Week 4

Having been in Australia for quite some time, I have observed a number of cultural differences here when compared to the Chinese culture in Hong Kong. Most notably, here in Melbourne shops close a lot earlier than in Hong Kong. The shops in the suburbs close at 5pm, and even those in the city close at 7pm or 8pm the latest. Compared to that, Hong Kong’s nightlife is much more vivid and colorful. Also, Australians stand on the left when riding an escalator, while in Hong Kong we stand on the right. When getting off a bus people say thanks to the bus driver, while we in Hong Kong never do this (although some, especially girls, do write ‘thanks’ to the postmen when they send letters). When I first came here I planned to hire a bike so that I can ride it to school every day, but I gave up at last because I learnt that I need to wear a helmet if I ride a bike, and I would have to buy that, which makes it a bit less worthy. In Hong Kong bikes are not taken so seriously, they are more for leisure.