What do you think of the green-belt site for the Mega Tower plan? John Cheng (Talkback, October 16) will probably view me as 'Mid-Levels bandwagon jumper', but I have lived adjacent to the Mega Tower site for more than 30 years. He is mistaken that the hotel project will lead to road improvements. The only one may be to a small length of footpath at the north side of Kennedy Road, but other major works are simply road improvisations to try to justify the extreme increase in traffic that this private development is expected to generate. They have no incremental benefit for the community and I guess that the public purse will be expected to maintain these massive structures. A public park as large as Southorn Playground is similarly a myth. There will be an additional public area at the lower end of Ship Street but it will be small. A private park is intended at Kennedy Road, but this appears to be not much more than an extended forecourt and pedestrian access to the hotel. Since the Times Square episode such 'private open spaces' have been discredited as a valuable community asset. Mr Cheng is correct that the zoning plans should be changed and this is the purpose of the 'green-belt' rezoning proposal submitted by the Conservancy Association. Christian Rogers, Mid-Levels Does Hong Kong have a good work-life balance? A survey has found that many Hongkongers must work long hours and cannot have a proper balance between work and their private lives. This only applies to people who see a clear separation between work and what they do outside the office. For some, that separation is difficult or almost impossible, as their work is their life. As an architect, I enjoy my creative job and I have never regarded it as work per se; it is also my life. The fusion has enriched my life. Perhaps it is more important to integrate the two elements rather than separate them. I agree that this depends on one's perception of life. I suggest that anyone who finds it impossible not to work long hours, should make a genuine attempt to inject some 'life' element into the 'work' element. I believe there are many ways to integrate the two elements, such as making a serious attempt to like what one is doing and believing in the meaning of the work. If you do this you will definitely have a happier life. For those who do not wish to do this, the only solution is to balance the two elements by organising the schedule more efficiently. H.C. Bee, Kowloon Tong The average working hours per week of Hong Kong people is 48, but about a quarter of people work more than 60 hours a week. Hong Kong people spend so much of their time at work and the pace of life is really fast. And it is not only adults who are under pressure. Students spend most of their time preparing for exams. The pressure is so great that even when they take a rest, people are still thinking about work. Making money is still the top priority for Hongkongers and I am not optimistic that this will change. Maybe the fast pace is part of our culture, but I feel sure that most people, because of this, cannot develop their private interests. Competition seems to be more important than enjoyment. Li Pui-ying, Tseung Kwan O Should private estates allow the keeping of pets? I refer to comments by Laura Yuen Yung Ho-yuen (Talkback, October 7) and Virginia Yue (Talkback, October 9). I totally agree that pets should be allowed in private estates. Also, the government should provide more facilities for pets. At the moment there are a lot of public facilities where entry is denied to pets, for instance beaches and country parks. I saw a pet's toilet in a country park - there was also a sign at the entrance saying pets were not allowed in the park. This does not make any sense. There should be consistency in the government's policy. As Ms Yue pointed out, hygiene problems associated with pets in estates are created by the owners. It is important to educate the owners so they know how to look after their pets properly and responsibly. Angel Chan, Tuen Mun How can people be more sustainable consumers? We should all be thinking more about sustainable consumption, given that the world only has limited resources. We have to think more carefully before we buy something and not buy it just because it is fashionable or cheap. We should only make purchases we need. Consumers who buy products they do not need are adding to the amount of waste we generate. We can also learn from the past, when people exchanged goods rather than throw things out. If we have an item that we no longer want, we should talk to friends and see if they would like to exchange it for something they do not like. This can help to reduce volumes of waste. Sharing is also another way of cutting down on waste. Friends can, for example, share books and food. Grace Law Ming-chi, Tai Wai What can be done to help troubled young people? There are many young people in Hong Kong who are facing family problems. This has been made worse by the global economic crisis. Youngsters get upset when they see that their parents are depressed about these issues. Rather than letting these issues get them down, young people could try to offer emotional support to family members. When they can see how tired their parents are, they can help out by offering to do some work around the house. They should also try to save any money they have. Teenagers must realise that communication is key to good family relationships. Solutions to problems can be found if family members are communicating with each other. Young people who have problems should share their feelings with their teachers, counsellors and friends. They can get advice from these people and this can help them deal with their stress. Cathy Hung, Fanling
