Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: Kowloon, HongKong: A Travel Series #07
From: earlj@mdcbbs.com
Date: 8 Apr 92 12:54:13 GMT
Organization: M&E (Division of EDS), Cypress CA
Nntp-Posting-User: earlj



    [ Abit about earlj:  I own a wooden sailboat named Eventyr; this
      boat means everything to me.  I have also earned a USCoast Guard
      Merchant Marine Masters license.  Or rather, I'm a professional
      Captain certified by the USCG to command vessels carrying paying
      passengers.  I consider myself more a Man-of-the-Sea than a world
      traveler.  Unfortunately, I'm employed as a systems programmer.
      4/8/92 -- earlj ]


             <<< NOTES::NOTES$DISK:[NOTES$LIBRARY]SOAPBOX.NOTE;1 >>>
                            -< Soapbox Conference >-
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Note 22.51                     For Travel Only...                      51 of 370
BBS::EARLJ "Earl Yin Jew MDC M&E-SWEng"              66 lines   8-AUG-1989 12:26
                         -< Against Caution and Fear >-
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    After last night's transforming rebirth, I watched Kowloon from my 16th
    floor hotel window.  It was 5:30am and the sun dimly lit the city's
    cloudless skyline.  The monsoon rains had washed the dreariness of the
    night and exposed a horrendous jumble of colorful shop signs and ads. 
    Forcing a steady calmness against my fear, I knew I would go that
    afternoon.  But for now, I dressed in running shorts and prepared to
    descend upon an awakening city... Kowloon (the nine dragons).

    -------------------------

    Hong Kong is a major port of trade for the world, but it is the key
    threshold of exchange for the People's Republic of China (PRC).  Hong
    Kong consists of several islands and some territory on the continental
    mainland.  One of the larger islands is called Hong Kong, this British
    colony's namesake.  Hills and small mountains dominate the landscape;
    there's little ground for agriculture.  And it's very densely populated
    with almost 6 million people; 98% are cantonese-speaking chinese.  The
    colony's economic subsistence is wholely dependent upon trade for food,
    labor, durables, etc.  The climate is sub-tropical: hot, humid, rainy,
    clear and cloudy, and then stifling-still during summer.  With a
    greater shortage of land, buildings and people are packed together
    tighter than in Japan.  Hong Kong has a parliament-like government.

    The architecture is sophisticated and substantial; the buildings have
    small footprints but reach for the heavens.  I saw mostly concrete,
    steel, glass, and plaster with an occasional facade of marble or
    masonry.  It's sometimes difficult to distinguish residential apartments
    from commercial offices because they appear to be combined.  Often
    apartments are retro-constructed atop reinforced office structures.
    Bamboo is used in lieu of wood for construction scaffolding.  It's
    amazing what can be done using bamboo, (bamboo may be stronger and
    tougher than most woods). 

    An outstanding feature is Hong Kong's harbor.  Only vessels of trade
    and commerce ply these waters.  I saw nothing military and nothing
    recreational save a few harbor touring boats for sight-seers.  Steel
    hulled cargo ships move tons of raw materials from the Pearl River of
    China.  Junks lumber along while Sampans scurry in-and-out of
    everywhere.  Fishing boats dock to unload their fresh catches.  And the
    mainland-to-Hong Kong island ferries transport thousands to and from
    their jobs and home.  Someday, Eventyr will be an out-of-character
    Norwegian double-ended cutter exploring this harbor with a
    chinese-american skipper.

    The level of affluence is quite high.  There is alot of money in Hong
    Kong, and the capitalistic way of life can be felt in every breathing
    soul.  This is not inconsistent with the independent, work-and-prosper
    mentality of the Cantonese chinese.  The root of this culture is just
    up the Pearl River within a hundred miles; this is the city of
    Guangzhou, PRC (or formerly Canton).  Guangzhou is the center hub of my
    father and mother's lineage. And being the first American-born child of
    either side, the old ways are still tangible, but vanishing fast.  

    -------------------------

    When I returned from that morning's trek through Kowloon, I stowed half
    of my luggage preparing for a two day sortie.  The time was not right,
    but "the Sleeping Giant" was too near to be ignored.  I had to rally my
    wits, ingenuity, and lust for life against caution and fear.

    Within two hours, I found myself on a "luxury class" train bound for
    the border of the PRC with my stop at Guangzhou's train station.  June
    27th, just 23 days after the Tian-An-Men Square massacre, I entered the
    massive nation of the People's Republic of China.

    earlj