Job Discussion Forums

[lanems]

I'm in Hong Kong for 10 weeks on teacher training for a degree back in the US. This is my first time in Hong Kong and I had some questions about the people and cultures. These questions are aimed at foreigners living in Hong Kong for an extended period of time.

-- How many people who decide to live in Hong Kong learn Cantonese or Mandarin? From what I understand Mandarin is becoming compulsory, more so than English? I'm told that older generations of native Hong Kong people probably don't know any English, but the younger generations probably do.

-- For a foreigner who can't speak Cantonese or Mandarin what is the attract of Hong Kong? I know there are many foreign children who grew up in Hong Kong and for them this feels like home more than anywhere else. For those coming to Hong Kong and deciding to stay, what is the main attract or allure?

-- What do you think is the state of relations between native populations and foreigners? I heard before the switch-over to China a lot of foreigners left Hong Kong, and after realizing things weren't so bad they returned.

I have some experience living in Japan but Hong Kong seems to be worlds apart. I realized after being here for a few days I totally don't "get" this country at all. Of course, not speaking the language is the biggest handicap. At least in Japan I could speak the language and get opinions from locals and foreigners. I'm only here for 10 weeks but I'm really interested in learning more about the local customs and especially the diversity in Hong Kong.

Can anyone give me some tips for a newbie? This information is all relevant to my training I believe. For me this is my first time coming to a country where I haven't studied the language or culture to that much of an extent, and so I feel I have a hard time forming some kind of relationship with the culture and country in my mind.

[dandan]

[wildnfree]

Ive been here for what I consider too long and am planning my escape. I am a non chinese but speak cantonese, and here is what might help you in your life in HK.

1. Chinese tend to be ultra conservative when it comes to sex. On the surface, at least. I guess this makes them hypocrites.

2. Dont learn cantonese. I hear comments about me everyday cause people think i dont understand. Its not cool, and gets u down - even when u tell every single one of them off.

3. You will always be on the outer. When something goes wrong at work, always blame it on a cultural difference or bad communication. That's acceptable to them.

4. The only good foreigners to chinese are those white ones. Blacks and others wont have much luck finding work.

5. If you view HK as solely a place to make money, and dont expect much else, you will do OK.

[Imagine8]

Without a background in either language, which would be most practical to learn before coming to HK for a year or so? I realize Cantonese is the most common in HK, but how useful is Mandarin? Enough to justify studying the language instead? I am assuming Mandarin is more practical around Asia in general, is that true? Thanks!

[Steppenwolf]

I will only deal with two questions raised, in a general, rambling way, namely:
a) What attracts me to Hong Kong?
b) The locals' attitude to non-locals.

HK's physical nature is so western you fit in relatively painlessly: there is a high degree of organisation similar to what you may be used to in the West such as schedules and timetables with precisely-defined deadlines and arrival/departure times. Public transport is so efficient you won't really need a bike or a car. nShops that cater to the more bourgeois customers and tourists are elegant, have bilingual logos and staff and usually can be rlied upon as service providers that give you warranties for products that warrant having a warranty. That comes with a certain customer-centredness that you won't find in the Mainland.
The above is tempered with a Chinese ethnic element that renders the place charming and exotic. What really is a HK asset is the fact that it is not a city but a big town with a number of smaller satellite towns dotting a somewhat rural hinterland full of green parks.
While I like certain HK features I am equally appalled by the rudeness of many of its natives; I am also unimpressed by the Mammon worship and the superficiiality of people in general. For a community composed of the most diverse ethnic groups, HK is remarkably - parochial, provincial and racist. But it won't get physical - or hardly! Language won't be a big issue ever!

b) With my last sentence I have dipped into B). Hongkongers are Chinese no matter whether they have a history distinct from the Mainland's. They are not above chauvinism and xenophobia, and they are unbelievably rambunctious. A characteristic of living in any Chinese city including Hong Kong or Macau is the selfishness of individuals, the total lack of civic virtues. WHile that is not xenophobia you must be aware of the fact that Chinese are more "robust" in putting up with inconveniences such as high noise levels at all times, including barking into mobile phones even in cinemas or libraries.

On the whole, HK is a livable place, inhumanely fast-paced and very crowded; you can live there fairly well and comfortably, spending exorbitant amounts on restaurant fare and even higher amounts of money on astronomical rents but enjoying a relative comfort and safety you won't get in the Mainland. And English is still widely enough spoken although you may have to go out of your way and locate people who do speak it if you need translation.