La cité de l'épouvantable nuit

In this vivid travelogue the writer takes us from the bustling, haze‑filled streets of Calcutta to the crowded docks of Hong Kong, offering a wry, outsider’s eye on two of the British Empire’s most colorful outposts. His observations stitch together the clatter of market vendors, the clamor of steam‑powered ferries, and the fleeting moments of quiet that surface on an early‑morning bridge crossing. With a playful mix of humor and sharp detail, he exposes the clash between colonial pretensions and the everyday life of locals, all while recalling the unsettling sense of being both participant and cage‑bound spectator.

The second half continues the journey, moving eastward to Hong Kong’s teeming harbor and its maze of alleys. Here the narrative gleams with anecdotes about street food, unexpected friendships, and the restless energy that never quite lets the city sleep. The tone stays lively and self‑aware, inviting listeners to share the author’s astonishment at the paradoxes of a world that feels simultaneously foreign and oddly familiar.