling searching for a job running a yacht. Choke on your words. Anyhow, I also got told numerous times that I’d changed completely, becoming much more ‘arrogant’, ‘rude’, ‘insensitive’ etc to the people around me. I suppose in a way I was, but then everyone back in that place is easily offended and so narrow minded it makes me want to shoot myself. I suppose Im much happier over here, on my own and fending for myself, in foreign countries where I don’t know anyone, and all I know is where North-East is. The entire time I was back there, I couldn’t wait to come back to the West Indies. It feels good getting these thoughts down, they’ve been bouncing around my head for too long now.

I was dancing with some girl in a club a month or two ago and in-between reggaetron and soca she asked me a question no one has ever asked before: “Where do you consider home?” I really don’t know. Definitely not back in my hometown, I don’t plan on setting foot in that place for another twenty years at least. Its not on the boat either, nor on any of the islands. Id have to say home is wherever I feel alive the most. Which just so happens to be fifteen feet underwater looking up.

May 4 - Twentieth birthday in Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas. Largely uneventful, frankly boring and unsatisfying. Mind you I was working at the time so of course the celebrations were minimal to non existent.

January 2017 - Current.

Adopted really strange sleeping patterns similar to a Russian insomniac writer fighting his bouts of suicidal depression with vodka and pharmaceuticals. I don’t know what this stems from other than my erratic lifestyle of mainly working onboard the entire day and still getting drunk at local bars into the early hours of every new day.

Right now its summer and every heat wave day is longer than the last.

I have lost interest in a lot of people who I once thought important. I do not know if this is selfish on my part or all just part of moving around constantly, or just one of those things you deal with as you get older. I have been told numerous times that I’m not going to make it past thirty, and for some reason or other I’m embracing the thought. Go out in a strange and mysterious accident of sorts somewhere out at sea, that place that once gave birth to me. Ill let you know.

For the past few weeks I have also had these increasingly frequent urges to just pack up, delete my Facebook and go completely off the grid, getting lost in strange and exotic foreign places. Lawrence of Arabia in Morocco. Not knowing the unknown is turning me on more and more everyday, as well as the idea of just giving the finger to all the people back home who are getting married young, stuck in nine-to-fives that they hate, and coming home to deal with the mortgage and car insurance people. I left the country the first time with no actual plan, one bag and sixty dollars in my pocket and I don’t regret a single moment. And I don't mean all those cliche travel pictures and utter bullshit you see on social media telling you to just ‘pack up and go’, I mean actually deserting myself. Exile on Main St. Highway Child. Midnight Rambler.

The lust for this has never been greater. I keep asking myself just what is holding me back?

My biggest fear is living a life just like everyone else, a life that no one remembers. Why should I listen to any authority or second guess myself? Time will tell and hopefully sooner or later. And if I’m not mistaken, and I surely hope not, I may have found someone to do it with. A woman unlike anyone else Ive met or ever known before. A woman who, somehow exceeds everything I think about her constantly and is basically the exact fibre of my dream girl since I was fifteen. Physically outrageous, a beautiful figure. Mentally, she keeps me on my toes only because I hope to somehow match her standards. Well travelled and with such an eerily alike mind to my own its more than possible we were once together in an earlier life. My best efforts of a description is a glorious hybrid of a gypsy, voodoo witch, mermaid, and the Goddess Aphrodite all in one. With a sprinkling of a rebellious 1960’s mindset which only turns me on further. Making love to her only broke my mind in two and made me question everything. She’s everything I ever wanted from every rock and roll song Ive listened to, and she’s in all of them. And believe it or not I only knew her for three days before she flew off again, once more traveling. While Im starting to feel a little stuck in this place. Most would say Im crazy, but I already knew that.

I do wonder what, and how exactly she’s had such an effect on me. It makes me look back at every other girl I’ve ever been with and realize that they do not even come close to her or the psycho-electric effect she has on me. And if you know me, you’d know I dont feel like this to anyone, ever. She’s touched me deep down, and the next few months or years or whatever only promise to be very exciting.

Im trying, and not succeeding very well, to look back at everything over the past few months and years, if you couldn’t tell by now. How many people did I meet for five minutes and never see again? Friends or lovers for one night and then gone the next day never to be seen? I look at what all my ‘friends’ are doing back home, studying in their first or second year. My best friend living with his fiancee and hating every second, constant fighting and the such but too scared to leave because he believes he loves her and well, believes he cant do any better. In love with the security and constant hard work I suppose. A friend through the grapevine told me recently that he has lost respect for me and hates the lifestyle I live. I wont lie and tell you I wasn’t hurt or taken aback. We’ve spent four years together, done much, and always confided in one another. Is he jealous of the knowledge that Im traveling the world, free and easy, able to go to the bar every night and dance with exotic girls while he is forced to come home after work to a nagging unloving bitch that makes his life hell? He would never admit that. Im not scared to tell it exactly how it is though. Another trait passed on to me from my father, whom I miss so.

