Stop 3.2 Hong Kong – A hike to the peak

After a lazy Sunday with only a visit to the history museum of HK (actually a well-made, large museum. it had recreated how HK looked like in the past years, the parts about the formation of the land was a bit toooo far fetched, but the recent histories were well made), I went for a hike to the Peak on HK island. As usual, I will not post the usual scenary photots but only the photo below.

The interesting elements in this photo are:

  • Grandma, who is living on the HK island and walking up to the peak everyday.
  • The giant teddy bear in the apartment
  • Of course the high buildings representing the state of living on the HK island
  • I would love to add something else on the picture which I saw on the way: Philipino maid walking with a young western boy

I talked to Grandma and asked her about her living. She is 76  years old and is living with her child (married, the she lives together with the couple) somewhere on the island. They work in a bank and construction business. Her grandchildren are off to somewhere (she mentioned UK) in the world to study. (no surprise) I asked her whether they are coming back for the CNY. She said, she doesn’t know. Compared to the taxi driver I met on Saturday, who is 75, she seemed much older.

The above picture is a part of Grandma’s daily routine and I think this is typical for the modern day living in HK (or in any major asian city such as Shanghai). A generation of people, formed by their own experience, want to provide a better (‘better’ in parents’ interpretation) living condition for their kids (I am one of those kids and my parents belong to this generation). They go out in the world and try their hardest to work and provide those conditions (conditions can be different things). Often, they wouldn’t be able to spend time with the kids. The teddy bear would be something symbolic for that. The child might feel lonely and just want something that he/she can hug. Grandparents would help out in such cases and take care of the children, or, missing on this pictures, having a nanny to help out. In case of a nanny, who might even become the closest person that the child is with, can shape the kid’s character in certain ways too.

I still think that the most important thing for a kid’s childhood is parenting. The things that get taught in school are more or less standard for everyone. But the right mindset/attitude and value standards are taught by our parents. With the lack of time to do the actual parenting, it is difficult to shape the children’s mind or character. He/she might get lost or end up in wrong paths and never come back. (I actually met a Uber driver on my last night in HK who had this kind of experience, but he made it back luckily)

So while some people are focusing on providing materials for the younger generation, which is understandable due to the conditions in the past, some other things are neglected. In the end, what is the meaning of parenting? And what is the meaning of being or become an adult? Also what is love from parents to their children, is it just to give them whatever they want? To spoil them and let them drown within that kind of definition of love? How will such kids be able to handle the adult life once there is no such support anymore? I don’t want any bad things to happen to anyone, but one day, our parents will grow old and might not be able to do what they used to do, one day, maybe the market will crash and they will loose all their assets. Everyone should live a happy life and enjoy themselves. Our parents should do that too. Why let them worry about us? Let them go out and have a good time too. Being adult means ultimately to be responsible for ourselves and go through life and deal with everything that comes at us. Life isn’t easy for anyone. Why make it harder if you can make it easier for your parents?

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me, just shortly after the first post of HK, I am catching up 🙂

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