Anson's Random Dumps #2
Well would you look at that – two days in and I’m already starting to show signs of a broken habit. Classic me. I guess passing out on a bed until the following morning, without even taking a shower, is really beneficial to keeping a journal-taking habit.
Anyway, isolation really does wonders, eh? Having spent half a day on a dumbbell-shaped island (i.e. Cheung Chau) the day before, unless you have very un-keen eyes, you could see simply how different the lifestyle there was. Everyone rode bikes or something similar in that regard. The largest cars there were smaller than a private car. Even the firetrucks! Were miniscule. Well at least they reached the size of a caravan. Heck – even their restaurants look different, and they sell vastly different things, not to mention the lack of an electronics store from what I’ve seen! Such a missed business opportunity. Hey – if someone opens one in the future, be sure to credit me; and I’m legally bound to receive some of the accrued profits. The only thing that stayed constant? The familiar store branches and the good ol’ street sign.
The thing that baffles me though – a lot of these people have to go out to the city to work. It’s part of their lifestyle. And everyone knows how fast-paced of a city Hong Kong is. That island is like the complete opposite though – everyone takes everything slowly, and enjoys just biking round town, or chowing down the myriad of novelty snack items that made Cheung Chau famous.
I was there for half a day, and as much as I would like to deny it, I am very much not used to a slow lifestyle. I had always looked up to it, I envied cities in Europe that were known for these kinds of life, but when that lifestyle is shoved in front of my face, I can’t get used to it.
Yet the locals seem to be doing just fine. They blend into the city so well, that you’d not notice one came from there unless you asked. And when they return from work, they seem like just enjoying life from my point of view. Of course, I might very well be wrong here, but if that’s the case, I’m amazed at how they do it. Do they adjust their mindsets in the ferry? Is it just pure magic? I dunno.
How would it feel like if people walked past your house every single day? I honestly have no idea; but it seems the Cheung Chau residents might have a very clear idea on that. I went to the island with four people, and they decided to stumble across the local villages while strolling around the island. To them, it might feel like this is the part of the experience; but I always wonder what the locals think about it. Is it such a nuisance? Or have they just got used to it (which is probably the case)? Unfortunately, I cannot answer these questions.
What I can answer though, is why the villages are this easy to stumble across in the first place. The locals all trust one another. Even if I was unable to see this happening directly with my own eyes, everything on the island suggests so. I could enter a front garden of a person’s house if I so desire. (My partners even suggested to take a picture for social media there because it “looked nice”. Thank god they gave it up because who’d want their house show up in someone else’s profile picture? Not me at the least.) Although there are multiple villages on Cheung Chau, I think that the whole island is just one big village – with its own traditions, its traditional food, and most importantly – its adaptive and trustworthy residents.
Well that’s enough rambling for now. Can’t believe I typed this entire entry on a phone. Guess it wasn’t as bad as I envisioned. Was certainly a blast to go to Cheung Chau. Their giant fish balls are a must-try. Haven’t tried their mochi but I got a box to-go. Such a shame we couldn’t stay for dinner and dessert. At least looking at the city rain while enjoying life in a café felt pretty nice.
Anson