If I had never made the decision to leave all those months ago would I be in the same position as my friend right now? Maybe. More than likely, I was in a long term relationship with someone I thought I loved, about to get sucked into that domesticated world before I jumped ship. Haven’t seen her since actually. Thanks for the memories girl, but you weren’t for me.

Life would be very different and it would bore me to death. I prefer dying in other ways in places where no one understands English.

Now my thoughts go back to my unbiological sister, we once were very close. Always looking after one another, often mistaken to be a couple but not. I thought I was in love with her too, but she’s changed so dramatically in the time I was away I hardly recognized her anymore during my homecoming visit. She lied to me many times in those three weeks, thinking I wouldn’t find out, and probably still thinking Im ignorant. Makes me wonder why we are like we are. She told me I changed a lot too and I’m no longer the Josh she knew, that I’ve grown cold and distant. Well look at yourself babe, can you really blame me? Its only further cemented my belief that you need to keep moving forward in such a way that they will never trap you or hold you down, until finally you find someone that you want to be trapped with. You know who you are.

“I thought you needed my lovin’, But it’s my heart that you stole. I thought you wanted my money, But you plundered my soul.”

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n-ph · 8 years ago

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2k16

wow it’s been awhile since i’ve written one of these. i just realized that i totally didn’t write one last year. anyway i dont even know where to begin. 2016 has been an interesting year to say the least. i was rereading some of my old posts and i said omg a lot. the days just seem to go by in a blur nowadays, so i will try to recap 2016 as best as i can. i dont have a word to encompass this year though.

went to seattle in january. tried some really expensive sushi..twice..holy crap. the quality was a1 but man the bill was something else. seattle was nice though. definitely had a san francisco vibe to it, except for when you go to the waterside and look back at all the construction. i guess we kinda ran out of things to do bc on the last day we went to chinatown and the area seemed really dinky. also gained a ton of weight in seattle though u_u

in february we tried 5a5 steakhouse. and let me tell u. it is the best beef i have ever had. it is also the most money i have ever spent on a single meal. oh my god. i dont know if i'll ever be back, but i would like to, some day.

thus far, the semester was pretty okay. let's see..i had government accounting with a moody professor who would throw tantrums whenever no one participated. i also had business law with this old guy who was really lively and fun. i had strategic management with a bryan cranston look alike. the class was really interesting though and i learned a lot and it got me started on reading the economist lmao im so old. i miss having so much free time that came with school. 40 hour work weeks are not the life (even if i barely do anything at work).

went to LA during spring break. and at a good time too bc it was still the soft opening of harry potter world so the lines were v manageable. butterbeer was dope. the entire hogsmeade village just felt so real. had sooo much good food in LA omg. got to see some friends as well. had some of the best steak frites ever.

i cant believe i particpated in asu's talent show this year. much has changed in asu since i joined. it makes me wonder if i was behaving that way when i first joined. it seems a lot more clique-y and high school and drama filled but hey maybe it was that way when i was active but i just never noticed. had many fun lunches with my grand little but man there is a lot of drama in asu and im just glad i wasnt in any of it. i kinda miss the old asu days of staying out late to eat or do nothing at all but also i dont miss it bc i get enough sleep and im a lot more productive without asu lmao. finally ended things with tram for good. maybe things turned out the way they did for the better. the entire friendship was such a roller coaster. im glad its over.

the end of the semester rolled around!!! and i graduated!!!! :') attended my sisters graduation which was pretty boring bc high school students have such a narrow view of life (not to say that college students are any better). attended my own graduation. felt really fortunate to have jessa and anthony there. this one kid in my graudating class gave a speech about accomplishments...and he revealed the wrestling belt he was wearing underneath his graduation gown...and then he made the grads stand up and chant thank yous to the friends and family sitting behind us. it was so embarrassing and extra omg.

shortly after graduation i was on a plane headed back to the motherland. and let me tell u. i hated most of it. it was super hot and humid and my sister and i shared about 100 mosquito bites between the both of us. also. i know i shouldnt but..vietnam is so dirty. i know its not their fault that theyre a developing country but man there are exactly zero sanitation standards and i dont even know why we were there bc the water had recently been polluted so none of the fish were edible and my mom didnt trust the food stands to have clean food either. i guess i made some new friends and visited some cool places but at what cost??? also i think my entire fam got sick bc we slept with the ac on but either way, the meds i took made me lose my sense of smell i think and i couldnt taste or smell anything for two weeks. the ac air also dried out my nose and gave me a skin infection (which i will discuss later). during our trip to danang a small ferry got flipped on the big river and a bunch of ppl died and the government tried to cover it up bc bad publicity etc. they played it off as if only a few ppl died rather than most of the ppl on the boat. our tour guide in danang was in the know tho so he told us everything and w o w that really could've been us on that river bc it was a boat the left the dock about half an hour after our boat left. crazy.

