Culture Shock in Hong Kong
For the first time in two months, my clothes won’t smell of BBQ smoke, my knees won’t get bruised from sitting up against tiny tables, and I won’t stand out in a crowd. I’m in Hong Kong. And it feels a lot like every other modern city, Melbourne included. It’s clean (enough), busy, noisy, lively. There’s an abundance of shopping options. There’s museums, and sidewalks with interesting statues.
But I feel lost.
For 3 hours, I’ve wandered the streets, hoping to find a cafe with some seats to sit and watch the city pass by. But I haven’t found one. In fact, I haven’t found a seat of any kind at all. Do people not sit in Hong Kong? Or am I missing something?
It’s a long way, culturally, from Hanoi where I’ve been based for a while. There’s so many people on the street here in Hong Kong but they are all going somewhere. I long for the street culture of Hanoi and the tiny seats and tables that bruised my knees.
Note: Within a few hours, I had adjusted to the new city, and ended up having an amazing day. But this is how I feft in the moment, and it is a part of my travel story. So… honesty all the way.