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| From the Star Ferry |
Hong
Kong, called “fragrant harbor” in Chinese is also known to be the “pearl of the
orient”, is the most vertical city in the world. Trying to look up to the sky from the narrow
and crowded streets, one may easily lose one’s hat and the fear of being suffocated
with lack of oxygen in the hotel room is not a new thing; “either you make sure
the air conditioner runs well or you have the window cracked” was the
instruction given to me when I checked in a guest house located on the 8th
floor of the 20+floors building.
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| View from Victoria Peak |
In
this crowded city state live some 50 thousand+ of my countrymen; who being the descendants
of famous (rather infamous in terms of national pride) Gorkha regiments of the
British army chose to remain in Hong Kong after the territory was handed to
China in 1997. As a tiny minority in one
of the most populous places in the world, Nepalese have somehow managed to
survive with their ever present tenacity and bravery that the Brits saw in the
Gorkha soldiers. Although far from the
per capita income of Hong Kong, they have managed to make a decent living with
their physical strength for the labor market to take up the lengthy hours of
work load in the manufacturing, security guards, and construction areas of the
ever expanding economy. Very few
Nepalese seem to be aware of or capable of taping into the financial or the
business sectors of the real Hong Kong that we know from the outside.
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| view of a narrow street with high rise buildings and double Decker Buses |
As
the older generation is busy in the physical labor, there is a growing cloud of
fear looming large over the Nepalese community in Hong Kong when it comes to
their younger generation. The younger
generation may have taken the liberty of a city like Hong Kong a bit too far in
amusing themselves into a lot of drug addiction and alcoholism; most gang
fights and criminal activities are presumed to be committed by the Nepalese in
the eyes of the law enforcement agencies.
Such a reputation has also affected the rest of the Nepalese who wish to
travel to Hong Kong; visa free entrance to Hong Kong has been removed and
obtaining a visitor’s visa has become a one big headache for any Nepali; in the
eyes of Hong Kong Immigration officers, every Nepali that comes to Hong Kong comes
to commit some crime. Life for the Nepalese
permanent citizens and the residents of Hong Kong has also been adversely
affected by such a reputation of the young Nepalese in Hong Kong who seem to
have lost their identity. Such a loss of
identity propels them into a lifestyle of purposeless activities in which a
whole generation has come at a cross road.
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| Tram to Victoria Peak, dating back to early 19th century |
In
the midst of such crises, Nepalese community in Hong Kong has found the source
of Hope in the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I have come to preach the gospel
to the poor, to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, to give sight to the blind,
to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim year of God’s favor” (Luke
4:18). Many Nepalese have ended in Hong
Kong with the hope of earning money but found themselves under so much poverty
and pressures of life. Practically some
of them have become oppressed and life has become the prisoner of time and
work; there is no time for the family, and friendship is a forgotten thing of the
past. With such a pressure to make ends
meet and save a few pennies, they have become so blind to what really matters in
life; marriages are failing, families are crumbling, and friendships are torn
apart.
In such
a context, hearing the message of Jesus that promises rest for the weary soul
(Matthew 11:28-30) and peace to those who are tormented by cares and worries of
this life is so inviting. If given such
an invitation, many Nepalese brothers and sisters are turning to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Those who have turned to the
Lord Jesus Christ find a great deal of hope, peace and strength to overcome the
challenges of a city like Hong Kong. The divine power Jesus promised has become
their actual experience in overcoming great difficulties and hardships and now,
with his grace, they are filled with new hope and zeal to excel in life. Jesus provides them the grace and power to do
what they were unable to do in their own capacity.
Truly,
a Christian who follows the teachings of Jesus is a person with great possibility
at his or her hand. He becomes a free
person from all cares and worries of this life as Jesus said he will take care
of them. A Christian is no longer blind
to what really matters in this life; matters like family, friends, and
citizenship. A Christian becomes a
loving father and a faithful husband, a loyal friend, and a patriotic
citizen. A Christian is no longer a prisoner
of his or her environment; he can rise above his circumstances and begin to
live a life that is respectable and peaceful.
Many young Nepalese people in Hong Kong have come to believe in the Lord
Jesus and they are filled with hope and ambition for this life because Jesus
opens their eyes to see what they can do for his glory and for their own
good. The young people who know Jesus do
not need to depend on drugs and alcohol or succumb to peer pressures; they are confident
in themselves because of the life Jesus has given them.
These
young people who know Jesus Christ are busy in playing music in the church,
testifying to other young people as how they can beat drugs, alcohol and
aimless life, they lead youth groups, rallies, and church functions. Even in the midst of their busy schedule they
find time to meet with their friends and talk about Jesus and how best they can
live their lives for him. While some
Nepalese young people who do not know Jesus are being rounded up by the police
for crimes and social nuisances, these young people who know Jesus have become
role models for the new generation. The
gospel of Jesus Christ makes a great difference in the life of a person, a society,
a city and even a nation.
I
said goodbye to my Hong Kong friends at the airport on the 18th of
June and headed for my plane only to be greeted by apparently a Korean man of
my own age already sitting in the seat next to mine. His first question was “are you Chinese?” For a Korean, I gave credit to him that he
could think of a non-Chinese looking man could also be a Chinese! The next question was “who won the match
between Korea and Russia?” He introduced
himself to be a seaman coming from the horn of Africa after 15 months away from
home. The conversation that followed is
worth for another post. I leave with one
statement that he made and the turn our conversation took after that is no
guess. He said, “wife is too expensive
to maintain, but I can buy a girl with 50$ a night”. I had never said “you are an animal” to
anyone before but on this flight to Incheon, he got that word from me but he
took it in a positive note as our journey ended. Once again, the gospel makes a great
difference in how a person lives his life.
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