Six Months Later

I've been in HK six months today. Sometimes it feels much longer. Other times, much shorter. I can't quite put a finger on it.

I am happy to report that in six months I have learned two Cantonese words (it's actually just one word with two different meanings) and made two friends (two distinct individuals). I can audibly distinguish Cantonese from Mandarin. I've eaten a lot of good Chinese food. (I can use plastic chopsticks like a local.) I've started cooking really fancy dishes. I've watched countless movies and episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Shamefully, I have to admit that I've only read four books.

I have not been to Disneyland or Ocean Park. I have not been to Mongkok. I was at Victoria Peak for the first time last week.

Hong Kong has been enjoyable. I wouldn't say I've taken to it like a fish to water (that's how Chum described her stay here), but slowly I'm "getting" things. Inflections of speech are discernible, even if the words are still meaningless. Once strange irrational practices are starting to make sense. (If anything is handed to you with two hands, face the giver and accept the object with two hands.) Social constructs are slowly taking shape.

And finally, I'm starting to warm up to this whole "keep left" concept.