Originally published on 20 August 2005
For the last three days it has rained constantly
in Hong Kong. This is not ordinary rain. This is fierce, pounding rain that
comes down in sheets. You only see this kind of rain in the tropics. I’ve been
trying not to let the rain prevent me from exploring the city. But after two
days of walking around in soaking wet clothing, listening to the squish of my
soaked flip flops every time I take a step, and balancing my umbrella while I
try to take pictures, I have decided to spend the day in my 5×10 cell that
passes as a single hotel room. At least the room is dry, I can regulate the
temperature, and I have plenty of music to keep me occupied. (As a brief aside,
I cannot explain how great an iPod is for traveling. It basically is the first
thing I pack for every trip.)
Despite the
rain, I still have managed to see a lot of the city. I’m staying in Kowloon in
one of the infamous “mansions” that travelers stay in. There is really no way
to describe what these buildings are like. You simply have to see it to believe
it. Kowloon is across the harbor from Hong Kong Island. I’ve ridden the Star
Ferry back and forth almost every day. I’ve always enjoyed riding in boats, and
I especially enjoy riding this particular ferry. The Star Ferry was founded by
a Parsee in 1872. He built up an extensive fleet of ships over the next thirty
years that dominated the ferry business in Hong Kong. I also find it amusing
that while he charged the British and the Chinese for each crossing, he allowed
Parsees and Indians to ride for free. It’s not often that the Indians benefited
at the expense of the British in the Empire. After 133 years, the ferry line is
still
running.
Besides riding the ferry, I’ve also seen a
lot of Kowloon and Hong Kong. Before I came here, I didn’t know much about the
geography of Hong Kong. I knew it was an island, but I had no idea what kind of
island. Hong Kong is basically all mountains and hills. Almost all the flat
land along the edges of the island has been reclaimed. Walking around in Hong
Kong, you feel like you’re in a modern version of Manhattan with its amazing
skyscrapers, but the geography feels like San Francisco. It’s visually one of
the most striking cities I’ve ever visited.
Some of the other highlights of the city
have been the amazing history museum and the excellent vegetarian South Indian
food. South Indian food is definitely my favorite “cuisine.” The number of
vegetarian options is incredible, and it all tastes delicious. I’ve gone out
for Indian food every day I’ve been here, and I’m not the least bit sick of it.
Some day I actually will get to visit
India.
Back to China – being here this
summer has been a great experience. I always enjoy my summer adventures, but
this summer is especially edifying. As I’ve traveled around China, most of the
major international news stories have directly or indirectly involved China. I
remember being in shock when I first saw the headline about the revaluation of
the yuan, but then I saw that it was only 2%. The price of my breakfast wasn’t
about to double overnight. Still, for the next week every Chinese person asked
me about the yuan, and why Americans care so much about it value. This usually
resulted in a long conversation about the American economy, and the Chinese
surprised by how much the American economy depends on the value of the yuan.
The oil stories this summer have also been intense. The American reaction to
CNOOC’s bid for Unocal is proof that the main priority of the American
government is oil. If you still think we invaded Iraq simply to bring them
democracy, you need to wake up. Every decision the U.S. government makes, and
this includes Republicans and
Democrats, is based on oil. And as we’ve seen
the price of oil climb almost every day over the past two weeks, the oil issue
is only going to become more important. The U.S. government’s main function has
become to insure the steady supply of oil to the American economy. Our entire
economy is predicated on an unlimited supply of oil, and we do absolutely
nothing to prepare for the day when oil won’t be
available.
On a different note, I’m looking
forward to heading home. It’s been nine weeks now that I’ve been away. I’ve
enjoyed my trip, but I’m ready to go home. I really want a bagel, a good NY
slice, and some real Mexican food.
