No, this isn't the start to some joke, but it is actually a quite normal experience for me. Hong Kong is a huge metropolitan area with people always coming and going for business or pleasure.
My place of work hires a few expats, and we also deal with many 'foreign' business people. Growing up, I used to think of someone who was foreign meant they were from a strange, far off country. Well, now I am a foreign person, who gets to meet other foreign people.
The day that this blog title was thought up was just another normal day going to lunch. A sales rep was in town meeting with our shop manager. So An American (me), a South African (our shop manager), a Chinese man (shop manager assistant) and a New Zeelander (sales rep) all went out to our local lunch area which is part food, part bar.
Many friends back home always ask about the language barrier and I tell them it is very difficult, but many people speak English. I'm not going to talk about the extreme barrier in regards to our staff (who only speak Chinese) but the language barrier is hard when just speaking in English. On the day we went to lunch, I had to listen very carefully to three completely different accents.
I have met and dined with people from all over the world, and when I get put in a situation with many different accents I have to really listen hard to what is being said. I also have to recognize the differences in wording, especially when visiting with people that learned the 'British English.' I have to remember a boot is a trunk, wellingtons are rubber mud boots, a biscuit is a cookie, chips are french fries, and lemon tea is hot water with a slice of lemon instead of cold iced tea with lemon. I don't even have time to learn Chinese when I'm trying to learn all the English to English conversions! Spelling is also different on some things as well. The entrance to work says, "Turf Care Centre" (it is funny how even my spell check on my computer thinks it is spelled wrong as well.)
Not only do I not fit in with everybody else here as I am an American, but now, for the first time ever, I've been put in to a group. I'm now called a Yank. Sometimes as I sit and listen to people from various countries, they refer to others as Yanks, Kiwis, Aussies, Pomies, etc. It will sure nice to return to the States where I am just a guy from Iowa, not the Yank from the cold part of America.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Shek O Golf Club
In my first few weeks here I was invited by a few Toro Equipment guys to visit Shek O Golf Club with them. It was very beautiful, but first, I need to talk a bit about golf in general in Hong Kong.
Here are some numbers to consider:
Area:
Iowa = 56,272 sq miles
Hong Kong = 426 sq miles
Population:
Iowa = 3,007,856
Hong Kong = 7,055,071
Population Density:
Iowa = 53.5/sq mile
Hong Kong = 15,737.9/sq mile
Golf Courses:
Iowa = 441
Hong Kong = 5
People to # of Courses ratio:
Iowa = 6820 : 1
Hong Kong = 1,411,014.2 : 1
# Courses : Land (sq miles) Ratio
Iowa = 1:127
Hong Kong = 1:85
Membership:
Hong Kong Golf Club: ~2400
Shek O Golf Club: ~350
Just by looking at these data, we can easily make some obvious conclusions. First off, population density was amazing for me to think about. When I grew up at my parents house on the farm, there was about 10 people that lived in our square mile. Now I live in a place that averages over 15,000 people per square mile! I never thought of Iowa as a really big state, but it is 132 times the size of Hong Kong! In my small hometown of 8,000 people, we had one public and one private golf course. I always thought there were quite a few courses in Iowa as they were always fairly easy to get to, but per land area, Hong Kong is more densely packed with courses.
However, getting to play one of these courses is the hard part! There is only one public course here in Hong Kong, which I plan on visiting later, and the others are private. Hong Kong Golf Club has a 25 year waiting list to become a member, and I have no idea how long you would have to wait to become a member of Shek O Golf Club.
The area of Shek O is extremely exclusive, and wealthy. I noticed as I drove down, how the cars became nicer and nicer, and the number of Porshes, Rolls Royces, and Ferraris increased quite a bit. The houses were larger, and the landscape more mountainous. On this side of Hong Kong, many real estate tycoons build their houses, and many of the business people live here as well.
Ok, enough about the area of Shek O...back to golf. Shek O Golf Club is a very short course, with no carts allowed. Many of the fairways overlap each other, which creates very unique, large, odd shaped areas of fairway. This course seems very difficult to play as it is located right on the South China Sea, so you always have a breeze to contend with, and many of the shots are very difficult.Irrigation water for this course is collected from mountainside run off, and is then channeled in to a man made river system that runs through the course and acts as a water feature, as well as a water containment area.
Irrigation water stored in this man made river/water hazard.
(They had just topdressed this area, hence the stressed and thin look of the grass. I can assure you, the rest of the course was in pristine condition.)