after the long and arduous journey abroad i finally made it back home...and then headed to hawaii. hawaii was dope af. 10/10 would recommend, would go back. battled the tides when we went kayaking and sadly the tides won and i lost my hat but also almost lost my flip flops if it weren't for some kind random strangers who swam out to get my flip flops. we stayed on oahu and maui. hiked up a v steep mountain in oahu. lost my hat from kayaking. got caught in the rain when we went looking for a beach on the first day. had some of the best shaved ice ever. attended my first luau. fell asleep during the first part of a fire dancing show (bc the fire hadnt started yet). essentially pulled an all nighter to try oahu's famous bakery that opened at 3am. flew to maui but due to poor planning we arrived 4 hours earlier than check in lmao. the house we had in maui was so beautiful though omg. it was ocean side so we could hear the waves every night and it just felt so peaceful and tranquil to sit on the balcony in the mornings, just staring out at sea. in maui we went snorkeling. the last time i went snorkeling was like...10+ years ago...in cancun...and the water was freezing...and i also thought i was lost in the middle of the ocean on our way to the snorkeling location... but anyway! the snorkeling this time was so cool omg they had prescription swimming goggles so i could see EVERYTHING. they also provided lunch which was dope. it started raining on our way back to shore though lmao. the next day we drove all the way up the volcano in maui...to find that the top was foggy af and we couldnt see anything. the road up was pretty nasty bc super windy and 10000 ft elevation. it got really foggy after like 6000ft so we basically drove in all fog until the top which was still foggy but also like 20 degrees colder than the rest of maui. maui is super rural omg. we tried to find a place to eat after our trek but there were barely any food places in sight. we picked a random spot in the middle of nowhere and then decided to take the road to hana (which is on the opposite side of where we were staying, and was about 3 hrs away. and boy did we mess up. we took the alternate road there and it was scarier than going up the volcano bc 1) windy 2) small ass roads which were unpaved at certain points and 3) cliff hugging roads..i cant believe i made the drive there and back it was so terrifying omg. not sure if i would go back. at one point there was a big ass cow in the middle of the road. once we got to hana though, the hike was really nice despite the humidity. almost died crossing the river at the end to see the waterfall. all the rocks had big ants on them!!! how was i supposed to cross the river!!! we missed out on the wading pools though but we were so starving by that time. made the 3 hr drive back and everyone was dead. spent the last day on maui not doing much bc rainy and we were all so dead.

about two weeks after i got back from hawaii was training week in sac for my first big girl job. ngl but i felt super homesick that first night. idk why since i would be home by the end of the week anyway. probably just overwhelmed by how fast everything was happening. graduation and now transitioning into a full time job. scary stuff. but i did make a really good friend in sac so it didnt turn out so bad!!! training was pretty fun bc our presenter was pretty engaging. except when we went over the boring stuff and i was v close to falling asleep. did get to catch up with some of my sac friends though which was nice. went to the state fair for the first time as well. it was..exactly as expected but hotter lmao. my family went to san diego at this time bc my sister was going to comic con but i couldnt make it :(

got back from training and started my first big girl job. im not sure what i expected but it was easy but also hard? my first engagement i was only with one other senior and she was super nice and pretty and really good at lettering. i dont feel like i learned much? i only really did the tasks given to me but i feel like half the time i wasnt even sure what i was doing. i also hated the commute all the way back from walnut creek. the going there wasnt so bad bc i got a ride out to oakland but man it would take forever to get home. :'( my second engagement was just me and a partner and i feel like she expected me to know everything...but i didnt know anything...so i mostly sat around a lot??? esp bc she wasnt on site every day so i had zero supervision. :/ towards the end of the second engagement i got an email from the city saying that they were accepting me into their accounting position and i was like oh shit. i ended up taking the job, which gave me a week in between quitting the first job and starting the second, which i used to go back to LA lmao bc i had a season ticket to universal. actually ate at the three broomsticks this time. it was defs filling and i thought it was a good bang for buck. attempted to go to the walking dead tour..chickened out..twice. i probs would've died in there tbh. also went to disneyland!!!! that was lit. their macone-roni and cheese was da bomb. saw world of color for the first time except it was the 50th anniversary edition so it wasnt so great. bumped into the couple that was in jbieb's love yourself video. tried some new food places in LA and saw some old friends, again.

started my second big girl job. all my coworkers are super nice except the big boss is kind of crazy and anal. but we deal with it. my supervisor is so nice :'( work isnt so bad bc i dont do much lmao. the hardest part sometimes is just staying awake if im being honest. getting paid to do nothing is the life tho.

