My Place

My Place

I think I am among the privileged person in the world. I have lived in two places in most of my life and have experienced the most diverse, social, political and cultural aspects. They are magnificent with diversity. I was born and raised up in the most famous city in the world: Hong Kong. The view of Hong Kong was breathtaking. I was not able to appreciate the magnificent view of Hong Kong until I got a chance to visit other cities in the world. I always thought that it was one of the worst, but I later understood that my view of the city was purely from childish point of view.

Hong Kong is in an administrative region in China. It is located in the south coast of China and it is enclosed by Pearl River Delta as well as South China Sea. The skyscrapers and the tall breathtaking buildings full of lights remind me of Hong Kong. I enjoyed when my dad used to take me around the city deep into the night when traffic was not chaotic. It was awesome and lovely. I have witnessed the bustling metropolis come a long way from the humblest beginnings as just a fishing village. Today, the territory is one of the most crowded cities in the world. When I was growing up, I could not appreciate the beauties of the city. However, as my cognitive ability advanced, I could appreciate the magnificent suburbs of my “home” and my place of birth. I never noticed that much of the place was hilly until I grew up, and a significant amount of the low-lying terrain had been reclaimed by the sea. The weather was buffeted by the monsoon, a moist, warm equatorial wind built up by pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean. This weather was favorable to me. I rarely experienced heltah problems while at home. Hong Kong’s climate is one of the best in the world. The climate provides the perfect weather for swimming and sunbathing on the beach. The seashores and the skyline also attract thousands of tourists who wish to sample Hong Kong’s climate. Hong Kong’s warm climate makes me wonder if there is any other magnificent climate in the world.

I love the city because of its entrepreneurial spirit. Being a business heaven, Hong Kong is riddled with a lot of business offices. The people are hard working and have made the town thrive in economy. My dad used to work in the central business district, the City of Victoria, which was formerly the capital of Hong Kong, normally referred to as Hong Kongers. I grew to be fond of it because of its ambiance and serious businesses oriented people. The dramatic skyscrapers streets lined with shops constructed on a strip of land along the coast and along the foothills of the mountains at the rear were simply magnificent. In recent years, Kowloon, which is located on the other side of the harbor, has undergone rapid and great development attracting businesses that are really thriving. This is a place for pedestrian subways and sky bridges that help its large population to navigate around. Victoria is a town that I yearn to live even though I do not like the lifestyle of its inhabitant. I did not like the capitalist nature of the people in Victoria. The self-centered approach of life among the people of Victoria contributed to many crimes in the city and people would be robbed and killed without any reason.

The Victoria Park is one of the biggest parks in Hong Kong, and it is simply a splendid place to take a walk. The park is encompassed with tropical and temperate species of flora that are covered with leafy tropical plants, including mangrove and other swamp plants. The park is usually surrounded with people from different walks of life on Sunday, which includes the Indonesians and Filipinos. Located in the north of the Kowloon territory, the oldest areas of woodlands like the Feng Shui woods or sacred groves can be found near the villages in the New Territories. The villages have protected these forests because they believe that the trees can improve the spiritual and luck-bringing quality to the environment. I therefore loved trees and forestations and always aspired to ensure that they were always protected. Although urbanization has ruthlessly interrupted the quite rhythm of the countryside, wild animals still exist. Common animals found in this area include Chinese leopard, foxes, civets and Chinese porcupines. I can therefore, consent that the Victoria town is the only place that provides me an opportunity to see the beauty of nature. When I was there, the town provided plenty of hiking trails and many recreational facilities that enabled me to relax and have a good time with my family. The memory of my frequent visits to the Victoria Park is still fresh in my mind. I remember playing tag, hide and seek, tic-tac-toe in the playing ground with couple friends and nagging my father to buy me ice cream. These were the very exciting moments in my life which I miss and long that such moments could be provided again. I also met with people from different cultural backgrounds and shared various issues about our cultures and way of life. This opportunity enabled me to have a worldwide view which later helped me relate better with different people.

