The opposite of period property and conservation

[middi]

.....HONG KONG....

The very few colonial buildings that existed have been slowly demolished, integrated or covered up by skyscrapers.

The perfect concrete jungle. Wondering about at 02.30 am (hk), I observed hundreds of meters of escalators, walkways and foutains in perpetual motion without a soul about exept myself. I noticed various signs and warnings about healthy living, cleanliness, no smoking signs, no spitting no loitering no littering and to cap it all the importance of recycling and conservation is prominently displayed.

I thought to myself " they are taking the p*$$".
The only thing they recycle is the side of the mountains, they blast the rocks to level the hills, the rocks end up in the sea as reclaimed land and the concrete jungle expands.

The concept of recycling and conservation as we understand it, my dear ppuk friends, has nothing to do with the real world.
Still, as tesco says, every little helps. (whilst they fly salami's from Italy, water from France, yogart from greece, and butter from Denmark)
The reason I noticed these imports was to reassure myself that nothing was from Japan.

The only wood I noticed being used on their vast building program was bamboo scaffolding and far eastern plywood used for shuttering.
This is the good news. The bad news is that they are just getting started.
Just highlighting the hypocripcy of the human race
Middi

 

[wobs]

.....HONG KONG....

Still, as tesco says, every little helps. (whilst they fly salami's from Italy, water from France, yogart from greece, and butter from Denmark)

As someone wrote on the side of a small tesco near us: "Every little hurts".

 

[Moo]

A bit off topic, I know, but the news from Japan and Libya (and other bits of the Middle East) has brought home to me our good fortune in being able to agonise about our period properties here in the earthquake- and revolution-free west.
Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

 

[Merlin]

We are very fortunate in this country not to be bombarded with earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes/cyclones, nor famine.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who find themselves stuck in the middle, as such situations have developed around them, and hope that they can recover from their ordeal.

Certainly puts my argument with a concrete yard into perspective.....

 

[JoceAndChris]

I so agree with the sentiments expressed by Merlin and Moo. We live charmed lives in this country, in the main.

But, my friends in Hong Kong (Mark is an engineer in a construction company) would argue that they do too. They arrived in Hong Kong as penniless youngsters after graduation, and now own property -3 flats I think - in Discovery Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Bay
They don't have a garden but the beach is nearby and the whole place is landscaped and communally gardened. There are no cars, just those holiday buggies you jump on. Like all their friends, they have a live-in nanny from the Philippines who has become part of their family. She is elderly, has no family of her own, and is looked after by them just as much as she looks after the three children. Paula doesn't work. It's a bustling ex pat community with constant parties, book clubs, childrens' play groups etc. Mark gets a boat to work.

The children visit Beacon Cottage every year and cope badly with the English countryside with its uncut nettles and fallen holly leaves. They are as urban as you could imagine, and don't really leave their computer screens to play in the garden.

Listening to Paula, who freely admits it's toy town, and horribly artificial, I nevertheless feel a pang of envy. She's in a tightly-knit, well-organised community. All she has to worry about is the occasional snake. It is the opposite of period properties, but is it the opposite of conservation - to create a community that works that well?

I don't think we can judge and say that any one lifestyle is better, worse - only what appeals to us, which of course changes with age!

 

[MdB]

We are very fortunate in this country not to be bombarded with ... tsunamis, ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunamis_in_the_United_Kingdom

 

[middi]

My post was not intended to compare lifestyles Joce, it was merely intended to highlight the vanity of the human race :wink:

As to those poor Japanese souls, and with great respect, I hope that a lesson has been learned and build their future comunities further up the hills.

Pompei is next, approx 3 million people's life is at stake and the local authorities still allow land to be built upon the volcano slopes. Now, that is not vanity, it's insanity.
How I wish I was in charge of the world ( I would make smoking compulsory )

Middi

 

[Penners]

Pompei is next, approx 3 million people's life is at stake and the local authorities still allow land to be built upon the volcano slopes. Now, that is not vanity, it's insanity.
How I wish I was in charge of the world ( I would make smoking compulsory )

Do you mean that you're visiting Pompeii next, or that Vesuvius will be the next to blow? If it's the latter, I wouldn't mind if it took out Naples. What a dump!

But if you stand as Global President, signore, I'll vote for you (so long as you drop the smoking policy! :wink: )

 

[middi]

...GLOBAL PRESIDENT !!!!!!!!!.....
I was thinking on the lines of global dictatorship mr P. :wink:

( only to make Gaddafi livid )

Middi

 

[Penners]

only to make Gaddafi livid

I think you'll find that there are quite a lot of people who have managed to achieve that already. You'll probably need to join a queue.