After this project I went to Bangkog and from there to Cambodia and traveled through this country. Still with the sensibility from our project reflecting locations and the impressions from Hong Kong and Zurich.
My time in Thailand and Cambodia influenced how i see Hong Kong , a place I reflected before, during and after my visit.
The time before the visits in Zurich, Hanz and me spoke and exchanged our footages. We searched for similarities, so he sent me material that showed resemblance with zurich. I searched for Hong kong in Zurich. The surprise in Hong Kong was big. There were so many differences I didn‘t think about because I didn’t focus on them. When you make a sample, in inklusion there is always exclusion. When I saw Hong Kong I was fascinated about the differences and I saw them everywhere. It was harder to collect similiar images. Before, when I only had my imagination it was much easier. The differences started to pop out now.
If you find similarities, you will find differences. They always will be there. The humans, the habbits, the plants, streets, buildings, air, food etc. Its never the same.
Hong Kong wasn‘t like my expectations and imaginations. In some way yes, but I saw another world when I arrived. I spoke with my friend in Cambodia about my experience in Hong Kong, and when I said, „I was in China..“ he got angry and told me that I haven’t been in china! Hong Kong isn‘t China! Of course I knew that but it makes a huge diffrent what you have seen before and where you came from. He traveled through China for 3 months and arrived in Hong Kong after that. For him it was like he was back in the western world. He had all the infrastructures again. But when I arrived in Hong Kong, I came directly from switzerland and I saw so much that reminded me of China or what I expected China to be.
After all I found a phrase in Thailand and Cambodia which is a perfect conclusion for this projekt.
You hear locals say very often “same same but different”. They also print this slogan on their shirts. This words fit with my experience in this project perfectely. I was delighted to see the humor of our hong kong friends. We laughed about the same stuff, I enjoyed the way of sarkasm they had and we were annoyed about the same things. I felt immediately, we are not that different. Even if I am some years older, live a different life and were raised on the other side of the planet. In many ways we are the same. The connection with our Hong Kong partners was the best part of this project. To work with a foreign partner from another culture was inspiring. To play the touristguides for each other was a chance to see and understand much more. I‘m very thankful for that, especially for meeting Hanz and working with him. Of course i’m also very grateful to have met Karen, Winnie and Alison. It‘s always a privilege to meet locals and to see behind the surface.