This City

This City is growing soooooo fast, I can't keep up!

*note to self*

Later blog topics:
How evolution (levels of of selection) can explain why it's better to be nice to strangers than to be mean.

How to preserve Chinese New Years traditions (inscents, red envelop) and conserve resources at the same time.

No Mo' Plastic Baaags (Minnesotan accent)

*Image above: In order to promote irresponsible use of plastic bags, the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department designed this plastic bag*

The supermarket in Hong Kong, Park N' Shop, has discontinued giving out plastic bags to shoppers. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags. If shoppers forget to bring their own bags, they must purchase a reusable bag at a low cost of $0.50 HKG, which equals to $0.06 USD.

This is a great way to get people to get used to bringing their own bags as well as banning plastics. There's a penalty price of $0.50 HKG for not bringing your own bag but the penalty is affordable. Shoppers will slowly begin to acknowledge the importance of bringing their own bags because they are not going to want to pay extra every time they go grocery shopping and they are going to have a large build up at home of the reuseables they have purchased in the past.

In fact, lots of shops (clothing, food...) are giving out reusable bags instead of plastics and lots of places are charging for plastics bags. Those that are doing neither are at least asking their customers whether they brought their own bag or not. The first step of banning plastic is there, we just need to progress and we as shoppers need to remember one more thing before leaving the house, bring your reusable bag!

Illegal Trash Dumping in Beijing

There's a Chinese photographer that has captured pictures from various places around Beijing where illegal dumping of trash has occured in order to spread awareness. In order to save money, these dump trucks have resulted in dumping at places near living quarters and schools. The cost to drop off one truck load of trash at a legal dump site costs are $200+ RBM, whereas $30-40 RBM at these illegal sites.

These illegal dump sites are creating environmental and health hazards. The water from the trash is leaking and contaminating the groundwater system. The groundwater is then being used to water crops on nearby farms and these crops are being sold to the people of Beijing. Children are living in close quarters to these illegal dump sites and are living amongst piles and piles of trash. Without education, these children will begin to think that it is normal and acceptable to live in such an unsanitary environment. This photographer has mapped out hundreds of places where this is occuring. Without government regulation and enforcement this is going to continue. Groundwater contamination can cause many problems, and costs lots of money to fix. The Chinese government must take action before it's too late.

I heard about all of this when I was watching the news yesterday. I wish I remembererd the name of the magnificent photographer, his photos were shocking, beautiful and conveys such an important message. I say beautiful in the sense that he has captured such amazing imagines but I don't want to use the word beautiful because of the horrible thing that is happening. I feel thankful that someone has taken action to try to make a difference, thank you!

The Chinese government has a lot of work to do in the environmental field. Let's not wait until it's too late.

Places I want to live at

*Photo above is taken in New Zealand*

Norway, New Zealand, Sweden are all places I want to live in. Their human population is small, and their natural resources are plentiful.

I have never been to Norway or Sweden but I have seen pictures and heard about how wonderful it is there. Life just seems more simple. I have been to New Zealand, I was only 9 years old and the experience was UNFORGETABLE. It is the most beautiful place I had ever been to. The waterfalls, the caves, the landscape, the people...everything was so amazing. The preservation of nature there is amazing.

Someday I will live there.

Leave the Abalones Alone

As a tradition of Chinese New Years, the day before new years day families gather together to have dinner and one of the main items on the menu is abalone. Abalones are a delicacy amongst seafood lovers, especially in Asia, however due to their high demand they recently been listed on the endangered species list. As of February 19, 2009 the black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) has been officially listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. All fishing of abalones in California is now regulated. Most of the abalones fished are usually exported to Asia. White abalone dinner is priced at about $450 in Hong Kong.

The biological lifestyle of abalones make it difffcult for them to survive. Abalones do not move once they have found a home. If there is not an abalone of the opposit sex within a yard away, they do not stand a chance to reproduce. As fishing of abalones continue, a lot of survivors don't have the opportunity to reproduce.

