People of Hong Kong

Last week I left Taiwan after a tearful goodbye and three wonderful weeks. Looking back, it was an amazing experience with friendly people, beautiful nature, and delicious food. But now it was time to go to Hong Kong, a city I had heard so much about and I was very excited!

At first glance, the city is loud and crowded. My hostel was located in the middle of Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping district, which added to the impression of a lively city...

Before I arrived, I expected to do a lot of sightseeing. However, my time in Hong Kong turned into more of a cultural exchange. I talked to a young Chinese woman about her thoughts on the political system and censorship in China, and I spoke with a young woman from Indonesia about her experiences traveling alone in the countries of the former Soviet Union. I also reunited with an old friend from my time in Istanbul who is from Hong Kong. We discussed her studies in the Netherlands and many other topics. One of the highlights was attending a 'seminar' at Cheung King Mansion, which my friend took me to. It turned out that the building was home to many illegal immigrants and local Hong Kong residents typically avoid it. The seminar, led by an American professor who has been studying the challenges faced by illegal immigrants in Hong Kong for many years, included participants from various backgrounds including a Dutch woman, two young women from Hong Kong, two Japanese individuals, and immigrants mainly of African origin. The seminar was more like a debating club where we discussed current topics ranging from organ transplantation to the American elections in a lively, passionate, and positive manner. Afterward, we enjoyed an excellent Indian meal together. It was a fantastic experience for me.

Of course, I did some sightseeing as well. I watched the sunset behind the skyline, took a tram on Hong Kong Island, enjoyed a unique city tour where I learned a great deal about Hong Kong's history, visited Temple Street and Sham Shui Po.

The highlight of my trip was probably my visit to Lamma Island. This tranquil island with beautiful beaches and charming seafood restaurants felt like a vacation from the bustling city.

Last week I left Taiwan after three weeks. Looking back, it was probably one of the best experiences I had so far - with great people, beautiful nature, and great food. Still, I was excited to see Hong Kong, a city I had heard a lot about.

On first and second sight, the city is very loud and crowded. My hostel was located in the middle of Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a very crowded shopping district, which might have added to my impression of the city.

I first thought I would do a lot of sightseeing in Hong Kong, but it turned out my visit was more of a cultural exchange. I talked with a young Chinese woman about her view of the political system and censorship in China, and interviewed a woman from Singapore about her experience traveling through states of the former Soviet Union alone as an Asian woman. I also met an old friend from Hong Kong, who I had met in Istanbul several years ago. We talked about her studies in the Netherlands and many other things. The best experience for me in Hong Kong was probably the visit of a 'Seminar' in Cheung Kong Mansion. The location of the Seminar turned out to be a building with a bazaar on the ground floor and several guesthouses where a lot of illegal immigrants live. The people of Hong Kong normally avoid the building. On one of the top floors a small NGO has some rooms where amongst others this seminar, organized by an American professor, who did a lot of research on the issues of illegal immigrants in Hong Kong, are held.

Besides a Dutch girl, me, my friend, and another girl from Hong Kong, and two Japanese, there were also several immigrants, most of them from Africa. The seminar was rather a group to discuss current issues, like the midterm elections in the U.S. Issues were discussed in a loud, passionate, but very positive way. It was a great experience for me.

Of course, I also did some sightseeing. I saw the skyline at sunset, took a tram on Hong Kong Island, and joined a free walking tour, where I learned a lot about the history of Hong Kong. I also went to Temple Street and Sham Shui Po. My favorite, though, was my visit to Lamma Island on my last day. The trip to the quiet island with a lot of seafood restaurants and beaches felt like a holiday!