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Suveera began penning the Hong Kong Diary, a weekly column, in 2017. She glances back at the close of the year and tells us what life has been in the Far East. Her gaze is focussed in the future too, with her
wish list. Read more in the Special Feature, exclusively in Different Truths.
The year 2018 is knocking at our doors, pregnant with new promises, and its own hopes and aspirations. As I look back at the year gone by, I feel grateful that I remember it with fondness and envisage the same
as I look at the horizon. I can say that the future is smiling, with certitude. The governing bodies of the place that I call home, have lived up to the trust that I invest in them. The quality of life is enviable, and Hong Kong can compete with the best in the world in all aspects.
Infrastructure and Economy
2017 marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China. Under the one country, two
In 2018, and the years to come, the CEO Carrie Lam, has introduced various schemes to solve the problem. Hopefully in the years to come owning a house, will not be an unreachable goal for most.
Healthy City
Hong Kong has a world-class healthcare system with one of the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rates in the world. The government hospitals are not lacking in any way, and are often the
preferred choice for most. In the future, it is expected to see increased use of telemedicine, robotics, and bioprinting. Innovation and entirely new ways to deal with health care are the need of the
hour, due to an increase in the aging population.
Tourism
Hong Kong is known as the jewel of Asia. It is a very popular tourist destination and over 60 million
Environmental Awareness
Hong Kong has a very consumer-oriented economy with an overabundance of everything. All this
pollutants and toxins are finding their way back into our bodies. A lot of NGOs have come up, who take up the cause of environment conservation. Hopefully, in the New Year, the environment will become
a priority and there will be a shift towards organic farming and sustainable ecosystems.
Art and Culture
In the past few years, the art culture in Hong Kong has boomed. With events like Art Basel, The contemporary art show, and Cockenflap, the exposure to art and music has grown. The West Kowloon cultural district stands out in the city’s art culture. It is a prime waterfront land, dedicated to the visual and performing arts. Culturally there are many festivals celebrated with zest. Chinese New Year, Mid-autumn festival and Christmas. Even western festivities are quite popular. Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Oktoberfest (the German beer festival) are adopted as own. Even Diwali is celebrated with fervor in the kids’ school. Traditional events like Tai o Dragon boat water parade and the dragon dance have been inscribed as the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Safety and Security
The rule of law, excellent education, and a comprehensive welfare system combine to create a stable and safe environment for people to live and thrive. International Surveys consistently rate Hong Kong as
the least corrupt cities in Asia. It has one of the lowest overall crime rates in the world. Food safety is paramount and the centre for food and safety adopts the ‘farm to table’ strategy. Ethnic minorities
live in harmony and there is the equal opportunities forum to protect their interests.
The future seems bright, and even though the world economy is on a decline, a huge impact is not visible on a day to day level. Life goes on with meticulous precision day after day, months turned into years.
2018 is here, bringing along its own trials and tribulations, along with its joys and presents.
On the personal front, I look ahead with optimism. The last year has been wonderful. It’s bliss to wake up every day to a beautiful sunrise over the sea. They say I am a writer now. So in 2018, I need a writing desk, a computer, a brooding expression on my face, and a bottle of wine. Let’s begin with the bottle of wine. Cheers!
©Suveera Sharma
Photos sourced from the author from Internet
#HongKong #HongKongDiary # InfrastructureAndEconomyInHong
Very informative and interesting article, Suveera. These past few months, its been a delight reading everything you write. Looking forward to more in this New Year. More power to you as a writer : ).
Happy 2018 and beyond Suvee. Looking at all the positives …. what a wonderful way to start a new Jan. Loved the visualisation at the start and the conclusion of the article. Lets start looking for the writers table…
Nicely written and well summarised:)
I, for one, didn’t even know about some of the points mentioned here, e.g., about the farm to table strategy employed for food safety, despite having lived here for a while and benefited from it.
Here’s wishing you and your readers a very happy and prosperous 2018!
Looking forward to more such content this year!
Thankyou and Happy 2018