Living in Hong Kong sounds way different now, at least from what my friend who moved there last year told me. She mentioned that a lot of people are way more careful about what they say in public or even online, ’cause someone could report them and get them in trouble. Things like joining political protests used to be a pretty normal thing, but now people worry it could lead to fines or even jail time.

My friend also noticed that some local news outlets stopped talking about certain topics, and her teachers at school don’t really bring up politics anymore. It's not just big, obvious stuff—there’s just a vibe that you have to watch yourself, even chatting with friends. But at the same time, she said daily life, like going to work or eating out, still feels normal. There are still shopping malls, cool food places, and all that, but there’s this extra stress in the background that wasn’t there before. I honestly feel bad, because it seems unfair to have to worry so much about what you say just to live your everyday life.