Cultural experience

The trip to the United Kingdom brought me a deeper insight into different cultures. I identified
that this country contains quite a number of cities with historical architecture which Hong Kong does not have. Take London as an example. When we joined the London walk tour in the first day, I started to realize that this city has been putting much effort in keeping the traces of history. Some buildings in the heart of London like Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament even have 1000 years of history. I was particularly impressed by how well these architectures were preserved. When I had a quick glance at London on the top of the London Eye, I found out that London was actually divided into two by the River Thames. One side comprises of old towers like those mentioned above; and the other side is where the new buildings, skyscrapers, factories located. I found that with this city design, both the news and the olds of London can survive through time. Hong Kong as a city of pace, we seldom look into the importance of keeping the past records like Londoners did. This trip reminds me of that heritages represent the age and history of one city. They are the wrinkles and wisdom which Hong Kong is in lack of.

One of the interesting observations is that Hong Kong and British people have attached different importance to work. This is well illustrated by the fact that most shops are closed by around 4-5 pm in the UK. In contrast, it is quite common for supermarkets or restaurants to operate until midnight in Hong Kong. Apparently, shop owners in the UK are more concerned about a balanced life than the profitability of their businesses. Another evidence is the use of mobile devices on train. In Hong Kong, we always hear people talking over the phone for matters ranging from relationship, raising children, to business negotiation. It seems that travelling on MTR is the right to resolve any unfinished tasks for that day. To the contrary, most areas of the UK underground do not have any phone connection. Therefore, the Hong Kong- style hustle and bustle is nowhere to be found in the UK underground. What public outcry there would be if the use of mobile devices are prohibited in Hong Kong one day!





While preparing a list of UK dishes to try during the trip, I came across an old joke about the differences among the Europeans: heaven is when the police is English, the cook is French, the mechanics is German, the lover is Italian; hell is when the police is German, the cook is English,  the mechanics is French. Anyone humorous enough understand the two lines above would appreciate that it is not boding well for a gourmet visiting the UK. Nevertheless, I have dismissed it as mere non-sense with some laughter. I should have paid heed to those words. The ending is almost predictable - I was wrong and traditional wisdom prevails. Let alone their tastes, most UK dishes are not very healthy after all. People are having chips for their lunch. Their most well-known food - food and chips is too oily and heavy even for someone like me, who is a habitual visitor to McDonald's back in Hong Kong. Besides, I am puzzled by the way rice is served in the UK. Despite serious contemplation, I fail to comprehend why it is served with a large amount of watery sauce, making it congee-like. After the two weeks, I was so tired of sandwiches that I suspected I had suffered from sandwichaphobia. The reason is that sandwich is almost the most affordable lunch there. If I wanted to have a three-course meal as we do in Hong Kong, that could probably cost me 15 pounds - double the price in Hong Kong. If only I could open a Chinese restaurant there in London to serve our fellow Hongkongers!