Saturday in the Park

I cringe to think that someone visiting the States sees me doing something quirky and then reports back to her home country. Boy, you should see what they do in the U.S. When eating pizza, they flip one piece on top of another and then eat it like a sandwich. No, that’s not people in America. That’s just me.

Likewise, I want to be slow to draw broad conclusions about life in Hong Kong based on one observation. Men in Hong Kong do push-ups on the sidewalk on busy street corners. Or maybe it was just that one dude that one time.

Saturday, we were at a large municipal park. We saw a couple of old-timers doing Tai Chi in the park. Okay, I happen to know that this is pretty standard. (Although, I’m fairly sure the old guy in the stretched-out, sleeve-less t-shirt was making up his own moves).

But then we came upon this gentleman –about fifty, in cargo shorts, and with a graying ponytail- standing on a small arched bridge in the middle of the park. He was singing. Loudly. Dramatically.

Oh that’s cool, I thought. People in Hong Kong sing loudly in public in the park. I was thinking that I might do a little Tai Chi in the park tomorrow, but maybe I’ll do some loud singing instead. That’s right up my alley.

Then I saw two young Hong Kong men walk past Singer Dude. I saw them do a double take and then smile to themselves.

It made me question my earlier assumption.

As the two young guys approached, I asked them if they understood what Singer Dude was signing. They said they didn’t know for sure, but they thought it was a Chinese Opera.

Then I asked what I really wanted to know: So is it pretty normal to stand on a bridge in the park and sing loudly for half an hour? Embarrassed, they smiled, and shook their heads a definitive “no.”

Okay, I got it.

Tai Chi in the park: A standard Chinese thing.

Caterwauling from a bridge: Just some random Chinese guy doing his thing.

It was a good reminder that I have to watch my assumptions and be careful about the conclusions I make about life in Hong Kong.

Oh, I guess I can probably go ahead and give back The Sound of Music sheet music I borrowed from Elise’s music teacher.

-Jack