Last Night in Hong Kong

September 09, 2005
Hong Kong is so ridiculously modern. The subway system is a marvel of the world. It's not that there is anything that stands out about it, it's just that every detail is perfect. It is completely clean. You can get from any point in the station while outside the paid area or from within. They have sliding glass doors that open and allow you to enter the subway, preventing that nervousness that you get when you standing three feet away from falling into the tracks and instant death. They have the Octopus proximity cards for paying fare. The cars all have maps of the subway routes above the doors, with electronic dots telling the next station and which side the doors will open. Plus there are the constant reminders by voices everywhere, "Please mind the gap while boardin", "Please hold the handrail while riding the escalator." etc. This is a city that has advanced far enough that it has time worry about these things. For my last night I journeyed into central and rode the tram up Victoria Peak. I took one last look at the skyscrapers of Hong Kong spread out below me. The buildings are so modern, the streets so orderly, I can only wonder if this is what China will look like thirty years from now. Only time will tell.

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