https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong Conversations in Diversity en-us 2020-02-27 13:36:13 UTC 2023-05-20 12:15:31 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f1ed-1f1f0.png rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/451927798 The people of Hong Kong are ambitious and direct people. Often regarded as rude, or inconsiderate to outsiders, Hong Kong citizens are a misunderstood people. The culture of Hong Kong is fast paced, to the point. Small talk is uncommon, asking for directions is a nuisance, and attempting to translate the broken Cantonese of foreigners is tiresome. The people of Hong Kong may seem blunt and impatient but this stems not from malice, but from the fast paced environment in which they live. ]]> 2020-02-28 13:06:52 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/451927798 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/452932096 If you're aware of the direct and loud culture of Hong Kong, then it shouldn't come as too much of surprise that their language is the same way. Cantonese, the main language spoken in Hong Kong, is spoken across the city, though, Mandarin will also be understood by many and English even more so. Cantonese ("Gwongdungwa" in their tongue) literally means "the dialect of Guangdong." The language comes from the Guangdong province of China (formerly known as Canton), though, Hong Kong has implemented its own culture into it. Words are typically not spoken but shouted and abbreviated for convenience. For example, in Hong Kong restaurants, many people will order a "hot guy." This, very confusing to outsiders, actually refers to a plain bowl of rice. A bowl of rice with extra sauce is a "hot guy with makeup." It's no wonder Cantonese is deemed as one of the hardest languages to learn.]]> 2020-03-02 13:41:48 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/452932096 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/452942914 Hong Kong's colorful language and expressions do not translate to their clothing. It is common for the people of HK to wear plain clothes, neutral colors, and platform sneakers. For more formal affairs, anything from a collared shirt with khaki pants and a belt to a full blown suit is acceptable depending on the luxury and seriousness of the event.
Despite the conservative nature of Hong Kong clothing, it is not uncommon to see the youngsters of the city in more colorful attire, with vintage, cartoon, or pop-culture influence. Additionally, the young and old alike, tend to wear face masks very often. On the street or in public transit, face masks will be a common sight. This has little to do with the cleanliness of the city and more with the people's fear of disease. Being one of the most densely populated areas in the world, fear of a viral illness festering in the streets is a major concern for the everyday people.]]> 2020-03-02 13:57:05 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/452942914 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454265953 While friendly greetings and small talk between strangers are uncommon, they are not unheard of. Often people will use the Cantonese words 'you good' as a hello. To ask how are you, a simple 'you good?' or 'what's up' will suffice. Hello is understood in asking how are you and is often just skipped over. For close relationships, typically elderly family members, a common greeting would be to ask 'have you eaten yet?' This may seem extremely strange to Westerners but in Asian culture this is a very respectful and kind greeting. It expresses concern for the other person and essentially means 'how are you?' Be careful though because the answer to that question is 'I have/have not eaten.' You would never answer 'I'm good.'
As far as physical greetings, a handshake is appropriate. They do not bow in Hong Kong, though, lowering your eyes during a light handshake is respectful. Other than this greeting, do not touch someone in public. Public displays of affection and physical contact between strangers is quite appalling in Hong Kong culture. So refrain from tapping someone on the shoulder or patting them on the back.

]]> 2020-03-04 12:26:30 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454265953 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454272279 Many Western gestures are understood in Hong Kong. Unlike other Asian cultures, bowing is not common in Hong Kong. A handshake in the Western style is much more appropriate. Hong Kongers also like to count with their fingers to show a certain quantity. When ordering a drink you can simply stick up two fingers to ask for two of them. Additionally, the traditional thumbs up and okay gesture are used very commonly in Hong Kong. The only gesture that may be confusing to Westerners would be the fist and palm salute. To do this, make a loose fist and place your palm on top of it. Hold this in front of your chest to congratulate, thank, or wish someone good luck. Hong Kong may not have a ton of unique gestures, but they certainly have a lot that are considered rude. Winking at someone is the ultimate disrespect. Pointing at someone with your finger is taboo. To draw attention to or introduce a person, point by extending open hand towards them. Waving down a waiter at a restaurant for the check is also very rude. Simply make a writing motion on your hand or wait until the server is close enough to speak with them to request the bill. ]]> 2020-03-04 12:41:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454272279 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454287513 2020-03-04 13:12:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454287513 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290582 The Hong Kong diet is extremely diverse and flavorful. The typical Hong Kong resident will eat lean cuts of meat, regular servings or rice or noodles, a lot of fruits and vegetables, and soups. Most Hong Kongers do not focus on extreme diets. Eating only, meat (or just mostly meat) is unheard of. Vegan diets are uncommon. They focus more on eating lower calorie foods rather than cutting out entire categories of food. Even so, processed meat is all around, MSG, dumplings, and tons of foods that don't have the highest nutritional value are consumed. Despite this, Hong Kong as one of the highest life expectancies in the world.]]> 2020-03-04 13:18:39 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290582 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290773 Hong Kong dating culture is similar to Western dating culture but has some important differences. First off, people in Hong Kong tend to hold off on long term relationships and marriage until they are financially independent and stable. Because of the high competition of Hong Kong, and the ambition of their residents, dating can be seen as a distraction from the pursuit of a high powered career. Most women get married well into their 30s while men typically are even older. Dating itself is also slightly different from the West. While dating does not have to be so serious right away, relationships that persist longer than a few weeks are expected to be going somewhere. There is an implied intention to eventually marry if you date for months. The idea of dating for fun is ludicrous in Hong Kong, especially when ambition and family are central values of Hong Kong culture. Despite the seriousness of dating, sex is looked upon as liberally as the modern West – perhaps even more so. Sex before marriage is not as taboo as in other parts of the world. But even with liberal ideas on sex, the people of Hong Kong typically don't have the time or energy to regularly exercise this freedom.]]