Hong Kong is a subtropical climate, which means that from May to September, the climate is super humid and rainy and hot. Right now though, we are still in the winter period, which is comparatively mild and dry. However, with climate change, the cold fronts have broken new records in temperature, and the severity and frequency of tropical cyclones and typhoons have also dramatically increased. While the climate is very conducive to the growth of tropical plants, agriculture is actually very minimal in Hong Kong, due to its proximity to its main exporter, mainland China. Hong Kong is actually mostly made of hillsides, which makes agriculture quite hard. My sit spot in fact, is at the bottom of surrounding hills and mountains that cover the whole of Hong Kong Island. On the way, I walk alongside Shouson Hill and Violet Hill, located within the greater region of Tai Tam Country Park. Because of the climate and geography, my sit spot is very nice, covered by lots of shade from the surrounding Banyan trees and Fan Palms, and with the nice sea breeze.

I also wanted to talk more about the geography of Hong Kong, which due to the hilly terrain, has been prominent in a lot of social issues particularly around housing. This past week, I got to learn a little bit more about geographical issues from the perspective of locals. In particular, I learned about the annual jackfruit festival. This event in Wang Chau in the less developed New Territories, not only was a community celebration of the local Jackfruit harvest, but also a way for the 3 local villages to protest against forced eviction by the government to create public housing. The annual festival occurred from 2017-2020, but the villagers were unable to defend against the forced demolition. Despite this, the festival itself was also a joyful community building experience, featuring local jackfruit products like jam, and local music and dance performances. I wanted to highlight this jackfruit festival as a way to show local community celebration and protest that integrated with issues around food, housing, and the climate. In one of my classes, we have been discussing a lot about the connectedness of human, animal, and planetary wellness, and both the jackfruit festival, and the weekly walks along the bay remind me of this theme.