Saturday, July 2, 2011

Busy (This week's Photo Hunt theme)





For most of my life, I've lived in a port city. I was born in one (George Town, Penang) and have lived in three others in very different parts of the world (Philadelphia, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar). And, of course, I now reside in Hong Kong.

Although I don't work in the shipping industry, I don't think it's complete coincidence that I look to have been attracted to life in port cities. Rather, my sense is that port cities are places which are more likely to be more multi-cultural and transnational in outlook as well as their business activities than most other places -- and this suits me to a "T" socially and professionally. Furthermore, at their vibrant best, port cities are busy places bustling with life and buzzing in a way that I find very energizing as well as exciting.

For a time, the port of Hong Kong held the title of busiest container port in the world. And although it no longer is the absolute number one in this category, it definitely still is one of the busier container ports in the world. This is something I am able to personally view and verify every time I do such as make a trip to and back from the airport -- since my route there and back passes by the mammoth and seemingly perennially busy Kwai Tsing Container Terminals (parts of which are pictured in the third and fourth photos from the top of this Photo Hunt entry).

Additionally, on ferry trips between the Central Piers and islands like Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau, one is invariably treated to views of boats and ships galore including ferries plying the Hong Kong-Macau passenger route and bigger vessels heavily laden with containers (like those in the first and second photos from the top of this blog entry) -- and thus given a reminder that even while you are enjoying your leisure time, others continue to be busy working away. (And I don't know about you but this thought often humbles me -- and makes me even more grateful for having more time and opportunity to play than many others!)

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the busyness of Ports and their shipping.

magiceye said...

ports indeed are a beehive of activity 24x7..
lovely take on the theme

eastcoastlife said...

It's great to live in HK where exciting places are just a stone's throw away. You can take a ferry to nearby cities like Shenzhen, Maucau for meals, even a short day trip to Taipei or Manila is not surprising. :)

Ruth said...

Big ports are fascinating.......I can sit for ages wondering where the ships are going!

MaR said...

I love big ports! great take on the busy theme.
I was only a hobby photographer at the wedding :)
Enjoy your weekend

busy

LifeRamblings said...

HK is always crowded and very busy but it is a great way to see a side of HK life.

YTSL said...

Hi archiearchive --

There are quiet ports too... but ya, it's the busier ports that I like too. :)

Hi magiceye --

Hong Kong's port does seem to be busy day and night. :)

Hi EastCoastLife --

Would you believe that I've never been to Shenzhen (or Manila)? OTOH, yes, I do like that Macau's close to Hong Kong -- and have visited Taipei from Hong Kong too. :)

Hi Ruth --

I particular enjoy watching those ports that get visited by a variety of boats and ships. :)

Hi Mar --

No shame in being a hobby photographer! :b

Hi Life Ramblings --

Er... Hong Kong isn't always crowded and busy. Check out my countryside pics! :b

sarah bailey knight said...

hi ytsl,

I like how your first photo shows how really big container vessels are! Have you visited a container terminal? Years ago I went to one in the Baltimore, MD area and I felt very tiny.

Julie said...

There's something dynamic about living in a port city.

happy weekend!

My PH:
http://homeschooling.teacherjulie.com/2011/07/02/busy-resort/

http://pixiepixels.info/2011/07/02/busy-ant/

Carver said...

This was a great take on the theme. Port cities are always bustling with activity. Happy weekend!

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, you are to ports as I am to beaches...I need to be in a place near the ocean. :) I love your photos and take for this week's theme. Looks like a very busy port. btw, I agree with your humbling thoughts. I too am grateful to have my play time and count myself very lucky.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Susan Demeter said...

It does sound like an exciting and busy place to be! :)

Gattina said...

I know now what a busy habor is since I have been in Istanbul, lol !

YTSL said...

Hi sbk --

I've never been to a container terminal. Have walked among rows of containers at such as Zanzibar port though -- but that port's too small to have such a facility as a distinct container terminal. ;)

Hi Julie --

Agreed! :)

Hi Carver --

Thanks and happy weekend to you too. :)

Hi Trekcapri --

I'm not really a beach person but I *have* discovered some nice beaches in Hong Kong that I enjoy being on. :)

Hi Sue --

Am glad that I can help you get that impresion. :)

Hi Gattina --

Yes, Istanbul does have quite a lot of water-borne traffic! (I've been there too, so know what you're talking about.) :)

Liz said...

Nice take on the theme. Ports and piers are busy places.

Re photo, the nurse took it. :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Liz @ MLC

peppylady (Dora) said...

I don't live near a port city. Everything is brought into our town by truck or train.
With our world getting smaller I bet the ports are busier then ever.

Coffee is on.

YTSL said...

Hi Liz --

Re that photo on your blog: aaah, that makes sense! :D

Hi peppylady (Dora) --

I just saw your blogger profile: Idaho! Wow! Through the wonders of the internet, I've finally gotten in touch with someone in Idaho! Even at my college in Wisconsin (with something like 47 states represented and several different countries), there still wasn't anyone from Idaho there! :D

Lew said...

In today's world economy, our cites are very busy - both on the water and on the roads.

YTSL said...

Hi Lew --

I think there are parts of the world which are not so busy -- some of which wish they could be, some of which are happy to not be. When I lived there back in the mid 1990s, Zanzibar was relatively quiet (i.e., in the doldrums economically). It was a physically beautiful place but I never ever saw big boats on its seas, only dhows and sandbanks that would appear and disappear with the tides.

Hi Ayesha --

Thanks for your kind words. If only I could feel certain that you don't write them on more than one blog. I'll let your spam stay (for now) though as I think there's room for info re the product you're hawking.

jams o donnell said...

A great take on the theme. I have lived in two port towns in the past and they were certainly vibrant places to live!

YTSL said...

Hi jams --

Thanks for liking my take on the theme -- and ooh re your having lived in more than one port city too! :)