Thursday, 13 August 2009

Cultural Differences

Having been working in Hong Kong for a year, plus the fact that I was born here, I thought I had an upper-hand in understanding how a traditional 'Hong Konger' feels and thinks compared to a random foreigner without any links to this place - how wrong I was...

I've always heard that the locals here could tell whether a Chinese person is born and bred in Hong Kong or not.  Apparently, Chinese born or bred elsewheres have this 'dumb' look about them, that they don't look very street-wise.  I still remember over a decade ago, I came back to Hong Kong for a short visit and was put under this category.  Needless to say, I wasn't very flattered to be labelled as dumb but what can you do?  I wasn't planning on returning so I put it out of my mind. A few years ago though, I came back again for another brief visit, this time, I really liked the place.  People could still tell we're from overseas but only because of our 'friendly aura' and our non-Chinese looking noses!  It was, overall, a much more positive experience this second time round.  So much so that I decided I could work in this place - and here I am now!

I discovered how much I had been 'Hong Kong-ized' when I returned to England for a break and found myself ignoring shop assistants greeting me.  I've been so used to not making eye-contact with people (especially those giving out leaflets on the streets!) and putting on this hostile face (to ward off con artists - no joke, they are everywhere here - don't say I haven't warned you!) that I carried this defensive behaviour home.  Fortunately, it didn't take me long to pack those barriers away. I soon got used to smiling to strangers again (namely shop assistants and grannies around town!). But now that I'm back in Hong Kong, my mask is back on when I venture out..

So that's on the outside, what about the inside?

My decision to relocate to Hong Kong was met with praises and encouragements from my British friends:  'Go for it!', 'You're so brave!' Unfortuantely, the story is very different on this side of the world.  Only the other day, from a conversation I had with a neighbour in the village I moved out of a few months ago, I learned that people there thought I relocated to Hong Kong because I couldn't find a job in the UK!  I was shocked!  How could they think of such a thing (i.e. to think the worse in others)?  I wasn't a fresh graduate nor an unemployed soul - but then, how would they know?  So I put her straight.  Mind you, I don't think she believed me - some people here just do not understand the concept of giving up a stable job for the unknown - well, I'm a living example!

Universe, please open the minds of these people...for their own sake!

No comments:

Post a Comment

5 Ways to Boost your Taurus energy under the Season of Taurus!

Taurus Season is here!   Taurus is an earth sign that symbolises stability, pragmatism, sensual pleasures and material accumulation.   In th...