Returning to Hong Kong

 

Well I returned home last week and I’ve been faced with writing a letter from Hong Kong and it’s like what do I say….  What do I write about?  What do my readers want to hear about?  I really find it hard, writers block I guess.

 

It is so mixed when I return from any place where my children can walk barefoot on the grass, breathe relatively fresh air and get fun out of watering the lawn.  Here life is full of what TV shows, coloring books and videos. The thought of going to the park (Concrete Park) is exhausting, and even if we did go the boys would be telling me that it’s too hot.

 

The first three days I stayed home, apart from avoiding the heat also the rush.  In the US someone accidentally bumped me and they apologized.  I knew I was definitely in reaction to the whole thing because I thanked them for apologizing.  Here bumping and pushing is all part of the process of going somewhere.

 

Asia has a calling to most people, and I hear that you will long for it when you go home.  But after 2.5 weeks in the US I was dreading the call.

 

I’ve learnt to push and shove to get a seat on the rail.  One of my friends says she knows she was here too long when she grabbed a little old lady, who was stealing her taxi and told her to wait for her own!  Shock, horror but after living here a while you will understand why she did it.  One of my friends showed off a fabulous bruise down the front of her forearm fighting off the umbrella of perhaps the same little old lady.  Motto: watch out for little old ladies in Hong Kong.  They have been here longer and know how to get their own seat or taxi at the cost of nothing, perhaps your pride.

 

On return from the US I had a number of email from readers looking at living here.  The question’s varied from how to get a job to can you live on a house boat in Hong Kong.  I am happy to answer questions via email. I also look forward to meeting Liza who will be joining the expat ranks.

 

Hong Kong is the New York of Asia I think.  You can have good days and bad days.  You meet some wonderful caring people and some you wonder what happened to them that made them so mad.

 

Just before we left on home leave we entertained four Navy personnel from the Cushing.  It was such a lovely evening, very interesting and pleasurable.  My husband and I felt that if we had never lived here we would never have had this wonderful experience.  To hear about their lives on board, the places they had served and the type of work they do was fascinating.  It was a pleasant break from fighting off little old ladies wielding umbrellas.