In no particular order:
1. Hocking
We've all heard it, the legendary technique of clearing ones throat in public with no consideration for others - a disgusting act, have repremanded a number of individuals, suggest others exercise the same.
2. All ang mo's are rich
There appears to be this mis-conception among locals that ang mo's are loaded with endless amounts of cash. Hello???? Take a look around and look at how rich the locals are!!!
3. Greedy landlords
Mind over matter; they don't mind and you don't matter. Artificially inflate rents and hold out until they get their price, might mean leaving the place empty for a while but I guess they can afford to do this if they don't have a mortgage and own 10 apartments
4. Shopping
The national sport, or would they just be happy walking around an empty building with air-con on full blast. Take a look around a shopping centre next time your out, and just count how many people actually have a bag with purchased goods, no one is there to buy anything, just keeping cool.
5. Food
Quantity not quality - that's the locals attitude to food, absolutely clueless as to what good quality food is. If you see an Italian restaurant packed with locals, likel it's not up to much, so give it a miss. It's also impossible to find good quality produce here, supermarkerts buy cheap cr*p and sell it at a rediculously high price, nothing worse than eating cr*p food, even worse when you pay 3x more for it.
6. Driving - tail gating
A fairly stringent driving test consisting of theory and a number of practicals, but obviously don't teach the dangers of tail gating or cutting everyone up, I guess they must be teaching them how to sit in the car and stare like zombies from a - b.
Not sure how to change this behaviour, taxi drivers might be a good place to start and more police on the highways.
7. Cookie cutter people
Everyone cut from the same mold and programmed to be boring with zero personality. I guess this is a form of brain washing, don't expect riviting conversation with the local contingent as your likely to die of boredom in the process.
8. The Weather
I know there is nothing they can do about this but I'll cover it anyway. Hot, hotter and even hotter - Wet, wetter, and even wetter. It's unbearable so get used to sweating and getting wet and consciously losing what time of year it is as it never changes, groundhog day!!
9. Medical Certificate - aka "MC agh"
In all my life, I have never met so many people with such poor health, sneeze and they take the day off. I have even seen someone book an MC in advance and apparently it's legal! And the govt wonders why they don't have a productive workforce?
10. Incoherent
Walked into my
condo mgmt office yesterday, said i had lost my access card and needed a new one. The guy said to me "do you know where you lost it" - retarded question, but not surprised. You'll get used to asking questions more than once, hugely frustrating no matter how slow you try to talk..