I was thinking of Jonathan Swifts ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ while walking through the streets of Hongkong. Among its giant sky scrappers, I felt like a tiny insect-size human of Lilliput who jumped into the pockets of Gulliver,or rather the tiny being trapped among the giant humans of Brobdingnag for whom Gulliver’s microscopic size is a source of curiocity. I hardly have seen such a huge flock of sky scrappers in my life, literally those buildings seem to aim the sky to kiss her. Hongkong is probably a synonym for concrete jungle. One can see modernity in every nook and corner of the city, it well deserves the name ‘international city of Asia’in all respect. Infrastructure- wise city is at par with any developed nation, besides it has got a very effective public transport system.
But as many Asian cities, Honkong too trapped in the mall culture of today; sadly, mushrooming malls are seen as the symbol of modernity though it is a web of consumerism. So it has all the trappings of a modern city, as the mad sale in the shops that drive people desperately to consume, fake or original brands, people flock to the shops in the mad rush of consumerism-indeed it is a shopper’s paradise. Even the Christmas is commercialized in a way that has painfully departed from its spiritual aspects. I was even surprised seeing the band of singers at the airport when I landed on 25 th of December. It seemed that you can’t hardly get away from the song ‘jingle bell,jingle bell’, wherever you go.
Everything seems organized and orderly, even people walk on street in a certain manner as if they are asked to do so. I don’t know whether wealth and hospitality has any connection at all, but I found the people less friendly. They look pretty reserved and stressed as if prosperity steal away the smiles. But it was always nice to have a stroll through the city that woke up from the slumber of colonial hang over. I have roamed around different parts of city as it is well connected by metro and sky train. If you are a vegitarian, you have to control your taste buds to adapt to the meagre choice of food. But to my relief I could find few vegitarian restaurants including Indian ones. The food I enjoyed really is a Pasta from an organic restaurant called ‘Life’. The restaurant welcomes you with Gandhiji’s quote ‘Be the change, If you want to change the world’.
The quite walk through the forest in the interior part of city was refreshingly inspiring-it was a jungle away from concrete jungle. While journeying through the solitary foggy path surrounded by trees, I regret for not being able to write like William Wordsworth. But I just repeated his verse to my heart’s delight.
‘To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.’
Though I wanted to see village in Hongkong, the one I saw hardly resembled a village, but looked like a little city. The re knowned Thousand Buddha temple was quite disappointing with its plastic Buddha statues. It looked like a Disney land of Buddha that is arranged for tourism; it lacks both aesthetism and spiritual depth. But the giant Buddha statue at Po Lin Monastery was magnificent with its huge presence. This 26.4 m high statue is the world’s largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha.
The island around Hongkong was quite interesting with its tropical forest and tranquil settings. I particularly enjoyed Lamma island with its clean beaches and lush green landscape.
Though considered part of China, Hongkong enjoys much freedom but not without restrictions. An old Malayalam film song goes like this: ‘hey Hongkong streets; you have opened doors of heaven for us’. But I just wonder doors of heaven and doors of prosperity look the same?
