Materials Man

Sent by Wimpey Asphalt to set up a post as technical manager, I arrived in Hong Kong, the MD immediately set about me with beer and the need to stay. I was resolute having been an expat I had to measure up the place. It did not measure up, plus for the first time in my life I had jet lag!! When you lie awake in the middle of the night having had a belly full of beer you know you are in trouble. So what of Hong Kong? Great for shopping, terrible for driving, most cars are automatic, because you are always in a jam. You can tell it’s crowded from day one, and also rich, if you judge wealth by the cars around you, and the number that need dough to buy them, the place has wealthy people.
Strange things happen, I suppose to everybody by association with others, but when you change your others to a well heeled lawyer whose sister is your cleaner and cook, (don’t ask, it’s about pride) then another world can open up. Wealth, cars, boats, property.
I did see from my automatic Toyota, people’s debris from sleeping under flyovers, so not all wealthy. But it never is, Hong Hong was then buzzing, those people are not Chinese communist types, (whatever that means) they work hard and want to prosper.
Why did I not stay? the natural environment was knackered, anything that moved was game, there were no open areas where natural life was confined and accessible. Humanity prevailed !! terrible to behold.
Want to shop? Hong Kong cannot be beaten.
Want to be surrounded by more people than you can imagine, who are polite and do not pester you or beg, Hong Kong is the place.