I won't drink to that: gender stereotyping in Hong Kong bars

In my job I sometimes have the pleasure of reviewing bars. Recently I went on such a mission with a colleague in Causeway Bay. As usual, I asked the waiter what he recommended. He stooped low, looked me in the eye and asked a series of questions: what type of spirits did I prefer? Did I like classic cocktails? Did my tastes skew towards bitter or sour?

After this consultation he claimed to have found my "perfect drink", named something along the lines of "The John Wayne saddle leather and cigar-infused Mad Men-approved all-man COCKtail".

My companion, no doubt impressed, asked the waiter to repeat this trick. He glanced at her, asked no questions, then confidently suggested the "Princess Petunia's easy-drinkin' pink potion for ladies".

When the drinks arrived I could barely swallow my smoky Scotch and she detested her mix of crème de menthe and rose water, sprinkled with glitter and served in a crystal vase. We happily switched. But my review of the bar can be summed up in one angrily scrawled sentence: STAFFED BY GENDER FASCISTS.

Sadly, the same holds true for Hong Kong overall. If I have to read about another "lady pilot" or "lady lawyer", or see another promotion for "ladies' high tea" - the same as regular high tea, but with all of the delicious, fattening stuff removed and what's left dyed pink - I'll scream.

My friend used to work at an online magazine in Hong Kong. She was known as the office IT whizz. When her boss returned from overseas with presents for the team, the male staff all received shiny USB drives. What about the "computer expert"? True to Hong Kong form, she got a bottle of nail polish.