As much as it was fun travelling in a large group, there were many problems encountered during the trip. One of which was to find enough seats for all eleven of us at a cafe or restaurant, and this problem became more apparent when we planned to dine at a very popular cafeteria in Hong Kong on our first night. It was also when I received culture shock for the first time there.
Upon getting a table large enough to accommodate all of us, menus were shoved at us in a nonchalant manner. As tourists, we were unfamiliar with the items on the menu, and perhaps needed a longer time to decide on what to eat. Unlike what we were used to in Singapore, a waiter was standing by the whole time hurrying us to order. Instead of ordering what we wanted, we were frantically pointing at anything that first caught our eye in the menu under pressure. To our surprise, the food came within minutes! I admit to being a very slow eater, and was undoubtedly the last one to finish my food. During which, all the plates that my friends used had been cleared, and the waiter once again stood by our table, waiting to clear my plate while I tried as fast as I could to gobble up everything that was left. The food was really good, but I felt that I didn't manage to enjoy it as much as I wished to.
I was taken aback by how fast paced the lifestyle in Hong Kong was (is probably like that now still). I also came to realise after spending a few more days there, that it was just their way of life; Hong Kong style cafes were meant to serve customers needing a quick dining fix, which explains the almost instantaneous, impersonal service, and possibly the expectation on customers to be quick to order, dine and leave. This also explains why cafeterias in Hong Kong mostly serve, and are famous for, their instant noodles or macaroni with luncheon meat and eggs, which can be cooked almost instantly.
Having been living in Singapore my whole life, I thought I was used to efficiency and the fast pace of life. But the experience in Hong Kong has brought up the pace by another notch for me, and it was a good experience to have. My friends and I would still laugh at this incident when we reminisce about our Hong Kong trip, and it wouldn't stop us from going back again!
