Fast food, left and right, cleanliness and kimchee

There's no breakfast included with my room so I stopped by Uptown Plaza in Tai Po Market this morning. Inside, I found a Café de Coral, a fast food chain (incidentally, they also run Manchu Wok in North America). I had to resort to pointing at the menu; the cashier still tripped me up by asking how I wanted my eggs, whether I wanted toast or congee, and the kind of tea I wanted. My meal consisted of two wieners (the menu said sausage) in BBQ sauce, fried eggs, toast and tea made with evaporated milk.

Although I can get by quite reasonably in Cantonese, my vocabularly isn't as large as I thought. People in Hong Kong don't address me in English for obvious reasons; in fact, I haven't spoken it very much since I arrived. Even the people in the office where I am working have been speaking to me in Chinese. I like the fact that I can play "English-speaking tourist" when I need to, but I can't really pretend to be a local.

Corollaries of driving on the left include reversed windshield wipers, having to look the opposite way when crossing roads (there are helpful signs on the road that tell you which way to look) and reversed escalators, staircases and walkways. This takes some getting used to.

There is a huge emphasis on cleanliness and environmental consciousness here. In the office where I'm working, a sign by the entrance informs you that the escalator handrails are sanitized hourly. In the bathroom, faucet handles and paper towel dispenser handles are also cleaned several times a day. Inside a washroom stall, a sign apologizes for the poor quality of the toilet paper but thanks you for understanding that we all have to make sacrifices for the good of the planet. A notice on the water cooler encourages you to bring your own reusable mug. Announcements in the train station warn about the dangers of live poultry. Signs in the airport tell women to go for cervical smear tests. Some escalators are put out of service in the evening to conserve electricity. The KCR train cars are spotless, thanks to prohibitions on spitting, eating and drinking inside them.

At the same time, many department stores leave their doors wide open (or have no visible doors at all). I can't fathom how people can have a cigarette outside: the combination of the stifling heat and smoke is nauseating. Toronto has largely gone smoke-free in public places, so I am surprised when anyone lights up indoors. Face masks are not uncommon.

I hear Bus Uncle references all over the place.

After work tonight, I Googled for restaurants in the area and wandered out from Exit C2 of the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. This is a neighbourhood filled with little shops and restaurants bathed in the glow of their neon signs. Koreatown seemed a bit sketchy and dark but there were plenty of people around. It's not like Bloor and Christie in Toronto, just a few restaurants and stores.

As it was nearing 21:00, I finally decided on Chang Won, a Korean-owned and operated restaurant according to the review on the window. There were no tables free, so I joined a family of four who were having Korean BBQ (as was everyone else). After placing my order, the waiter brought a wide variety of panchan which I should have grazed on, but it was tasty. This left me with little room for the main course I requested, a crispy pancake filled with green onions, squid and chili peppers served with a vinegar-soy-chili dipping sauce.

I walked back along Nathan Road, which in years past, was known as the Golden Mile. Indeed there are lots of fancy international clothing and jewelery stores along this street, dozens of cellphone and electronics retailers but also many shady vendors. I poked my head into the entrance of the infamous Chungking Mansions. I was a bit disappointed no one waved flyers in my face advertising cheap Indian food.