You Drank the Water? And other Uh-Oh Moments

Moving to a new country is always a fun experience in learning the local culture and customs.  Lots of people, including a large swath of those I studied abroad with, preferred to carry on as if they were in America, but my inner Anthropologist cringes every time I break a cultural norm.  As such, I've tried really hard to learn (in a hurry) how things are done Hong Kong style. 

On Saturday, I was invited to Dim Sum with my co-worker and a couple of volunteers in the student ministry.  Let me say that it was DELICIOUS.  We had a lot of different things from spring rolls, to pork buns, to stuffed chili peppers to shrimp dumplings and egg custard.  The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was a gelatinous square of shrimp and some other mystery ingredients.  During this meal, I learned several good lessons.  First and foremost, when someone pours you tea (and there is always tea at such an occasion), you tap two fingertips on the table to thank them.  (Two knuckles are also acceptable, but that is too similar to the horned frog hand sign for TCU, which I refuse to support, haha!)  Also, you are given a pair of chopsticks, and a bowl with a plate underneath.  It is a good idea, according to my new friend, to rinse off the chopsticks and the bowl with the hot water they provide you.  Also, it is customary to eat out of the bowl, no matter what dish you're enjoying.  One last funny cultural thing - the waiters stand at the table and count your money right there.  No going back to a cashier stand for them!  They want to make sure they've got the goods before you leave.  There is also no tipping in HK.  Score!! This meal cost me right around $8.

The mass of humanity that is Hong Kong is really indescribable.  Hopefully this picture can try and do it justice.  To imagine my next faux pas, imagine all these people crammed into a subway.  Now, imagine them all scurrying out of the subway as if carried on an invisible river.  Now imagine me, playing the part of the log jam, frantically searching for my Octopus card (subway card) and blocking one of the exits.  Cue pushing, loud grumbling, and many stank-eyes. Yes, friends, this was my experience on Saturday.  After leaving Dim Sum, I decided to wander around Causeway Bay.  I found my way back to the metro and decided to head back to Central (the area near the church) to explore some more and do a test run of my route for Sunday.  When we arrived at Central, I was feeling pretty good about my life.  I had public transportation in HK mastered.  Boom.  Then I got off the train and the aforementioned log jam incident occurred.  As I hastily scanned my card on the reader (once it was found, of course) I got totally disoriented and came out onto an alleyway instead of beside Louis Vuitton, where I had entered.   Quite the difference, as you might imagine.  This is the point where I truly understood just how dependent on my iPhone I have become.   In Houston, assuming I was walking around for some unknown reason, I would have just busted out my phone, looked at maps, and navigated my way out of there like it was my job.  But, alas, I don't have a working iPhone here yet, so I wandered aimlessly around the station for what felt like at least 37 sweaty hot minutes before finally recognizing the Marks and Spencer that signaled the street I wanted.  Phew.

One other charming difference between HK and the US is that hey they drive on the "wrong" side of the road.  This has probably the most challenging difference for me to conquer, because let's face it, getting this right could be a life or death decision!  On Saturday alone, I had the pleasure of being chewed out in both Mandarin and Cantonese for failing to "Look Left or Look Right".  26 years of conditioning is quite the habit to break.  Thankfully, lots of the bigger streets do have these handy signs to remind me, so I may make it home after all.

Lastly, yesterday evening, I started feeling a little blah.   A little sore throat-ish, a little tired, but I chalked it up to traveling and breathing recycled air for over 28 hours.  Today, however, I discovered the real source of my problems.  While talking with the domestic helper at my host family's house, I mentioned to her that I wasn't feeling great.  She asked me what my symptoms were and I told her that I just had a general stomach ache and didn't feel all too awesome.  I said that I should probably drink some water because I felt a little dehydrated.  She offered to get me a glass, and I told her that I'd just get some water out of the tap.  Her eyes got wide and she said to me in an alarmed tone, "You drank the water?!!"  I replied, ever frantic, that yes, indeed, I had drunk the water.  She gave me a pitying look, and said nonchalantly, "Well, that's why your stomach hurts! You can't drink the water here.  It's no good for you".  Oooooh buddy.  Welcome to my intestinal tract, foreign bugs and other miscellaneous aqueous ingredients.  I'm sure we'll become acquainted in no time.

Tomorrow is my first day of "real" work, though I did get to attend church and and event on Sunday with the kids.  Thoughts: I LOVE them already.  They are smart and funny and a little crazy, but hey, this is Youth Ministry! It's what we live for!

Til next time,
The Adventurer