Feel the love for yourself! Great post and great comments, as always.
While just about every point he makes is accurate, I really do love Hong Kong. Yeah, it’s a rude, ruthless place, but it’s also the most fun city in Asia along with Bangkok, and there’s never a dull moment there. I love Taiwan, but like Singapore, there are very few surprises living here. In Hong Kong, anything can happen, and there are always surprises (like having your phone stolen from someone you knew was your friend.) Hong Kong is one surprise after another. And I’m the kind of guy who enjoys surprises.
1
By China_hand
I like Hongkong too, and Hongkongers as well. Even they are sometimes kind of goofy, they, unlike many Taiwanese, do not waver on the fact that they are ultimately still Chinese. Hongkong actors and movies and singers are wildy popular in China, and many Mainland actors are popular in Hongkong as well. And most Hongkongese also would like see an eventual unification with Taiwan. All in all, I like Hongkong and its people.
February 24, 2006 @ 11:45 pm | Comment
2
By Dawanr
@China_hand: “most Hongkongese also would like to see an eventual unification with Taiwan”
WTF???!!! Where did you glean this little gem from? I think you’ll find the average HKer barely gives a shit about their OWN political situation let alone anyone else’s.
And in any event, since when has being pro-Taiwanese-subjugation been something to “like”? (outside the limited circle of the People’s Daily and its columnists)
PS Richard, thanks for reading!
February 25, 2006 @ 12:40 am | Comment
3
By Sojourner
Ís this blogger ultra-sensitive? I posted a message agreeing with several of his points and disagreeing with others.
An hour later I returned to the thread and my entry had been deleted.
Some of his comments go too far, bordering on the “ugly American” syndrome.
February 25, 2006 @ 2:25 am | Comment
4
By richard
Sojourner, whoich blogger are you refering to – Talk China or me?
If China Hand had any idea what most HK’ers think of mainlanders, he’d be eating his words. I am sorry to say it, but Honkies look on the4 mainlanders as a type of animal. I was disgusted by the hatred my friends in Hong Kong displayed toward mainlanders – even though they love mainland money.
February 25, 2006 @ 3:39 am | Comment
5
By Sojourner
I was referring to Talk China, not you, Richard. But I have to eat humble pie now — my posting wasn’t deleted after all. Mea culpa.
Yes, Hong Kongers look down on the mainland big time.
Last semester, I taught a mixed Hong Kong/mainland class on stereotypes, and as part of an exercise the students had to list common stereotypes of mainlanders.
By the end of the class, the mainland students wre reeling with shock.
They had no clue that was how their Hong Kong compatriats feel.
February 25, 2006 @ 4:13 am | Comment
6
By shulan
Yep, Hongkong is one of the greatest places on earth. The mix of old and new, east and west, sea and mountain, mega 21. century metropolis and little fisher village is just amazing. Also the food is fantastic. I love it!
February 25, 2006 @ 5:27 am | Comment
7
By La
I think Hong Kong-ese (or Honkies as some may call) generally have this “love-hate” attitude towards Mainland. While the Mainland tourists have boosted the Hong Kong economy significantly over the past few years, the HK-ese are grossly embarrassed by and disapprove the mannerism and behaviour of some Mainlanders.
The badly trashed Disneyland in HK by the Mainland tourists is a prime example.
Oh, and not to mention the geniune fear towards the CCP by every person in HK.
February 25, 2006 @ 9:34 am | Comment
8
By richard
La, it goes deeper than that. It’s akin to racism, even though they’re the same race.
February 25, 2006 @ 10:59 am | Comment
9
By China_hand
Yes, I realize many in Hongkong seem to have some prejudice against Mainlanders. But that’s just due to economic disparity. And I have to say some of us Mainlanders do need to learn a few civil lessons (such as not spitting in public, etc). So it’s as much a matter of Hongkongese harboring prejudices as Mainlanders’ behaviors. But as the economies of the two regions become more even, these things will go away naturally.
February 25, 2006 @ 11:52 am | Comment
10
By aBat
I like the IDEA of having a Hong Kong address. Kwongtung independence sounds like a good idea too! An independent Kwongtung in the 20th century could’ve become one of the world’s richest countries. Still not sure if I’d wana live there, though.
February 25, 2006 @ 1:39 pm | Comment
11
By aBat
And, as a native of this Pacific Asian culture, what’s up with this attitude we have that’s it’s okay to look down on people if they don’t have money?
February 25, 2006 @ 1:42 pm | Comment
12
By LA
Isn’t that just human nature. The rich always look down on the poor.
February 25, 2006 @ 2:28 pm | Comment
13
By chester
China_Hand said,
“But as the economies of the two regions become more even, these things will go away naturally.”
That is, when the economy and wealth Hong Kong region finally deplete to a point of “eveness”, there would be no point to ask for behavioral modifications let alone political.
February 25, 2006 @ 5:53 pm | Comment
14
By Skystreaker
HKers also have a respect for a rule of law, and a wish for democracy. How do you expect to address these imbalances? Perhaps when the HK eventually lose the relative freedom of the media and like those in the mainland has?
HK’s fate was determined even before its prosperous development. Most Taiwanese don’t have a problem with being identified as ethincally chinese. They have a problem with being ruled by the communists from the mainland. The fact that individuals can’t discuss openly on Taiwan shows that the CCP’s position is so weak it cannot withstand debate. Like how the commies all disappear when posed with basic questions they cannot answer on this very site.
February 26, 2006 @ 12:03 am | Comment
15
By shulan
From a sticker from HK:
54,64,71, to be continued … 🙂
February 26, 2006 @ 1:33 am | Comment
16
By aBat
No doubt, LA.
February 26, 2006 @ 11:55 am | Comment
17
By Chairman Yao
The *prejudice* on the part of some Hong Kong’ers towards daluren (Mainlanders) is not something new.
It happens all over China – people from Guangdong don’t think much of workers who come from the North for jobs. They refer to them as “beilao” – seemed to be pretty degrading when you hear some of the Cantonese people say it. Even within GD, people from smaller cities like Zhongshan and Jiangmen are somehow inferior to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. *Descrimination* I think its the worse in the Cantonese speaking regions of China.
People from Shanghai (Shanghai’ers, Shanghainese, Shanghai’an, oh hell I dunno) think they’re God’s gift to Chinese people.
These kinds of attitudes will continue to hold them back.
Back on HK – how many of the people who openly degrade individuals from the Mainland are reputable, high-quality, college educated, and decent? People from HK who do this, (I know of many) are not people with these qualities. They themselves are not very admirable creatures so they just use the good name of HK to prop up their shortcomings.
February 26, 2006 @ 1:55 pm | Comment
18
By Benny
Soujourner
In the class you mentioned re stereotypes, what kind of things did the HK students reveal to the Mainlanders present?
I enjoyed the Talk Talk China post a lot but the one single comment that stood out for me was by Danwanr I think, say what you like about Hong Kong but for those of us that live in Mainland China, Hong Kong is an oasis of civilization and an all round top place.
Sure, the people have annoying habits but at least they are people. Sometimes it’s difficult to say that about Mainlanders.
February 28, 2006 @ 8:54 pm | Comment