Why Can't We???

Questions asked when we were in HK.

a. Implement here that “Keep Right” rule? I really really appreciate this rule whenever I am out in the streets. I first heard of this my first time in SG years ago, Joy asked me to give way to those who are in a hurry while we were in the escalators. Isn’t this just brilliant?? Patrick also explained this to us when we were in HK and I was delighted they also implement that! Obviously, I’m not so much of a person-on-the-go! :P

So okay fine, I walk fast! Perhaps due to years of being single and always doing things alone or at times when I’m hurrying up for appointments or meetings but regardless! The point is, this rule was clearly made to show respect for other people’s TIME!!! Obviously, some people HAVE VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS to attend to. Why can’t we understand that? Oftentimes when I ask people to give way for me in escalators, they’ll give you this certain look as though you’re disturbing their oh-so-precious time of riding up and down the escalators. DUH?????? Hello, LOVERS??? Can you go somewhere else like in a park maybe??? Okay, not that this single girl is being so bitter about lovers cuddling or whatever but in all fairness when we were back from Macau we saw lovebirds keeping themselves on the walkalator’s right lane, girl and boy infront each other and talking dearly and without a single care in the world! Well at least they do their thing without blocking other’s way right??? Also sometimes when I do that I get these sarcastic remarks that I'm rushing for the comfort room due to some call of nature. Now isn’t that so irritating??? Some people can just be so MEAN.

I remember this one time I was trudging up the stairs of the overpass, there’s this girl who’s hurrying down and with some people infront she tried to find a way on the left which is supposed to be my “keep right” way going up. The expected scenario is that her momentum will be stopped because I was blocking her way. When she passed by me and I heard this “Tsk!” which is a Filipino expression for annoyance, I had to look around and shout “HELLO??? KEEP RIGHT!” for all the people to hear! I’m sorry, I tried biting my tongue. I usually am a patient person but it must be the scorching lunchtime that’s why her actions got into my nerves!! And besides, I was RIGHT. She didn't have to act that way!!!! XD

Okay, enough of that! This rule is just really special for me! I’m not even sure if implement is the correct term because this is just very basic. I think "instill" would be the proper word. Very elementary! And yet I don’t know why some of us can’t understand it!! XD

b. Next, when we were waiting for the E22 bus that will take us to Disney and the view of the high-rise apartment buildings of Kowloon infront of us, I overheard Jun asking why the government can’t provide those multi-dwelling units for the poor? Now we all know how these towers can be of advantage when it comes to accommodating more people within a smaller space and yes I believe we can implement it for those in the squatter’s area. But in my head I have an answer, we all know how those in the slum accepted the government’s provided houses, stayed there for a while, then very shrewdly let others rent the apartment for their own gain and the original occupants returning to a different slum area. Sad. :(

c. The MTR. Even with the Line 3 of LRT in place, I don’t think we can still compare to that of HK’s or SG’s trains. The very remarkable difference is that once you get inside any station, you’re already refreshed from the air-conditioning. Uhmm, here, all hopes of getting some fresh and cold air once inside the train can still be dampened when you learn that the air con is not working or it’s too crowded already. In all fairness also, I’ve taken jampacked MTRs for both countries but I didn’t feel any single degree of increase in the temperature as more and more people get on the train. And this BUZZ sound of the new train of LRT Line 1 is really really getting into my nerves too!! Have you tried it?? IT’S. TOO. LOUD!! I swear! It’s ergonomically unsafe! Did safety engineers even analyze that?? It’s so painful to my ears that it actually prompted me to get the hotline posted in one of the stickers inside the train for me to report and for once be a “concerned citizen”. Hehehe. But now haven’t really done it yet. Which reminds me to add it in my tasklist tomorrow. :P

d. Since we’re already in the subject of trains. I’m not sure if I’ve already made praises in this blog on SG’s and HK’s (Octopus) MTR cards! Imagine a card that can go negative!! Yeah okay fine, I know credit cards really go negative and are therefore amazing too but you can’t use it for transpo and some fast foods right?? Hehehe. Joy survived her first few months of staying in SG because of that card. I believe the card can even go unpaid which makes “the idea of going negative” really NOT APPLICABLE here due to subject to abuse but we can implement rules like in HK where they only allow of going negative once and up to a certain amount only. Blech!

e. Lastly, the most important of all……….why can’t we............................... have this purple currency bill like here below?? HAHAHA!!! It’s so………PURPLE! I love it! Hahaha!! Or maybe a plastic bill for that matter??? Haha!

Sorry. Can’t think of anything to substitute for the last bullet. Haha!! I was only in HK for 4 days and just have been into a small part of it, which totally makes this observation or queries SOOO irrelevant/immature for those who have seen the world or have lived through it or even has the answers why Phils can never be like HK. Like they say, a city can be a million different things to million different people. Atleast I DID manage to put some thoughts (haha!) and observe apart from the times when half of the day I was sleeping due to late night work which entirely ruined Lisa’s itinerary. Sorry naman gurl! Hahaha!! But it’s always nice being in a new city. And yes I enjoyed HK so much. (",)