For
anyone living it this great state of NSW and who must use public
transport to get to work, particularly the train I have a little story
for you that will brighten your day and make you feel better about how
good our trains are. Next time you are late to work because you are
stuck on one of our fine trains, mid summer with no air-conditioning,
your face crushed up against a fat bloke with B.O and sweat soaking
through his shirt and a school kid with his IPod up so loud that the
driver could hear it 2 carriages down think of Hong Kong.
Yes Hong Kong! One of the things you learn about Hong Kong is that the people are not just from China but they are from Hong Kong and for many having a British passport is an important distinction from your average every day Chinese person. Even today if you refer to them as being from China some will correct you and say no I am from Hong Kong. The British may have done a lot of bad things in China through the years but when the poms gave Hong Kong back to China in 1997 they left it in a far better condition then when they got there. As a result Hong Kong is a modern city and the people are proud of what has been achieved.
Hong Kong can only be described as dynamic, incredibly dynamic. The crush of people, the food the shopping there is something happening 24 hours a day, it is very exciting. During his term as the last governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten undertook a massive building and infrastructure program building new housing developments and opening up new areas of the island and territories for development. One of his great achievements was the upgrading of the rail system and the development of new lines and stations on the rail network.
As a result getting around Hong Kong is very easy. Most signage is in English and the public Transport is well…..very British with double decked buses and a cute little tram that runs right through Hong Kong Island and for just 20 cents Australian you can jump on and off were ever you like to experience the great shopping or strange and “interesting” food. But it is the trains that held the greatest surprise for me. The Hong Kong Train system or MTR as it is called is simple, efficient, fast and frequent. The system is fully automated and the train has no need for a driver. You never seem to have to run for a train because if you miss a train another comes along in a few minutes and you get on that one as they run to a very tight timetable.
Late one night after a night out at Yung Kee one of Hong Kong's most famous restaurants we were making our way home. It had been a great night with great food and plenty of beer and wine finished off with VSOP in the finest Chinese tradition. We made our way to the nearest MTR station and after waiting for a whole 2 minutes along came a train and we boarded along with a few thousand close friends, the train was packed but despite the train being full it was soon out of the station and powering along at a great rate in air-conditioned comfort. As I dozed in and out of my drunken stupor knowing that in a few minutes I would be back in my hotel room and fast asleep I just happened to glance up at a metal plaque fixed to the wall next to the door. Here I was on a train in Hong Kong and the manufacturing plate on the wall read “Proudly made in Australia” Not only was the train made in Australia it was made in NSW.
So next time you find yourself stuck between the fat boy and the terminally deaf school kid in 35 degree temperature and 98 percent humidity and no air-conditioning smile and know that NSW trains are doing their bit to improve things in Hong Kong. Shame we couldn’t get the NSW government to do the same for us.
Yes Hong Kong! One of the things you learn about Hong Kong is that the people are not just from China but they are from Hong Kong and for many having a British passport is an important distinction from your average every day Chinese person. Even today if you refer to them as being from China some will correct you and say no I am from Hong Kong. The British may have done a lot of bad things in China through the years but when the poms gave Hong Kong back to China in 1997 they left it in a far better condition then when they got there. As a result Hong Kong is a modern city and the people are proud of what has been achieved.
Hong Kong can only be described as dynamic, incredibly dynamic. The crush of people, the food the shopping there is something happening 24 hours a day, it is very exciting. During his term as the last governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten undertook a massive building and infrastructure program building new housing developments and opening up new areas of the island and territories for development. One of his great achievements was the upgrading of the rail system and the development of new lines and stations on the rail network.
As a result getting around Hong Kong is very easy. Most signage is in English and the public Transport is well…..very British with double decked buses and a cute little tram that runs right through Hong Kong Island and for just 20 cents Australian you can jump on and off were ever you like to experience the great shopping or strange and “interesting” food. But it is the trains that held the greatest surprise for me. The Hong Kong Train system or MTR as it is called is simple, efficient, fast and frequent. The system is fully automated and the train has no need for a driver. You never seem to have to run for a train because if you miss a train another comes along in a few minutes and you get on that one as they run to a very tight timetable.
Late one night after a night out at Yung Kee one of Hong Kong's most famous restaurants we were making our way home. It had been a great night with great food and plenty of beer and wine finished off with VSOP in the finest Chinese tradition. We made our way to the nearest MTR station and after waiting for a whole 2 minutes along came a train and we boarded along with a few thousand close friends, the train was packed but despite the train being full it was soon out of the station and powering along at a great rate in air-conditioned comfort. As I dozed in and out of my drunken stupor knowing that in a few minutes I would be back in my hotel room and fast asleep I just happened to glance up at a metal plaque fixed to the wall next to the door. Here I was on a train in Hong Kong and the manufacturing plate on the wall read “Proudly made in Australia” Not only was the train made in Australia it was made in NSW.
So next time you find yourself stuck between the fat boy and the terminally deaf school kid in 35 degree temperature and 98 percent humidity and no air-conditioning smile and know that NSW trains are doing their bit to improve things in Hong Kong. Shame we couldn’t get the NSW government to do the same for us.
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