Holiday Season in Hong Kong
Holiday Season in Hong Kong
In most places in the world, holidays are when the offices and shops close. In Hong Kong, holidays are the busiest shopping days. That is a powerful comment in a place where shopping is the national hobby as well as the most popular recreational activity, where shops are typically open from 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
This week’s image shows the decorations in Langham Place, a huge new retail and hotel complex in Mong Kok. I understand that Mong Kok is the most densely populated place in the world, with the population density variously estimated at between 130,000 and 165,000 people per square kilometre. Walking through the multi-storey Mong Kok computer arcade last Friday evening, I would have doubled that estimate on the second floor alone.
The decorations in Langham Place this year are stunning, as are the specially lit buildings surrounding Hong Kong Harbour. Although Langham Place had the music of Christmas carols amplified throughout the centre, the decorations were, like all the season’s decorations in Hong Kong, strictly non-religious in nature. That is probably fair enough - why should Hong Kong’s Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Confucianists, Hindus, Jews, and for that matter atheists, be forced (or want) to celebrate a Christian festival? It is in stark contrast, however, to neighbouring Macau, where the dominant Catholic culture is reflected everywhere in Christmas decorations emphasising nativity scenes rather than the Santa smiles, reindeer, snowfolk (formerly known as snowmen), and snow-covered conifers which really have nothing to do with either Christmas or Hong Kong, but lots to do with commercial success. Given the good fortune attached to the number 8 in Chinese culture, it is no coincidence that almost every price quoted in Hong Kong at the moment ends with the figure 8.
Unlike the shops in Hong Kong, my College does close down for the holiday season. In our case the three week break marks the only real holiday our students get during an academic year that begins in late August and ends in late May. Well, the students will get a three week break anyway; for myself, I will get five days break this week and two days off in the last week, my shorter time off made necessary because none of the other senior staff will be in Hong Kong and the Board requires that someone is present on campus at all times in case of emergency. I will be using my five days off this week to visit Laos and Cambodia with two of my sons, Tim and Andrew.
I think everyone at our College was REALLY ready for the break when it finally began at the end of this past week. With its ups and downs, it is been a frantically busy and emotionally exhausting term for almost all of us. The end of term celebrations climaxed in wonderful mood, however, on Thursday evening with a music concert in the Principal’s (my!) house, followed by cocktails in each residential block, then the end-of-term formal dinner in the canteen, followed by a dance late into the evening. I was deeply impressed that everyone in my Theory of Knowledge class on Friday morning managed to be punctual!
As a special holiday bonus, I have added a few bonus photos of our Thursday evening celebrations at the College so you can share the flavour of a great end to a hectic term.
During the music concert in our home, we enjoyed many wonderful performances, including Chun Ho’s superb performance of “Morning” by S T Zhao on the Chinese flute. Chun Ho commented that he has been playing this tune for six years, and every time he plays it he discovers something new.
At the end of cocktails, the students and the tutors in Block 4 (the house where I have a tutor group) posed for a group photo in the Day Room.
The end-of-term formal dinner in the canteen was a superb event organised by Raymond and his team from Sodexho. As you can see, the focus of my attention was the dessert bar!
We even had time for a family photo at the end-of-term formal dinner. 1st Year student Andrew was forced to pose embarrassingly beside his parents.
Finally, I was reflecting on the trend to remove any religious elements from the celebration of Christmas. Surely it is something like trying to celebrate National Day without displaying any flags! Anyway, for some thought-provoking and maybe controversial holiday reading, you could do worse than an article that looked at this question in the International Herald Tribute this week. Provocatively entitled “Atheists’ bleak alternative”, you can access it HERE.
Have a great holiday, and if you are a Christian, have a great Christmas too.
Sunday, 17 December 2006