Hong Kong is a very safe city. I have not heard anyone complaining about any security issues so far. But since it is a huge metropolis, I obviously take security previsions to avoid any problems. I only get back late at night to the dorms on weekends when I go to a place called Lai Kwai Fong (LKF). LKF is a street that on weekends is closed for cars so that everyone can walk through the street and it is full with restaurants and bars. Most exchange students go to LKF during weekends. LKF is very safe as there are police officers in every corner. As far as anyone coming to Hong Kong going to places like LKF, there should not be any problems at all in terms of security. Also, there are taxis everywhere for twenty four hours to go back to the dorms. Taxis are actually an efficient way to move around Hong Kong–even during the days–as there usually is not too much traffic and surprisingly they are not expensive compared to other places, such as Boston.
I remember that during my first two weeks at Hong Kong, I was completely lost. So I often used taxis since it took me some time to totally understand the bus system. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, Hong Kong has two types of public buses and one of them does not stop anywhere unless someone yells to the bus driver. I remember the very first time that I went on the buses–unfortunately for me–I got in the one that requires to yell (I did not know about this before getting in.) So I yelled to the bus driver to please stop in English, when I saw we passed my dorm and did not stop, but it seemed like he did not understand as he yelled something back to me in Cantonese that obviously I could not figure out what it meant. So I stood up and made a stop signal with my hands but the driver anyway continued. Fortunately, one of the passengers helped me and told the driver what I suppose was “stop” in Cantonese; but after he said whatever he did, the driver responded aggressively and they started yelling at each other for around thirty seconds–no idea about what but neither of them seemed happy–while I was in the middle listening to both. Once they finished yelling at each other, the bus driver finally stopped and I got out from the bus immediately. After this interesting experience I forced myself to learn how to say “please stop here” in Cantonese to avoid any other uncomfortable moments.
Just as I learned how to use the particular bus system of Hong Kong, I have learned a lot about the university and the city itself. Despite the fact that in the beginning I did not consider it an easy city, through time I have acquired experience that truly makes me feel like a local. I am sure that anyone that puts some effort in will be able to feel comfortable moving around Hong Kong after just a few weeks of being here.
