Author feels very refreshed, after staying in London for 5 nights. Ironically he feels very homesick once he's arrived in UK, after his 6-month stay in Netherlands. Perhaps because of the city life of London, which is really very similar the one in Hong Kong . The funniest thing is that the left-hand traffic and the same type of socket and plug makes him feel homesick also.
Apparently London and Hong Kong share many similar things, such as overcrowded underground metros, congested pedestrian streets, speedy walking pedestrian, glassy tall buildings (especially in Canary Wharf). However, author is in favour of the quality of space in London, since the sense of space is better and feeling more comfortable when comparing with Hong Kong. Also, you can see the juxtaposition of different period of buildings, from neo-classicism to post-modern, which implies the "timelessness" of the city.
However, Hong Kong, as a colony of UK before, got something really similar to London. Like the ex-Hong Kong Club, etc. But now it is rebuilt with glassy, high-tech buildings and becomes a "high-tech" city, a city of future. Except some likely are not destroyed like the legislative council, other then that all the traces have been totally swept out.
Perhaps after several decades, while London continues to be "Timelessness", buildings in Hong Kong will be totally rebuilt again and no more trace of the "present".
Old and new Hong Kong Club (Courtesy 香港誌 and Wikipedia)
