Many have reported and commented on the parade and the night show for the 60th National Day. I would like to share here some of my observations.

Every time I go to Beijing, I try to squeeze in some time to walk the alleys and ride public transport. Through these up-close and personal experiences, I can get a feel for the mood of the city.

This time I did the same, and I liked what I saw.

Wherever I went I heard people talking about traffic control, shops closing early, people leaving town, etc. People in Beijing were making great sacrifices with significant disruptions in their daily lives to make way for the big celebration. Never once could I detect a trace of resentment in the conversations I overheard. My Beijing friends told me that as inhabitants of the capital, they are used to similar disruptions, and they are now taking them as facts of life here. Still, this is the commendable spirit of harmony and the whole country owes them forbearance.

The subway was crowded as usual as it remains heavily subsidized. One can ride it anywhere, and the fee is just 2 yuan across the board. On each trip, some youth invariably stood up to offer his seat to me, sometimes two simultaneously. Though with grey hair all over, I never quite accept I am old, and I did not mind standing. However, these are offers I did not want to refuse either. So I sat down, with great warmth in my heart, knowing our younger generation has reacquired the habit of respecting senior citizens, as this was long the tradition of our great culture.

These encounters deeply touched me because they were great contrasts with our experience here in Hong Kong. We have recently got into the habit of incessantly complaining about almost everything, but at the same time, no one is doing anything positive. I travel almost daily on our public transport system, but seldom do I get a seat offered to me. Very often, if I want to sit, I have to fight with people a third my age. Yet we think we are civilized and mainlanders are country pumpkins.

Such prejudice is embedded in our common psyche and reinforced daily through our media. If you read our local newspapers, you might have the impression that the mainland is on the verge of breaking apart. The fact is, if these people are at all serious to find out, that the average mainland people are happy and content and are at the moment enjoying their yearly Golden Week holidays.