I’ve been following the news closely since the protests started in Hong Kong. Just like many others who love this city, I never thought I’d see it like that – battered and bruised by the very people who claim to love this city. It’s incredibly sad to see Hong Kong in this state. It’s just unfathomable to me how this small group of people can resort to such violence and destruction.

I watched the destruction of Tung Chung MTR station live on TV when it happened and my heart ached for Hong Kong. Central and Wan Chai MTR stations were added to the “casualty” list on Sunday night. To see all these familiar places in Hong Kong being wrecked and destroyed makes me so sad for Hong Kong.

I used to live in Po Lam in the Tseung Kwan O area, which is out in the suburbs. I didn’t think the protesters or violence would reach there. But it did. My friends there say Hong Kong is still safe, as long as one stays away from the “popular” areas. Earlier this year, I had booked a ticket to go to Hong Kong in October. I’m monitoring the situation at the moment to see if I’ll actually go. The tricky issue is that I’m scheduled to arrive and depart Hong Kong on weekends which is when the protesters are most likely to strike. And worse, I can’t make plans with friends to meet up as everyone is afraid that they might be caught out and unable to get home if they venture too far from home. Let’s see how things pan out.

While I know there is no easy and quick solution to the problems that plague Hong Kong, I certainly hope that at least some semblance of normalcy can be restored to Hong Kong soon.