I was born and raised in Canada. My parents immigrated from mainland China right after the end of the Cultural Revolution. My wife and her family are immigrants from Hong Kong who came to Canada around 25 years ago. Being the only “Westerner” in my immediate family, I was surprised by the response of both sides of my family when I offered my opinions on the situation on Hong Kong. I have been jokingly labelled a “communist” by my parents and a “ blue ribbon ” by my wife’s family. I have never lived Hong Kong, so I have no experience of what is happening in the city. But because of this, I have less contempt for and bias in my opinions towards the government. I think the Hong Kong government is only partially to blame for Hong Kong’s problems. Rather, Hong Kong suffers from a massive superiority complex that it cannot shake off. Hong Kong was flourishing when I was born. China had just emerged from the Cultural Revolution as one of the poorest countries in the world. In contrast, Hong Kong was dubbed “ the Pearl of the East ”. However, after China’s reform and opening up, Hong Kong found itself in a “hare and the tortoise” situation. Educated mainlanders who can speak perfect English were applying for jobs in Hong Kong. However, Hongkongers just sat back and relied on their belief that their “superiority” would prevail. Unfortunately when the hare woke up, the tortoise had already overtaken him. Hong Kong failed to adapt to the changing global environment. Mainlanders took it upon themselves to better themselves by learning English which makes them more marketable. My wife still speaks with an accent and needs subtitles for some films. Hongkongers are reluctant to learn Mandarin and simplified Chinese believing it to be an attack on their culture. However, traditional characters are only used officially in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s disillusioned blame all their problems on China. However, the real problem is themselves. Competition forces you to be the best you can be. However, Hong Kong is still napping on the wayside, dreaming that the rest of China will never beat it in a race. A. Kwok, Toronto