Old Hong Kong Friends, and Experiences with the City's Diversity

 Greetings to all, once again.  I've been seeing and thinking about the variety of people living here in this city of over 7 million people: the earlier small settlements of people who farmed and fished, but then the influx of British colonists, the people those colonists brought from India, the immigration of Filipinos and Indonesian coming here for work at "domestic helpers," and many others seeking their fortunes in this most prosperous city in China.

We encounter those who have become our temperary neighbors often unaware, while strolling through the many street markets, still popular among Hong Kong folks (and people like myself) alongside western-style (and very stylish) stores (Hong Kong folks on average sill have five times the assets as Chinese people in general, and the gap used to be much greater before China's growth beginning in the 1980's).  At right, we find perhaps eight varieties of rice at an outdoor market, and more than eight varieties of ethnicities and languages.

One day Barbara and I dropped by the Jamia Mosque built in 1915 by Muslims from Bombay, a quiet place we've visited on an earlier visit to the city.  She chatted with several women at the mosque, while I spent some time in the quiet prayer room between the usual prayer times (the times are listed here on the wall in lights, for the times vary daily with the variations in the sunsets and sunrises).  The direction in which those in prayer stand is indicated by the prayer niche in the far wall seen in the picture, and lines on the rugs indicate the lines where groups of male believers will be gather--small groups during the five daily prayer times, a much larger group for the Friday mid-day prayers.  (I wouldn't have photographed the room if anyone were actually in prayer.)

The main mosque in Hong Kong is the Kowloon Mosque, build in 1984.  Kowloon is an important part of Hong Kong, across the bay, connected by ferry and subway, popular among shoppers and tourists.  Barbara first went up to the women's area, while I fell into conversation with the imam (leader) which lasted well over an hour.  I told him my wife was with me, and when she joined us the imam invited us to sit with him to talk more about Islam, and his concern that the misunderstanding about the people of Abraham have had about each other, and the tragic consequences it has sometimes brought (he knew Barbara is Jewish, so we had a three-way conversation).  We three were in the rear of the mosque as the time for the mid-day prayers were announced (the "call to prayer"), and we were able to witness the several hundred men who gathered for prayers about ten minutes later.  I was grateful to witness the imam's concerns, as well as his time  he gave us.  (Note: the imam was Chinese, but there were also men from South Asia as well as Southeast Asia).

Many of the older temples we saw in Hong Kong proper (on the island side across from Kowloon)  were Taoist, with figures representing a variety of gods and spirits--for protection when  out fishing and journeying, for fertility for women, and many other concerns.  These temples are commonly open daily, and one can come in to see, pray, experience the incense and atmosphere, and get guidance.

Yesterday, Sunday morning, I began my religious journeys by attending a Methodist service in a very new church (2016).  Most of the attenders were ethnic Chinese, but most of the clergy and young ministers were white folks with American accents, so I assume it it was a "mission" church in some sense.  It was called the "Methodist International Church" (not to be confused with the much older "Chinese Methodist Church" downtown.  (I grew up in the Methodist church, and still have a special interest in that flavor of Protestantism.)

I continued on from the Methodist service to visit a Sikh temple nearby (pictured above).  Barbara and I have visited a Sikh temple in Minneapolis once, but I wanted to attend part of a service at the temple in Hong Kong.  I went to the racks where one leaves shoes and socks, tied a piece of cloth provided for the purpose to over my head, and watched from the rear of a very full hall of worshippers--women on the right, men on the left, all sitting on the floor, nearly all from northern India (the women all wearing colorful dress and head covering like a sari).  I followed the example of the others when entering (and later leaving) the room by bending to touch the lintel of the room.  An older man was  reciting from the altar, and three of other men were also chanting and singing to his right.  Another man sat to the left, with a hot pot, where people were given a small portion of food to eat either when they continue to worship, or to take with them to eat after the service.  

I've titled this post "experiences with the city's diversity."  By now it is likely apparent that the diversity of languages, nationalities, access to resources, religious faiths, and what we in the U.S. call "race" are complicated and fascinating here in Hong Kong!

I'll conclude this post, already rather long, with a mention of the two friends at left, Maria and Alice, who got to know when we all part of the Oslo Summer Schools (with students of all countries, including me, in 2007 on gender and women's issues in the light of Norway's social welfare policies toward the family (including my experiencing having morning coffee with young dads with their kids, when they were taking their turn for family leave).  

We three often "hung out" together, and I got to appreciate their friendship.  But, before Barbara began to doing short-term teaching several times in Asia each year, I wasn't sure how likely it would be to see them  in person again.  They are both Hong Kong folks, both social workers, and so I've enjoyed the chance see them several times.  Here we are visiting on the campus of Hong Kong University, where Barbara was teaching and joined us for supper they finished up for the days.  Who knows how life turns out?