To live, longer

This seafood restaurant that has been around in Happy Valley for decades is coming to its end now due to the pandemic. This restaurant survived in the SARS, bird flu, swine flu, financial crisis (twice!), social unrests and on and on. But Covid-19? It finally means game over.

And this is not about one restaurant. Everyday, dozens of cafes and restaurants are closing in Hong Kong, and now we see even theatres, stores, galleries, and perhaps soon some local schools are facing the same destiny.

Since 2020 we have kept saying next year would get better. No, it didn’t, and I doubt things will get fully normal even in two or three more years. The world has been completely changed and to this day we are not even 100% sure how this all started, really.

I guess my generation is OK; we have already experienced (enjoyed?) a lot, for better or for worse. But imagine if you were a college student who started your college life in 2020, that would be really a sad story.

The best age of their lives has to be through isolation, quarantine, “study from home”, very few friends and connections in the society, and just staying puzzled about a lot of things that may be justified by the laws and the government but can’t be reasoned in common sense sometimes.

I guess it is all about destiny. We, human beings, have to share this same destiny of the planet.

I remember once I saw a T-shirt, which says “If you can’t fight against the future, then just try to live longer, and longer.”

全世界，一齊鬥長命。

A Year Ago

On this day, a year ago (December 30, 2019), Wuhan-based Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, one of the few Covid-19 whistleblowers in the early days, tried to raise the alarm about a new coronavirus. Just few days after he posted information about the new virus on his social media account, the local Wuhan Public Security Bureau detained, interrogated, and warned him to “be quiet.”

Dr. Li died from Covid-19 on February 7, 2020, in Wuhan, China.

Source: The New York Times, January 6, 2020

The New York Times first reported the “mysterious pneumonia” on January 6, 2020. The new kind of virus began to spread to Hong Kong as early as in late December on hospital record. It was later confirmed and known as Covid-19.

It’s been a year.

Photo Essay: 2020 in My Eyes

Intro

The unprecedented year of 2020 will be gone soon. It’s a year of “social distancing”, a year of “mask on”, a year of no travel, and a year of work from home for many. When we look back into our history someday, what will remain in your memory about 2020?

I have picked 30 photos from my work of street photography throughout the year and put them altogether here as a collection of my memory about 2020. What we call “new normal” now will just become the “normal” soon. What we like or dislike will become part of our traditions anyway. But what have we learned on earth about 2020? That’s the most important question for us and many generations to come.

All photos were taken in Hong Kong on GRIII and iPhone 11 Pro.

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Part 1: Hong Kong like never before

In 2020, social distancing is defined as the “new normal”

In a year of “no travel”, a local shopping mall set up a “fake airport gate” for those who want to pretend they can still travel

It’s a year of shutdown. Many shops in the city centre were closed and most of them may never get a chance to reopen.

Mask on! Even the teddy bear needs a mask.

In a year of “no travel”, reading a travel book can perhaps make you feel better (or worse)

It’s a year of shutdown. “To Let” (放租) is probably the most often seen signs across all Hong Kong districts

Hong Kong saw its record high unemployment rate in 2020

Other shops are shut down but IKEA is apparently in good business, thanks to the new normal — work from home.

2020 will be remembered as a year of “no gym”. Pure, the biggest chain gym in Hong Kong, was forced to shut down for many months.

Despite the government’s ban on large group gathering, migrant workers, mostly helpers from Southeast Asian countries, got together on weekends to pack their stuff ahead of the Christmas holiday as they usually send many things back home at the year-end. Hong Kong is one of the richest places (and most expensive for living) in the world but its income gap is also one of the largest. As the local often say, Hong Kong is a “rich man’s world.”

Mask on and no kiss! A popular local joke says any couple who can survive in 2020 together should just get married as they see each other in the era of true love.

Who are the true heroes in Hong Kong? Don’t forget those delivery people. They still drove around to ship even during the worst time of the year when Hong Kong was de facto locked down.

The Covid-19 pandemic is not just about the pandemic. It has a lot of side effect, including mental health issues, especially for the youth due to long time of isolation and studying pressure.

Restaurant business is hit very badly. Many restaurants went bankrupted while the struggling ones tried to survive by offering sometimes just half of the price (半價) on the menu.

Finally, some good news and Hong Kong people should be proud of this: In 2020, we still got ArtBasel exhibition held in person in Hong Kong, though on a smaller scale and restricted basis for small group and pre-registered visitors only.

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Part 2: Shopping like never before

Bye-bye, Topshop! The British fashion retail giant closed its last store in Hong Kong in 2020.

The most iconic luxury store, The Landmark, became people-less.

In good and bad times, there are always buyers for bags.

Mask on and keep shopping to save Hong Kong economy!

Surprise! Donki has been expanding aggressively this year.

Hermes is a miracle — always a long queue in front of its shops.

When tourists are all gone, Hong Kong is quiet again. Good news or bad news?

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Part 3: Eating like never before

Want to get a table? No need to call to book any more.

Mask on or f*** off.

Spotted in Hong Kong: Blue Bottle baristas with their mask on

As seen in Soho, Hong Kong’s most famous bar and restaurant area

The famous seafood village Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門) in trouble too

A lonely Santa seen in a restaurant in Soho, closed during Christmas holiday time, usually the best season for restaurant business

No more dine-in after 6pm

Want to save money? Try those “anti-pandemic set lunch/dinner” in Hong Kong restaurants especially for the working class

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What’s your say about 2020? Feel free to drop me a message here.