I Love Hong Kong

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HK protesters reading school notes during a protest.

If there is anything that is common among the Asian cities of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore, it is this - the relentless pursuit of academic excellence and parents' obsession with grades. More often than not, the grades one gets, the schools that one attends determine the future outcomes.

But of course it is also true that when one puts in hours at book study, one may not always have a practical end in mind. In fact, I have seen that high achievers are almost always young people who are self-directed and do their studying as part of who they are and what they believe to be their duty as a young person.

I really feel for these students. It is always through struggle that people appreciate more what they work so hard to get.

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Wraithorn · 51-55, M

This is interesting and not the kind of thing that you would see elsewhere in the world other than in East Asia.

When the protests started in HK I read a news report about protestors who cleaned up after themselves. In most other countries placards, signs and various other stuff would be left lying around. That spoke to me of real discipline and concern for others even during the emotional event of a protest. I presume that Chinese culture is the reason for this disciplined behaviour.

I think the protesting in HK has become a bit more unruly recently according to what I see in the news.
Your government claims that outside influence from other countries is now being used to prolong the protests, specifically influence from the USA.
I read that the government suspended a law that people were upset about in HK but the demonstrating of civil unrest still continues.
From your inside point of view, what are the people in HK protesting about now ? There is not much news about it in the world except in the Russian media. I would like to understand what is really going on there.

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Wraithorn · 51-55, M

@novembermoon I found some more information which seems relevant. Apparently the people in HK have 4 more issues they want settled. They want :

1. A public probe into the actions of police who were too violent when dealing with protesters.
2. They do not want the protests to be classified as riots.
3 They want amnesty for the arrested protesters.
4 They want electoral reform.

Does that sound about right ?

novembermoon · 51-55

@Wraithorn great summary!

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon Less and less I see HK as the David and China as the Goliath in this issue. More and more I believe that there are foreign powers (US? Uk? Both?)behind the protests. Also, more and more western media are taking the side of HK. I see the decaying western world unable to accept that China is on the rise and will soon be the leading power in the world, and using HK to attack it. They do not really care about Hong Kong or democracy (the same media are fighting against the Brexit people voted for in the UK).

Cierzo · M

I really like people who have a thirst for knowledge and want to learn things in order to understand the world better.

On the other side, I feel bad for those students whose purpose in learning is just to get the highest marks to study in the best schools and pursue a successful career. I don't blame them, or their families, it is not their fault if they live in such competitive system that they have not chosen.

novembermoon · 51-55

@Cierzo I see it in their eyes sometimes...my pupils who are very bright but who feel like they are tools of their parents who nag at them to perform in exams. These people need a reason for their striving. And reasons like 'so that you'd not become a road sweeper next time' just doesn't cut it any more. They need a deeper meaning. Who doesn't?

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon I find it really sad that knowledge becomes just 'money' with which you pay your ticket for a ride that should you to social success.

Knowledge should never be only a tool, and people should never be tools either.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

Amy Chua's book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" comes to mind.

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Mugin16 · 46-50, M

@novembermoon At the university I studied the Japanese students did never engage in discussion during the tutorials unless the professor asked them directly.

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon I think both a good parent and teacher must combine both encouragement and scolding. Acknowledging that getting positive results comes often from trial and error, encouraging them not to surrender, and praising thrm for their progress, but also scolding when apathetic, whining or defeatist attitudes turn up.

novembermoon · 51-55

@Mugin16 that's very common. Asians are usually more reticent. Sadly, that is sometimes mistaken to be passivity. In a group, I tend to feel more comfortable fading into the background too.

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