[rausch]

I agree with max, if hk wants to become the world-class-city it wants to be, then some attitudes are better left aside.
On one side claiming more attention and on the other side discriminationg people is no way to go.
I also would like to say that my opinion does not go to all Chinese people but to the ones with prejudices.
I also have noticed that many simple, down-to-earth people are not so judging as those poshy-wanna-be-troops that pretend to know the world but in fact know nothing but discriminating others.
I just wanted to get rid of that, because I have noticed that HK is VERY materialistic minded and that far too much wannabes try too hard but fail.
One message : don't try too hard cause you're only going one way : failure

[Botox]

Just to add slightly off topic (not regarding racial descrimination);

Hong Kong certainly seems to be one of the most materialistic and capitalist places ever. Frequent questions that pop up in conversations with new aquaintences; "How much did you **** cost?" / "How much does your rent cost?" / "How much did you pay for ****?" They don't say this in a condescending way, people just say it... as if finances aren't a closed subject, etc.

Most people I know in Britain, a few yuppies aside, will keep off the subject of money, and are fairly modest and discrete about finances, whether they're very well off of not. Maybe it's just because they're too embarressed or they're hiding from the taxman, but still, a certain amount of discretion can be a good thing - I don't always want to know how much your watch cost, where you got your deal on your car or how many square feet you get for your dollar.

Further unrelated - an ex-work colleague of mine, a half German half Malaysian PR girl... has to be one of the sexiest women I've ever met. First day of work and I found out she had a boyfriend... so we were just friends. *sniff sniff* :'-(

[Bouric]

kombuchakid ,
Thank you for your lesson about French history.I enjoyed that.

[kathleen]

hi heisha,

strange that you get these sort of notes especially since you are in HR. don't you all cover cultural diversity and how it offers different perspectives in problem solving.

sigh... talk about the future of a global workforce.

and botox, i def can identify with what you have said. it is a rat race... not sure if it is a HK thing or a Chinese thing really cos in Singapore, it is the same thing.

sometimes, one really wonder if all this comparing is worth it and what purpoes does it serve.

[odresel]

This whole discussion is off-center. What is seen as 'discrimination' in Western societies is a non-concept here. Anyway, we are not really talking about "discrimination" (choosing between alternatives) but prejudice, bigotry and racism, to put it bluntly.

Let me give a cautionary example: my lovely HK Chinese wife, to whom I have been happily married for 6 years, was watching TV last weekend. It was the Twins movie, where they are running around killing vampires. Ah Sa was in the final stages of attacking the mega-Vampire, fangs, claws, can fly around at high speeds, special weapons, a real mother of hideousness, and my wife informs me, as I walk into the living room, "She's trying to kill the gweilo..." NOTE: not "the vampire", not "the monster", not "the creature"...the first thing HK people think of in this situation is that he is not Chinese.....

Will this somehow change? I doubt it, and nothing will ever happen here relative to breaking down these culturally encoded attitudes now that China has control of Hong Kong.

[HKFella]

Hopefully, it won't remain as hopeless as all that.

Thanks for reminding me ---- whatever happened to the original poster and her rollickin' band? Heisha....where have u disappeared to?

[KnowItAll]

>> Heisha....where have u disappeared to?

I'm sure she'll be back when she has some cause or event that needs support...

[alyssum]

Originally Posted by Botox

Just to add slightly off topic (not regarding racial descrimination);

Hong Kong certainly seems to be one of the most materialistic and capitalist places ever. Frequent questions that pop up in conversations with new aquaintences; "How much did you **** cost?" / "How much does your rent cost?" / "How much did you pay for ****?" They don't say this in a condescending way, people just say it... as if finances aren't a closed subject, etc.

Most people I know in Britain, a few yuppies aside, will keep off the subject of money, and are fairly modest and discrete about finances, whether they're very well off of not. Maybe it's just because they're too embarressed or they're hiding from the taxman, but still, a certain amount of discretion can be a good thing - I don't always want to know how much your watch cost, where you got your deal on your car or how many square feet you get for your dollar.

I agree that money and status is highly valued in Hong Kong. But your specific example has some problems. Many Chinese people will ask you these questions, not just Hong Kongers. I take it as part of the culture of Chinese chit-chat. Of course, from my American background, these topics are considered taboo (or at least not in good taste). But Chinese people I know also think it's really odd watching two Americans go off talking about the weather in great detail. I think it would shock them even more to know I probably spend more time talking about the weather with my *family* members than any other topic. And on further retrospect, I can understand where they are coming from. Talking about the weather is a little strange.

[tt2003]

Originally Posted by Botox

Just to add slightly off topic (not regarding racial descrimination);

Hong Kong certainly seems to be one of the most materialistic and capitalist places ever. Frequent questions that pop up in conversations with new aquaintences; "How much did you **** cost?" / "How much does your rent cost?" / "How much did you pay for ****?" They don't say this in a condescending way, people just say it... as if finances aren't a closed subject, etc.

Most people I know in Britain, a few yuppies aside, will keep off the subject of money, and are fairly modest and discrete about finances, whether they're very well off of not. Maybe it's just because they're too embarressed or they're hiding from the taxman, but still, a certain amount of discretion can be a good thing - I don't always want to know how much your watch cost, where you got your deal on your car or how many square feet you get for your dollar.

Further unrelated - an ex-work colleague of mine, a half German half Malaysian PR girl... has to be one of the sexiest women I've ever met. First day of work and I found out she had a boyfriend... so we were just friends. *sniff sniff* :'-(

I think this is due to HK people inferiority complex, for instance, mobile phones every HK people have are the most trendy in the world, they have to buy new one every 5 or 6 months. Even, my friend in their mid 30s think they need to change every year. But in US (most scientific country in the world), people mobile phone are old or obsolete.

[joejoe318]

i m a local man
i think discrimination should be needed everywhere
particulary in developed country
it is one of the importrant elements for the properity of hk

hope more people reply