spent my birthday weekend in monterey. we were supposed to go atv-ing but ended up going wine tasting but also not really bc we liked the first wine so much we got a bottle of that to share. it was really cold that weekend surprisingly so we stayed in and then went to this spa place on a whim and it was definitely an interesting experience.

went as a rice bag for halloween and i think that was probably my greatest costume to date. except we ended up going to a party full of white ppl...and i was like the only asian there gdi

tagged along w my sister when she went to sd. got to see many friends!!! went clubbing as well and that was lit. took michelle clubbing for her 21st birthday, also lit. squadsgiving and christmas were super fun. got some supplies for bullet journaling so guess thatll be my new years resolution. but also to take more photos bc i didnt buy that camera for nothing.

okay so in conclusion. i did a lot of stuff this year. it feels like it was mostly all highs. or maybe i just block out the lows but im pretty sure there were way more highs than lows. 2016 was a great year tbh. oh yeah i also passed two of four parts of my cpa exam!!! woot. in 2016, i learned a lot...of accounting lmao. plus i ran my first 5k!!!!! oh yeah and i joined a gym and now im getting swole af. im not sure what my reflections are. i guess, if i were to compare 2k16 kim to 2k14 kim i've for sure come a long ways. i wasnt afraid to try new challenges and conquer them. i stepped out of my comfort zone multiple times, sometimes with the help of alcohol. i got my shit together and really focused in school (which got me a 4.0 during my last year of college). i also got my shit together and studied my ass off for the cpa (which is still ongoing i crey). i really wanna say this was probably one of my best years with everything i was able to do and everything i achieved. so here's to you, 2016, and may 2017 be even better!!!

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victoryliononline · 7 years ago

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How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city

As the 20 th commemoration of the handover from the UK to China is commemorated, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the changes since 1997

Hong Kong is preparing to mark the 20 th remembrance of the handover of its national territory from the UK to China. The minute will bring thousands on to the streets some to celebrate and others to assert. Now the Guardian invites six Hong Kong inhabitants about their reminiscences of 1997 and their imagines on the citys future.

Yau Wai-ching, disqualified lawmaker

Hong Kong parties have been forced to pay for a deceit.

Yau Wai-ching in Hong Kongs Sheung Wan district. Picture: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > informant > At midnight on 30 June 1997, I recollect a heavy rain and my seeings virtually closing, virtually falling asleep. But I didnt. I was forced to concentrate on my parents age-old television screen, watching two flags: one was the flag of United kingdom government, the other was Chinas. I tried to ask my mummy about what was happening on that screen, but I could not understand, except for the one phrase that I learned that evening: handover.

Nothing changed the next day. In my world as a six-year-old I was waiting till September when I would become a primary 1 student. My mothers said the handover intended good-for-nothing to them as they still had to work and pay taxes. Everything seemed to remain unchanged, exactly what the Chinese government promised to the Hong Kong people.

But then time by time, Cantonese began to be replaced by Mandarin, our constitutional laws obligated in the 1980 s have been amended and understood by the Chinese authority, and qualities among Hong Kongers changed after an influx of more than a million immigrants from China since 1997. Those mainlanders have come to dominate lots of the social sky. Regionals are now ever denounced as discriminating against those new immigrants if we ever conveyed a different opinion and sometimes we are even slurred as totalitarians or racists.

In these past 20 times, Hong Kongers still believe in the law and the courts, fairness and democracy, but we no longer believe in the system and regulations created by the Chinese government. Instead of becoming more like Hong Kong, the Chinese government will use any type of publicity or immigration policy to clear us more like them.

We have started to realise that the United kingdom government and China signed a treaty in 1984 that was supposed to protect Hong Kong, but it has turned out to be a subterfuge and a laugh. Since the handover all Hong Kong beings have been forced to pay for that deceit.

Holden Chow, pro-establishment lawmaker

Hong Kong is part of China and “were about” Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Holden Chow at his office in Hong Kongs legislative council. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > beginning > I was in UK back in 1997 doing my -Alevels, and I returned to Hong Kong before 1 July to evidenced the handover formality. As a patriot, I was always happy to see the handover and the establishment of Hong kong sar of the Peoples Republic of China. I repute the one country, two systems works well: Hong Kong definitely has been able to sustain affluence and with the full patronage from central government, we even have existed global economic crisis.

It is reasonable for us to expect the difficulties and conflicts to arise in the course of implementing the one country, two systems principle. But what actually stuffs is how do we resolve such conflicts. The opponent or the so-called pan-democrats perhaps favor stirring up conflicts, or to simply blow everything out of proportion. Owing to the Occupy campaign orchestrated by the opponent, Hong Kong has become heavily subdivided. The pan-democrats might clock up public backing in the course of fomenting upheaval in the city, but that is done at the expense of the citys interests.

