Crowds

I know I’ve been going on and on about crowds in Hong Kong for a while now, but I just can’t stop.  I’ve never been a fan of crowded places and I knew before we moved to Hong Kong that it was going to be bad, but I guess I thought it wouldn’t matter because living here would be so interesting.  Boy, was I wrong!  After the initial excitement wore off in about a month or two, the crowds really started getting to me.  Here are a few pictures that will hopefully give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

Mid-Levels escalators.  The first time I saw escalators and moving platforms on (actually, above) a city street, rather than in a building.  These serve as a form of public transportation in Hong Kong.  A feat of engineering that I would have stopped to admire if I lived anyplace else, but all I can think of in Hong Kong is how crowded they are and why this semi-transparent material was chosen for the sunshades because when there’s 32 C temperature and 90% humidity outside it feels like a greenhouse!

 

Admiralty MTR station.  One of the more unpleasant ones because it happens to be an exchange station for the Tsuen Wan Line which goes North, under the harbor.  This is not even rush hour by the way, just a regular Saturday afternoon.

 

“You’re going to put this on Facebook aren’t you, foreigner?” (Me: “No, on my blog, actually.”)

 

An intersection near my office. To cross the street I first have to cross this other stream of people moving perpendicularly.

 

Headed back to the office after lunch, with a thousand other corporate slaves.

 

Owning an Apple product is very important.  So important, in fact, that standing in this queue for hours just to get in the store is totally justified.

 

The Red Army of Apple.

 

These people have lined up in front of the Sogo department store, some even with their luggage.  There had better be some amazing bargain inside, like “free sex toy with any t-shirt purchase.”

 

Famous dim sum restaurant with a line in front of it – perhaps this one really is justified.

 

What’s up with people with luggage bags standing in queues in this town?

 

The famous Din Tai Fung, at around 11:45 AM.

 

Ok, this one’s just a Pret for god’s sake.  Why a line here?

 

A neighborhood market.  Not much better than a supermarket in terms of the number of individuals per square meter.

 

Good luck if you’re thinking about going up to Victoria Peak.

 

Oh, look, a political rally. I could tell by the yellow umbrellas and slogans.

 

Elevator queue at my office building at 8:55 AM.  In Hong Kong, even being a corporate slave is more painful than it has to be.

 

A typical escalator at my office complex.

 

Causeway Bay MTR station. What’s not evident from the picture is that the A/C is weak to non-existent, so the experience is even more annoying than it looks.

 

This is what it looks like near Victoria Park on a Sunday afternoon.  In case you are wondering who these people are, they are Indonesian and Filipino maids relaxing on their only day off.