Monday, December 24, 2007
♥ 12:17 am
The time now is 0019, 241207
it has been a long time since i've been to Hong Kong, but this trip has taken many detours.
In this past week, i've realised the vastness, and the uniqueness of the vast Chinese Diaspora that spans across the globe. In a radius of 500 miles, we can observe 4 different types.
1) Chinese originating here: 中華民國（台灣省）
(For those who can't be bothered to find out, this translates to the Republic of China (Province of Taiwan))
Ironically, (and politically acceptable to the authorities across the strait), the government (in-exile) in Taipei claims sovereignty over all of China, as well as Mongolia, and parts of Russia, India etc. To that effect, the banknotes, although called by everyone as 台幣, states that the central bank originates for Nanjing.
The people here are quite unique in a way. firstly, their calendar doesn't say 2007, it says 96. To the uninformed (me included when i arrived), that means 中華民國 96 年, in which year one is 1912 (after the founding of the Republic in Mainland China).
Secondly, the accent is much clearer, less foggy and more friendly and delicate as compared to their neighbours to the west. When they say, for example, welcome, you can feel their warmth, albeit their slight over-expression of the 'cute-cute' expression (haha i know that's quite hard to say)
Unlike most Chinese, Taiwanese have not hatred for the Japanese up to the North. Occupied by Japan for 50 years till 1945, Japanese culture and infrastructure dominates Taiwan, and Taipei especially. Taiwanese fashion is closely modeled on Japanese fashions, and the stream of Japanese businesses and tourists fuels their economy. Heck, Takeshi Kanishiro is half Taiwanese, and grew up speaking Chinese.
Their society also contradicts itself in some ways. Although their buildings are awfully crammed, and their traffic shows a distinct lack of co-ordination, their citizens show a extremely high level of education and all-rounded civic education. In subway stations, they queue neatly in a line beside the door, not like in HK or Singapore in which everyone crams. Travelling the escalator is orderly, as those who want to ride along stand to the right, letting those in a hurry to move along. All bins (despite the lack of them) are recycling bins, and recycling is a major part of city life. Even in McDonalds, there are labels telling customers whether their burger boxes are recyclable, etc.
Freedom of speech is also respected. Apparently, you can say anything you want, just warn the intended party before hand.
Taiwan has given me a good impression, the people are a refreshing change, and their food is excellent. But i wouldn't go back to anywhere else but Taipei (and maybe Kaoshiung). The tour has given me a bad taste in the mouth.
2) People from 澳門特別行政區，中華人民共和國.
Holy crap, Portuguese egg tarts rock.
Firstly, you can't tell a Macauese (or whatever they're called). Macau is full of Mainland, HK, tourists.
From the looks of it, their life is quiet and relaxed. They reap the benefits of the casinos being operated. But they refuse to let the gambling corrupt their own culture. If only Singaporeans can resist gambling.
The place seems safe, but the generally relaxed pace of Macau completely differs from their neighbours up the Pearl Delta. However, i don't think it's a great place to live. The place seems too sleazy, with lap dances mixing with casinos. The only exception i saw was in the Venetian (which is one hell of a place.)
3) People from 香港特別行政區，中華人民共和國.
The most similar to us. No wonder we two are so closely compared.
Similarities include:
English-speaking, Loads of food, Packed with people, good shopping, the list goes on.
No where in the world, can you find a country in which across a river, people exonerate the greatness of a political entity (no prizes for guessing which one..), and on the other side, people protest like hell against it.
But HK is freaking too packed. Today, i think i saw like 100,000 Indon and Pinoy maids gathered around my hotel, having a picnic. The whole of Causeway Bay was packed with people.
But, all the more, that makes them like us Singaporeans.
and of course, there are the mainlanders from the mainland.
it's ironic that a pirated DVD store in Shenzhen can openly display a warning telling people not to buy 'DVDs sold from the roadside', as they are 'poor quality and they using the fake money'
talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Shenzhen is a great example of China's growth. Many high-rise buildings, many designer stores. Yet at the same time, an equal number of fake stores, combined with a horrible air quality, and quite a mess of a traffic.
However, go anywhere in Greater China, there they are.
(With the exception of Taiwan, of course they're not allowed there).
China is indeed a weird place.
