It's Different!

When you move to a new country, you are bound to notice differences between your new home and your old one.  Of course, there are the big, overarching things like language and food but, for me, those pale in comparison to the little everyday things.  Throughout the past week, I’ve taken note of these differences for the sole purpose of sharing them with you.  Some are great, some are horrible and some are just, well, different.  Here they are, in no particular order:

-When you order delivery or take-out, your sauces come in little plastic baggies, not containers or sample-sized commercial packages… just a baggie.  And there aren’t drink trays.  Drinks come in bags too.  Perfectly sized bags.  This is not environmental, but it’s very convenient.  (For the record, I’d rather have an environmental choice.) 

-My students bow to me.  It’s not because I’m a princess though.  It’s because that’s just how each class begins (“Good morning, Miss Stephanie”) and ends (“Good-bye and thank you, Miss Stephanie”).  I’m not sure if this is good or not.  I mean, it’s absolutely adorable and it teaches respect (something that western students are sorely lacking) but if they get it wrong, the local teachers make them repeat their greetings over and over.  That kind of takes something away from it.  I much prefer the excited murmurs of my name when I walk in (before they are hushed).

-School janitors do everything.  It’s amazing!  At our school, we have one janitor per floor (8 floors).  They collect student homework and put it in class cubbies on the teachers’ floor so we can easily get it and mark it.  When we’re done marking, we just put it in the “outbox” cubbies on the other side and it gets delivered back to the students in class.  The janitors also take care of lunches.  My lunch magically appears on my desk each day.  If I bring something from home and want it heated, there it is.  If I order delivery, it’s waiting for me when I’m done class (complete with baggies of hot sauce and soy sauce, of course).  These amazing janitors, that I’m ever so grateful for, also do all our photocopying.  I print a paper worksheet, fill out a copy instruction form in my limited Chinese (date, name, colour, stapled, double-sided) and stick it in the outbox… a few hours later, there it is!  The janitors are a true part of our school family.  They work hard and are very appreciated by everyone.

-We can touch students. I mean, you don’t go out of your way to do it, but no one is going to get sued or lose their teaching license over a pat on the back or comforting hug. 

-Ambulances do not have the right of way.  They get cut off, stuck in traffic jams and stopped at red lights just like everyone else.  After all, a vehicle is a vehicle so why should there be any exceptions. Um, but saving lives?  No, we’re all in a hurry.  What’s fair is fair. 

-Everything is taped shut, like the way a practical jokester would wrap a Christmas present.  This is good because you know your food hasn’t been tampered with, but I’m really sick of spending 5 minutes opening a package of strawberries.

-On that note, produces lasts one day (so, only about 2x as long as it takes to open it).  I’m not sure why this is… maybe because it’s so hot and humid?  I bought some asparagus on Tuesday around 5:00 but forgot to put it in the fridge when I got home. By 9:00, the tips were covered in white mold.

-Something I never thought I’d have to say (multiple times) in class:  Do not do your origami while I’m teaching.

-Hong Kong people LOVE going to the doctor.  About half the staff at my school have been sick this week.  They keep posting pictures of all the medicine the doctors have given them.  If you see a doctor in Hong Kong, you can expect to come away with at least 6 or 7 different pills (all in baggies!)  I’m sick right now too, and they keep pressuring me to go to the doctor.  They don’t understand my self-medicating with vitamin C, water, and sleep.  I am willing to bet I get better before them or this thing will run its natural course and we get better at the same time. 

-I’m short… things are my size: peep holes (I’d never looked through a peep hole before moving here), shoes, inseams, chairs, brooms, countertops, window locks (they don’t have that pesky latch at the top that I have to stand on a chair to reach).

-Hand gestures for ‘come here’ and ‘go away’ are different.  Our palm up ‘come here’ motion means nothing.  Our palm down ‘go away’ is the Hong Kong ‘come here’.  There have been countless times where I’ve being doing one on one stuff with students and I will motion for the next student in line to step back a bit, but then they come even closer.  It took me a long time to figure out what was going on with my poor, confused students.

-Phone numbers have 8 digits.

-McDonalds serves 24 hour breakfast and does home delivery.  (You are so jealous.)

-I get paid monthly.  Gas, hydro and electricity are paid every 3 or 4 months and are MUCH cheaper than back home. 

-There are too few peanut butter based desserts (though Mrs. Fields just started carrying peanut butter cookies last week and they are amazing). 

So (abruptly stopping) those are the differences I noticed this week.  Well, I spent the weekend in Bangkok and the last few days being sick… so I guess I should say those are the differences I noticed on Monday and Tuesday.