The time’s passing quickly these days, and I can’t determine if it’s because I’m just having so much fun or if it’s that I’ve settled in to the joint. Either way, I feel overdue for a reflection of the life in HK.
Topics in my classes have gotten rather intense lately. First there was today and the topic of Disneyland. We were going over some negative press that the corp has received since opening, and I just couldn’t believe my orejas. Upon hiring their ‘cast members,’ Disney flew a bunch of HK trainees to Anaheim so that they could get learn the disney stylo, and once they were there, they were offered their contracts. Basically, it said that they sign or face getting flown back to HK and billed for their training session. WHAT? No way. My immediate thought was that this had to be illegal, but then…right, illegal in the states (not to mention, initiated by disney-bad bad corporation). I had to keep in mind though that work is much different out here. The security guard downstairs (a lovely middle-aged woman named Yee) works 12-hour shifts EVERYDAY, worked during Chinese New Year, and was still as graceful and pleasant as she always is. Working conditions in Asia are just too demanding for my chillee-cali lifestyle, but merely considered commonplace here. So now I’m thinking all sorts of bad things about myself and all my products and supply-chains and cheap labor and exploitation and materialism and on and on….
I’ve known for a while now of the uneven labor standards around the world, but by living in Asia, I witness it firsthand. This has definitely made an impression on my relationship with products and services. I feel like this goes beyond fair-trade. Things are so cheap here, yet soo expensive in the States. We’ve not only got to make sure the things we buy are sustainable, but also not be suckers for price tags. I think one thing I really respect out here is the haggling. It’s an interaction between the buyer and seller on a price they both agree on. Sometimes you walk away with a deal and the merchant takes one, but in the end, you both come out even. Unlike store price tags, haggling gives the buyer dignity.
HK is also struggling to become a democracy. The Pan-Democratic Camp has been pushing for universal suffrage since 2005, and last year, Beijing told them that they may get it by 2017. Some people are stoked, but the majority of the PD camp want it by 2012. From what I’ve gathered, it seems that HK is not ready for universal suffrage in 2012. They’ve yet to agree on whether or not to keep functional constituencies and took 2 years to finally agree that a timetable for universal suffrage was necessary. Personally I think 2017’s good, I just hope Beijing keeps their word for the sake of people wanting democracy. That’s another subject I’ve been struggling with: is a democracy really the best solution for Hong Kong if they want to remain the freest economy in the world? There’s been some talk about China slowly transitioning Shanghai into the next major hub for trade, which would leave Hong Kong as second to Shanghai. In this case, democracy could be good in that the focus of the nation-state is diverted back to the people. But then again, what if the current elitist system is what keeps Hong Kong so successful in terms of trade? Would a democratic society shift the country away from being the connection between east and west?
I come up with a lot of questions in my classes and turn to my classmates for guidance, and the response I get is certainly different from American style. Rather than doing the usual frown and groan about our flawed system, HK students turn to you with a smile and say, “HK people feel they can’t do anything about it,” or something like, “that’s just the way it is.” At first I was taken aback by this response (why aren’t you doing anything about it then? eff the system!), but I’ve come to realize that it’s a miscommunication. It may sound like people can’t do anything, but it certainly doesn’t mean that people aren’t doing anything. Check out these kids on fixed-gears, storming the streets of Central where people let alone cars have a tough time navigating the streets. I think they just need something big to happen first. These kids are seeing that the labor and political system in HK are changing, and I think that they’ve got it in them to change it to what they want. One kid in my class said it pretty clear to me, “I’ve got a dream.” Sounds cheesy I know, but when he said that, I realized that I have one too and with each other’s help, those dreams could come true. And not in the Disney way where the dreams are quickly shattered when you realized that you just spent two weeks wages in one day, but in the ‘global’ way where we share ideas and help make Hong Kong be the embodiment of the best things democracy offers along with the best things things a traditional marketplace offers.
well done, man
Very interesting reflections here. I too, think we need to bring haggling back in the States. Here’s an article that says it is on the come back: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/business/23haggle.html
eff the system, settle for nothing–but with a smile,