What happened to HK as Asia's World City?

“What happened to HK as Asia's World City? Now it's HK Inc? Nothing will work unless the politics are removed and the decision makers let HK be as it was”.

The message above is just a snapshot shot sent to me by a longtime friend who lived in Hong Kong until he couldn’t take the incompetence of the city’s one time female Chief Executive.

At the height of his powers, he had his own television show and English and Chinese columns in the media where he interviewed the city’s movers and shakers and was never afraid to ask them the hard questions.

He still visits Hong Kong where he has many good friends and is happy living in Taiwan, where, apparently the women are far better looking than those in Hong Kong.

Maybe, but I prefer the ladies in Scandinavia who are strong, relatively normal, enjoy an uncluttered lifestyle comprising walking and cycling and eating plenty of cheese, pickles and herring.

I actually lived with a unique Dane for some time and and which had its peaks and troughs until the relationship ran its inevitable course.

Time with her was very well spent and I got to know the real Hong Kong as opposed to what is often the make believe one that’s more than a little faux faux and Instagram Influencered.

Love is not a many influencered thing.

As for Hong Kong today, it never ceases to amaze me how so many can take something very simple and complicate the Rubik cube hell out of it.

It wasn’t always like this. This was when we lived for the moment, and made every day count, especially when hit by those rushes of dopamine that would inspire us to look beyond the obvious and feel ashamed if we gave into formulaic thinking and Creative By Committee.

Gawd knows what it is- and I blame social media for everything, especially the world becoming so contrary and lacking in empathy and where it’s constantly raining anger, lies and stupidity.

Yesterday, I read the some of the feedback from something called Redefining Hong Kong organised by the SCMP and where it was suggested that in order to “boost the city’s brand”, this should be under the concept of “Hong Kong Inc”.

As a longtime Hong Kong Belonger, who has spent decades in advertising- and working on a global brand like McDonald’s- marketing and the international music industry, I had to wonder if we in Hong Kong have become a little lost and maybe even dumbed down and talking at cross purposes.

In the article and in no particular order of importance, Bryant Lu, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Golf Club, was quoted as saying, “We have to change the mindset that sport is not just entertainment, it can be a livelihood, and there is a whole economy around it”.

Whoa, Bryant, let’s get out of the bunker and shoot a few eagles and birdies.

There is a “mindset” that sport is just entertainment? Seriously?

And by entertainment, you mean more of that old school singing and dancing to some vapid songs before a sporting event starts?

I agree and find it meaningless, but wasn’t there the mention recently from the hierarchy in the Hong Kong government that sports should incorporate more entertainment- whatever this entertainment is?

The sub-head- “Speakers at forum say HK struggling with local recognition even as tourist numbers are high”- was a bit of a convoluted bummer to read.

The ubiquitous Rosanna Law Shuk pui, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, had chimed in about the Kai Tak Sports Centre being a “powerhouse in drawing tourists” and citing events held there.

The Law person was talking mainly about the success of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament and the first held at the Kai Tak Stadium.

At the end of it all, I was confused yet excited to see how this verbal ping pong match plays out.

The dopamine might have hit by then.