Meeting new people

Back home it always seems forced when you try to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Too often there is some ulterior motive and not enough genuine interest or curiosity. In Hong Kong we have met loads of people through just strange and often very rewarding coincidences. Whether it is sitting in a coffee shop and someone walks up and joins you at the table to talk and learn more about you, or sitting in restaurants with a bunch of locals. Restaurants here do not divide up the seating based on groups of people, if there is a table that seats 4 and only 2 people are sitting there, you will join them. We've met handfuls of locals that once we are introduced and talk for a little often will volunteer walking us around or exploring the surrounding area. Everyone is extremely nice and helpful and just have an abundance of curiosity as well as pride for their city.

Meeting other westerners is strange too, often because their seems to be an unconscious assumption that you should already know them because they are a westerner in HK. All too often we meet new exchange students simply by waiting for an elevator or eating in a restaurant. At one point during someone will turn and in fewer words say, "You don't look like you are from here, what's your name, where are you from, we should hang out some time." And we usually agree, especially if they are girls (what?).

A good example of the randomness of meeting people was the other week when we were out during some festivities in the city with our swedish roommates. As is the custom I believe in all international friendships you first learn each others foul language and then move on to the more, I don't want to say useful... but maybe appropriate language. Anyway, we had just learned 'Visa tuttarna' or 'show me your boobs' in swedish and believed it to be hilarious. So of course we needed to practice saying it aloud or else we have a hard time remembering it and much to our surprise after saying it we saw some heads turn. There was a group of westerners sitting on some steps having some drinks and I walked over apprehensively, pointed and said, "....Swedish?" They nodded and everyone laughed realizing the situation and we ended up talking for a while and giving them suggestions for travel around Hong Kong, they were just visiting for a few days seeing the sights.

Hong Kong has been great, we are meeting fantastic and interesting people who love meeting new people, trying new foods and activities, and being in a new or old place.