The Top 15 Hong Kong Things That Give Us “The Ick”

Team Sassy has been deep in the trenches, collecting the ultimate list of Hong Kong “ick”s that send shivers down our spines.

You know those little things that just… ugh? They’re not dealbreakers exactly, but once you feel it it’s hard to recover from. It’s the dreaded “ick”. Well, Team Sassy has rounded up some of the most oddly specific, Hong Kong related icks that make us cringe — these aren’t your typical “chewing loudly” or “bad grammar” offenders, no, these are just pure judgement, in honour of our (sometimes) very judgemental city. Curious? Keep reading for a list that’s equal parts petty, picky and hopefully just a little bit relatable.

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1. “My neighbour was opening the door, but when they heard me coming down the stairs they backed away and waited for me to leave so they wouldn’t have to say hi. It was so antisocial in such a Hong Kong way, it made me cringe.”

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2. “Running with a backpack on.”

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3. “Standing on the left side of the Mid-Levels escalator to take an Instagram picture when everyone else is just trying to get to or from work.”

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4.  “People who sprint to an empty seat on the MTR like it’s an Olympic event. Hey Usain Bolt, it’s a three-stop ride.”

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5. “That awkward walk when you get out of a pool, stumbling when coming off of a double-decker bus, the way men put on lip balm.”

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6. “Wearing full-on hiking gear when you’re going to The Peak or Braemar Hill. Please relax.”

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7. “Men with long fingernails, especially that extra-long pinky fingernail.”

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8. “Alternating the dim sum chopsticks… but using the wrong ones for serving versus personal use.”

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9. “When you put a lot of effort into an outfit for fun and someone says ‘Why are you so dressed up?’ Not everyone needs to wear the Hong Kong uniform of Zara jeans and a Uniqlo sweater.”

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10. “When someone puts their feet on or even near a pillow — my face goes there, not your dirty feet.”

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11. “Using an umbrella but still walking under the covered walkway.”

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12. “I give myself the ick when I try and explain where to go in Cantonese to a taxi driver but he doesn’t understand. Pulling out the Google Maps is so humbling.”

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13. “Making a big scene to get like $5 off something from the Jade Market or Apliu Street. You don’t ‘know how to bargain’, laoban just wants you out of the store.”

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14. “Being rude to waiters or servers. People in Hong Kong feel way too comfortable treating staff poorly.”

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15. “When someone holds an Octopus card to the reader for way too long. It beeped already, you’re not downloading a software update.”

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