As we have just moved from Hong Kong to London, I recently came across one of my first updates from when we arrived in Hong Kong six years ago.

Summer, 2014

1.Taxis

When you call a taxi company, generally nobody indicates that they’ve answered your call, but you hear chattering in Cantonese in the background.

When we first started calling, we would say “hello, hello, can you hear me”, slowly having our inquiries getting more and more insistent and louder. We soon learned that no matter how loud we spoke in English, their Cantonese was always louder.

So, after a few minutes, you’ll hear something that sounds a little like “wonchangousdoisoiw” a little clearer and nearer to the receiver, and that seems to be the signal to say where you want to get picked up.

“Jade Villa, house number 85 please”.

Always, always, and without fail they always say “Jade Villa”??

Yes, Jade Villa

Numbah 85?

Yes, 85

85?

Yes, 85

Wheah you go?

Sai Kung Town…..

Then you here more incomprehensible chattering in the background for another few minutes until you hear the dreaded

“No taxi, lady, try latuh”.

With a car, we have a newfound sense of clearly decipherable Freedom!

2. Cash machines

The numbers on the bank cash machines are backwards… in Europe they’re written top to bottom starting with 1,2,3 then next row 4,5,6… but here it’s the opposite, it starts on the top row with 789. I didn’t really have my PIN code memorized, I just knew where my fingers needed to go, so I was rather turned around the first time –

3. Driving

Cars are also backwards. Not just driving on the wrong side of the road (only clipped the curb once and very narrowly escaped the rapid approach of one oncoming truck) – but also the controls, which on our car are off to the left side of the driver. Normally “drive” is shifting the control up, and park would be down. But for us, it’s the opposite… not too critical when I accidentally had it in park but I’m hoping I don’t accidentally put it in drive.

4. Smoking

I’ve been pleasantly surprise at how little smoking there is! Apparently the mainland Chinese are the big chain smokers, but Hong Kongers are not. 5 points for Hong Kong.

5. Air Conditioning

Everything is air conditioned to an arctic degree. It gets darn hot out there, to be sure, but I’m having just as much culture shock adapting to the arctic weather as I am to the freezing indoors!

6. Home

I found it amusing as I was unpacking my clothes, mostly purchased in Italy and the US… the little tag invariably reading “Made in China”.

My clothes have made their way home!