There are currently "fake" abalones that can be purchased and taste the same as real abalones, they are less expensive and less detrimental to the environment. One of these substitute is a kind of fungus and the other is made of flour. Let's promote the use of these substitutes so we can prevent further damage to the abalone population.

Reasons why Green is the best colour ever!

1. It's the colour of marijuana
2. Plants!
3. Photosynethesis (falls in with plants)
4. the middle of the visible light spectrum, thus making it the most balanced colour of all.
5. GREENS!

Can't think of anymore reasons right now.

(I spelled color, colour because I am in HKG, must fit in with everyone)

Still Haunts Me

The events that took place 5 months ago still haunts me today. The look on his face when I left him, he faint images of him hurting me, and the series of craziness that surfaced soon after are all such scarring images in my head still. I miss him because he was my best friend but I loathe him for all the harm he created. I want to be able to maintain a friendship with him but my resentment towards him is still too strong, I am starting to think it will never go away. He is ready to be my friend but what is the point? It would just complicate things...right?

The only reason I can come up with to explain the slight temptation I have to talk to him again is simply the fact that I miss him as a friend and a person, but not as my boyfriend, and definately not as a roomate. If my intentions and feelings are so clear to me then it should be okay to keep in touch with him as a friend, right? I think part of the reason I feel the way I feel right now is because I feel bad about how badly I treated him at the end, as well as the fact that I watched him suffer and did nothing to help him but at that point we were no longer together and I knew I had to end it.

Whatever reason it may be that I feel the way I do, I just don't know if it is a good idea to keep in contact with him. I hate to admit it but a very very very microscopic part of my brain still misses him, flirts with the idea of going back to him and is tempted to jump back into my old ways...however that will only create temporary happiness and long-term pain.

Food for Thought

Over-analyzing things can make a person go crazy...it's not good for you.

The combination of cultural differences and generation gap is overwhelming.

Assumptions and expectations (of the other person) are the two things one must avoid in all relationships. It is those expectations that create let-downs and thus creating problems and conflicts.

Sundays in Hong Kong

*image above is the exact mall that I was at today*

Everything here is so fast pace, if you're not fast enough other people will budge in front and take your spot in line and this act is the norm.

We went out for dim sum today and when we paid, the server already had the exact change ready for us. They predict that you will pay with the next bill up from the total amount, for example the total was $298 HKD he had change ready for a $500 bill which was exactly what we used to pay with. We didn't have to wait a second for the change, he had it prepared already. The efficiency of the restaurants and stores here is amazing. Efficiency level must be high in order to fulfill the needs of soooo many people. I love this city but there are too many people here.

At several places we went to today, I would walk in the store and get directly to wait in line while my sister went to get what she needed just so we would save time. There is a line for everything!! Don't even get me started about the line to the women's restroom...out the door!

It was exhausting to be out today (Sunday).

FOOD!

Oyster, chocolate fondue, sushi, curry, ice cream, mochi!
Mango wrapped in mochi...that was delicious!

HKG, People are Everywhere

After being gone for 2 years, it is strange how everything still feels so familiar here. There are several new buildings and such but for the most part everything is pretty much the same. We past two of my old houses and they were exactly the same but just older.

This city is heavily populated. There's constant dodging of people when walking on the street. Concrete dominates the ground, signs (advertisement, street signs) dominate the sky, people dominate the sidewalks and public transportation and luxury cars dominate the roads. There is simply no space. Houses (condos here) are so extremely over priced. The cost of one square foot in an average complex (with current housing price)is about $10,000 HKD which converts to about $1269 USD per square foot. A 1,200 square foot complex is priced at about $1,522,800 USD. Phew!! Talk about high demand (correlated with overpopulation of course).

The city is covered with concrete but green mountains take over the landscape background. Hong Kong receives a good amount of water from rain and the humidity so plant life grows easily here (unlike Southern Californis). Any area that is not paved (mediuns of the streets and certain parts of the side walks) is thriving with plant life. If the city didn't exist, this place would be a giant green mass covered by photosynethetic life forms as primary producers.

The Love of My Life

1. My wonderful friends!!
2. HB
3. Health

I feel so loved, I feel so good, thank you everyone for everything