As a member of the pro-establishment tent, I anticipate adjudicating conflicts around an friendly method is a better preference than what the foe has been doing.

The majority of Hong Kong people have never expressed support for the notorious project of Hong Kong independence. Hong Kong is part of China and we are Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

The growth and development of China surely offers opportunities to Hong Kong extremely. I trust one country, two systems is the best option for Hong Kong and for mainland China extremely, and the central government fully understands this. The foe had all along been falsely accusing that the city is entirely lost our autonomy and rule of principle, which is utterly misleading. A robust one country, two systems regime could be upheld only if the resist stops attempting to spoil the confidence between Hong Kong and central government, such as peddling separatism, or forgiving the wrongful conduct in oath-taking adventure.

Zhang Zhenping, dumpling stall owned

For all of Hong Kongs glitches, its still a more free place.

Zhang Zhenping, a dumpling stall proprietor initially from Tianjin, China, in her supermarket in Hong Kong. Picture: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > root > When I first arrived in Hong Kong from China in the early 90 s, there was intense vitality. I came here to make money, and although there are I do not have a lot of education or culture, I lived well and I could provide for my family preparing dumplings in a restaurant.

Hong Kong was a much more equal neighbourhood 20 years ago and there was more financial proliferation for everyone. Beings like me at the bottom still came bonuses and although I worked hard, sweating in kitchens realizing hundreds of dumplings, wontons and buns every day, my fund felt like it was worth more. Now Im acting even harder for less.

Since the handover life has already become much harder for regular working person, expenditures for everything is going up and it has hit parties like me the most. These changes dont change the rich, but I merely build meat, because I dont have any culture and I can never be rich.

These daylights all the economic opportunities are in China; Hong Kong cant participate. My old-time boss from the restaurant shut his business now and went back to Beijing. He said he could do more fund there.

I chose to stay, so I opened a dumpling stop 3 years ago. Its not much, but Im my own boss a bit boss, but still a boss.

But despite all the hardship and bitterness, I feel better now. I go back to my hometown in China maybe once a year. People have money, but they have so much better life influences and are miserable.

I dont want to go back to the mainland, I dont like the politics there at least here people can say what they miss. For all of Hong Kongs demerits, its still a more free place.

Amy Cheung, artist

We seem to rally towards extraordinary polarisation at every level of society.

Artist Amy Cheung at her home in Hong Kong. Photograph: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > root > I was studying in London in 1997, a year that labelled my name enlightenment. In Britain, numerous people asked me once they knew that I came from Hong Kong: How do you feel about Hong Kong being returned to China? Are you startled? Dont you worry about your liberal way of life being mashed by the Communist China? Are they going to control your press, internet, limit your freedom of speech, belief, passage, currency and the principles of the rule of ordinance?

Others speculated: You must be so happy that Hong Kong now returns to the espouse of the Motherland, ending your shame of living as colonised subject. You can now stand tall with pride to acknowledge that you are sons and daughters of the dragon, with 5,000 years of civilisation, part of a great China the Middle Kingdom.

My face extended blank. Freezing sweat. I opened my cavity but my tongue ended. My brain scanned through the great capacity of information that had been spoon-fed to me since I was born, all data, happenings, figures, workbooks, qualifies for testing and examsthat I exceeded at to get to where I was. But I was so ignorant about the constituencies of my identity, cultural heritage; moral, ethical and national importance; belief organizations, functions, rights and all collateral issues related.

Was this intentional indifference a colonial education container? I still ponder. Twenty years ago, name politics had failed to arrest either learners or professors courtesy, unlike today. I was completely perplexed by my inability to feel any ardour at that crucial juncture of our history. I was not altogether apathetic, although it seems hard it is now time imagine that my contemporary grown up apolitical.

However, I did witness the self-determination discourse that took off steadily after 1997. An awareness of our government identity burst into our communal consciousness, from the momentum gleaned around the anti-subversion rule, anti-national education objection, the annual 1 July rally, umbrella rebellion, and the endless paralysing crusade between the pro-establishment and pan-democratic camp.

In 2017, I find breathless to ordeal Hong Kong at such a high feelings altitude. Blood is easily stewed, grey zones get greyer, reconciliations are almost impossible. I dont know how, but we seem to procession self-destructively towards an remarkable polarisation at all levels of society.

Karl Mayer, merchant

Hong Kong beings are survivors who stand up instantly after a fall.

Karl Mayer, a German entrepreneur, in front of Hong Kongs Victoria Harbour. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > beginning > For a fast-moving municipality like Hong Kong, change is inevitable. Still little had changed following the end of the handover to China and for the first years the only obvious change was the lore that now the Chinese legion was stationed in Prince Edward building hoisting the Chinese pennant in the middle of Hong Kong.

