Getting By

These past few days I have been keeping myself busy:

• Compiling pictures for my online photo albums
• Learning CSS for fixing up this blog
• Researching events to attend in Hong Kong
• Studying Cantonese
• Attending various social events, e.g. clubbing, bowling

I'm told that I don't need Cantonese in Hong Kong because those interested in interacting with foreigners speak English, and those who aren't interested will probably give a cold shoulder. In other words, English is enough to get by in Hong Kong.

I don't want to just "get by" in Hong Kong. To me, walking around, buying souvenirs, visiting tourist attractions... this is meaningless. All the typical tourist gets is a bit of excercise, trinkets to give friends and family, sore feat, stomachaches, but most importantly, the right to say "I've been there". Any culture absorbed by tourist attractions is diluted by the presense of tourists and those taking advantage of tourists. You can get more out of a book or personal website. I am a fan of a number of Hong Kong films, but even films can be misleading. I've enjoyed getting a tatse of Hong Kong from an online photo blog, but a taste of everyday life in Hong Kong through a website isn't enough. I want to connect personally with people I meet, and using nothing but a major foreign tourist language isn't likely to get me far.

Granted, there is no way I will become fluent in the next 2 days. Even so, every little bit of effort put into a language is a gesture of respect. To me, it's like saying "I realize I'm a tourist, but I'd like to connect with something deeper than money and material goods."