Two Little Stories

Visiting or living in a foreign country can always be tricky while you try to learn the customs of that place.  For instance, people in Hong Kong do not smile nearly as much as Texans do.  Trying to not smile at every person I make eye contact with is something I am still working on. 

In case you plan on visiting Hong Kong in the near future, I have two stories to help you blend in with the locals. 

Eating at a restaurant:
You and your companion walk in, are pointed to a table, and are given either hot tea or hot water.  If the restaurant is packed, you might be sharing a four-top with two strangers.  Y'all order an appetizer, a main dish, and a vegetable.  Maybe you ask for some tap water.  The vegetable shows up first, followed quickly by the main dish.  After y'all have eaten both, the appetizer finally gets to your table.  The tap water never comes.  Have no fear, you get used to it (well, maybe not sharing a table with strangers). 

Shopping for something specific:
You go shopping for something specific, like a fitbit.  You go to a store that is like Best Buy, it sells lots of electronics and small appliances.  There are at least twenty locations of this store on Hong Kong Island.  You look at all the fitbits on display and pick a style out and ask the employee what colors they have in stock of that style.  He informs you they don't have that style in stock and proceeds to shake his head back and forth vigorously, saying 'no, no, no, no, no....' while looking down and sounding if it was the most out of this world question.  And instead of offering to call another store to see if they have that particular style in stock (which, I feel, is fairly common in the States), he turns away and starts to ignore you.  You discuss with your companion if you should just get another style of fitbit.  You get the attention of the same employee to ask about another style of fitbit, which they do have in stock.  You want the black one, the employee informs you that they do not have it in black.  You ask about the dark blue, but they are out of that color too.  You then ask the employee if he could find out if one of the other locations of the store might have one of those colors in stock, he basically acts like he has never heard of the other locations and would not know how to contact them if his life depended on it.  So you leave with the lighter blue fitbit.


Here's an elephant coming out of an orange, because, why not?  I hope everyone has a good week!