Data Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa
http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/state.aspx?state=IA
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Villagers
As I stated earlier, I live in a village, so I guess that makes me a villager? There are many villages around where I live, some blending in with others, and some that are clearly defined by separations caused by high rise apartments and little shopping areas.
Each village seems to be like an advanced form of a neighborhood with even some elected officials and each village getting certain rights. I believe each village started out as a settlement of one family, and as that family grew, the village grew. Obviously, many other people, like myself, have moved in to these villages so the area I live in is sprinkled with other people, other than the origional family.
I also talked earlier about how land ownership has dated back hundreds and hundreds of years and land ownership stays with that family, and village, no matter who else "owns" it. The golf course that I work at, was village land, and is still considered village land, and so the villagers have special rights to still use the land.
Each morning, the villagers are allowed to bring one club, and one ball, and "play" the course. They are not allowed to use the tee boxes or the greens. Some villagers are outfitted in golf shoes and maybe a golf shirt, but most wear plain rubber boots, shorts, baggy tee-shirt, a fanny pack, and maybe a sun visor.
From what I have noticed, it isn't much about the actual playing of golf, but it is a very social thing for them to do. Packs of 4-5 will wander around the course together, each just hitting their balls and chasing them down the fairway. The golf swings aren't very well put together and can sometimes just be a one armed swing at trying to hit the ball. They don't hit very hard, but they tend to be fairly accurate, even when swinging with one hand. I'll hear them call out to each other as they may see a friend on a distant hole, and they are always very talkative amongst themselves.
I believe their morning golf game, is very much like old retired farmers sitting around drinking coffee. It is some action they can perform while socializing and wasting away the time. It is also a way for them to get some fresh air and exercise. They are normally fairly good about staying out of the way, but I have had a few close encounters of getting hit with balls when they weren't paying attention, or giving the staff the right of way.
Some villagers just like to come and walk through the course, or they will use it as a short cut to get to wherever they are going. Some will even come and do tai chi on the tees or out amongst the trees.
Each village seems to be like an advanced form of a neighborhood with even some elected officials and each village getting certain rights. I believe each village started out as a settlement of one family, and as that family grew, the village grew. Obviously, many other people, like myself, have moved in to these villages so the area I live in is sprinkled with other people, other than the origional family.
I also talked earlier about how land ownership has dated back hundreds and hundreds of years and land ownership stays with that family, and village, no matter who else "owns" it. The golf course that I work at, was village land, and is still considered village land, and so the villagers have special rights to still use the land.
Each morning, the villagers are allowed to bring one club, and one ball, and "play" the course. They are not allowed to use the tee boxes or the greens. Some villagers are outfitted in golf shoes and maybe a golf shirt, but most wear plain rubber boots, shorts, baggy tee-shirt, a fanny pack, and maybe a sun visor.
From what I have noticed, it isn't much about the actual playing of golf, but it is a very social thing for them to do. Packs of 4-5 will wander around the course together, each just hitting their balls and chasing them down the fairway. The golf swings aren't very well put together and can sometimes just be a one armed swing at trying to hit the ball. They don't hit very hard, but they tend to be fairly accurate, even when swinging with one hand. I'll hear them call out to each other as they may see a friend on a distant hole, and they are always very talkative amongst themselves.I believe their morning golf game, is very much like old retired farmers sitting around drinking coffee. It is some action they can perform while socializing and wasting away the time. It is also a way for them to get some fresh air and exercise. They are normally fairly good about staying out of the way, but I have had a few close encounters of getting hit with balls when they weren't paying attention, or giving the staff the right of way.
Some villagers just like to come and walk through the course, or they will use it as a short cut to get to wherever they are going. Some will even come and do tai chi on the tees or out amongst the trees.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
My Neighbor
The second night that I was moved in to my apartment, I received a knock on my door. I had no idea why anybody was knocking on my door, and I certainly was not expecting any visitors, so I was a bit confused as to who as at my door. I opened my door to reveal a short Asian man, dressed in a silk robe from the Beijing Hilton, wearing house slippers, who introduced himself in his English name as my neighbor. I introduced who I was and he invited me to the roof top to enjoy a beer with him.
First off, I was completely surprised that somebody else lived in my building. It was very quite and I never even had gone above my floor. However, as we ventured farther upwards in our building, I could easily tell that someone else lived in this building. As we wound up the stairways I saw many of his things crammed in to the narrow hallway. I saw slippers with names of various high quality golf courses on them, and saw golf clubs, and even a fold out putting green. When we reached the roof I was taken aback by the sight. I had a great view of all our village, and can see in to Shenzen China.
