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Julekalender 2007
8th of December "Life and death in the streets"
Today we have seen a short documentary on DW-TV from the Christmas market in Dresden -the "Strietzel Markt"- which is known as one of the most popular in Germany and, admitted, it made us all a bit homesick. Not for the cold weather and the Christmas hysteria in Dresden and not for the Strietzel Markt itself. No, more for Dresden and all our friends there and the atmosphere in especially the Neustadt of Dresden. It is a very lively place and I almost always think about it when I am on my way in the crowded and lively neighborhoods of Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. Compared to these even the Neustadt in Dresden on a weekend night, looks like an outskirt of a minor city somewhere in the province, especially in December where the life moves from the streets and into the shopping centers, shops and bars. Here in Hong Kong everything still takes place outside on the streets. It is not only people on shopping tour and loads of school kids seeking some fast food for their break. Everywhere there is workers and shop owners moving stuff around and on the public places behind the temples huge numbers of older men gathers together playing some kind of domino and Chinese chess. 
A few streets further the wet markets starts with its various numbers of butchers, fish mongers and vegetable shops, and here it is more crowded than on any Christmas market in Germany and here the big killing is going on. Fish, frogs, chicken and ducks are mainly displayed alive and are then being killed in front of the Customers. For an European who is used to buy things wrapped in plastic, this can be some of a challenge. For instance to watch how the head is being chopped of a chicken or a frog and to see how the blood just runs along the street and into the drain, or to see a big fish being taken out of a water tank, thrown on the street and while it is gasping for air it is already being cut up, and part of it sold while the little hart is still beating.
On the other hand the customer can be sure that it is fresh, and in Europe there is also a lot of killing going on, we just do not see it.
Todays Christmas mood maker. Santa has sold his reindeer to get some more power. I am still not really in the mood for Christmas.
Today we have seen a short documentary on DW-TV from the Christmas market in Dresden -the "Strietzel Markt"- which is known as one of the most popular in Germany and, admitted, it made us all a bit homesick. Not for the cold weather and the Christmas hysteria in Dresden and not for the Strietzel Markt itself. No, more for Dresden and all our friends there and the atmosphere in especially the Neustadt of Dresden. It is a very lively place and I almost always think about it when I am on my way in the crowded and lively neighborhoods of Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. Compared to these even the Neustadt in Dresden on a weekend night, looks like an outskirt of a minor city somewhere in the province, especially in December where the life moves from the streets and into the shopping centers, shops and bars. Here in Hong Kong everything still takes place outside on the streets. It is not only people on shopping tour and loads of school kids seeking some fast food for their break. Everywhere there is workers and shop owners moving stuff around and on the public places behind the temples huge numbers of older men gathers together playing some kind of domino and Chinese chess. 
A few streets further the wet markets starts with its various numbers of butchers, fish mongers and vegetable shops, and here it is more crowded than on any Christmas market in Germany and here the big killing is going on. Fish, frogs, chicken and ducks are mainly displayed alive and are then being killed in front of the Customers. For an European who is used to buy things wrapped in plastic, this can be some of a challenge. For instance to watch how the head is being chopped of a chicken or a frog and to see how the blood just runs along the street and into the drain, or to see a big fish being taken out of a water tank, thrown on the street and while it is gasping for air it is already being cut up, and part of it sold while the little hart is still beating.
On the other hand the customer can be sure that it is fresh, and in Europe there is also a lot of killing going on, we just do not see it.
Todays Christmas mood maker. Santa has sold his reindeer to get some more power. I am still not really in the mood for Christmas.
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