It's (literally) hot out there again now!
The Hong Kong Observatory issued its first “very hot weather” warning of 2023 this morning at 11.45am, indicating the mercury was expected to reach at least 33 degrees Celsius today. Before the warning was cancelled at 5.30pm, temperatures had risen to highs of 34.7 degrees Celsius in Sai Kung town, 34.4 degrees Celsius in Sheung Shui and Yuen Long Park, 34.3 degrees Celsius over at Lau Fa Shan, and 34 degrees in Tai Po and Ta Kwu Ling. And even though I did not venture into the New Territories, I still felt on the hot side where I was!
With the issuing of the "very hot weather warning", we've got confirmation that summer has arrived in Hong Kong -- and if this one goes the way of those in recent memory, it will stay into October, some four and half long months away. As it stands, we've already been warned by the folks over at the Hong Kong Observatory that "2023 is likely to be one of the warmest years on record"; with the possibility of record breaking heat this summer having brought about a decision to issue new "extremely hot" weather warnings when the mercury soars above 35 degrees Celsius this summer.
If it's not already clear: summer is my least favourite season of the year. And while this has been true of all the places I've lived in which has four seasons, I must say that this is particularly so of national security law-era Hong Kong.
This is because, along with the high heat, the summer also brings with it bad memories of events that took place on the days and nights such as July 21st, August 5th, 2019, August 31st (and not just because of what happened inside Prince Edward MTR station) and September 15th, 2019. Oh, and no longer being able to go out and take part in the once annual June 4th candlelight vigil and any more pro-democracy marches and rallies (including on July 1st) really is frustrating and depressing; this even though I suppose I should thank the authorities for making it so that I won't sweat like a pig and risk getting heat rash while out protesting on hot summer day and nights as used to be the case!
During the summers of 2020, 2021 and 2022, I sometimes found myself wondering how much of the oppression -- and sometimes accompanying depression -- I felt was due to the authorities, how much was due to the heat and how much was due to the pandemic.
In 2023, I have pretty much concluded that the heat does have a negative psychological effect on me; ditto the pandemic. But, really, what upsets and oppresses me the most is what's happening to Hong Kong politically; this especially since the bad news can feel so relentless and like it will never stop coming. (A candidate for today's lowlight, by the way, would be it having been reported in the Hong Kong Free Press today that 13 more people were found guilty by a judge on Saturday of "rioting" in 2019, including a man who claimed to be a photojournalist.)
Still, on the subject of the pandemic: I know the World Health Organisation has declared it to no longer be a global emergency but -- despite what many people think -- it has not declared the pandemic over. And as it so happens: Hong Kong is in the middle of yet another Covid wave; with it being estimated that there are "more than 10,000 new cases each day at the moment"!
Professor Ivan Hung of the University of Hong Kong said that there currently are about 220 patients were in a serious or criticial condition in hospital in Hong Kong. Note: Hong Kong no longer requires everyone who tests positive for Covid to be hospitalized though; so, hopefully, the hospitals will not be overwhelmed like they were last year.
Also, Hong Kong no longer has a mask mandate in place; but it's noticeably so that more people are masking (again) these days than was the case a month ago. Still, I do wish that more people masked on public transportation and enclosed spaces such as cinemas as is currently the case. Also, why oh why are there people who wear masks under their noses and mouths? Like, I'm sorry, but unless you breath through your mouth rather than the nose, the former option is not going to help you or anyone breathing the same air as you! And for the latter: Masks aren't talismans, you know!
While the anti-extradition/pro-democracy protests made me really f**king love Hong Kong and feel bonded to Hong Kongers (and a part of a great community), the pandemic has left me questioning the intelligence and humanity of many of my fellow human beings; this not least when it comes to discussions of Covid vaccines as well as the Wuhan coronavirus itself. For the record: I'm pro-mask and also pro-vaccine; and I believe that if more people were, we would have a better chance of vanquishing this coronvirus -- which, sadly, does not look like it will be just disappear and die off the way that SARS did in 2003 but, instead, will be here and plaguing us some time to come; just like China's national security law for Hong Kong. :(
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