Hong Kong, 1996. I felt embarrassed, like a peeping Tom as our water taxi wound its way around the fishing boats anchored in the bay. I watched as children jumped into the murky water to play and dive for coins tossed to them from passing tourists. Women hung fish to dry on the top decks of their fishing boats. A few men were mending their fishing nets. I felt like an intruder invading their privacy!
Our guide explained that the men would take their boats out in small groups to fish in the South China Sea and be gone for long periods of time. When they returned, they would take their catches to land to sell. Some fish would be dried as we saw women doing on their decks. He also explained that many of the older women had never set foot on land. They were born on the boats and lived there their entire lives! I could hardly imagine it. Even 20 years ago, this life was beginning to change for many of the people as the government was urging relocation to housing on shore. Men continued to provide for their families the only way they knew, by fishing. Living in the city allowed children the opportunity for an education. I knew little of this, only what I saw as abject poverty and my heart went out to these people.
We returned to land on our water taxi and climbed aboard our tour bus. Our next stop was a jewelry store that also sold fine cloisonné items. I watched as several of our group considered various expensive items to purchase. At the time I didn’t realize what was happening to me, but looking back on it later I realized this was probably my first experience with real culture shock. I couldn’t understand how my fellow tourists could purchase these costly items with no regard for what we had just seen from our water taxi. I found myself withdrawing and desperately wanting to leave this place of affluence.
Later that same day, our tour bus took us higher up the hillside past huge walled-in estates. Our guide told us that the more affluent persons were, the higher up the mountain they lived.
Before leaving Hong Kong, I found two watercolors that depicted the contrasts between the boat people and the wealthy of the city. One featured the sampans and fishing boats in the harbor, the other modern high rises in the downtown area. I kept these on the wall of our study to remind me of the privileges that God has blessed me with through the years.
Throughout this Thanksgiving season, I’ve once again thought about all that we so easily take for granted. Psalm 103 says, “…forget not all his benefits-“