Thursday, March 19, 2009

Practical magic


From a flat in a rarefied gated community full of expats, who go from house to car to office without ever setting foot in the street, I've moved to Ma Hang in Stanley; a public housing estate, where there's mah jong tables out the back, shaded areas, a big stone dragon, waterfalls, an auditorium where people do tai chi, and, at the bus stop, a row of chairs donated by locals for the old folk.

6 comments:

Claire said...

That wouldn't happen in Tranent, but if it did, they wouldn't last long - they'd either be nicked or smashed up. Sigh...

Anonymous said...

It's very nice of them to donate chairs.

One wonders where the sense of civic responsibility and community has gone in the UK.

LottieP said...

Hong Kongers aren't always as civilised as this, but concern and respect for old people seems to be more prevalent.

LottieP said...

An update: some fancy steel and black leather bar stools (a bit too 1980s for my taste, but nonethless quite flashy) appeared on Sunday, but were gone this morning; so it appears that if the style's to someone's taste, they will be rehoused with all due dispatch.

Gweipo said...

Funny how the government seems to think that no-one ever needs to sit anywhere, there is a dearth of seating anywhere, bus stops, country parks, viewing points, city centre, we just have to 'stand and stare'

LottieP said...

Hello, Gweipo. Indeed, it is a mystery why there is so little public seating in Hong Kong. Even in the UK bus shelters often have built-in seating. In shopping malls and airports, it's deliberate, on the expectation that people denied a seat will shop instead. But at a bus stop?