Culture Shock Episode 1: Chicken and Prostitutes

I watched a chicken die.

Now, there are a lot of things I could write about today, especially since it was my birthday. But, I choose to write about said chicken.

I walked into the Smithtown Market today, and on the first floor is a butchering area where dozens of butchers have there individual stands selling various meats. I made the mistake of watching past a poultry stand when a woman pointed to a live chicken and ordered it.

I don't speak Cantonese, but I think she ordered it.

The butcher pulled the chicken out of the cage and well... yea.

I walked away at that point. Two minutes later, my roommate called me to see if I wanted to eat.

-Eight Hours Later-

I went with a large group of international students to Wan Chai, which is a neighborhood in central Hong Kong. We were going bar hopping and inbetween the bars were woman grabbing my hand, talking about favors or something.

I've seen prostitutes before, but never been actively sought out by them. I thought it was the grossest thing ever, but every time I ignored them, some guy behind me would walk off hand-in-hand with them.

That was my birthday, chicken and prostitutes.

~Ken

PS: I did spent the vast majority of my b-day on a beach today :) ... we went to Western HK, where our driver took us to a cove with an isolated beach. It was absolutely wonderful

Ground Floor, seven stories up.

My friend made an interesting comment today, and I think it’s true for my entry today. He said as we were staring at a overcrowded cemetery “Look, even the dead and the living have to fight for space in Hong Kong.”

I don’t know if he stole that from some famous quotation or whatever. But, I’ll say this, -how appropriate.

Today was my first day in Hong Kong that didn’t consist of Jet Lag. My first initial observation, other than my inability to even purchase tea without it being a humongous deal, is how vertical this city is.

Yea, it has big buildings… I’m not going to make that observation.

Hong Kong is built on, how appropriately, Hong Kong Island, which is a big old mountain. Victoria Peak, the tallest spot, is like at 1,500 feet. Now, that doesn’t sound like a lot. But, the whole island goes from ocean shore to mountain top in maybe, 2-3 miles, max.

So, everything is built on top of itself, it’s crazy.

Leaving on a Jet Plane, part three.

Note: I didn't have Internet for three days, and I wrote these while I was Internet-less... enjoy.

Thirteen and one-half hours…

The first thing you notice, other than the massive piece of steel, plastic and oil that’s supposed to take 7,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean, is the self-service beverage soda fountain next to the bathroom.

Welcome to international economy class.

I’m here on Cathay Pacific flight no. 885, service from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The flight is only about half full, and I am near the back of this 747 –row 56, seat A. I get a whole row to stretch out – and I think I have filled every pocket within three seats. Lunch is around here somewhere.

The flight so far has been slightly interesting. The safety demonstrations are done in well, English and Cantonese, obviously. Most interestingly was a health service video about how to care for you while on a very long flight.

The flight consisted of a boy and girl, white, no older than maybe six or seven, in a park. All of the sudden, they decide to get up and do stretches. Here I am, 23 years old, with a $1,200 ticket to Hong Kong, and I am having children teach me how to sit and stretch on a plane.

I calculated it all out, and I think I arrive in Hong Kong at approximately 9 a.m. Missouri time, 7 a.m. Arizona time. I don’t usually sleep on planes.

Six hours in:
I don’t sleep on planes because I think I have a fear of flying. Why not explicitly fearing flying, I think I fear more the idea of I am trusting my life into the hands of countless people I never will meet. We’re over Kampuchea now (that’s eastern Siberia), and we hit some moderate turbulence. I slightly freaked.

Leaving on a Jet Plane, part 2

I present this challenge: Get from the United States, to a small six-story building in eastern Hong Kong, and do it without knowing a word of Cantonese.

This has been my challenge of the day. I learned very abruptly that none of the taxi drivers in Hong Kong speak any English. Now, I wasn't surprised, just that there really isn't a solution for this. I was told by people over there that I have to write out what I need, use a translation program and hope it does a good job.

So... I had to figure out how to write:

"Dear Taxi Driver, I need to get to Simon KY Lee Hall at The University of Hong Kong's main campus. Please take me there." Note: Simon KY Lee Hall is not necessarily 100 percent translatable.

I got this:

"亲爱的出租汽车司机, 我需要获取对西蒙KY 李・霍尔香港的主要校园大学。
请采取我那里."

That's Putonghua, or Mandarian (not commonly spoken in Southern China). I had to write that out. I've never written a Chinese character in my life - and I had to copy, character by character, that sentence onto some paper. It took me an hour.

According to BabelFish, that translates into: "Dear taxi driver, I need to gain to Simon KY Li Hall Hong Kong's main campus University. Please adopt my there."

Pray for me, and pray that my taxi driver can somewhat comprehend my Mandarian chicken scratch. I then realized today, "Ken, you're going to a place in the world that you don't speak a word of their language, and somehow live, survive, and work." It's a humbling thought.

Again, Pray.

~Hong Kong Ken

Leaving on a Jet Plane, part one.

I leave for Hong Kong in three days. My flight from Los Angeles leaves at 1:20 p.m. on August 29th and arrives at 7 p.m. on August 30th. The flight is 14 1/2 hours.

I got asked again today if I am excited to leave for Hong Kong. I've had this question come passed me a lot throughout the summer. To answer:

No, not really.

Ever talk about something for months and then it finally happens? It's kinda anticlimatic. I think I just want to get on my plane and get there. Maybe I'll be a little more excited then.

To give you an interary of how things go: I fly into Hong Kong International Airport,香港國際機場, considered the best airport in the world. It's built on an island. Yes, I'll take pictures.

I then take a high speed train into Central Hong Kong. If you look at the picture below of the HK skyline, those large buildings are Central. I arrive in the HK equivilent there of Penn Station, for all my NY readers.

I then take a taxi to Simon K.Y. Lee Hall - a dorm. That's where I am living (for US$3.40 a night). The University of Hong Kong is located in the Mid-Levels, where a lot of older British architecture is found, and sits in the shadow of Victoria Peak. I love public education.

~hong kong ken