Culture shock

Hong Kong had never been on my bucket list - it was simply a convenient destination between the UK and Australia. We decided we wanted to stop somewhere on the way to break up the journey, and Hong Kong and Singapore were the best options. Hong Kong won, simply because it worked out the easiest and cheapest option flight-wise. Plus there was another reason for stopping on the way, apart from reducing flight times and jet lag - being able to cross another continent (and country, of course) off my list. I had already crossed off Europe of course (living there kind of helps), North America, Australasia and Africa (Egypt). South America is still to be done (I'm thinking Rio?), and Antarctica is not really a priority. And then there was Asia. We did stop at Singapore airport for refuelling last time we went to Australia. I sort of counted it as Asia, but was well aware it was cheating. Not only had we not seen any of the country, but I think - officially - the departure lounge of an airport is a bit of a no-man's-land! There was also Turkey; Lee assures me that any part east of the Bosphorus is Asia Minor but I'm still not convinced it counts - it certainly didn't feel like Asia. But there is no doubt that Hong Kong is part of Asia, so I was eager to tick another continent off the list.

At the same time, I was a little wary - Asia per se isn't a continent that's ever really appealed. The accounts of Delhi Belly have always put me off going to India, for a start. Then there's the poverty, the politics and the general 'differentness'... I found my day trip to Egypt (from Cyprus) was a bit of a culture shock, so the thought of Asia always made me a little nervous. It's a long way to go to 'test it out' - but was I really willing to commit to spending a week or more in such a (potentially) different country? Despite loving my holidays, I don't consider myself a 'traveller' - I'm not high-maintenance, and can live without my home comforts (hey, I go camping!), but only to a certain extent. I like to experience different cultures, but in a 'safe' way. I like to try the local food, but no chicken feet or sheep's brains, thank you. I like to have a go at the local language but I like to know I'll be able to get by speaking English. And, most importantly, I like nice toilets. I don't do those awful squat toilets and I certainly don't do toilets with no doors (stories of toilets in China have filled me with horror!). I do nice, clean, pleasant-smelling toilets, with a lockable door, soap by the sinks and plenty of toilet paper.

Anyway, a stop in Hong Kong seemed like the perfect choice, given my misgivings. Firstly, it was a short stop - if I didn't like it, I knew I wouldn't be staying long. Plus I hadn't wasted time or (too much) money, as it was part of a journey I was making anyway. Secondly, it was a 'safe' way to experience China - the perfect compromise. I would get to experience the culture of China - the food, the language, the climate, the people, etc. - but with the added 'Westerness' that Hong Kong brings. A quick Google search told me all the signs are in English as well as Cantonese, and most of the people also speak English. The long British occupation of Hong Kong has left several legacies - which meant that I could experience China in a British kind of way.

I was still a little apprehensive about Hong Kong, however. It was still going to be far-removed from anywhere I'd been before. But everyone I spoke to who's been there (quite a lot of people) sung its praises, and I soon understood why. It's a beautiful city, one that my family and I all liked very much, and with plenty to do. In theory, it should still have been a massive culture shock. It's hard to explain how it feels to be the only white people in a sea of Chinese faces - certainly we were an unusual site (or at least the children were), judging by the amount of stares and points we got. It's strange to be in a country where, despite the English signs, the other signs don't use figures that are even vaguely recognisable. I may not be able to read much Spanish, for example, but at least I can still understand numbers! Even the Greek alphabet makes some sense to me. There were so many other things that were very different culturally - the buildings, the currency (it's hard to get your head around $100 only being around £8), the general ways of the people... Yet, at the same time, it didn't feel like a culture shock at all. Stood on the MTR (the Hong Kong metro), surrounded by Chinese people, all speaking a different language and most of them staring at the children, I thought I'd have felt uncomfortable. But I didn't. Lee and I mused over this - we were both surprised at just how at-home we felt. I guess there is still enough 'Britishness' to feel comfortable with those things that are typically Chinese. Our overwhelming feeling upon leaving Hong Kong was that we'd barely scratched the surface - there's so much we didn't do or see, and we'd really like the chance. I might even be prepared to try China, now we've 'tested the water'.

Oh, and the public toilets? Lovely. Clean, lots of toilet roll, doors that locked and antibacterial soap. And there were lots of them. Might be another reason I'm keen to come back to Hong Kong...