[whatever]

Hi there,
I'm going to have some guests from HK and so I need to find some things out:
1. how do they greet in HK? is it just hand shaking, bowing or sth?
2. what is HK's people attitude to alcohol, drugs, women (not connected with sex:P, just need to know wether women have some previllages, f.e if I should hold a door and let them pass .
3. as they are stunents, I'm supposed to know sth about their educational system, briefly.

hoping to find the answers thanks

[PDLM]

1. Just shaking hands, as in the west.
2. As with anywhere else in the world you'll find some who are happy with alcohol & drugs, and some who are not, and all shades in between. On average though fewer HK locals drink alcohol than people from, for example, the UK or Australia. There is, in general, not a high expectation of courtesies to women, but of course they are always appreciated.
3. Sorry - don't know.

[saltwater]

I've got no idea... looking forward to some interesting answers as to that second question you asked there though! From my limited experience as an expat though...

(1) A friendly handshake will do. Don't bother bowing - you may getting Chinese culture confused with Japanese.

(2) Local Chinese don't normally drink much. And on the whole if they do they tend to get drunk fairly easily, so keep an eye on them. Treat women with the same level of respect you'd expect yourself but don't worry about holding doors and stuff - its just not the HK way.

(3) I got nothing on the educational system. Hopefully someone else can help you out there.

[Janewiches]

What specifically about the education system would you like to know?

From what I remember...

-- Generally students receive six years of mandatory primary schooling (Primary one to six), three years of secondary (Form one to three). Though the majority study until Form Five, where they have sit for the HKCEE, an exam that determines their chances for higher education. Those who do well go on to Form six and seven, and then they have to sit for an A-level examination in preparation for university.

-- students generally work much harder than their counterparts in North America (I don't know about students in other English-speaking countries, though I'm assuming they got it pretty easy too).

-- Level of English is hard to determine, since it differs from school to school, and how much their over-achieving parents like to force them to attend after school tutoring sessions and read the Oxford dictionary from cover to cover.

[whatever]

thanks for all the answers, now I know all I wanted to know