Hai Koi to Wajah...

It is curious how sharp the tips of Chinese pen must be - so exquisitely fine their script is.
I guess you know that the average physical size of humans is smaller in China - you can notice that on numerous expat messageboards where Westerners incessantly complain about not being able to find clothes of their size in HK. It is my suspicion that the diminution might be a direct consequence of the trauma of having to learn such a difficult language in early childhood. And it is a wonder that the children come out of it pretty much alive and sane.
It bewilders me when I go to the toilet in my office. There is a notice which says, "Dont dispose of garbage in the urinal". Below it is a graphic description. First it shows how you pee. Then it shows what garbage is. Then it shows how you can throw garbage into the urinal. And then, finally it shows what happens if you do that. Somewhat like this :


But the culture here is good. The people are warm and nice, helpful to the point where 'thank you' is the most often heard phrase every day for me. The lady at the counter says, thank you when - I give her my credit card for billing ; I take back my credit card; I collect the order; I leave the cafe. Heck, she would jump up with a quick 'thank you' if I looked in her direction with more than an emotionless gaze.

People are more liberal in their dressing sense (but this is a cosmo - don't know what the status in countryside is) . There is enough crowd to make you at home if you are a Mumbaiite but far less chaos. The lines are long - at bus stops, taxi stops, ticket points and so on. But the infrastructure is smooth. Buses are nice and cosy, tram is idyllic and metro is efficient - just the way one might want it. One feels safe walking around in the evening, and the ladies definitely feel safe considering the lengths of their dresses even on freezing cold evenings.

The two things I am averse to are - the smell of dried sea food and the exotic dishes on local restaurants' menus. The most memorable ones I have encountered are : Horse tongue in honey with cockroach whiskers to garnish and Corn fed chicken sprayed with finely chopped sea snakes. Eww. Even the thought makes me nauseous.

A good thing about this place is that genuine - or almost genuine, I dont know - CDs are available for much cheaper than elsewhere. The problem is when you want movie CDs without Chinese subtitles.

I have heard a lot about Taarey Zameen Par. Am waiting for the occasion to see this movie - especially now that it has been declared tax-free by the government. I had been planning to watch 'Halla Bol' this week till I learnt that the price of the movie ticket would be around 200HKD. That is a thousand bucks back home. Me and my friend can watch a movie in the sofas of the famous movie hall in Bandra - I forget its name.

Anyway, I am happy that I am writing a post second day in a row. That is happening after many many days!

Haan Hai Koi to wajah
To jeena ka maza yun aane laga

Yeh hawaon mein hai kya
Thoda sa jo naasha yun chane laga...