Value of Hong Kong People
71What Hong Kong people look, like and tend to be today
I went home this summer from the U.S.A. back to my faraway sweet home town--Hong Kong. It is a beautiful city that filled with full of energy, life, high technology, top of line fashion, one of most flourish and prosperous city about its finance and hospitality center in the world. I have no doubt that if I didn't grow up in this place, I would be completely shocked by its crowdingness of people. Tons of folks plus a lot of foreigners are flocking forth and back on the street. I am afraid someone would stepped on my feet if I walk any slower than the speed of crossing the busy traffic in America. The best way to compare Hong Kong, is to compare with New York City. Although it is the second city that I loved the most, it lacks of scenes of beautiful people or shopping windowns that can amazed or delighted me besides the Main Fashion Avenue around the Madison Square Garden or Rocket Fellow Center. Contrarily, Hong Kong is a heaven for shopping and fashion, you will easily get your eyes weary by looking around those people and shopping windows. I strongly recommend fashion nut should check out the Causeway Bay, Wang Chai, Central, Tsim Sha Tsui....etc
I don't usually make any judgement about how people look since I believe beauty is deep in the skin. I do think that Asians, Africans or Caucasians all have their own beauty, It totally depends on how we look at them, which also bases on different culture or value. The world we are living today is filled up with abundant mass media, sex, violence,,, and another "precious product" is Materiality. How Hong Kong people amazed me is what they look---"Vanity".Don't be surprised! Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, YSL, Burberry,Lanvin, Missoni, Chole, ......endless list of brands can be "exhixibited" and "displayed" on different people. I can say that they would be counterfeit items if I am in Mainland China. But in Hong Kong, it isn't legal to wear fake stuff. But what open my eyes is even a 17 teenager girl is wearing her LV school backpack at Monkok.
How these 17- 20 teenagers have money to pay for these luxury stuffs? These luxurous brands, only a small handbag can cost an adult almost a regular monthly salary. it is assumed that their parents gonna be very rich or they can find whatever jobs that can raise a bunch of money. That leaves questions for me. However, that is not the only 17 teenager girl that I've seen like that. There are hundreds and thousands of young people are polisehd themselves up with these brands on every part of their bodies. It is hardly to find somebody who don't put on anything that you've never heard of from these famous brandnames. . What the power of Materiality it is!
I didn't start thinking about materialistism until I found out a real story about one of my good friends Julie. When we were still in high school, we usually went out for lunch or buy a lunch box eating in classroom. I know my friend julie is very proud of her sense of fashion. She was saving her money that her parents gave her for lunch to purchase her favoriate accesseries like hangbags, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, and anything that inside the brandname list that I wrote above. She could be very crazy about doing it. She could be eating bread and water for a whole semester. I think this power had drove her absolutely obssessed with owning those "vanity"things. She didn't come to class and didn't do her homework on time. Instead, she worked several part time jobs in order to raise her money for those luxury things. In addition, she didn't hang out with us because she said she couldn't afford paying for a McDonald's meal if she decided to buy her own LV purse. When I was young, I didn't understand why and how people draw into this madness of upscale and expensive stuffs. But now, I am getting more to understand it.
As Chinese saying goes, " losing face is more important than losing your life" that shows how the value of reputation, impression and respect plays an important role of Hong Kong people's daily life. In some HK people's mind, they might value their appearance and dressing is very important to represent their wealthness and wisdom. For example, if you paid for US$ 500 for a pair of fashionable Italian shoes, like Gucci or Prada, and you wear it out and show around in front of your friends. You would assume that if your friends see your shoes and will be impressed with how wealth your family it is and how smart you are. Perhaps, (in front of strangers) they might think that you might be a lawyer, doctor,or banker who can make a great deal of money. So they suppose that you are a "noble man". and that how Chinese people try to put on items that can increase their "nobility" The celebrities are the greatest examples to demonestrate how Vanity work out in the real world. I think it is very different than the concept of "Dressing to be successful".
Mass Media is another big black hand pushing these Materialistic HK teenagers. Typically, most of HK kids (since 9 yrs old) are already fans of their local idols. Just like Americans, people try to imitate their idols and heros. Do whatever they do, wear whatever they are wearing. A lot of high profile celebrities even try to persuade people that Money is Power, which it can buy whatever you like or dream of. Sometimes, excessive commercials of those brands are over-exaggerating in their campaign. For instance, CK perfume, targets adult couples customers by creating a very romantic and sexual attractive slogan or pictures with the latest popular stars. Finally, CK company successfully sell out the items. However, some customers are 17-20 teenagers kids who don't understand the value but only believe that if their idols use the perfume, it gonna be good for themselves too! Failing to understand the value and trying to pretend to look like others are influenced greatly by Mass Media.
