I am a Canadian expatriate living in Hong Kong during the worldwide concern over the mystery illness dubbed SARS by the World Health Organisation. I thought I'd give you some information about how it's affecting life in Hong Kong. Many Chinese people are wearing masks on the MTR (metro) and the KCR (train) systems. A lot of the formerly busy shopping areas are now less crowded (Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui) as the general public fears contracting the illness in crowded areas. The government has shut down all schools for one week starting today (March 29, 2003). However, for every person wearing a mask there is a person who isn't wearing one. I was in a popular area called Lan Kwai Fong last night and it was full of expatriate, non-chinese people drinking beer and socializing in the bars and streets as they did prior to the SARS issue. It is fascinating to see how things unfold regarding this issue in Hong Kong. I have taken an approach that includes reasonable precautionary measures (mask at work or in really crowded areas & small, closed spaces and frequent hand-washing). I continue to live my life and have not confined myself to staying in my flat all day like some people have done. I also try to keep up to date on the latest discoveries about this illness. Hope that helps anyone who is curious about how SARS is affecting life here in Hong Kong.
--- "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those." -anon.
