Hong Kong is Still Badass
Comparing my previous home of Hong Kong to my current home of Shanghai is fairly straightforward. Both are sophisticated international Asian cities with vibrant culture, arts and food scenes. If anything they’re becoming even more similar, with comparatively less Cantonese and Shanghainese being spoken on their respective streets these days. Those businesses that didn’t learn how to pivot away from international consumers and cater more towards mainland Chinese tastes… are the ones that simply aren’t around these days. And the effect is arguably more noticeable in Hong Kong because of the high proportion of frugal day-trippers from across the border.
Having said that, on my recent visit back to Hong Kong I still heard lots of reassuring sing-song Cantonese amidst the argy-bargy Mandarin. And some things will always distinguish Hong Kong from everywhere else. Of course the city’s access to nature is unparalleled, I’ve personally only seen something similar in Vancouver and Zurich, but both are tame in comparison. The Chinese antiques for sale on Hollywood Road are the best and most plentiful you can find anywhere, there’s just no point mentioning any other city because nowhere comes close. And finally there’s that feeling you get when you learn how to navigate the maze of overhead walkways in Central, where your feet don’t need to touch the ground for miles. I’ve seen something similar in Minneapolis, which is both impressive and highly functional - it keeps you warm in the winter and gets you to where you parked your car. But Hong Kong’s human-centric city planning goes much further in making the little pedestrian feel like the king of the urban jungle, cowed neither by traffic nor topography. And that feeling is simply badass.
A big thank you to all the people who made time to meet up during my short visit, some of whom may not have described themselves as badass until now. And perhaps some who are shaking their head as they anticipate me writing the word badass for a third time, and for absolutely no reason.
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