I'm sitting at my desk, on my vacation week off, and needed to blog. This isn't about 21C Learning this time. It's about something even more astonishing I experienced today. Something that attests to the greatness of Hong Kong....thus far.
Today, I decided to go to the gym and then take a walk down to the Admiralty/Central area. Into the thick of the Occupy Central student protests that were taking place in the area. After getting out of the subway, I left the Admiralty train station and expected a loud, perhaps slightly anger-filled energy around the area. What I experienced was far different.
Please note, I am not expressing my political opinions about the situation here. I am simply expressing what I saw. Nothing more, nothing less.
I walked onto the street that lead to the main protests (literally in this situation, as the road was closed to cars) and began my casual stroll on Connaught Road. Typically this road is filled with daytime traffic, business people going about their day with latte and suitcase in hand. A Rolls Royce, or Ferrari may grunt on by. People on cellphones, not watching where they're going, would be a normal occurance. The road was wide and relatively empty on my downhill approach. A few young people in black shirts carrying boxes of water and food. An interesting start to what I was about to experience.
The closer I got to the protest the more I felt...safe. Amidst the large office buildings, Audi dealership, and other businesses along the main route, there were throngs of sweaty people. But that's pretty normal for Hong Kong. There was no violence. There was no major "disobedience." It was simply thousands of university students sitting, standing (a few shouting), sleeping, and being otherwise very safe and helpful. 
There are large concrete roadblocks which, at first glance, look like they are there to contain the protestors, when in reality, they are simply part of the highway. And in sheer helpfulness, many people have set up ladders, or climbable barriers to help people get onto the main street. when someone is on one, others are on both sides to help them get up.
The center of the protest was simply a lot more people, in black shirts sitting, standing, a few shouting, eating, drinking water, and being otherwise safe and helpful. On one side there is an abandoned city double decker bus with the face of a man on it whom people appear to be slapping while others commend them for it. 
I don't know what the media is portraying about this protest, but it is not violent and is not chaotic. It's organized. And the students are well fed, hydrated and taken care for. Everyone is walking around with cool patches on their foreheads or necks. 
The Hong Kong Red Cross building is actually within a block of the core protest area. There is no broken glass, no one seemed to want violence. The protestors are actively cleaning up the litter.
As I finish my stroll through the main area, which is about 1/2KM long, I felt never worried. Never felt like it could get violent. The police were standing in the background, no riot gear. Taking it easy. Watching from stairwells and behind barriers. Not being active. There was nothing for them to stop....besides thousands of students blocking off a main thoroughfare.
In short, I am highly impressed at the goings on that I experienced today. I hope it stays this way.
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