All the tourist spots around the world are the same - a lot of Asian tourists taking pictures. All souvenirs around the world are the same – they are all “made in China”. So why should I fly thousands of miles from Hong Kong to meet more Asian people and buy more Chinese products? Travel is not all about taking pictures and buying fridge magnets, it is about… the dialogues *On my origin* In Ushuaia, I joined a local tour and got on a cozy coach in the morning. Argentine tour guide: Hi Hallie, where you from? Me: Hong Kong American tourist: Wow, Hong Kong, I’ve been there! It’s used to be British. British tourist: So as America. On the Antarctica cruise of 99% European travellers, Swiss asking German: Which part of Germany you from? German: _ _ _ _ _ (somewhere unpronounceable) but now I live in Frankfurt. Swiss asking me: So Hallie where you come from? Me: Hong Kong! German: Which part of Hong Kong? Me: Er… Kowloon… you know, actually Hong Kong is not as big as Germany. We can be working on the Island side, dinner on the Kowloon side and go home in the New Territories, guess it is not the same distance between Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg… *On my language* In Buenos Aires, there are always some random Argentine people on the street talking to me. Random Argentine: Where you from? Me: Hong Kong Random Argentine: Konichiwa!! In Frankfurt airport, the custom officer asked if I’m Korean and I said “Hong Kong” Custom: Ni Hao! Me (thinking): We speak Cantonese in Hong Kong, not Mandarin, but I don’t expect foreigners understand this kind of thing. Custom: and Goodbye is “Wo Ai Ni”? Me: That’s “I love you”. *On food* On the flight from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires, there were two Danish sitting next to me. Danish: Would you like some candies? (offering some dark candies in a cartoon bag, looked normal) Me: Sure! Thank you! Danish: Small bites… It’s too late, I already put the whole “candy” in my month and my whole face twisted. The “candy” is actually salty liquorice. Me: Why? Why are you still eating it?? Danish: What? You Chinese people eat all sorts of bizarre things! Grasshoppers, scorpions and so on, now you think our candies are strange? On the Antarctica cruise, having assorted cheese after lunch… Me to English girl: Are you putting cheese on your apple? English guy to me: Thank you! English guy to English girl: See! Even Asian don’t do that! (Yes, we Chinese have insects for breakfast, snakes for lunch and lizards for dinner, sometimes we put cheese on them ^_^) *On photo taking* In Antarctica, after some intensive photo taking days, some Caucasian passengers started to put two fingers up every time they see me. I found them interesting but I didn't understand why. Until a German passenger asked me: “Is this a very Asian thing to put two fingers up every time you take a photo? With a big smile all over your face?” Ahhhh.... then I realised I am striking that pose all the time and I am the only one on the cruise who is doing it.... I didn't know it is an Asian thing! Thought I tried not to look stupid, all over my face Travel is never fun without cultural shocks, especially those funny stereotyping, but after all I have to admit - I did take a lot of pictures and bought some “Made in China” fridge magnets~
