Hong Kong #4 (My Theme cont.)

June 17, 2010

The last glass makes a thump on the table. The condensation of the cold beer builds up and soaks through the cheap cardboard coaster beneath it. It’s hot and humid outside, but the fans spin slowly and cool down the ex-pat bar just the right amount. I sit across from my newly found comrade, Adrian Wong. Adrian is an American Citizen who was raised in Hong Kong, but educated in Washington State. As we talk about our views on politics, society, the youth, and the correct treatment of employees- I hope. I hope that he is the type of World Citizen that we are creating. I hope that The Honors Program is doing this as well. I hope I am too.

The day began with an EARLY trip to the Dragonboat Festival. Our consort, guide, and friend Horace is taking us to see his son compete in the event. A long bus ride takes us back to Sai Kung. What a few days ago was a small fishing village is now an intense display of competition, culture, and sheer numbers. The boardwalk railings remind me of a rock concert with people pushing to the edge to see the races finish line. Over and over again, about 12 heats of 7 boats each race competitively race to the buoys marking the end of their race. We wander around and discover a tent of prepared pigs ready for BBQ, and I thought “now I’m hungry”

Keeping in tradition our food was 1 part delicious, 1 part exotic and 1 part educational. We all walked a little bit to another dim sum seafood restaurant. Much of the food was familiar: fried rice, bao, noodles, beef, beef balls, dumplings etc. Much was not: pigeon eggs, chicken feet, curried squid, sweet buns with lotus seed filling, etc. Chicken feet have never interested me, but they looked delicious! It was when they were on my plate I realized…there are bones in this (duh). Thinking that the whole foot was to be consumer at once I bit down through one of the phalanges and chewed the meat, bone, and everything else. We did the same thing with dried shrimp heads a week earlier. After swallowing chunks of broken bone and meat I was informed that you debone the foot and only eat the meet. “Ohhhh” I said while drinking copious amounts of tea to wash down shards of bone (probably still lodged somewhere inside of me). Take two: chicken feet to bear their titular taste, CHICKEN! Not bad, particularly with the zesty sauce they were served with. With that said, one was enough for me. The pigeon egg in dumplings were also quite good. This could be because of a fact that Horace told me. “Highest in cholesterol”. No wonder they taste so rich… maybe only two then.

After the meal, our group split and parted ways. Some went to a tailor, some to a museum, but I took a car ride with the Wong family. Horace, his wife Mary, and their Son Adrian all accompanied me down the eastern coast of Hong Kong and through the eastern tunnel onto a part of the island I have never been to. The ride itself was possibly the most interesting car ride I have ever had. The Wong’s talked about taxes in Hong Kong (or lack thereof), differences in cars in America, and family life. The most interesting fact was Mary’s comment on how she thinks “American women are treated better than anyone in the world, Then Hong Kong.” I told her I think many would disagree, but I believe that she is right. She spoke freely and openly about rituals in the family and her beliefs which only proved her theory of the fair and open treatment of women in Hong Kong. Sometimes the conversation took a sitcom type of turn with the two disagreeing like banter from “Everybody Loves Raymond”. I was also taught about women being in charge of making kimchee, a preserved Chinese cabbage (originally from Korea). I was told that it was first a ceremony given to the eldest woman in the house as a way to give them SOME responsibility, but not the truly important ones like money and so on. I will let you think if America has any parallel traditions.

After a timely car ride we arrived at Times Square in Hong Kong. Horace described it as being VERTICLE as opposed to NYC’s flatter Times Square…and it was! Adrian and I got out of the car leaving Horace and Mary to drive home. We walked through the square and into the large shopping center. We then walked through the area known as Causeway Bay to Wan Chai. While passing by a Chinese medicine tea shop Adrian stopped and explained the purpose to me. Various tea leaves, herbs, and turtle shell jelly made up various concoctions to cure ailments. He ordered a tea for clear skin and anti-aging. Before downing the entire thing he told me of the bad taste and wished himself good luck. He did not urge me to try, but…I had to. I ordered the same tea medicine, but the lady added some cooler tea to the piping hot batch. I guess she didn’t think the American could take it…and with it being hot and humid, she would be right. I took the small bowl in hand and in 3 or 4 large gulps it was done. Not a horrible taste, but anything for health, right? We continued to walk and talk and found ourselves next to a bar that Adrian introduced as a building that used to be a pawn shop. He asked if I wanted to go in and, my taste for beer notwithstanding, I had to check it out. We walked up the narrow staircase as I talked about how it seems like a cool local place. We emerge to the main bar on the second story right as Adrian informs me that expatriots, expats, have taken over the place. Immediately, one two three FOUR FIVE white people sitting in various parts of the bar. We walked around first. The establishment reminds me of something from the 1930’s and a mix of New Orleans and England. Very weird. Very perfect. We sat down and ordered a pint of our respective beers. We began to talk about culture in Hong Kong, America, and business. It was here we began to speak our minds about HOW to do business and more importantly HOW to treat people who work for you. We then talked about possible future interests in business. I told Adrian that I really love learning about or doing anything. He described my fascination as a thirst for knowledge, and not just in business. We also talked about the difference in Hong Kong/Chinese mentalities and American/Western. He explained the unfair treatment of local Chinese by companies who also hire expats. We realized that the different societies grew from different thoughts. Thousands of years of living by filial piety and paternalism has created a suppressive mentality in many Chinese. On the other hand, America’s founding was nothing less than a bloody war (or two or three) against an Empire for more economic and political freedom. The social development of America instilled values of independence, individualism and loyalty to oneself.

We may be businessmen by trade, but both have that thirst for knowledge, (com)passion, and desire to ‘live the world’. This mix creates something inestimable … a ‘human respect’ (NOT a superficial sympathy). After another pint of beer and further discussion by Adrian about the importance of Hong Kong students to learn how to speak English well. I asked Adrian “What do you think could change the Chinese[human] mentality or improve the probability of Chinese/[anyone] to compete?” Before I answer, there is a theme with me. I don’t believe in politics. To fervently declare loyalty to a “party” is callous and pedantic. There is one thing that can fix our worldly “problems”, but we waste trillions on in petty school-ground bickering. There is one tonic, one salve, one vaccination-

What did Adrian and I say? “Education.”

P.S. I apologize for the political charge of this entry. After 20 hours of lecture on Chinese policy...it get's stuck in your head :)