Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
I’m not talking about the West Coast, I’m talking about SF. I’m not going to talk about Vancouver or Seattle like I know them. Haven’t you lived in China? I don’t know if I would assume that is a comparable big city experience, especially culturally. Would you? (truly asking)
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It's definitely a different cultural experience, but that's kind of the point. It's not a result of the size of the city. Hong Kong is pretty similar in size to the Bay Area. Shanghai is much larger. Cities can be much bigger than SF without having the same issues. There are other factors at play.
For me, I think one of the saddest things about places like Vancouver and SF is that you can see so much suffering surrounded by so much abundance. I've seen really brutal stuff in big cities like Mumbai too, but at the same time it's a context where people are coming out of poverty and working towards better living standards. It's heartbreaking to see some of what exists there, but more understandable in a way and there is more hope for the future. In places like Vancouver and SF by contrast, there is an abundance of wealth and resources around and yet you can see so many people spiraling downwards, because of contextual differences, including culture.