Text: Maria / Photos: RUN
Hiking the Trails along the canopy in the hills of this beautiful land of Hong Kong, one will be forgiven to have a thought of hiking in the Amazon, but then again there are few wild animals in this sub-tropical climate. Yet to me, seeing snakes for the first time in Hong Kong, I’ll consider that to be epic and wild.
At the same time there are perplexing moments because to me a normal thing to do when you see a snake is to run for your life, but I have found out that is not the case in Hong Kong. Here people stop and start taking pictures, tell of its colour, or if it's poisonous or not. I’ll never get used to that. If I see a snake I’ll always run, and run fast. It may be silky white with wings but it still remains to me a dangerous snake, poisonous or not.
Living in Hong Kong for the first three years, the walks that I was used to was a busy city walk along Nathan Road from one district, Tsim Sha Tsui to another, Sham Shui Po. I considered that a good hour long walk, my apple a day. Walking along the pavement in the city is good until you are initiated to trails. There is no dilly dallying along the trails.
As an asylum seeker in Hong Kong, cocooning myself was the norm as I waited for immigration to decide my fate. The wait was agony. Days used to be the same, from dawn to dusk, but when I joined RUN, somehow the way I viewed time was different.
RUN is an organization that nurtures and rebuilds asylum seekers and refugees emotionally and physically, challenging every participant to overcome their pasts and get them ready to face the world and be a part of society.
RUN is definitely not your run of the mill organization. No blood and tears are meant to be shed, but instead sweat and sweat you will, walking or running on the trails that have now turned into our playground.
My city pavements walks were never desired, just a must do to be fit. They were the cauliflower that I ate because I had to, not because I wanted to. The trails however, are a whole different ball game. The trails pierce your heart beat with thrilling moments and once initiated I got hooked and never looked back.
Most people who speak of Hong Kong, speak of the high end shopping, but to me that cannot be paralleled to the magnificent natural scenic view on top of the hills looking at the buildings miles away fade in comparison. A picturesque scene whose essence cannot be explained but rather must be experienced. There is a pearl whose true beauty is hidden to the city folks, but not to the hikers, and definitely not to the land of fragrant harbour former colonial masters, who left their marks on the trails and wink from a distance to this amazing place.
We may not gather at this time and have a jamboree party, but then again, who needs that when you have trails to pound your heart!
Maria is an asylum seeker from East Africa who has been in Hong Kong for 8 years. In addition to her love of the trails, she enjoys writing, poetry, and carpentry.
RUN Website: https://www.runhk.org/
RUN Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUNwithrefugeesHK/