All this outdoorsy tells me Tiger must be settling in. Or it could be that mama is a shithotteacher of epic monstrosities, inspiring her vulnerable charges with the rewards of learning. Plus a toffee ice cream if you show your face on Hong Kong Island.
Anyway, I know how to show my students a good time, right? Down the Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery of old Hong Kong.
Probably not that old, if a heritage building dates from 1902. But very forward thinking, as we discover. When we find it. It's a little tricky to get into. You have to choose the right walkway, keep your eyes open, and recall where you saw the sign.
There it is. The door behind the miniature palm trees. Ground floor only. The rest of the building is a car park. I agree. It's not that prepossessing. Don't worry. They have plans.
Inside too, they have the plans for this town, late of Britain, now of China. And not just for the former Kai Tak airport strip into a leisure, commercial and residential development. Nope. Hong Kong is destined to be a city hub in the megalopolis that is the PRD, or Pearl River Delta.
If the future fits, Hong Kong will be the city linking the manufacturing sprawls of Guangzho and Shenzhen, providing freight handling of China to the world.
It's a fine place to find an education. We talk about high rise, cityscape 2030, architecture, international planning, infrastructure, population density, land reclamation, manufacturing, export, import, global shipping, and should it be toffee or strawberry?
But it's clearly successful. Some of the superteacher Mama Grit's charges even take notes!
How amazing is that? I can only recommend it. And the strawberry.
Now, if you visit, you'll find the gallery at the bottom of a multi storey car park, just behind the bus stop and round the corner from the tram rails. But do not be deceived. We've seen the plans. The future's Chinese.
2 comments:
Planning and Infrastructure was Husband's fiefdom back in the UK. A fairly thankless task as most of the worthwhile stuff wasn't implemented for one reason (read excuse) or another.
Have you found any good fields yet? A rice paddy might suffice.
I've walked past it often in a hurry to somewhere else - it's really worth a visit?
Have you been to the museum of coastal defence btw?
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