I can see a lot of girls on the street puting different types of make up on their faces, smoky eyes shades and bloody red lip stick, wearing special contact lens that make their eyes look bigger, A lot of Hong Kong teenagers, adults or celebrities may forget the meaning of natural beauty. Very honestly, I begin to doubt this term " Natural" since the increasing popularity of cosmatic Surgery. "Natural" on human beauty is not like food best with"Organic". People are pursuing a longer lasting beauty at a older age. Some are trying to achieve perfection on their body while others are fixing the imperfection of their body at the same time. As a matter of fact, some HK news reported that there will be a "MAN MADE BEAUTY" competition in the near future. The beauty of the Pageants will be only built on the surface superficially.
I don't usually make any judgement about how people look since I believe beauty is deep in the skin. I do think that Asians, Africans or Caucasians all have their own beauty, It totally depends on how we look at them, which also bases on different culture or value. The world we are living today is filled up with abundant mass media, sex, violence,,, and another "precious product" is Materiality. How Hong Kong people amazed me is what they look---"Vanity".Don't be surprised! Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, YSL, Burberry,Lanvin, Missoni, Chole, ......endless list of brands can be "exhixibited" and "displayed" on different people. I can say that they would be counterfeit items if I am in Mainland China. But in Hong Kong, it isn't legal to wear fake stuff. But what open my eyes is even a 17 teenager girl is wearing her LV school backpack at Monkok.
How these 17- 20 teenagers have money to pay for these luxury stuffs? These luxurous brands, only a small handbag can cost an adult almost a regular monthly salary. it is assumed that their parents gonna be very rich or they can find whatever jobs that can raise a bunch of money. That leaves questions for me. However, that is not the only 17 teenager girl that I've seen like that. There are hundreds and thousands of young people are polisehd themselves up with these brands on every part of their bodies. It is hardly to find somebody who don't put on anything that you've never heard of from these famous brandnames. . What the power of Materiality it is!
I didn't start thinking about materialistism until I found out a real story about one of my good friends Julie. When we were still in high school, we usually went out for lunch or buy a lunch box eating in classroom. I know my friend julie is very proud of her sense of fashion. She was saving her money that her parents gave her for lunch to purchase her favoriate accesseries like hangbags, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, and anything that inside the brandname list that I wrote above. She could be very crazy about doing it. She could be eating bread and water for a whole semester. I think this power had drove her absolutely obssessed with owning those "vanity"things. She didn't come to class and didn't do her homework on time. Instead, she worked several part time jobs in order to raise her money for those luxury things. In addition, she didn't hang out with us because she said she couldn't afford paying for a McDonald's meal if she decided to buy her own LV purse. When I was young, I didn't understand why and how people draw into this madness of upscale and expensive stuffs. But now, I am getting more to understand it.
As Chinese saying goes, " losing face is more important than losing your life" that shows how the value of reputation, impression and respect plays an important role of Hong Kong people's daily life. In some HK people's mind, they might value their appearance and dressing is very important to represent their wealthness and wisdom. For example, if you paid for US$ 500 for a pair of fashionable Italian shoes, like Gucci or Prada, and you wear it out and show around in front of your friends. You would assume that if your friends see your shoes and will be impressed with how wealth your family it is and how smart you are. Perhaps, (in front of strangers) they might think that you might be a lawyer, doctor,or banker who can make a great deal of money. So they suppose that you are a "noble man". and that how Chinese people try to put on items that can increase their "nobility" The celebrities are the greatest examples to demonestrate how Vanity work out in the real world. I think it is very different than the concept of "Dressing to be successful".
Mass Media is another big black hand pushing these Materialistic HK teenagers. Typically, most of HK kids (since 9 yrs old) are already fans of their local idols. Just like Americans, people try to imitate their idols and heros. Do whatever they do, wear whatever they are wearing. A lot of high profile celebrities even try to persuade people that Money is Power, which it can buy whatever you like or dream of. Sometimes, excessive commercials of those brands are over-exaggerating in their campaign. For instance, CK perfume, targets adult couples customers by creating a very romantic and sexual attractive slogan or pictures with the latest popular stars. Finally, CK company successfully sell out the items. However, some customers are 17-20 teenagers kids who don't understand the value but only believe that if their idols use the perfume, it gonna be good for themselves too! Failing to understand the value and trying to pretend to look like others are influenced greatly by Mass Media.
I can see a lot of girls on the street puting different types of make up on their faces, smoky eyes shades and bloody red lip stick, wearing special contact lens that make their eyes look bigger, A lot of Hong Kong teenagers, adults or celebrities may forget the meaning of natural beauty. Very honestly, I begin to doubt this term " Natural" since the increasing popularity of cosmatic Surgery. "Natural" on human beauty is not like food best with"Organic". People are pursuing a longer lasting beauty at a older age. Some are trying to achieve perfection on their body while others are fixing the imperfection of their body at the same time. As a matter of fact, some HK news reported that there will be a "MAN MADE BEAUTY" competition in the near future. The beauty of the Pageants will be only built on the surface superficially.