> 2020-03-04 13:19:02 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290773 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290929 Housing in Hong Kong is a bit of a mess at the moment. The dense population and high prices for land make owning a house practically impossible. Most of Hong Kong residents live in apartment high-rises or flats. A good percentage lives in government subsidized homes, while the poorest citizens live in barely legal "cage homes." These living conditions are a humanitarian crisis waiting to happen as their is a large number of elderly Hong Kong residents living in "homes" that, at best are crammed room the size of a closet, with a bed a dresser and possibly a small TV, and at worst are metal boxes with room for a makeshift bed. These cage homes would likely be in some small building that rents them out at cheap prices and stacks dozens of them in a single room. ]]> 2020-03-04 13:19:14 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454290929 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291103 Hong Kong celebrates so many holidays, it's hard to keep track. From traditional Western New Year to Chinese New Year, to the mid-Autumn Festival, Hong Kong people have to be among the most festive in the world. Hong Kong benefits from having both Asian and Western holidays in their culture. Christmas is celebrated in December, while Buddha's Birthday is celebrated in April. Good Friday, Holy Saturday Labor Day, then a turn to mainland China with National People's Republic Day and Special Administration Region Establishment Day (or much more commonly called HK Independence Day). The biggest holiday in Hong Kong is definitely Chinese New year, but their lesser known ones are extremely interesting as well. Grave sweeping festival, for example, is not celebrated by any Western country and is a very big deal to the Chinese and Hong Kong people. An entire festival dedicated to cleaning graves and honoring the dead? Sign me up.]]> 2020-03-04 13:19:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291103 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291170 While some Western music has made its way into the mainstream music (such as Ed Sheeran or of Hong Kong, the Cantonese speaking population has a lot of songs in their own language. One particularly popular genre is cantopop. Cantopop is exactly what it sounds like - Cantonese pop songs. This genre has been prominent in Hong Kong culture for decades and is universally liked by all ages. Included below is one of the more famous cantopop songs, 'Boundless Oceans Vast Skies' by Boundless. Another, more recently emerging genre is hiphop and HK rap. Many Hong Kong artists have been influenced by the popularity of rap in the world and now have entire albums dedicated to Cantonese hiphop. This is not to be confused with the rappers of mainland China, who speak Mandarin and in recent years have made a habit of bashing the Hong Kong democratic movements and protests in their songs. For obvious reasons, these are exceptionally unpopular in Hong Kong.]]> 2020-03-04 13:19:41 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291170 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291260 Tourism is undeniably a huge part of the Hong Kong economy. However, the average HK citizen typically is not much a fan of the tourism industry. This is due to the fact that the vast, vast majority of tourists in Hong Kong come from mainland China (some 50 times as many Chinese as the next highest group, Taiwanese tourists). With political tensions and stark cultural differences from China, the Chinese are not well received in Hong Kong. While many nice hotels exist in the city, and there are many different places a tourist will be able to enjoy, the regular population may not be the kindest to foreigners. Hong Kong has a reputation for being quite rude to tourists. This is partially true. They typically are uncomfortable with Chinese tourists. Their inability to speak Cantonese is a nuisance to Hong Kongers who would much rather a Westerner speaking English than a Chinese tourist speaking Mandarin. Even so, the people of Hong Kong will slow down their fast paced society for no one, regardless of where you may be from. If you wish to converse with a local, you best hope they speak some English or you better know a fair amount of Cantonese.]]> 2020-03-04 13:19:48 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454291260 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454297004 One popular dish in Hong Kong is dim sum. Dim sum is bite sized portions of food served in steamer baskets or small plates. It is essentially a bunch of different types of dumplings. The main ingredients are: 
steamed buns
fried dumplings
steamed dumplings
rice noodle rolls
pork (inside dumplings)
shrimp (inside dumplings)
chicken (inside dumplings)
beef (inside dumplings)
various dumpling sauces]]> 2020-03-04 13:30:22 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454297004 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454830198 2020-03-05 04:06:44 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454830198 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454830413 Being able to sail right through the center of the city and capture astounding images of the scenery is what this harbor was built for! (not really)]]> 2020-03-05 04:07:25 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454830413 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454832582 Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, at least until 2047. When Britain returned the Hong Kong territory to China in 1997, the agreement was that Hong Kong's Consitution would remain unchanged and that the city would enjoy a 'high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years.' So, as a result, Hong Kong enjoys many freedoms that the people of mainland China, do not. However, China has been increasing their power in Hong Kong steadily for years, slowly discarding this agreement of 'One country, two systems.' This a yielded many protests in the streets of Hong Kong and has sparked worries of what awaits the city in 2047. The article attached details the specifics of how China has eroded the agreed deal of 1997, the possibility of Hong Kong formally joining the People's Republic, and the economic prosperity granted to China and Hong Kong through the agreement. Many foreign companies base their operations in Hong Kong rather than mainland China to do business in the Asian markets, as there is a general distrust of Chinese authoritarianism government by Western corporations.]]> 2020-03-05 04:14:51 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454832582 rcalmeda https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454838706 2020-03-05 04:37:52 UTC https://padlet.com/rcalmeda/hongkong/wish/454838706