Not in Kansas Anymore

Some additional interesting cultural differences and Hong Kong “oddities” my classmates and I have observed:

--About two weeks ago, my American classmates and I found $70 dropped on the sidewalk and thought it was our lucky day; we quickly pocketed the money and put it towards our lunch. My HKTB coworkers and I were walking to lunch the other week and noticed $50 dropped on the sidewalk. No one made a move to touch it; people in Hong Kong believe that money dropped on the ground is dirty (literally and spiritually) and if you pick it up, you’ll have very bad luck. An hour later, walking the same route back from lunch, the $50 was still on the ground. People were stepping around it, obviously avoiding coming into contact with the cash.

--In Hong Kong, as in many Asian countries, the whiter you are the prettier you are. Paleness is very desirable and it is so coveted that the best-selling products in Asian pharmacies are face-whitening-masks. (Which probably work just as well as the anti-cellulite lotions that Americans splurge over) Also, many girls in Hong Kong dislike having a slimmer, more petite, “boyish” figure and wish they could be curvier and thicker like American girls. When I explained to my coworkers that in America, most girls want to have golden tan skin (and also use chemicals to achieve this) and do things like starve themselves in the hopes of having a more angular and lean body, they could not understand this at all. It just goes to show that the grass is greener on the other side and be happy for who you are and what you are since there really is no right way to be and no such thing as a universal perfect. To really put this in perspective – my coworkers are envious of my frizzy, unruly, humidity-besieged Jewish hair. In their eyes, I am lucky to have “naturally pretty, wavy hair.” I told them I would trade this mess for their stick-straight locks any day…and I’m now considering moving to Hong Kong permanently since the pale-frizzed-curvy look works here.

--Remember in elementary school when you learned to stand in line one-behind-the-other? Then remember when you grew up and got out into the real world and there were no such thing as “line-leader” and “caboose” anymore, but you still acknowledged that lines existed and respected the line order? Maybe not. Maybe you’ve always been a compulsive line-butter. If so, you’d fit in just great in Hong Kong. Perhaps it’s some strange sort of backlash against the British colonizers, since in Hong Kong you “queue up” rather than “line up” but whatever the reason, Hong Kongers completely and totally ignore lines. This line-disregard phenomenon doesn’t just occur as people shove their way onto the MTR trains in the morning. It happens at 7-11, in public restrooms, at restaurants, or at ATMs…you’ve waited your turn, you’re approaching the check-out, and some lady/man/3-year-old just steps in right in front of you. At first I was too baffled and taken aback to say anything (not that it would’ve been understood anyway) so I took to giving evil glares, the universal communication for “Excuse me, sir, who died and made you King?” Now, I am wiser and less forgiving. I do everything short of knocking over old ladies, elbowing young kids in the face, and tripping businessmen with my umbrella to pay for my morning coffee. I am the line-leader and the caboose all in one.

--Hong Kong is a startlingly clean and safe city – the mayors of America’s great cities could learn a thing or two about community health and environment programs. In a city as bustling and crowded as NYC, as polluted as Los Angeles, and as foreign as, well, Hong Kong, there is a bizarre absence of litter, garbage, grime and crime - overall, I feel safe to wander around this sparkling city on my own, even with my language handicap. Everywhere I look there are people cleaning the streets, cleaning the parks, cleaning the MTR. There are garbage cans on every street and heavy fines (seriously enforced too) for littering. The most amazing thing is the steep fine for throwing cigarette butts on the sidewalk or into the street. Dominic witnessed a man put out his cigarette on the sidewalk and in less than 10-seconds, police approached him with a ticket. The police are everywhere, but more often they’re keeping a watchful eye than they are apprehending offenders. The swine flu scare is also having a big impact on the city’s operations – public places are cleaned and disinfected every 30 minutes, every day. My office is currently being cleaned five times a day, and there are elevator operators in my building, so that no one touches the elevator panel buttons to spread germs. Apparently, even during normal city operations, public places are disinfected multiple times a day and offices are cleaned at least twice a day. You show me dirt in Hong Kong, and I’ll show you a natural blond in Hollywood.

--Lastly, some new grocery-store finds for your enjoyment: Pigeon laundry detergent (a best-selling product) and Knife liquid soap. I’d like to stock my house with both of these items.