Pace of life

I'd been warned a lot that the pace of life in Asia is a lot faster than in Europe and have been wondering what this actually translates into. When we speak of pace of life in Europe (I'm thinking, let's say, London vs Cannes, or even closer to heart, Warsaw vs Krakow), it is often about the speed: more is going on, people rush rather than walk, there's stress in the air. At end of day, Krakow has always compared to Warsaw as slower, more laid back, relaxed, pensive.

So, should I expect Hong Kongers to be harder workers, always in a hurry, stressed? I guess... except what about yet another stereotype about the Orient: its religions and medicines, its image of balanced, body-conscious meditation guru?

Well, what I see, seems less controversial than I expected. Although some do work late hours, not too much stress is in the air. They walk just like we do, occasionally you'll see someone running to catch a departing bus, but in general, people seem no more or less in a hurry or stressed than what I am used to.

It eventually got to me... IT IS NOT ABOUT SPEED! Or, at least, not about individual speed, anyway... Come think of it: has an ant ever seemed a fast paced animal? Hardworking, true, but fast paced? Well, by the same token, has an ant colony ever come across as laid back or relaxed? That's it. It's about numbers...