I went for a long walk on Bowen Road last Monday night to think. It was so quiet up there and walking so late at night without my phone out, with no music, no podcast or noise or distractions - just me and the views, the silence, the night sky with the moon and clouds and barely visible two or three stars amidst the ambient glow from the cityscape - it was very cleansing.
While I was up there, I was struck by a deep and surprising sense of gratitude.
First, because this is a city where a slight Asian woman like myself can go for a walk very late at night without any fear. I passed perhaps three or four people for the entire 2 hours I was up there and never once did I feel even an ounce of trepidation. I hope it stays this way here forever.
Second, because while I was feeling down and anxious and sad, I was and am and continue to be immensely grateful for all the privileges and benefits of my life.
Third, because I just felt awe - at the beauty of this city that never ceases to take my breath away, even after 11 (sometimes grueling, sometimes blissful, sometimes mundane) long and fleeting years. The magic lives on. Among the world's great cities, I have lived in New York, Chicago, Beijing and Shanghai and have visited London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Madrid, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore... and countless others, but never has a city captured my heart so fully and so deeply as Hong Kong.
One more perspective, two days later, at lunch.
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