Thought Process: Week One: Hong Kong

I don’t think there is a better place anywhere in the world for a US citizen to experience a comfortable transition to not-North America than Hong Kong. The clichéd idea of East and West enmeshing cannot help but capture this city precisely. Everything- signs, menus, warning labels- is displayed in English and Chinese (often both Manderin and Cantonese). By my uninformed estimate I’d say about 95+% of the population speaks passable English (and a good portion fluently). The public transportation is (with good reason) ranked one of the best in the world. I don’t know if I’ve ever had an easier time navigating a subway system. Additionally, while there are certainly tabooed cultural mannerisms and superstitions (for instance, the apartment we are staying in doesn’t have a 4ht, 14th, or 24th floor, due to the association between the number four and bad luck), the combination of the politeness of the local residents and the sufficiently international and multicultural composition of the city make for a place where no American need to pay heed to local etiquette.

Sarah and I arrived in Hong Kong late Tuesday evening, and have ended up staying with a German fellow named Fabian for most of our time here. We found Fabian through the site couchsurfing.com, which, based on my very limited experience with it, now ranks among facebook and craigslist in my book as one of the most impressive and useful utilizations of the Internet for networking purposes. Fabian has been nothing less than an extraordinary host, giving us tips and taking us out to local spots and interesting places.

It was Fabian’s brilliant idea that Hong Kong would be the ideal place to pick up some cheap mobile phones to donate in Africa. I contacted Bruhan Mubiru, the director of the organization I’ll be working with in Kampala, and he said that there was definitely a need for mobile phones. Apparently twelve of his staffers are using a single phone. I hope that these Nokias will be able to serve TASAAGA well.