"What's the most significant thing you've gotten out of this trip?" Masako asked.

I scratched my chin. "Hmmm." There was so much. It was my first trip ever to Hong Kong and Tokyo; heck, it was my first trip ever to Asia. I struggled to find the right answer. Unfortunately, the first answer I gave her was a lie.

"I got to see how different people are. People in Hong Kong are so driven, maybe even a little selfish. People in Tokyo are so polite, maybe even a little repressed. The food is so different, the lifestyles are so different, everything is so… different."

I took another sip of cold sake. Its cool, soothing flavor trickled down my gullet.

"In Hong Kong, there are crowds everywhere. Manhattan is a crowded city too. But there are crowds in just a few areas: Times Square, Midtown, Wall Street during the week, etc. All of Hong Kong seems to be one big crowd. Causeway Bay, Central, Wan Chai, they're crowded all the time.

"Same for Tokyo too. When I first got into Shinjuku, I was hit in the face with what looked like Penn Station during rush hour. Except that this is how Shinjuku station is all the frigging time. Same for Shibuya, Roppongi, all the stations.

"Also, Hong Kong is like one big mall. Everywhere you go, there's something you can buy. There are stores everywhere. They should call it Hong Kong Mall instead of Hong Kong Island.

"And in Tokyo, everything's so small too. The portions are smaller, the drinks are smaller, the buildings… well, the buildings are tall. But the space inside is much more compact, as if they're trying to squeeze more into less."

Masako nodded. "When my Japanese friends describe America to me, they always remark how big and spread out everything is. They say, 'Wow, America is so, AMERICA!' As in, it's so grand and big."

I scratched my chin again. Took a longer sip of sake. And regarded the answer I just gave. It wasn't a full lie, but it wasn't the right answer, the honest answer.

"But…" I paused. Masako and Pavan looked on expectantly. "Well, I feel like I just gave you the typical US tourist answer. To be honest, what I really got out of this trip is… how small the world is."

"Really? What do you mean?" asked Masako.

"The differences aren't what really struck me. It was the similarities. How everyone's really alike. People here aren't really all that different than people in the States. I don't really know how to explain it well. There are surface differences, like speaking a different language and eating different foods. But everyone still has to communicate and eat."

I looked down at my sake. "I'm probably not making much sense here."

Pavan smiled. "After my first time working in Tokyo, I had to give a presentation to my colleagues in India about my experience here. And what I told them was that the Japanese are no different than you or me. We're all alike."

"Yes, exactly!" I nodded. "There are more similarities than differences. It's not like the Chinese or Japanese are totally different than Americans. I don't feel like I'm on another planet or something. There are still cars and restaurants here. I see people telling jokes and laughing together, running because they're late for work, and just living life normally, just like Americans do.

"I usually hear Americans talking about how other countries and cultures are SO different than ours. But that's not really true. Perhaps if I spent time with an Aborigine tribe in Australia or something, I'd feel more of a difference. But it's not like the Chinese or Japanese are aliens or something. Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Europeans, Russians, Aborigines, we're all on the same planet, right?

"We all want the same things: to have a good, happy life with good friends, good food, and good TV shows. We're all bombarded by ads the same way. We all have to deal with global warming and pollution. We all have to go to work and earn a living.

"To be fair though, I just spent my time in two of the world's largest cities. Having lived in New York City, I see a lot more similarities than differences.

"I… I don't know if I'm explaining this well. I'm beginning to feel the sake."

Masako and Pavan both smiled. "We know what you mean. People are more alike than different."

"Yup. So the most significant thing I got out of this trip," I concluded, "was how it's really a small world after all." Then I chugged the rest of my sake.

. . .

What do you think of Hong Kong and/or Tokyo?