On the day before a choking dust storm turned our already polluted air into a blanket of dirt, I was returning to Hong Kong from Shenzhen with two Malaysian-Chinese businessmen I had just met.
The talk turned to the rivalry between Singapore and Hong Kong. One of the Malaysians marvelled at Hong Kong's success, but I was only half listening. My mind was on why the filthy haze that normally hung over Shenzhen seemed even filthier.
The reason, of course, became clear the very next morning when the dust storm caused Hong Kong's worst pollution on record. Staying indoors to avoid the filth, I was reminded of the Malaysian's words.
There was a time when I, too, marvelled at Hong Kong's success. Our jargon was filled with terms like 'can-do spirit' and 'you can't lose betting on Hong Kong'. But how often do you hear people say that now? Are we still a successful city, or was the Malaysian speaking from a perception that no longer holds true?
The government's failure to issue a timely warning of the approaching dust storm was not in itself proof that Hong Kong is no longer successful in everything we do. But the public cynicism over official claims that the science did not exist to issue an early warning is proof that the people no longer believe we have an efficient government.
How can we say we are successful when the price of even a modest flat has climbed so high - while average wages remain so low that most families can never afford to buy one and must depend on government-subsidised homes? Are we a successful city when most members of the younger generation believe owning a home is a dream they will never realise? Can we say we are successful when much of our wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few property tycoons, when the percentage of the working poor is rising, when most in the working class do not have a realistic pension plan, when we do not have enough university places for those who qualify, when most university graduates have to settle for less than HK$10,000 a month, and when young people no longer dare dream of a successful future?