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Feature: "Hong Kong is Always Special and Lovely"
As a senior diplomat with 26 years of career experience, United States Consul General in Hong Kong Michael Klosson has been to many places in the world. Yet, Hong Kong is always a special and lovely place for him.
Sweet Memory Klosson's Hong Kong experience started 30 years ago, when he first arrived here to work as an assistant professor teaching English language and modern Chinese culture at the Baptist College, which was renamed Baptist University in 1994.
Though he worked there for only one year and then returned to the U.S. for further academic study, he had sweet memory of those days.
Klosson keeps an ivory seal, a gift from his students, on which his Chinese name "Gao Yuesheng" was carved.
"They gave it to me at a party. I was happy and surprised. They said the name had very similar pronunciation of my English name and bore an auspicious meaning. By the way, the name means music. They knew I liked playing guitar," said Klosson, who used to be a member of a rock-and-roll band of the Hamilton College.
Klosson visited the Baptist University soon after he took the current post in August 1999. He received warm welcome and noticed a lot of changes on campus. "It was moving to see the university again," he said.
The one thing he loved very much in Hong Kong was the leisure feeling of taking Star Ferry across the Victoria Harbor. He recalled "The only reason I came to the Hong Kong Island from Kowloon was to ride the Star Ferry. It was one of my entertainment at that time. I still enjoy Star Ferry."
Now living in the serene Mid-level, he can have a fantastic bird's-eye view of the picturesque Harbor, in which the Star Ferry shuttles, in the hall of his residence through the view window.
Big Challenge Klosson is happy to be back in Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong's assignment reflects my interest in Chinese culture and politics. It provides a lot of opportunities to make contribution to the important relationship between U.S. and Hong Kong. There is a lot to do to move that forward. When State Secretary Madeleine Albright asked whether I would go, I was excited to say 'absolutely,'"
The U.S. Consulate General in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the largest in Asia, and one of only two consulates that maintain direct reporting lines to Washington D.C.
Klosson felt that one of the biggest challenges to his is to promote the understanding between the communities of Hong Kong and the U.S., which is fundamental for the development of mutual relations.
"'One country, two systems' is a novel idea, which a lot of people disbelieve. The development of Hong Kong over the past four years is overall positive. To try to get that message across to the American people is one of the biggest challenges I face," he said.
Each time when he goes back for meetings with the U.S. government, he would be busy with giving speeches and talking to different parts of the U.S., including Congress, to help them understand what is going on in Hong Kong.
Impression of Hong Kong "Living in Hong Kong is an intense experience. You either like it or not. There is no middle ground."
"Things happen very fast in Hong Kong as if somebody pushed the forward button of a VCR."
"It's quite unique, when you think about Hong Kong achieving such profile internationally on a lot of issues, with only six million people and an area of about 1,000 square kilometers."
The diplomat enjoys hiking in the beautiful country parks of Hong Kong. He took part in the charity "trail-walker" event last year, completing 100 kilometers of the MacLehose Trail which runs in an east-west direction through eight country parks and about 20 hills in the New Territories of Hong Kong.
Klosson said that his family is fond of Hong Kong too.
His 14-year-old daughter Emily likes shops of Hong Kong while seven-year-old daughter Karen finds the Ocean Park and the Science Museum most interesting. His wife Boni, who has retired from the Foreign Service, thought Hong Kong is safe and comfortable compared to many other cities in the world and Hong Kong people are very kind. "Unique" is how the Klossons describe their impression of Hong Kong.
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