Hong Kong and Back

Hong Kong vs Seoul

Lunar New Year and Valentine's fell on the same day this year. I was in Hong Kong for the lead up to this dual holiday, and it was amazing. Hong Kong truly knows how to celebrate: lights everywhere, decorations up the wazoo, lycee money flowing freely. Coming back to Seoul, I was welcomed by a more subdued approach to celebrating, if that's possible. Seoul is eerily quiet as many people have gone to the countryside to visit relatives in their hometowns. This difference in approaches to celebration is mimicked in the skylines of both cities. Hong Kong is known for it's awe-inspiring skyline made of cloud-piercing skyscrapers, while Seoul has a less showy, almost dull, topography of unimposing medium-sized buildings that are almost indistinguishable from each other. While Hong Kong is a feast for the eyes, Seoul seems to call for restraint and practicality.

If we were going to talk about cities like they were people, I would say that Seoul was like me, and Hong Kong was like the cool people I never really dared to try to be friends with, because they were just too cool. I had an amazing time in Hong Kong, and if I could afford it, I would love to live there for a while, but it just seems out of reach like the heights of its giant buildings. It may seem like I'm painting Seoul in bad colors (which many may argue that it already, literally, is) but I identify more with Seoul than Hong Kong. It's comfortable, it's more my speed. But we all like to venture out of our comfort zones now and again.

Alone Again on Valentine's

Another year, another empty Valentine's mailbox. Remember the ones we used to make in elementary school? Well, I was the kid who got the pity cards, if any. Suffice it to say, I was a not a popular child. I guess it was a sign of things to come, because I seem to be incapable of forming any sort of romantic relationship. I know, boohoo. But I can't help but wallow in self-pity, since Valentine's Day invites single people to reflect on why exactly we are single. I'm 26 years old and I feel like this whole area of my life is a mental block. Like being single for my entire adult life has caused my relationship muscles to atrophy or something. You may be thinking that 26 is not old, and you're right, but I fear that I've become comfortable with being alone.

Then again, isn't that what we all strive for - being happy with who we are, independent of other people? Maybe all that we can hope for is that we can live with ourselves; that we can look in the mirror and say we like what we see. I'm not talking about outer appearance, but inner development. Instead of having a holiday celebrating "coupledom," we should have a holiday celebrating "selfdom". Maybe then there would be less insecure people out there in superficial relationships which eventually end badly, anyway. I know, I know, enough already. This is the end of my rant.