New York vs. Hong Kong

[aab7772003]

What "misconceptions" am I spreading exactly? You do not like these "misconceptions" because they expose Hong Kong can be as unpleasant as New York is when New York also happends to have this global reputation of being nasty?

I am SOOOO sorry about being unclear how the local populations of the cities in the West to pick out the expatriates. In fact, local Caucasian residents very often can pick Caucasian expatriates or simply tourists out by just looking at them. The identificatiion process is not black and white but neither is it rocket science.

SOOO sorry about the misconceptions. I wish that I had this kind of talent to make things up!

[HSBC]

Originally Posted by aab7772003

What "misconceptions" am I spreading exactly? You do not like these "misconceptions" because they expose Hong Kong can be as unpleasant as New York is when New York also happends to have this global reputation of being nasty?

I am SOOOO sorry about being unclear how the local populations of the cities in the West to pick out the expatriates. In fact, local Caucasian residents very often can pick Caucasian expatriates or simply tourists out by just looking at them. The identificatiion process is not black and white but neither is it rocket science.

SOOO sorry about the misconceptions. I wish that I had this kind of talent to make things up!

Oh...you don't need to apologise here. We don't need this kind of thing here.

Well, I know you have at least the "super talent" of telling who is and who is not a local among the Caucasian. If you are wearing your "North Face", walking around with a backpack, even an idiot can also tell you are a tourist.

Having asked Caucasian of both Western European and Australian origins, I can tell u that most of them would not be able to differentiate between who is local and who is not, if u just simply look at that person walking on the street. How can u tell there is a British expat walking in the crowd in NY?

[acc521]

He's just trolling for comments HSBC. Taking comments out of context and being purposefully antagonistic.

My example is the perfect one. I'm Australian, look Greek-Macedonian, and if NYC would be assumed, walking down the street, to be a local. Walking through the streets of HK it's pretty obvious that I'm not Chinese lol.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by aab7772003

It is you who brought up Valerie Plame and politics. I was talking about the media industry in New York. There is a very developed check-and-balance system to regulate your idea of out of control media in the West. FYI, critics being scilenced in the US is simply not tolerated; therefore, the critics will not be silenced when speaking for your own beliefs is simply part of the American way of life. The whole madness with Varlie Plame was finally settled by the US Supreme Court.

By the way, versus does not even have the connotation of celebration.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/versus

Suggest you to look back at the context provided in the very first post. It's much easier to look at what's been explained already than look up the word in a dictionary. Comparisons don't always have to be negative. Comparison can be positive, and is not solely reserved for a head-beating exercise where nothing good turns out. It's simple logic.

There are attempts to get rid of critics, such as the Plame scandal, and attempts have been and continue to occur around the world. The motivation behind these attempts is clearly to silence criticism. The scary thing is while people believe there is a checks and balances system in place, it is never a complete assurance that it works. The practical reality is there are tweaks along the way, and bad things will happen every now and then. It's like saying just because we have a justice system that punishes bad people then bad things will never happen.

[aab7772003]

In Europe, Europeans do not even wear North Face fleece and carry backpacks when they travel everywhere. For example, Germans often (not always) can quickly spot out who Spaniards and French people are on the streets in Germany. If I am simply out to troll for comments, I will write comments like the one acc521 just wrote. HSBC, take some time to ask the same question with more Europeans again. The situation with Caucasians in Hong Kong is like Americans in Europe; they simply roar with their presence.

[HSBC]

Originally Posted by aab7772003

In Europe, Europeans do not even wear North Face fleece and carry backpacks when they travel everywhere. For example, Germans often (not always) can quickly spot out who Spaniards and French people are on the streets in Germany. If I am simply out to troll for comments, I will write comments like the one acc521 just wrote. HSBC, take some time to ask the same question with more Europeans again. The situation with Caucasians in Hong Kong is like Americans in Europe; they simply roar with their presence.

