Duc Le 黎德

I remember when Hong Kong first came across my radar back in 2012. I learned the fundamentals of photography from a channel called DigitalRev TV and watched the presenters of that photography show wander through Hong Kong doing street photography. Since then, I knew that one day I’d travel there to explore its colorful facets. And while the city is vibrant and the weather incredibly sticky and hot, the people always felt untouchable to me. Kind of cold.

But it’s not because it’s in their nature or because they’re unfriendly. It’s out of necessity. Life in Hong Kong is hard for most people. Minimum wage sits at an underwhelming HKD$43.1 (~€4.50) per hour. The value of labor is low, while housing prices are probably among the highest in the world. People come across as cold because life is difficult, they want to keep a low profile and focus on getting by. It’s something I had to get used to, but if the coldness doesn’t put you off and you’re willing to get to know people better, you’ll definitely find layers of warmth beneath the cold shell.

People are also quite shy about speaking English, many simply aren’t fluent. Speaking good English is seen as a sign of coming from a good household, being well-educated, and generally part of the elite. So next time you meet a cold Hong Kong local and feel offended or ignored, don’t let it get to you. It just means they’re trying to mind their own business.

🎞️ Show on my Contax T2