World Cup view from Hong Kong – Hard work conquers all … but should it?

by Paul McNeela, Hong Kong

Tai Nan Street is best known as the set used in Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies where an actor jumps from building to building. In a darker secret, the impoverished Sham Shui Po cage people live on the top floor here.

The Soccerocracy are being overthrown.

Messi’s Argentina, Ronaldo’s Portugal, holders Germany and 2010 winners Spain have all been dumped out of the World Cup. In a blurry few days of Uruguyan grunts, Seoul sweat and Russian roars hardworking teams have overcome their more fancied opponents.

Viewing these events unfold in Hong Kong, this relentless 24-hour metropolis of perpetual motion, the achievements of the strong Chinese work ethic surrounds us.

The Café de Fontaine has been our World Cup haunt all week. The manager Louis works from 10am to 4am every day in this fine hostelry.

During the break between the Spain-Russia and Croatia-Denmark games, Louis found the time to chat to myself and Cameron, an old school friend now resident in Hong Kong.

Cameron, like me, is originally from Perth in Scotland, migrated to Hong Kong 25 years ago and is now the headmaster of one of the top schools here. With the three of us being parents of school-aged children, the conversation naturally turned to education. Imagine our surprise when Louis revealed that he attended Strathallan, a private school in Perth, boasting golfer Colin Montgomerie among its alumni. We nearly fell of our bar stools when Louis went behind the bar and proudly retrieved the Strathallan school crest bearing the motto: “Labor Omni Vincit”. The Latin scholars among you will know this translates as: “Hard Work Conquers All”.

“Like no other sporting event, this World Game brings people together to cheer, laugh, cry and commiserate. Football is the international language.”

As Cameron and Louis discussed the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit, the values of Strathallan school and the studiousness of Chinese high school children, I got to thinking: Will the Strathallan motto prevail in this World Cup? Will sweat and toil prevail over artistry and flair? Does hard work really conquer all?

Zoning back into the conversation, Cameron was highlighting to Louis the vast increase in mental health problems among young people he has witnessed in the last decade or so. This is of course not a problem restricted to Hong Kong.

Rodolofo and Eilish work for the Crossroads Foundation who distribute food and clothing to the Sham Shui Po cage people
Photo: Amanda Bryce/Prost Amerika

The US has a huge homeless population, with many war veterans suffering mental health issues. In the Aboriginal communities in my native Australia, we have the highest suicide rates in the world.

Earlier this week I learned of the ‘cage people’ of Sham Shui Po, one of the poorest districts in Hong Kong. Mostly older people, estranged from their families, they live in 16 sq ft cages piled on top of each other paying $200 USD per month for the privilege. A higher $/sq ft ratio than the swankiest apartments here.

Two young workers with the Crossroads Foundation, a charity distributing food and clothing to the Hong Kong poor, Eilish, from England and Rodolfo from Mexico, made me aware of the plight of the cage people.

It was utterly humbling to learn of the compassion and indeed hard work that they inject into their internships. Rodolfo was hoping that Mexican hard work would conquer Brazil, but alas Rodolfo it was not to be. Similarly, hard work alone is unable to conquer poverty and mental illness.

Many Americans are limited to two weeks leave per year plus public holidays. In all developed and developing countries we are working more, have less rest and leisure time and mental illness and inequality are on the rise. Perhaps a little more rest and fun, as we transcend our daily grind, would nourish in us the passion that burns bright in the eyes of Eilish and Rodolfo.

Hard work would appear to be a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition to overcome the social blights of mental illness and poverty. We also need flair, creativity, courage and cohesive teamwork. These qualities, as well as hard work, have been highly visible on the streets of Hong Kong this week. Coincidentally they are the same qualities we usually observe in World Cup winners.

Cameron and Louis in his Cafe de Fontaine, Hong Kong
Photo: Amanda Bryce / Prost Amerika

The World Cup has its critics.

It’s easy to dismiss it as a corporate money-making monolith and ridicule the theatrical antics of Neymar, Ronaldo or Suarez.

But this week in Hong Kong I have witnessed partisan fans from Colombia, Korea, Spain, England, Japan, Sweden and Argentina mingling amicably together as locals have taken them to their hearts. Like no other sporting event, this World Game brings people together to cheer, laugh, cry and commiserate. Football is the international language.

Heartfelt thanks to Louis and all the staff at the Café de Fontaine, whose hard work this week allowed us to appreciate this. But sadly for Louis and Strathallan School, these beautiful moments could not be achieved by hard work alone.

If you’ve not already done so in this World Cup, I’d recommend, nay urge, that you take a bit of time away from work, get together with your friends or family and enjoy some of the special moments to come in the knockout stages. The time and space that fun provides allow us to contemplate the reasons for all our labors and we can lift our heads above our own day to day problems and consider the big issues in our societies.

I don’t really care who wins this World Cup, even England !!!, as long as the victorious nation can demonstrate that Hard Work does not Conquer All.

Related: The Crossroads Foundation, Hong Kong