Hong Kong has shaped the way I think and reason. I have learned to cope with life in different situations and environment courtesy of Hong Kong city. There is also competition in every aspect of life, especially in business. Consequently, one needs to be up to date with virtually everything from education to business. I can attest that the residents are industrious as well as innovative. This environment and socialization has made me to become industrious in al my duties that has helped me reach this far. I thank Hong Kong for preparing me for the realities in the world.

When I was fifteen years old, my parents relocated to America and this was surely a life-changing move. It was very strange and bizarre because I was too young to experience such a culture shock. I had realized that America was not like Hong Kong. While I had to change the way I lived completely, America, and especially San Ramon gave me a whole new experience in the community. Having come from Hong Kong, which was predominantly Chinese, I had to start polishing my English as well as my relational skills. I could not speak fluently and had to adapt to the way the American people talked. However, I braced myself and started working extremely hard so that I could blend into the same society. I had limited options in virtually every field due to my nationality and the fact that I was in America. I put in effort to make my English perfect. I started to make new friends with my improper English that enabled me to fit in the larger society. Besides that, since there was no way out about the diet, I had to adapt to American fast foods and eventually came to like it. Now, I can eat more comfortably as well as speak with much more confidence than the first day I landed in San Ramon.

San Ramon is a relatively small city with a small population. Perhaps the most striking feature is the San Ramon Valley. This place has a certain inexplicable charm that invokes certain feelings in me. Nestled in the area of natural beauty, I notice that San Ramon Valley is only couple miles away from the hiking trails of Mount Diablo; the 20 miles long valley includes commercial centers, suburban homes, major business, park and open spaces. Peppered with unique rock formations and wildflowers, Mount Diablo also attracts many hikers from far and wide. I usually go hiking on Sunday, and the landscape gives me a nostalgic feeling because of the weather. This is because it is primarily moderate and makes me always feel at home. In fact, this place makes me remember Hong Kong due to the climate is virtually the same except that there are fluctuations in the patterns in this place.

Filled with single-family homes, green front lawns, and the usual array of outdoor shopping malls, San Ramon, with its own cozy suburban feel, has long attracted a more family-oriented set than its busy urban neighborhood. Although I am still a teenager, I start to think about my family and this place has greatly influenced the way I want to bring up my family. I have come into contact with people in different races and languages. I have learnt that cultural integration is paramount in human life. I am gaining newer ideas and ways of life because of the interaction. The people are friendly as opposed to the preconception I had before moving to San Ramon. My thought processes have also changed greatly due to diverse, social, political and cultural complexities. When my parents finally left to America, I comfortably sought solace in the hospitality of the people. I have come to realize that a place can greatly change a person’s perception in everything. I am glad that I came to America and experienced fundamental differences from my culture in the past.

Since I could not go visiting the park back in the day, I always involved in some activities that made me appreciate my life in America. When I was not doing homework with my companions in high school, I was in the basketball court playing basketball with my friends. I also participated in volunteer activities and most of my free time was used to join my friends in various locations to help clean up the library and classroom. I really enjoyed these initiatives, because we shared our experiences and made a lot of fun. It was through such initiatives that I was able to meet new people and new friends. When I was home, I sometimes went to the garden and yearned to see flowers opening. Therefore, I made this my duty and no single moment could I find myself loitering around. To ensure that my mind was always engaged, I also helped my parents dig up dead plants and replant them too.

I have gone to various places and met with different people from different background. When I think of the places I have been to, I cannot really contemplate exactly where my place is. More time is required to understand my place, because of the continued changes. My home country Hong Kong and its environments are just part of my places. For instance, I have met various people at the playground, recreational facilities, basketball court and the city. I have been to various places, but I have learnt that various things concerning to my life can enable me to grow and develop holistically. I have added value to my own life and I believe that as I go to different places, I will enrich myself and become the kind of person I want to be. I want to be a critical thinker to provide solutions to various problems that I and the society faces. A place is simply not just the location. It incorporates various facts that include the people and ideologies. Nevertheless, it is important to appreciate the place because it carries with its pertinent identities that can have a huge influence on any individual.

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