View of my village from the rooftop
As my neighbor and I began talking, we found out we had lots in common, and lots to talk about. I learned he did his graduate school work at a school in the US in Artificial Intelligence and his undergrad was in Pure Mathematics. He lived and worked in Silicon Valley, California for quite some time at a very large supercomputing company. My neighbor now has diverted from that type of life and is currently a writer. He was written three books, working on a fourth, and has regular columns in the HK Golf Magazines. He also writes for for the tourism departments of many surrounding countries and is a golf enthusiast.
Shortly after our first meeting, he invited me up again and allowed me in to his apartment. I was delighted to discover he had an electronic organ and a very impressive collection of books (most of which are in English.) We have become very good friends and enjoy playing music together on his organ, or just having me entertain him with my western style of playing. We also have shared books back and forth and discussed all sorts of topics together on our regular roof top meetings ranging from girls, to physics, to golf, to HK business, to almost every other topic in between.
As our friendship has grown, we have become very good friends and I have been invited to both of his house warming parties and have had the honor of meeting some very great people. I have met Editors and GM's of HK Golf magazines and other local publications, a software creator for Apple in China, many British Police Force members, and a very wealthy day trader. Through my neighbor, I have gotten to make connections with all these people and it has been great meeting people that are, and are not, related to my field of work here in Hong Kong.
My neighbor and I have visited the Hong Kong Wetland Park together and have been planning future trips so I can get out and see more of Hong Kong. We have also had Dim Sum together and gone on shopping trips. He has also made me a little "Cheat Sheet" for getting around here. I have a sheet that I carry with me whenever I go out on my own that has the English and Chinese writing that says, "Home", "Closest Mass Transit Station", and our local train station. If I get in a cab and they can't understand where I go, I just whip out my sheet and show him and it makes life easier.
It has been so great having a neighbor like the one I have. He is somebody I can go to for guidance or help, some one to talk with, and has been a great person to go travel around with. I'm sure we will go on many more trips together and it is always great to hear about his travels around the world.
Picture from most recent house warming party with my neighbor.
Front: Golf photographer, Apple employee, GM of local edition of golf magazine
Back: My neighbors girlfriend, my neighbor, two editors for golf magazine and myself.
Notice the guy in the middle front row enjoying a piece of dragon fruit!
First off, I was completely surprised that somebody else lived in my building. It was very quite and I never even had gone above my floor. However, as we ventured farther upwards in our building, I could easily tell that someone else lived in this building. As we wound up the stairways I saw many of his things crammed in to the narrow hallway. I saw slippers with names of various high quality golf courses on them, and saw golf clubs, and even a fold out putting green. When we reached the roof I was taken aback by the sight. I had a great view of all our village, and can see in to Shenzen China.
View of my village from the rooftop
As my neighbor and I began talking, we found out we had lots in common, and lots to talk about. I learned he did his graduate school work at a school in the US in Artificial Intelligence and his undergrad was in Pure Mathematics. He lived and worked in Silicon Valley, California for quite some time at a very large supercomputing company. My neighbor now has diverted from that type of life and is currently a writer. He was written three books, working on a fourth, and has regular columns in the HK Golf Magazines. He also writes for for the tourism departments of many surrounding countries and is a golf enthusiast.
Shortly after our first meeting, he invited me up again and allowed me in to his apartment. I was delighted to discover he had an electronic organ and a very impressive collection of books (most of which are in English.) We have become very good friends and enjoy playing music together on his organ, or just having me entertain him with my western style of playing. We also have shared books back and forth and discussed all sorts of topics together on our regular roof top meetings ranging from girls, to physics, to golf, to HK business, to almost every other topic in between.
As our friendship has grown, we have become very good friends and I have been invited to both of his house warming parties and have had the honor of meeting some very great people. I have met Editors and GM's of HK Golf magazines and other local publications, a software creator for Apple in China, many British Police Force members, and a very wealthy day trader. Through my neighbor, I have gotten to make connections with all these people and it has been great meeting people that are, and are not, related to my field of work here in Hong Kong.
My neighbor and I have visited the Hong Kong Wetland Park together and have been planning future trips so I can get out and see more of Hong Kong. We have also had Dim Sum together and gone on shopping trips. He has also made me a little "Cheat Sheet" for getting around here. I have a sheet that I carry with me whenever I go out on my own that has the English and Chinese writing that says, "Home", "Closest Mass Transit Station", and our local train station. If I get in a cab and they can't understand where I go, I just whip out my sheet and show him and it makes life easier.
