The One-Month Mark

It’s been just about one month since I arrived in Hong Kong. It feels like I’ve been here for more than a month but then I remember that I still have three more months here! But as a few of us were discussing last night, we’ve gotten to know Hong Kong. We know the MTR, minibuses, taxi and octopus card systems, as well as how to flag down a waiter/waitress to order, how to use chopsticks, and are starting to get used to the unpredictable but hot weather. I know which way to look when I cross the street (since they drive on the other side of the road here) and to always stand on the right side of the escalator so people can walk on the left side.

But there are still a few things that I am completely lost in and I don’t know if I will ever figure them out. First, I don’t know which side of the street to walk on. I thought since they drove on the opposite side of the road they’d walk on the opposite side of the road. Well, they don’t. But they don’t always walk on the right side either. Sure, in some of the MTR stations the stairs are labeled with and X and an arrow showing you which way to go, but people don’t always follow it.  So when I walk, I am constantly dodging people and getting out of their way, because they’re don’t move either.

Secondly, I have yet to figure out how to eat meat on a bone with chopsticks. Seriously. It’s a disaster whenever I get meat with bones; I’ve learned to try and avoid ordering meat with bones, but sometimes it doesn’t work out so well. The Chinese have it down to a skill- they put the meat and bone in their mouth and somehow get the meat off the bone and then take the bone out of their mouth with their chopstick. It sounds so easy but it really isn’t. But I will say that since I’ve arrived, eating noodles with chopsticks has gotten much easier because I’ve learned the skill of putting the noodles into the spoon and then using the chopsticks to eat off the spoon.

I may have mentioned this in my NSO post, but I’m bringing it up again here. The Chinese students here talk during class/while the professor is talking. I don’t understand it. During NSO, sure, you had to sit through these long talks about nothing too important, but in a class of 30, where we are supposed to be learning, it boggles my mind. The other day I was in a class where the teacher constantly switches between English and Cantonese so the Cantonese students would fully understand, so I was already lost and confused because I would zone out when it was in Cantonese and then zone in when it was in English and she was constantly switching; she was also speaking very softly so it was already hard to hear her. Then the kids behind me started having their own conversation, so it felt like there were a million conversations going on around me.  It happens in all of my classes, the professor teaches and the students have their own little side conversations. I like to think that they’re just further explaining the topics to each other in Cantonese but I can’t be certain.

But I still have 3 more months to get a better understanding of this culture. I created a list of things I want to see or do before I leave. I’ve been able to cross a few things off already but I know I have many more exciting days ahead! And even more exciting news- just yesterday I booked my ticket to Thailand! I’m heading to Bangkok and Ko Samui October 2^nd until the 10^th with my friend Kat! It’ll be a nice little birthday gift to myself. J