The Gritty Side of Hong Kong

My Dear Great Ones, 

 There are over 59 000 multi-millionaires and over 768 000 millionaires in Hong Kong.  Their wealth is evident in gleaming high rises, apartment buildings,  houses, cars, yachts.  Top of the line stores and restaurants gladly take their money.  While I do not begrudge this wealth, after all I benefit from it with a great job at an international school,  I am quite frankly disappointed that there are so many poor here in Hong Kong.   So many live in squalor, so many barely eke out a living.  Last year the Hong Kong government ended up with a surplus of 90 billion Hong Kong dollars.  That is 15.4 BILLION Canadian dollars.  That is crazy.  In Canada that is the DEBT of the government. Ha ha, not quite but I am not exaggerating much.  

 I believe if the HK government really wanted to make their city the best place in the world they would invest 5 billion of that surplus and eliminate poverty once and for all, and provide decent housing for everyone, especially poor senior citizens!  Five billion should be spent on tax breaks for the middle class and small businesses.  Build the middle class!  And finally save 5.4 billion for a rainy day, let if collect mad interest.  Below are a few pictures of gritty Hong Kong.  It is a very small sample of a deplorable situation:   

Several shanty towns are located under bridges and on top of old apartment buildings.

 People waiting for a Christian ministry to provide them food.

 More views of a shanty town.

 In this stinky, horrible alleyway lives a 90 year old woman under a tarp.  Not acceptable!

 This man lives in an alley with all his belongings wrapped in plastic.

 These buildings are near the famous Temple Street markets.

 Rich and poor live close together.

 Celia playing piano for a ministry that visits homeless people.  They encourage and feed them.

Singing gospel songs with neighbors in an alleyway.

Pray for Hong Kong.  Pray for social justice and that poverty will be eliminated by a government blessed with billions of dollars.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk