Archive for November, 2007

You can’t but help compare the different lifestyles we lead…
Chris and I are currently in Hong Kong to attend the amazing Comsoprof Asia exhibition.

This is one of the largest gatherings of suppliers of beauty, health and related products in Asia and it is the 3rd year that moon haven has exhibited.

I love Hong Kong…it is so diverse and vibrant – it is alive 24/7 and down every alleyway there is always something to see and experience.

One of our favourite things to do is to jump on the very efficient MRT (Mass Rail Transport – underground train system) and pop up somewhere new to explore.

Last night we went to Central on Hong Kong Island and rode the travelator to the mid levels This marvel of machinery and human endeavour is the longest series of escalators and moving walk ways in the world and takes you from the busy shopping areas of central Hong Kong to the cooler residential areas halfway up the mountain side leading to”The Peak”.

The travelator is are great way to glimpse into the inner workings of Hong Kong. As you go upwards you travel from high end shopping areas through Soho ( the restaurant and bar district) and as you ascend then you go onto more residential flats…high rise and crowded) until you reach the end where it is green and leafy with botanical gardens and museums close at hand and of course more exclusive homes.

As you pass through the different levels you can glimpse into peoples lives…a huge stuffed toy dog pushed up high in a corner of a room… several old men huddled around a small table playing mahjong… westerners crowded into an Irish pub… columns of taxis lined up after dropping off their fares and coming down from The Peak, workers rushing up the travelator going home at 7.00 pm with various vegetables, meats and unusual shaped packages under their arms, small children sitting at tables heads down with a book in front of them studying…even small night schools teaching English to adults, all this and more can be glimpsed on your journey upwards.

It certainly brings home to me how we lead such a separate life out in rural Australia. Although connected and tight knitted, our rural community is a far cry from the mass of humanity on show here in Hong Kong. Vive la difference!