Hot Pots: Equality at its Finest

Hot Pots. Essentially they are the HK version of Flat Top Grill. The way it works is brilliant and simple- a table of 10 gathers around two boiling pots heated by hot plates ( a massive fire hazard, and as my insurance agent and long time family friend, Brad Taylor, would say “an insurance nightmare”) - one full of spices and the other a more mild version full of vegetables and some other random stuff. The restaurant in general is outside is very simple. It is located under a tent very similar to one that you would see at a festival in the US, and there are people everywhere. Once everyone goes through a line and picks their respective meats and vegetables (oysters for me, of course) they take their plates back to the table and dump the contents into the pot. A few minutes later, when all has been cooked, everyone digs in with chopsticks. It’s a brilliant dining model- from both a social and business perspective. Very cheap fixed cost overhead, and everyone gets to eat exactly what they want without the added cost associated with hiring a cook.

More impressive than the cuisine, however, was the dynamic of the exchange student group. Being around 50-60 other students from all corners of the world and hearing stories about their respective cultures, customs, and ways of life was astounding and humbling. From the Nordic countries, to Europe, to Asia Australia, and South America- five continents (including my own) were represented at my table. I am starting to realize more and more that this is why I came to Hong Kong. To be challenged. To learn. To grow. And most importantly, to understand that being American does not necessitate being ethnocentric.

I will never forget last night- the night that the nations gathered together in Hong Kong as equals- as one collective unit of students eager to befriend one another and learn about cultures different from their own. There are no labels here. Talking about ones country is simply a conversation starter. It is not a superiority-measuring contest. Everyone is equal here. No one talks about how shipping jobs “overseas” is bad. No one talks about how “illegal” immigration is the “biggest” problem facing his or her nation. For once, everyone is human. Everyone is equal. And we all desire to listen rather than speak. To learn rather than teach. I realize now, more than ever, that the culture of Hong Kong may be one of the most fundamentally human and Christ-like places I have ever experienced.

In a way, the hot pot dining experience accurately represents Hong Kong in a very fundamental way. Everyone living here may come from a different background- everyone may choose different ingredients to throw into the pot. However, each ingredient serves an influential and instrumental purpose by adding flavour and accents to all of the other ingredients added to the pot. While we may all come from different backgrounds, we all end up rubbing off on one another- and this occurs for the enhancement of the entire pot. We rub off in a way that adds flavor. We rub off in a way that adds value. We rub off in a way that accents weakness. We rub off in a way that compensates wisdom in areas where there is a lack of knowledge. Hot Pots are representative of HK because they are a literal melting pot of flavor and ingredients. Hong Kong is a melting pot of ideas and cultures. And damned be the man who thinks his flavour should overpower any other.