I Think I am Becoming Asian #1

After living in Hong Kong for more than half a year (time surely flies…) I think I am becoming Asian. I have now overcome most of my initial culture shock and am beginning to feel Hong Lifestyle creeping in on me. Here, I’ve tried to sum up some of the things that make me think I am beginning to get integrated:

1. I no longer eat salads unless I am at a really fancy restaurant. Yes, they do have food hygiene inspections here – it just seems that the line between acceptable or not is drawn at the point where the consumer has to be hospitalized.

2. I have been living off Asian food for so long that I now fit a Japanese one-size. The food might not be healthy in the ‘high-fiber content way’ but the portion size does the trick.

3. When getting into a taxi I automatically say the destination in Cantonese. Although all streets in HK have English names it does not imply that the average citizen actually understand the English translation. ‘香港中文大学, please!’

4. Meat will never be the same for me again. I have gotten used to the fact that ordering chicken means you will get the entire chicken – skin, bones, head etc. included. Also, HK’ers never waste anything: If your meat is shredded you can be sure that they did not remove the fat before serving you the dish.

5. Hand sanitizer is my new best friend. When you live in the most densely populated area in the world you need to minimize your level of germ intake as much as possible.

6. I have learned that metro-rides in the morning are not a place for relaxed and respectful traveling. They are battlefields and you seriously need to fight to get a seat.

7. I no longer freak out when I see a cockroach or a rat. I accept their existence and am happy that they are not in my room or in contact with my food (at least as far as I am concerned)

8. In Copenhagen, I bring a jacket to wear outside because it is windy. In HK, I bring a jacket, long pants and a scarf to survive the aggressive air-conditioning in my office. Concerns for global warming, anyone?

9. I used to always take the stairs to get a bit of exercise. Since most buildings here are taller than ten floors and the stairs usually only are for fire-drills (and hence disgusting), I hardly ever take them unless the lift is out of order.

10. I have now learned a special regressed level of English to make myself understood. As in: ‘Sir, sir: tea, tea… yes, MORE tea… yes, TEA… yes… Thank you, sir’