Lost in the Fragrant Harbor

When I first found out that I’d be spending a year in Hong Kong, I imagined it would it’d be a breeze compared to living in Europe. I could not have been more wrong. So far I’ve been really caught off guard and frankly enough I’m not handling cultural shock very gracefully. Keep in mind that I’ve only been in Hong Kong for THREE days.

Hong Kong or the Las Vegas Strip?

The trip from the airport was an hour in total. I had woken up to a sight of flashing neon lights and a street full of promotional stands. There wasn’t a block in downtown Hong Kong that wasn’t touched by flashy advertisement. I had found my concentration scattered as I struggled to digest all the marketing messages thrown at me. The next day, I was shown around downtown and whenever someone tried to point out a restaurant or a store, I had to take a good minute before I can pick out their sign out of a million others. Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world...Give me a couple of weeks to get used to this in-your-face marketing.

Surviving on a Hot Plate

My apartment is right behind the Time Square. To every Hong Konger, as soon as I tell them the location of my apartment, they’re thinking a) It must be a dump, and b) that’s where the best eateries are! Well, they’re absolutely right. I’d like to think that I’m paying for a dorm to feel better about where I’m living. My room is decent. It comes with a wardrobe, which is practically a five-star amenity (I saw an apartment where the room was as wide as the bed). The kitchen has no stove or oven, just a single hotplate. I’m trying to dumb-down all my recipes to requiring just one fire. Maybe I’ll write a book about it.

Sandra’s Daily Commute to Work:

1    Exit building and follow the block-long Citibank ad down to the giant neon-green Bossini store, turn left.

2    Keep going until you come across the giant football-field sized pink screen at Hysan mall. The six floor Forever 21 should be on the right (this is a good landmark for orientation as it seems to be open 24 hours a day, because drunk people like to shop).

3    Cross the street with hundreds of other people all at once. When the little green man flashes, RUN. The cars have no mercy.

4    Head right until the giant Rolex sign.

      Arrive at destination.

Identity Crisis

Although I was born and bred in Beijing up until I turned ten, I identify myself more as a Canadian. This is not unusual in any case, as most Canadians I know have at least a parent or a grandparent that was an immigrant, or they themselves are immigrants. Coming to Hong Kong, I saw an opportunity to rediscover my roots. However, a few family members and friends have warned me that it’s best if I communicate in English at all times. I didn’t think anymore of it until I had asked for directions to a payphone in Mandarin and got terrible treatment. Apparently, there’s a lot of resentment towards people from Mainland China due to political and economic reasons. I had realized that I had to pick which life I wanted in Hong Kong, as an expat or a native of Mainland China? Before I knew it, I was roaming around public pretending that I didn’t know a word of Chinese. I’m not proud of the fact that I’m hiding my true heritage. I’m aiming to find a better balance.

Halloween is still an honorable holiday

Back in Canada, Halloween is the one-day where girls can get away with wearing revealing clothing and when hookers lose business. Kim Kardashian just personifies that, each year we wait anxiously to see which body-parts she’s going to bare. Despite all that, this is my absolute favorite holiday! I have fond memories of trick or treating and hanging around haunted parks. This year, I decided to dress up as a flapper-girl. As I waited for my friend at the metro, I came across a Halloween flash-mob. I was shocked when I realized the girls here just dressed up for fun and not to get attention. How incredible is that? Afterwards, I embarked on a pub-crawl on Lockhart Road (aka hooker street, the girls seemed laid-back on their day off). This will probably be the only Wednesday that I get to stay out this late :D

Phew, so that’s my experience so far in Hong Kong. 11 months and 26 more days to go!