Day 14: Behave like the society you want to live in

Tourists often complain that Hong Kongers are gruff, busy and money-focused...the New York City of Asia some say. People who don't live in Hong Kong are often surprised when I tell them that one of the reasons I stay here are because everyone is so kind. From the auntie working Café de Coral that goes out of her way to help me find a table to the Inland Revenue Department official that is patient and helpful answering the question that she's probably been asked 100 times before, to the random people on the street that lend a hand when I'm carrying too much or forget an umbrella. Hong Kongers' kindness makes me want to be kind in return.

A few nights ago, I was going for a walk with my better half after dinner in Hong Kong when we found someone's iPhone face down on the sidewalk. No one else was around. Since the phone was locked so we couldn't find out whose it was, my first thought was to give it to a police station in case someone reported it missing.

Before we could figure out the nearest police station, the phone rang and we answered it. It was the phone's owner trying to find his phone. We told him where we were (apparently he didn't know about Find My) and waited until he could come over to pick it up. It turned out that it had fallen out of his pocket while he was driving his scooter. He was very happy to get the phone back and we felt great for doing a good deed. Everyone won. Good feelings all around!