Some randomness....
On McDonald's in Hong Kong:
Red bean pies. Not bad. They have apple pies too. Delicious, as they still deep fry them over here.
Can hear Tom Jones whilst dining on your fish sandwich.
Motto: "Food safety and quality - our first priority." Quality. Okay, no problems with that. But food safety? Shouldn't this be implied and not necessary to be explicitly stated for the consumer? Sort of akin to the police saying "We'll try our best not to let you get killed."
On scars:
I have a round one on my left elbow from when I fell off my bike as a kid. I was on my way to 8th grade orientation during the final week of summer before school started up again. I hit a large rock with my front tire and flew ass over teakettle (I don't know what that means, but I like the way it sounds) over my handlebars.
I once was completely sure about the woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I asked her to marry me. She said no, and I didn't know what to do after that. I still think about her. A lot.
Some things never fade.
On ATM machines:
In the US, we have drive-up ATM machines. The buttons have braille on them. How exactly do blind people use drive-up cash machines?
In Hong Kong, the ATM machines have signs warning you of hidden cameras and devices used to copy your PIN or steal your card. (I think I prefer braille). They also tell you to beware of people peering over your shoulder as you enter your PIN.
In the US and in Japan, people stand a respectful distance behind you in the queue while you conduct your transaction.
In Hong Kong, they stand so close they are practically inside you. Guess one needs to pay attention to those warnings.
On Hong Kong mini-buses:
Some of the most fun I've had since moving to Hong Kong.
They have large digital displays mounted for all the passengers to see. The displays show the speed that the driver is going. When the driver exceeds the speed limit, the display starts beeping and a red light comes on to alert the passengers. Some drivers stay over the speed limit, and the passengers are forced to listen to the beeping until they get off at their stop.
They swerve in and out of traffic, run red lights, and take corners at high speeds. People and the government say they are dangerous. I say they are exciting but not for the timid or those suffering from heart conditions. Plus, you rarely hear about accidents involving mini-buses. If they were so dangerous, the media would be crawling all over even the most minor incident involving a mini-bus.
Some of the drivers are the rudest people I have met in my entire life. Some are polite, a rare few even cheerful and will smile at you or give you directions or advise you when to alight if you're not sure. Almost all have faces that tell some story. You can see it when you watch them drive, when you know they're not paying much attention to anything except the road and what's on their mind at the moment.
To be continued in Part 3....
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