This is just a bunch of random stuff that most people might not know about Hong Kong.
1) Our emergency line is 999. Operators speak Cantonese, Mandarin and English. You can also call 999 to report noisy or annoying neighbours and drinking establishments. God knows, I've done that enough times.
2) You can't smoke in parks and in most indoor places. There are rougher areas where the uncles and neighbourhood toughs still continue to smoke inside restaurants, but I consider them part of the ambience.
3) The following are open for 24 hours: some McDonald's branches, Tsui Wah restaurants (well, they clean up between 4am to 6am, but if you look at them pleadingly, they often let you stay), the cinema in Chinachem Golden Plaza in Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road, next to the famous hostess bar, Club B Boss). Most parks are technically closed at 10 pm, but the walls are easy to scale.
4) The airconditioning is intense here in all weathers. It's often colder inside than outside. Because of that, you might want to bring a scarf or an extra shirt in summer if you plan to stay indoors most of the time.
5) Summer is the worst time to come to Hong Kong. It's humid and soul-destroyingly hot. It's bad here because you have to walk if you're a tourist or poor like me and that exposes you to the horrific heat. Also, things get mouldy fast in summer, so keep a close eye on your leather goods.
6) It may surprise people that it does get quite cold here in winter because everything has been built for the heat, and most establishments don't use heaters. Also, some places continue to blast the airconditioning, who knows why. Chinese restaurants are the worst for that, you see poor old people getting hypothermia and falling asleep in the middle of a chew. Tsk.
7) Littering isn't as common here as it used to be some time ago, thanks to government efforts. Don't do it.
8) Hong Kong Post: a wonderfully efficient and reliable service that you can avail of, especially if you've bought too many things and need to post them home. Postage rates are quite low, definitely cheaper than paying for extra baggage on a plane. For incoming packages, if you get hyphy like me from waiting, you can call the Mail Tracing Office at 2921 2211 as long as you have some kind of tracking number.
9) Sales happen in summer and winter. If you're looking to buy winter/spring clothing, the summer sales are the best for you (although you can also pick up clothing from other seasons) and vice versa. The tail end of the sales are the best times to pick up some crazy bargains. The tail end of the sale season is now changing, thanks to the influx of mainland tourists. Most shops try to adjust their sale periods, especially over the Lunar New Year holidays, so winter sales are a bit iffy. Safe to say that you'll still find some cheap items during the end of January or beginning of February. For summer sales, you'll get the best bargains mid-to-late August.
Tail-end is the best if you're not desperate for a particular item but just want to see if you can pick up something for a very low price. Most of the popular stuff will have already been gone (or sent to the outlet shops, which I don't even know if I should post about since everyone seems to know about them), but you are patient and have a good eye, you will find something. For example, I have a Costume National skirt that I paid something ridiculous (like HKD200) for. Of course, it's so short that I can't even bow without exposing the horror, but I still love it.
10) Speaking of short skirts, we don't have a lot of perverts here (at least, they keep it on the down low), but the MTR will scare the shit out of you with their constant warnings about cellphone camera perverts. The truth is, it's so safe here that a couple of incidents immediately constitute a crime wave. Still, be on guard in case someone stands too close to you. Hong Kong people tend to respect personal space, so unless you're on a really crowded train, you might want to be careful.
If you suspect someone has been illicitly videotaping an upskirt, I suggest taking a picture of the pervert yourself, then screaming or making a fuss. If you are bold, you can grab the dude. There are always gentlemen in the crowd who will be glad for an excuse to release some tension by beating up a pervert. My friend told me that in her case, a stranger chased the pervert down all the way outside the MTR and caught him.
11) Pre-paid SIM cards: You can buy pre-paid SIM cards to use while in Hong Kong. Note that we, like the rest of the normal world (excluding those snobs in Japan and Korea and those primitives in the US), use a GSM system. Dualband PCS/GSM phones will definitely work here. As of this entry, the most popular pre-paid card is by one2free. You can click here for more information, or if you don't really care about the technical details, just head over to 7-11 and buy one. It costs HKD48.
12) When asking for directions, always ask schoolgirls. Look for the ones who wear white socks, I'm serious about this. They are the ones who are the most helpful and will speak the most languages. Also look for any kids in Scouts uniforms. Finally, you can ask the cops, and they are super helpful and nice.
13) Regarding police searches: Hong Kong police have the right to do random body searches on people. If you're white, lucky you, unless you behave in a retarded or suspicious manner, you'll be left alone. For the rest of us, this is how it goes: first, you'll be asked to present identification. Depending on what they suspect you for, you'll be asked to show the contents of your bag(s) and pocket(s). I've been asked to put my hands on my head while getting patted down, but then, I was in a dodgy area and had my tattoos out, so I don't really blame them. Most people are just patted down normally. The police will do this in full view of everyone, which I don't really mind because it kind of makes you feel like some serious gangster. You'll also be asked a few questions. If they're not happy with your answers, you'll be asked to take a trip to the police station, but on the plus side, you get a sandwich (ham and egg) and a cup of milk tea.
14) Before I got my Hong Kong ID, I never carried around my passport, but if you're a tourist, make sure you carry some kind of identification (eg. driver's license) and a card with your hotel information on it. This is mostly just in case you get drunk and have to show a taxi driver where you're staying.
15) Matters of common courtesy: you would think people would have the sense not to be retarded, but I guess a lot of people weren't brought up right.
First off, when taking photographs, be mindful of your surroundings. Are you blocking a path? Are you in the way of something? Most Hong Kong people are polite and will either walk around you or patiently wait until you're done. Don't fucking abuse this, and apologize or say thank you. Of course, you'll sometimes get the OG uncle who doesn't give a fuck and will walk right into your shot.
Also, earlier today on the MTR, I was unfortunate enough to witness a young mainlander lady who was doing poledance moves while being photographed by her mother, of all people. For God's sake, those poles are not meant to be touched by a coochie! Blech! They also left behind trash, TSK.
I must repeat this once more: on the escalators, stand on the right, walk on the left.
When receiving or giving objects, you must use both hands. It's really disrespectful to use just one hand, although we've become immunized to rude tourists and foreigners to a certain degree.
For fuck's sake, if you say "What is THAT?" during a meal, I will feel a shift in the Force and send you a mental slap. That is just rude.
Don't eat unless everyone is served. If you are the last one to get your food, you should say, "Please go ahead and don't wait for me" so that others will be at ease. If someone tells you that, then you have permission to eat. However, I still usually wait because I'm a fucking lady.
Don't leave food in your bowl.
When someone offers you something, decline politely first, and then accept when they offer again. Some of my more well-bred friends wait until the third offer but I feel like it's inefficient and unnecessary.
We don't usually tip in Hong Kong because most places have a service charge, but I usually leave change behind. As far as I've been told, you shouldn't do that in authentic Thai restaurants, though.
Alright, that's it for now, I'll probably have more of this type of entry up as I go along.