It has been so great having a neighbor like the one I have. He is somebody I can go to for guidance or help, some one to talk with, and has been a great person to go travel around with. I'm sure we will go on many more trips together and it is always great to hear about his travels around the world.
Picture from most recent house warming party with my neighbor.
Front: Golf photographer, Apple employee, GM of local edition of golf magazine
Back: My neighbors girlfriend, my neighbor, two editors for golf magazine and myself.
Notice the guy in the middle front row enjoying a piece of dragon fruit!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Lady in the Shack
Hong Kong is a very polarized country in the fact that the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. There is a very small middle class, but for the most part (from my observations and informal conversations with locals) the majority of the people are at one end or the other of the financial spectrum.
The village I live in has parts that look very old. When I go back in these older parts, which I have done so on very few occasions, the buildings are all very close together with alleyways that are very narrow. The sunlight between the buildings is very limited and the air is stagnant. These are just the conditions in my small village with a few thousand people living here and maybe 100 buildings. On the edge of the old part of the village is a nice new lake that is home to many Koi fish and painted turtles. On the other side of the lake, which is where I live, is the new part of the village. The homes are mainly brand new, or just under a year old, with newer homes currently under construction. These places have moderate rent to very high rent (as high as $7 million HKD for purchase of home.) I was lucky enough to be provided with a 2 bedroom, one bath, one kitchen apartment with a nice sized living room and balcony. Unfortunately, my neighbor isn't as lucky.
The shack that my neighbor lives in is on the left, and my apartment is the pink colored one in the background.
When I moved in to the apartment I saw a shack that seemed to be haphazardly put together with various types of building materials. As I passed by, I noticed the door was open and there was somebody rustling around in there. I looked a bit closer and noticed a bed and a nigh table. I said to the person who was helping me move in, "Nobody lives in there, right?"
The sad part is that the little shack is in fact inhabited by a very old lady. She travels around the village picking up cans to take in and sell for scrap metal. I have seen various people come and check on her in the early evening hours and people normally bring her food. I always make a point to take my cans and drop off next to her building so she can take them back for money. I have heard that she is so old, that she speaks the nearly ancient type of Cantonese, which most younger Chinese people can not speak or understand.
I know this is just one example of the many impoverished people who live in Hong Kong and it truly makes me feel grateful for what I have back in the United States. The government here does offer discounted living for people who make less than a certain amount per month and public housing is quite abundant out here. Most public housing is in high rise buildings that look fairly run down, but at least it is a way that people can afford to live here.
A side not about my village: All the buildings in my village are 3-story buildings. Some of the older buildings may only be two, but they are about the same height as a 3 story. It would be very unlikely to ever find a 4-story building here because 4 is a very unlucky number. In high rise apartments, there is never a 4th floor, and they may even leave out the 40-49th floors as well. Theoretically, one could live in a 60 story apartment with only 45 floors. The numbering of apartments here is different than back in the US as well. In the US we consider the first floor to be the first floor. Here, the ground floor is the first floor, then the level after that is the first floor and so on. So I live on the second level of my apartment, but my address is first floor. I know, it is confusing.
The village I live in has parts that look very old. When I go back in these older parts, which I have done so on very few occasions, the buildings are all very close together with alleyways that are very narrow. The sunlight between the buildings is very limited and the air is stagnant. These are just the conditions in my small village with a few thousand people living here and maybe 100 buildings. On the edge of the old part of the village is a nice new lake that is home to many Koi fish and painted turtles. On the other side of the lake, which is where I live, is the new part of the village. The homes are mainly brand new, or just under a year old, with newer homes currently under construction. These places have moderate rent to very high rent (as high as $7 million HKD for purchase of home.) I was lucky enough to be provided with a 2 bedroom, one bath, one kitchen apartment with a nice sized living room and balcony. Unfortunately, my neighbor isn't as lucky.
The shack that my neighbor lives in is on the left, and my apartment is the pink colored one in the background.
The sad part is that the little shack is in fact inhabited by a very old lady. She travels around the village picking up cans to take in and sell for scrap metal. I have seen various people come and check on her in the early evening hours and people normally bring her food. I always make a point to take my cans and drop off next to her building so she can take them back for money. I have heard that she is so old, that she speaks the nearly ancient type of Cantonese, which most younger Chinese people can not speak or understand.