Quite a few of my good friends are actually european of swiss, german and french origins. They don't represent the entire Europe of course, but they pretty much can give me an idea about what it is like in their parts of the world.
For western european, they can always differentiate between themselves and eastern european. They always call the people from eastern european having this distinctive "Eastern european faces". But then they have trouble of differentiating among themselves. Of course, if you take a southern Italian man to Nordic countries, that might be a different case.
But in New York, from the country where there are caucasian of different european roots, how can you really tell a Europe borned european walking on the street in NY?
I highly doubt if you can.


To reply to your first point, few of the German guys/girls I met in backpackers in Australia, did wear North Face. That could be co-incident.
But European do wear "North Face".

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by aab7772003

In Europe, Europeans do not even wear North Face fleece and carry backpacks when they travel everywhere. For example, Germans often (not always) can quickly spot out who Spaniards and French people are on the streets in Germany. If I am simply out to troll for comments, I will write comments like the one acc521 just wrote. HSBC, take some time to ask the same question with more Europeans again. The situation with Caucasians in Hong Kong is like Americans in Europe; they simply roar with their presence.

Are you sure that if you're above the street looking down in a sea of people going along the Champs Elysees that you can easily spot out the foreigners, the fellow European tourists who wear North Face?

Perceptions often come with the most high level senses, and I doubt people will form their opinions based on detailed analysis down to the clothing brand. That's why it's a perception.

[aab7772003]

HSBC, I am living in Europe. I guess my idea of Europe is no way second-hand. I only see people wearing North Face a couple days ever year here. Thank you for presenting your exceptions. I live in a city rather than in a village, so do not pull another exception like "maybe you do not live in a metro area" out of your hat. I guess that answers to the question of hkskyline too; I do not hang out on Champs Elysees every day. I guess it only matters to you when people stands out by race without taking any other visual clues into account.

[acc521]

But we were talking about people working and living overseas. You changed it into a discussion on recognising tourists. Tourists generally stick out everywhere - I agree with you on that point for sure.

[aab7772003]

acc521, according to your claim, you do not even stick out as a Greek Macedonian Australian tourist in New York. I used to live in Washington, DC, and I found that many European expats in DC do stick out.

[acc521]

I guess it depends on how well an individual can adapt to a different city. But the same goes for people from different cities within the same country.

I do know what you mean. When in HK I could tell at times when a Chinese person was not a local.

[hkskyline]

We live in a globalized world. Plenty of brands and mass market designs are easily available around the world. People are exposed to many cultures, and may express themselves in a few even without knowing. The best way to formulate a perception is high-level, and the face is the first thing that comes to mind. The clothes can easily be replicated in numerous cities and are not exactly very reliable visual cues.

[acc521]

Well put. We are talking at a high, generalised level here.

[drink.think]

I like Hk better!

[EricIsHim]

Let's turn our clock back 71 years, and see what were Hong Kong and New York like in 1938.
(You probably can watch both at the same time. The New York one has no audio and can be pretty dry after a few minutes.

[christos-greece]

New York vs Hong Kong?
New York its a very nice city, but Hong Kong its great, different; the skyline, the terrain

[teddybear]

Interesting 1938 video. Seems both cities have enjoyed a lot of growth, but HK economic growth looks more tremendous or massive. In 1938 HK only has 1 "tall" building, but now it has so many, the best skyline in the world.

[acc521]

I was at "The Heineken Experience" in Amsterdam today. They have screens across the walls in the bar section showing stills and footage from a few cities around the world. HK and NYC are both featured heavily. Both very, very cool places

[Jakarta]

New York GDP USD 1,4 Trillion (USD 120.000 per capita)
Hongkong GDP USD 250 Billion (USD 50.000 per capita)

New York had 7.700 highrise above 10 stories most of them very single unique building different with other building and 60% are office building
Hongkong had 7.600 highrise above 10 stories most of them are mass commie blocks, a looks like building, 60% are residential

[heavyrain2408]

I love the diverse architectures in NYC. They are historical and unique.

HK has just only few interesting buildings. Most of the buildings there are just simply some apartments buildings which are blocks of cements to me.
I myself only see HK beautiful at night ... but hey NYC at night is much more shining.