Culture Shock

I think I may have very quickly moved into the second phase of Culture Shock already.  HK is pissing me off. 
Exhibit A: i was told by the landlady that we would be looking at  a furnished apartment and all furnishings we saw would be ours to use.  however, the next day, just as we were about to sign the lease, almost all the furniture was removed, and it became an unfurnished apartment, making the actual cost much more expensive.  the agent didn't know what she was talking about and was just making things up and I decided i didn't trust her or the slumlord who lives in mainland China. 

B: For my first real class of the school year, i was supposed to go to classroom 102.  I had assumed since no one bothered to show me around yesterday, someone would show me at least to the classroom, but only realized several minutes after the class start time that no one was going to help me learn how to get there, so i rushed downstairs, hoping 102 means the first floor (there are 7 floors in the school) and wandered around until i found the classroom, waiting for me. I think this is related to no one asking me a single personal question or asking me if I knew how to use chopsticks.  I thought it was because they didn't want to assume anything and risk being embarrassed, but actually, no one gives a hoot what I do or don't do and can or cannot do.  In time, I will probably relish the freedom this allows me, but right now i would like to be held by the hand a tiny bit and know someone has my back if there is trouble. 


Exhibit C:  HK is just one set of rules and regulations after the other, often telling me one rule and then stopping dead because i didn't follow the other rule (that they didn't mention).  For example, to get reimbursed for travel expenses, I needed to provide travel receipts.  However, today I cant process anything because I also needed boarding passes.  it's a good thing I kept them, but what if i hadn't?  Since i didn't know i needed them later, what makes them assume i would keep them?   this is after months and months and months of reprocessing documents after the first 2 or 3 times didn't meet their standards.  if you have rules, lay them all out, all at once.  don't keep surprising me with new rules after i have done everything i was asked to do. 

France didn't have rules.  the US has rules, but follows them only on occasion, and if you have enough money, you don't have to worry about them at all.  japan is very rule based but they are very clear on what the rules are.  there are 100 steps; but if you do them all, you will get what you want, expediently.

however, hong kong has a set of rules they tell you about and a whole different set of rules they tell you on a need to know basis.  And yet, the Hong Kong people themselves don't seem to be overly concerned with following the rules. 

just this morning, a teacher told me about how the hong kong government has standardized taxi fares.  No taxi driver is allowed to over charge or undercut a fare.  yet they do all the time.  they undercut fares if they think you will use them on a regular basis, so you will ask for them every time for an illegal cheap deal and they will get lots of rides out of you.  or, if they are sure you wont be using them again and you clearly look like you don't know where you are going, they will take "scenic routes" so they can overcharge you. 

Now I know this happens all the time everywhere, but in Hong Kong this is strictly forbidden, as is crossing the street on a red light, yet it is done by everyone all the time.  of course, as a foreigner, I have no choice but to play by the rules, and yet I can't ever get on with things because there is so much hidden to me. 

I'm still jet lagged and I am making the terrible mistake of comparing HK to japan which one should never do.

But i have to make up my mind to roll with these things and not get too bothered by it.  In time, when the dust settles, I might just come to an understanding about all this stuff, even though it bothers me now.  All I can do is do what i can and hopefully everything will work out one way or another.  

At least no one has screamed in my face for over a week. this job is much less stressful and my stomach is not all tied in knots when i come home.   I'm so glad i got out of that situation.    And grateful the the HK government has money in this economy to support my position while california's educators slowly sink deeper into economic hell. Thank you Honk Kong.