First-timer's guide to Hong Kong FEZ

As one of the busiest commercial and cultural cities of the world, Hong Kong can be confused and vexing for tourists and immigrants alike. This handy guide should provide easy answers for initial problems for all you gwailos out there.

Cultural concepts
Hong Kong today is much the same as Hong Kong was twenty or fifty years ago. And at the same time, it isn't. Old Town chinese charm hasn't disappeared from the lifestyle of this economically diverse metropolis. As technology advances it coexists with the old ways of life. Megacorporations have learned (or been obliged) to respect old habits and beliefs. Youngsters and new social class take old ideas and evolve them for their purposes. City pulsates with energy, pumping new knowledge and vitae into itself.

Gwailos - new to the city
Chinese mentality of superiority has been ravaged in the recent years. Metahumans and foreigners are more welcome to the city of technology and superstition. The derogatory term 'Gwailo', meaning literally 'ghost man' or 'white devil' has lost it's meaning and nowadays is linked with people who are not native in the area of Hong Kong Free Enterprise Zone. As long as the foreigner comes in terms with the surrounding values of the metropolis culture shock loses it's impact.

Cantonese, major language in Hong Kong
Cantonese is the official language of Hong Kong Free Enterprise Zone. Deviant from Mandarin, it is recommended for travelers, runners and tourists alike to learn some basic vocabulary when planning and traveling inside the borders of city-state Hong Kong. Alternatively, half of Hong Kongers speak the Lingua Franca, English. Please to bear in mind that as you travel farther from the Downtown and higher areas of prosperity you are less likely to encounter people who speak English and act on good spirit.

Crash-course in Cantonese

Superstition
Natives and foreigners who respect the dominant cultural values appreciate meanings and symbols of good luck, faith and omens. Chinese numerology plays perhaps the most important role in beliefs held up by locals. Some numbers sound like lucky words or words with deeper symbolic meaning, so people believe they have mystical power behind them and respect the relations with numbers and words. Number four is a generally held negative word, meaning death or major unluck. So buildings rarely have fourth floors, or any floors with the number 'four' in them.

Hong Kongers are also big on animal mysticism. Originally arrived from China and chinese culture, local people believe that animals symbolize certain humane emotions and powers. Thus by eating forementioned animals and their parts, their powers transcend to humans.

Guanxi
Guanxi is a social structure of Chinese Confucian ideals. It is more than just 'what you can do for me and I can do for you'. It revolves around a system of social capital and exchange of favors that bases itself on considerations of Chinese social hierarchy. Those in lesser status are expected to pay tribute to honor the better in the guanxi network. The better is expected to treat the lesser in accordance to the honor, like he'd treat a member of his own family. Failure to pay the proper respects to the contracts in your guanxi network becomes a mark on your image and will often result in other people you know distancing themselves from you.

Mianzi
Also known as face, it is as vital as guanxi in Hong Kong. It is the good image that you have everyone's eyes. Hong kongers place an importance on financial success and as such wasteful spending for personal wealth and taste can enhance face. It is also linked in orderly and respectful family, or hard work throughout life. Losing face are resulted usually through personal faults and irresponsible behavior. It will make yourself look bad and your acquaintances as well.

Feng Shui
Under construction.. please stand by for updates.

Qi
Also known as chi. The Chinese call it energy, that runs through Hong Kong and pulsates everywhere. Though the term qi has surfaced with Awakening, it is much more than spellcastin and spiritual energy. It is the energy that flows through the city as the people move. It is in Feng Shui, as souls travel through the city, by foot, on a boat or a train. The city worships it and builds temples to honor it in every curving, polished steel transportation hub or corporate glass-box skyraker.

Hong kongers address the reason of the city's success to the maintenance of positive qi. Free qi flows in capitalist attitude and high work ethic. After all, only a person whose body and soul are balanced with proper qi could work at two or three jobs as many working-class Hong kongers do. The energy flows like a river or a breeze and cannot be controlled. If you contract negative qi, you will find yourself getting only bad luck in your life.

Guides to the city

 * Accommodations and hideouts
 * Markets and malls
 * Nightclubs and restaurants
 * Traveling inside Hong Kong