In the late 90 s, Hong Kong still seemed to remain a free municipal running its own method and still flourishing from being considered the gateway to China. Even the first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, at least tried to protect the interests of Hong Kong parties and negotiate with the Chinese authority on heart level. This, however, rapidly changed with the arrival of the new millennium and the gold-rush atmosphere in mainland China.

Hong Kong lost its role as gateway to China and international patrons started to deal instantly with the mainland. Hong Kongs answer was to quickly adapt by trying to establish the city as an amusement, amusement, shopping and tourism hub and the concept worked out with piles of tourists flowing into Hong Kong every year especially from China.

Becoming part of China will remain the big topic over the next 30 times and the subtle attempts from Beijing to infiltrate Hong Kong with usage, education and the election system will become more overt and direct and will affect likewise other areas such as investment, commerce, taxes and politics. To give this to the HK parties and the world in a positive way will be the most important role of the newly elected chief executive.

The stream of tourists will ultimately decline, especially from China who will start jaunting to countries greatly abroad. Although women enjoy excellent food and scenes in Hong Kong, the city does not bring home fond memories of being treated respectfully, nature and politely.

Only having aged and rich person in a city who are come in the winter to remain and enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of Hong Kong will turn the city into something like Monaco in Europe.

On the other hand I have to say that I knew Hong Kong people as survivors who stand up promptly after a come and adapt rapidly to new situations as they have shown after the handover.

Richard Margolis, onetime UK diplomat

China must keep its hopes but Hong Kong has to keep its feature of the bargain as well.

Richard Margolis, a onetime UK diplomat who negotiated the terms of Hong Kongs handover to China. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > informant > Twenty years after the handover, the key elements which form Hong Kong differences between China are still present: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience and an independent judiciary. Will this sustain, specially since Hong Kongs importance to China has waned in the past 20 times? Answer: yes but only if both Hong Kong and Beijing keep their surfaces of the bargain.

Before excusing this, a couple of basic notions which are often forgotten:

That balance of advantage is less overwhelmingly obvious than it was 20 years ago, but still exists, in my opinion. And Chinas chairmen have huge challenges plethora industrial capability, plethora indebtednes, hindering growth, rapidly ageing person which means that their immense advantage is for Hong Kong to get on with its detached reality, do what it needs to do to adapt to a changing world, remain competitive and not inconvenience Beijing.

But Hong Kong has had a tendency since the handover to ask for special copes, such as CEPA( Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement ). And Hong Kong business people acquired the dres of lobbying in Beijing in pursuit of the best interest in Hong Kong. All of these activities seem to me against the spirit of the handover organisations, who the hell is: You leave us alone and we wont bother you.

So my inference is that it is, of course, essential that China keep its predicts but Hong Kong has to keep its back of the bargain as well.

Read more: https :// www.theguardian.com/ macrocosm/ 2017/ jun/ 28/ how-china-changed-hong-kong-views-city-handover-1 997 -uk-residents

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victoryliononline · 7 years ago

Text

How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city

As the 20 th commemoration of the handover from the UK to China is commemorated, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the changes since 1997

Yau Wai-ching, disqualified lawmaker

Hong Kong parties have been forced to pay for a deceit.

Holden Chow, pro-establishment lawmaker

Hong Kong is part of China and “were about” Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

As a member of the pro-establishment tent, I anticipate adjudicating conflicts around an friendly method is a better preference than what the foe has been doing.

The majority of Hong Kong people have never expressed support for the notorious project of Hong Kong independence. Hong Kong is part of China and we are Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Zhang Zhenping, dumpling stall owned

For all of Hong Kongs glitches, its still a more free place.

I chose to stay, so I opened a dumpling stop 3 years ago. Its not much, but Im my own boss a bit boss, but still a boss.

But despite all the hardship and bitterness, I feel better now. I go back to my hometown in China maybe once a year. People have money, but they have so much better life influences and are miserable.

I dont want to go back to the mainland, I dont like the politics there at least here people can say what they miss. For all of Hong Kongs demerits, its still a more free place.

Amy Cheung, artist

We seem to rally towards extraordinary polarisation at every level of society.

Karl Mayer, merchant

Hong Kong beings are survivors who stand up instantly after a fall.

Only having aged and rich person in a city who are come in the winter to remain and enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of Hong Kong will turn the city into something like Monaco in Europe.

On the other hand I have to say that I knew Hong Kong people as survivors who stand up promptly after a come and adapt rapidly to new situations as they have shown after the handover.

Richard Margolis, onetime UK diplomat

China must keep its hopes but Hong Kong has to keep its feature of the bargain as well.

Before excusing this, a couple of basic notions which are often forgotten:

So my inference is that it is, of course, essential that China keep its predicts but Hong Kong has to keep its back of the bargain as well.

