Can Hong Kong’s happy industry spread the cheer in a city notorious for being blue?
‘Don’t worry, be happy’ may be easier said than done, but performers such as magicians and comedians are calling for government support to develop their brand of joy
As a magician whose job is to bring joy to people, Marvin Lam Chun-lok admits he is sometimes not as cheerful as he would like to be, especially when he is on his own.
“I usually take 10 to 30 minutes in the morning, depending on how much free time I have, to meditate,” Lam, 29, says. “This gives me an opportunity to clear my head and genuinely ‘spend’ time with myself.
“Our job is to bring others happiness, and if we don’t feel happy inside, how do we expect to perform well and bring joy to brighten up the lives of other people?”
Perhaps Lam’s blues stem from the fact that like many other Hongkongers, he has no magic trick up his sleeve to get around stress caused by daily issues in real life such as soaring housing costs and inadequacies in the public health care system.
His remarks may strike a chord with most in the city, especially ahead of the annual International Day of Happiness on March 20, designated by the UN. The campaign aims to promote recognition of the importance of happiness regardless of culture or walks of life.
Are Hongkongers really ‘unhappy’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘racist’? Only if you believe what Google tells us
According to a survey last year by US-based research organisation Gallup International, Hong Kong ranked the seventh least happy place in the world – ahead of only Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, Greece, Moldova and Brazil.
