TV and Reality
Growing up in Hong Kong, war always felt like something that belonged to television. We saw it in American movies—soldiers firing guns, explosions, buildings collapsing—but after two hours the credits rolled, and everything returned to normal. No real blood, no real loss, no real fear. Just a story.
I always felt lucky to be born and raised in Hong Kong. We never had to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow simply meant going to work or school, having lunch and dinner, wearing clean clothes, living our ordinary lives. The word “soldiers” was just a word. We never had an army of our own, never had to fight another country. We were a city first under the UK, now under China, and war was something that happened far away, to other people.
But for those living in war zones, tomorrow is not guaranteed. They may not wake up. They may have no food, no medical care, no help at all.
My friend Dan is from Ukraine. He works in Hong Kong as a musician. When the war between Ukraine and Russia broke out, I asked him about his family back home. He was sick with worry. His mother and his sister’s family were still in Ukraine. There were days without electricity or water. They had to hide when the opposing army came close. Men went to the front lines. Women and children hid wherever they could. The war began in 2022. It has been four years, and it is still ongoing. How many people must die before it ends?
Recently, many Hongkongers travelled to Dubai for vacation. Now flights are suspended. They are stuck there, unsure how long they will have to wait before they can return to Hong Kong—the safest haven they know. Apart from being scared, there is not much they can do. I’m praying for them, and also for my friend Lavesh, a former colleague who moved to Dubai years ago. He messaged me saying he and his family are safe. I hope it stays that way.