Read more: https :// www.theguardian.com/ macrocosm/ 2017/ jun/ 28/ how-china-changed-hong-kong-views-city-handover-1 997 -uk-residents

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victoryliononline · 7 years ago

Text

How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city

As the 20 th commemoration of the handover from the UK to China is commemorated, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the changes since 1997

Yau Wai-ching, disqualified lawmaker

Hong Kong parties have been forced to pay for a deceit.

Holden Chow, pro-establishment lawmaker

Hong Kong is part of China and “were about” Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

As a member of the pro-establishment tent, I anticipate adjudicating conflicts around an friendly method is a better preference than what the foe has been doing.

The majority of Hong Kong people have never expressed support for the notorious project of Hong Kong independence. Hong Kong is part of China and we are Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Zhang Zhenping, dumpling stall owned

For all of Hong Kongs glitches, its still a more free place.

I chose to stay, so I opened a dumpling stop 3 years ago. Its not much, but Im my own boss a bit boss, but still a boss.

But despite all the hardship and bitterness, I feel better now. I go back to my hometown in China maybe once a year. People have money, but they have so much better life influences and are miserable.

I dont want to go back to the mainland, I dont like the politics there at least here people can say what they miss. For all of Hong Kongs demerits, its still a more free place.

Amy Cheung, artist

We seem to rally towards extraordinary polarisation at every level of society.

Karl Mayer, merchant

Hong Kong beings are survivors who stand up instantly after a fall.

Only having aged and rich person in a city who are come in the winter to remain and enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of Hong Kong will turn the city into something like Monaco in Europe.

On the other hand I have to say that I knew Hong Kong people as survivors who stand up promptly after a come and adapt rapidly to new situations as they have shown after the handover.

Richard Margolis, onetime UK diplomat

China must keep its hopes but Hong Kong has to keep its feature of the bargain as well.

Before excusing this, a couple of basic notions which are often forgotten:

So my inference is that it is, of course, essential that China keep its predicts but Hong Kong has to keep its back of the bargain as well.

Read more: https :// www.theguardian.com/ macrocosm/ 2017/ jun/ 28/ how-china-changed-hong-kong-views-city-handover-1 997 -uk-residents

The post How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city appeared first on Victory Lion.

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victoryliononline · 7 years ago

Text

How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city

As the 20 th commemoration of the handover from the UK to China is commemorated, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the changes since 1997

Yau Wai-ching, disqualified lawmaker

Hong Kong parties have been forced to pay for a deceit.

Holden Chow, pro-establishment lawmaker

Hong Kong is part of China and “were about” Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

As a member of the pro-establishment tent, I anticipate adjudicating conflicts around an friendly method is a better preference than what the foe has been doing.

The majority of Hong Kong people have never expressed support for the notorious project of Hong Kong independence. Hong Kong is part of China and we are Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Zhang Zhenping, dumpling stall owned

For all of Hong Kongs glitches, its still a more free place.

I chose to stay, so I opened a dumpling stop 3 years ago. Its not much, but Im my own boss a bit boss, but still a boss.

But despite all the hardship and bitterness, I feel better now. I go back to my hometown in China maybe once a year. People have money, but they have so much better life influences and are miserable.

I dont want to go back to the mainland, I dont like the politics there at least here people can say what they miss. For all of Hong Kongs demerits, its still a more free place.

Amy Cheung, artist

We seem to rally towards extraordinary polarisation at every level of society.

Karl Mayer, merchant

Hong Kong beings are survivors who stand up instantly after a fall.

Only having aged and rich person in a city who are come in the winter to remain and enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of Hong Kong will turn the city into something like Monaco in Europe.

On the other hand I have to say that I knew Hong Kong people as survivors who stand up promptly after a come and adapt rapidly to new situations as they have shown after the handover.

Richard Margolis, onetime UK diplomat

China must keep its hopes but Hong Kong has to keep its feature of the bargain as well.

Before excusing this, a couple of basic notions which are often forgotten:

It is not and never has been a required health for Hong Kongs survival for China to be ruled by people who share the values that underpin Hong Kong . li> All that is required of Chinas commanders is that they perceive a balance of advantage to them in continuing to accept Hong Kongs separateness. That balance of advantage is less overwhelmingly obvious than it was 20 years ago, but still exists, in my opinion. And Chinas chairmen have huge challenges plethora industrial capability, plethora indebtednes, hindering growth, rapidly ageing person which means that their immense advantage is for Hong Kong to get on with its detached reality, do what it needs to do to adapt to a changing world, remain competitive and not inconvenience Beijing.

So my inference is that it is, of course, essential that China keep its predicts but Hong Kong has to keep its back of the bargain as well.

Read more: https :// www.theguardian.com/ macrocosm/ 2017/ jun/ 28/ how-china-changed-hong-kong-views-city-handover-1 997 -uk-residents

The post How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city appeared first on Victory Lion.