I know this is just one example of the many impoverished people who live in Hong Kong and it truly makes me feel grateful for what I have back in the United States. The government here does offer discounted living for people who make less than a certain amount per month and public housing is quite abundant out here. Most public housing is in high rise buildings that look fairly run down, but at least it is a way that people can afford to live here.
A side not about my village: All the buildings in my village are 3-story buildings. Some of the older buildings may only be two, but they are about the same height as a 3 story. It would be very unlikely to ever find a 4-story building here because 4 is a very unlucky number. In high rise apartments, there is never a 4th floor, and they may even leave out the 40-49th floors as well. Theoretically, one could live in a 60 story apartment with only 45 floors. The numbering of apartments here is different than back in the US as well. In the US we consider the first floor to be the first floor. Here, the ground floor is the first floor, then the level after that is the first floor and so on. So I live on the second level of my apartment, but my address is first floor. I know, it is confusing.
Friday, July 2, 2010
I See Dead People
One of the most unique things I find about my work place is that it not only is a recreation ground, it is also an eternal resting ground.
Land in Hong Kong is believed to belong to a family, no matter who technically "owns" it. Land is passed down through generation to generation and family members still all settle in that general area. My village I live in has many descendants of the Hau (sp?) family. The land is considered to be owned by that family although many land developers have come in and built apartments and schools and what not on it.
From what I understand, the land the Club is located on, is still believed to be owned by different families, even though the Club owns it. I know it is confusing, and I am still not 100% sure how it works, and I don't think I will ever truly be able to understand it either. It is definitely a cultural type belief.
However, since the land belongs to the family, they believe they have the right to bury their dead on it. Throughout all of Hong Kong are many tombs and there are many sprinkled throughout the land the Club encompasses. Below is an example of one:
Even though this tomb looks very old, it is only about 40 years old. I have been practicing reading Chinese numbers so I can identify the dates on more of them, but sometimes the dates are too worn away. I also believe this tomb is of a member of the Hau family as well.
In the very center of the tomb is the name of the person and dates and some extra information. In front of that is a small area to hold incense. I think the belief is burning incense will bring good luck. There are also some tombs that have a small metal container for burning money. The thought behind burning money is that it will pass on to the person in the afterlife and they will be able to use the money. Also, by burning money it shows that you have so much money that you can just burn it and waste it. This is to bring you good luck and more money. On either sides of the tomb are usually two stone markers. These are to save places for people later on who will be buried next to them. The markers also help protect the deceased from unwanted spirits and what not.
All this information was told to me by many co-workers, so it is not absolutely reliably the truth, but it is at least a start to understanding about these odd tombs. If I discover any new information about these, I'll be sure to update it on this blog with more proper information.
Also, these tombs are not unique to just the Club, or the local village. I see many of these tombs throughout my travels in all parts of Hong Kong and will even see them high up in the mountains.
Land in Hong Kong is believed to belong to a family, no matter who technically "owns" it. Land is passed down through generation to generation and family members still all settle in that general area. My village I live in has many descendants of the Hau (sp?) family. The land is considered to be owned by that family although many land developers have come in and built apartments and schools and what not on it.
From what I understand, the land the Club is located on, is still believed to be owned by different families, even though the Club owns it. I know it is confusing, and I am still not 100% sure how it works, and I don't think I will ever truly be able to understand it either. It is definitely a cultural type belief.
However, since the land belongs to the family, they believe they have the right to bury their dead on it. Throughout all of Hong Kong are many tombs and there are many sprinkled throughout the land the Club encompasses. Below is an example of one:
Even though this tomb looks very old, it is only about 40 years old. I have been practicing reading Chinese numbers so I can identify the dates on more of them, but sometimes the dates are too worn away. I also believe this tomb is of a member of the Hau family as well.In the very center of the tomb is the name of the person and dates and some extra information. In front of that is a small area to hold incense. I think the belief is burning incense will bring good luck. There are also some tombs that have a small metal container for burning money. The thought behind burning money is that it will pass on to the person in the afterlife and they will be able to use the money. Also, by burning money it shows that you have so much money that you can just burn it and waste it. This is to bring you good luck and more money. On either sides of the tomb are usually two stone markers. These are to save places for people later on who will be buried next to them. The markers also help protect the deceased from unwanted spirits and what not.
All this information was told to me by many co-workers, so it is not absolutely reliably the truth, but it is at least a start to understanding about these odd tombs. If I discover any new information about these, I'll be sure to update it on this blog with more proper information.
Also, these tombs are not unique to just the Club, or the local village. I see many of these tombs throughout my travels in all parts of Hong Kong and will even see them high up in the mountains.
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