An open letter to property developers

You don’t own this city: we do

By Nury Vittachi

*

This is an open letter to Cheung Kong, Swire Properties, CapitaLand, DLF, Excellence Group, Wharf Holdings and all the other major property developers in Asia.

                I was standing outside a fancy marble, glass and steel office block when I noticed a wrinkled old lady taking a photograph of a wrinkled old man. All together now: Ahhhhh. Who says love doesn’t last? It was SO sweet.

                But not everyone thought so. Beefy uniformed guards raced up and told them that this sort of outrageous behaviour was strictly banned from anywhere in the vicinity of their building.

                I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but it must have been something like: “How dare you use your enormously powerful five-millimeter camera flash against our massive, mile-high tower of marble and steel. You might hurt it.”

                The elderly couple apologized and moved away with unsteady, Bambi-like steps.

                This happens all the time. I’ve been ordered away myself from chic glass towers for various crimes:  taking photographs, sitting on a wall or (and this happens every week) for being in charge of children who were—shock horror—acting like children.

                Well, I’m fed up of it. So here goes.

                Dear Property Developers, listen up. I am talking to you. Yes, you. Sit down and hear this.

                You have built glittering edifices in cities all over Asia which are designed for international yuppies rather than the average noxious resident like me, but that’s okay.

You have replaced our noodle shops and local stalls with chain stores at which we can barely afford to buy a cup of coffee, but we won’t complain about that.         

Your buildings are closed cities in themselves and have no connection with the ancient communities around them, but we’ll let you get away with that.

                But there is one fact we need you to get straight. You don’t own the city. We, the people, own the city. If we want to take photographs of ourselves in our city, we have a right to do so. If you build a big glass tower in the background of our photograph, that’s not our fault—it’s yours.

                If we want to walk through our city wearing lungis or sarongs or shorts, we can. You have no right to send us away or tell us to come back in Western suits. Your Manolo Blahnik brogues have been trendy for 30 years. Our preferred footwear—bare feet or simple sandals—have been a classic fashion statement for three and half million years.

                Your yuppie hobbies of walking around staring at a 2.8 centimeter screen or talking to dangling wires are becoming increasingly popular, despite the fact that they make you look Very Silly. But our habit of squatting on our haunches and chewing a blade of grass while watching the world go by has been an Asian hobby since time immemorial. Let us be.

                If our little ones want to squeal and shout and jump around in our city, they can. That’s what children do. You may have been one yourself once, although if you tell us that you were formed from ready-mixed concrete and steel, we will believe you.

So call a meeting of your guards and tell them to stop harassing old folk, small children, idling lovers, young families, or any one else.

You don’t own the city. We do.

Signed, an ordinary Asian.
*
(illustration by Watchsmart/ Creative Commons)

Comments

[Richard]

I was told off a few months ago by a guard outside Marks and Spencer in Central Hong Kong - I was sitting on a windowsill, waiting for a friend, neither bothering nor blocking anyone else. He told me I shouldn't be sitting there - I said I accepted his advice, but I was quite comfortable, really. He was a little insistent, so I had to point out that I have shares in M&S, am therefore a part owner of the company, and had chosen to claim that little bit of windowsill as representing the minute part of the company due to me.

He, wowed by my argument, went away and left me to wait for my friend in peace. Alternatively, he may just have not been bothered to argue about the philosophy of stock ownership vs. part ownership of the actual company...

[shawn]

AIA in north point is famous for its nazi-like security --- when i was in a wheelchair my wife left me sittiing near the building while she ran into the cake shop --- i was ordered to move along --- it turned into a bit of an arguement until she came to collect me. After the wheelchair I was walking with a cane --- stopped to lean on the building for a moment to let pedestrians get past --- ordered to move on.
Now no cane -- went to my friend's computer shop to meet him --- i beat him, sat on his doorstep to wait --- ordered to move along -- we argued about I was waiting for the owner --- he didn't care -- i walked over and sat on the curb near my friend's shop ---- told to move on from there as well
seems aia also owns the sidewalk

[Lesley]

Hong Kong just doesn't allow sitting down.
They are also so pedantic about ID Cards.
See my blog on the subject.
http://lesleycroftblog.typepad.com/
My daughter tried to go for a free swim without hers. Big trouble!

[shrynne]

hv you tried taking pictures around the Centre in Central--- they've got like ridiculous amounts of security guards who vigilantly guard the square in front. I once saw them harassing an elderly couple--could they be the same ones--Nury?

[karuna]

the bigger problem is that our city does not love children ?
The worst news this week was the atrocious judgement by a local magistrate to put away 2 lovely kids from Tin Shui Wai for 3 years in a government orphanage. Their crime supposedly was that they were naughty and had no fear of heights.
The best place for these 2 children are with their parents. It does not matter if the parents are poor and not well educated. Children need to live their parents and not in orphanages.
People wearing bow ties with expensive fish ponds may not understand this simple and basic human value.

The government and the magistrate have done a crime against these 2 children. This needs to be stopped and the children have to be send back to their parents. If the government wants to assist they can help by providing some kind of training to the parents on how to manage naughty children.

[xoxo]

I agree 100%!

[Nury]

Tricky one this. From what I read of the case, the father had packed his bags and the mother was a young woman not capable of looking after the children. Refusing to feed them so that they take desperate steps to get food is a massive warning signal that no one who cares about children can ignore.

Second, let me tell you what (sometimes) happens in government orphanages. They are not the nightmare places of movieland. The kids will probably be sent to Portland Street, a clean bright place full of toys. Not only do they have nurses to look after them, but volunteers come in and out whose sole duty is to play with the kids.
If the mother agrees, couples or families can actually foster or adopt the kids---so they end up in a place where they are valued and loved.
I've actually been a visitor to the government orphanages AND adopted kids from there, so I know the system really well.
It turns a tragic system -- incapable young woman with malnourished kids -- into one where all sides feel safe and relieved.
Here endeth the sermon!

[Ada]

My children and I were waiting for my husband (a tenant) in Central Plaza. Naturally one of them got hurt. I set him down to put on a bandaid and the security came running in less than a second. I thought he was kind but silly me, he was just worried my baby's bottom could ruin their cold granite flooring.

Same building with another tenant who rolled down the escalator. She got seriously hurt with blood all over. While waiting for the ambulance, she asked for ice. The security replied: "We don't have them." She then asked for water instead. Same guy replied: "My hands are dirty." I guess the security just want to push her out on the street and let her bleed to death--out of sign and out of their glittering tower.

[Vriti]

I agree with the thought that many HK people are taught to be disciplined without taking into consideration the human values. They rather work like robots who do whatever they are taught without consideration about in what situation the other person may be. I think its important for HK people to be trained to become more sympathatic towards persons who may need help. Probably thats the reason they feel even more let down by the mainland chinese who are more humble and have a better understanding about human values.

[sej]

We've got the same thing here in Australia, you try and take a photo of the MLC tower, even though you're 50m down the road, security guards come rushing down the road trying to prevent you from taking photos...

But what's really funny here, is the whole reason developers pay architects millions of dollars, is to make you want to be in and around their buildings, and take photographs of them, the exact opposite of what actually happens.

[Lawrence]

I too have been harassed by "officials". I tell them I'm a policeman investigating illegal security scams.

And yet beggars covered in plastic bags can sit in the middle of one of the busiest crossings in the world in Central.

[Chaos]

I really appreciate the fact that you've created your own website and have actually gived to the world your thoughts. I love your work and feel I can refer to what you've done. Many folks can't even imagine having such talent. I hope that you know how lucky you are. :) Good luck to you in all your aspirations. :)