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victoryliononline · 7 years ago

Text

How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city

As the 20 th commemoration of the handover from the UK to China is commemorated, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the changes since 1997

Yau Wai-ching, disqualified lawmaker

Hong Kong parties have been forced to pay for a deceit.

Yau Wai-ching in Hong Kongs Sheung Wan district. Picture: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > informant >

At midnight on 30 June 1997, I recollect a heavy rain and my seeings virtually closing, virtually falling asleep. But I didnt. I was forced to concentrate on my parents age-old television screen, watching two flags: one was the flag of United kingdom government, the other was Chinas. I tried to ask my mummy about what was happening on that screen, but I could not understand, except for the one phrase that I learned that evening: handover.

Holden Chow, pro-establishment lawmaker

Hong Kong is part of China and “were about” Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Holden Chow at his office in Hong Kongs legislative council. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > beginning >

I was in UK back in 1997 doing my -Alevels, and I returned to Hong Kong before 1 July to evidenced the handover formality. As a patriot, I was always happy to see the handover and the establishment of Hong kong sar of the Peoples Republic of China. I repute the one country, two systems works well: Hong Kong definitely has been able to sustain affluence and with the full patronage from central government, we even have existed global economic crisis.

As a member of the pro-establishment tent, I anticipate adjudicating conflicts around an friendly method is a better preference than what the foe has been doing.

The majority of Hong Kong people have never expressed support for the notorious project of Hong Kong independence. Hong Kong is part of China and we are Chinese: this is a fact and never in dispute.

Zhang Zhenping, dumpling stall owned

For all of Hong Kongs glitches, its still a more free place.

Zhang Zhenping, a dumpling stall proprietor initially from Tianjin, China, in her supermarket in Hong Kong. Picture: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > root >

When I first arrived in Hong Kong from China in the early 90 s, there was intense vitality. I came here to make money, and although there are I do not have a lot of education or culture, I lived well and I could provide for my family preparing dumplings in a restaurant.

I chose to stay, so I opened a dumpling stop 3 years ago. Its not much, but Im my own boss a bit boss, but still a boss.

But despite all the hardship and bitterness, I feel better now. I go back to my hometown in China maybe once a year. People have money, but they have so much better life influences and are miserable.

I dont want to go back to the mainland, I dont like the politics there at least here people can say what they miss. For all of Hong Kongs demerits, its still a more free place.

Amy Cheung, artist

We seem to rally towards extraordinary polarisation at every level of society.

Artist Amy Cheung at her home in Hong Kong. Photograph: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > root >

I was studying in London in 1997, a year that labelled my name enlightenment. In Britain, numerous people asked me once they knew that I came from Hong Kong: How do you feel about Hong Kong being returned to China? Are you startled? Dont you worry about your liberal way of life being mashed by the Communist China? Are they going to control your press, internet, limit your freedom of speech, belief, passage, currency and the principles of the rule of ordinance?

Karl Mayer, merchant

Hong Kong beings are survivors who stand up instantly after a fall.

Karl Mayer, a German entrepreneur, in front of Hong Kongs Victoria Harbour. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > beginning >

For a fast-moving municipality like Hong Kong, change is inevitable. Still little had changed following the end of the handover to China and for the first years the only obvious change was the lore that now the Chinese legion was stationed in Prince Edward building hoisting the Chinese pennant in the middle of Hong Kong.

Only having aged and rich person in a city who are come in the winter to remain and enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of Hong Kong will turn the city into something like Monaco in Europe.

On the other hand I have to say that I knew Hong Kong people as survivors who stand up promptly after a come and adapt rapidly to new situations as they have shown after the handover.

Richard Margolis, onetime UK diplomat

China must keep its hopes but Hong Kong has to keep its feature of the bargain as well.

Richard Margolis, a onetime UK diplomat who negotiated the terms of Hong Kongs handover to China. Photo: Benjamin Haas for the Guardian figcaption > informant >

Twenty years after the handover, the key elements which form Hong Kong differences between China are still present: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience and an independent judiciary. Will this sustain, specially since Hong Kongs importance to China has waned in the past 20 times? Answer: yes but only if both Hong Kong and Beijing keep their surfaces of the bargain.

Before excusing this, a couple of basic notions which are often forgotten:

It is not and never has been a required health for Hong Kongs survival for China to be ruled by people who share the values that underpin Hong Kong . li>

All that is required of Chinas commanders is that they perceive a balance of advantage to them in continuing to accept Hong Kongs separateness.

So my inference is that it is, of course, essential that China keep its predicts but Hong Kong has to keep its back of the bargain as well.

Read more: https :// www.theguardian.com/ macrocosm/ 2017/ jun/ 28/ how-china-changed-hong-kong-views-city-handover-1 997 -uk-residents

The post How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city appeared first on Victory Lion.

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