Hong Kong is a city of just over seven million people; roughly seven percent (490,000) of these people are expats. Being one of them certainly has its ups: there are the summers of endless junk boat parties, beautiful beaches and the crazy nights out in LKF or Wan Chai.
There’s also the odd decent music event, such as Clockenflap, where all of the city’s handsome bearded men and pretty Daisy Duke-clad chicks come out of hiding for three magical days of tunes, booze and eye candy.
On the other side of the coin there are some downs to being an expat in Hong Kong. This beautiful city can get under your skin to the point where, one day, you realise you’re the crazy person walking down the street talking to yourself.
For better or worse, Hong Kong changes those that live here.
Let’s start with the obvious: the crowds.
(Photo: Luke Ma)
When I first moved to Hong Kong I knew it would be busy. Having relocated here without having ever actually been here, however, I had NO IDEA just how busy it really is. No outsider does.
I spent my first few months apologising to every single person who bumped into me on the street. Being polite would leave me completely hoarse by the end of a trip around Wellcome.
It only took a few months to break my lifelong habit of actually saying sorry to the people I barged into, or who barged into me. Soon, I was shoving my way through Mong Kok with the best of them, gleefully busting hips and shoulders into small children and old ladies.
In Hong Kong you learn to be confident. At times even borderline aggressive. Whether it’s walking down the pavement on a crowded Sunday or getting a table at a jam-packed restaurant on Temple Street, you’re going to have to make your presence known.
I asked a handful of friends how Hong Kong has changed them, and each one said it has made them more assertive. The same is true for myself.
Wallflowers won’t get anything done in this town. You need to learn how to get out of your comfort zone and do things for yourself.
(Photo: Mykee Alvero)
On a slightly less introspective note, another thing that changes when you move to Hong Kong is that you learn to really open your eyes and look for things. There are so many hidden gems in this city, but you have to be willing to find them.
One day you’ll be walking up a dimly lit staircase that seems to lead to nowhere, only to find a tiny restaurant or vintage shop. After being here a while, you learn that some of the best, not to mention cheapest, food can be found down roach-infested alleyways.
But the most major change I’ve noticed is that Hong Kong can also make you OBSESSIVE about the weather. Sound familiar, anyone?
I am originally from eastern Canada, where 25°C is a nice summer day and -26°C with three or more feet of snow is typical from November until at least March. Upon first moving to Hong Kong, I thought I would be warm all the time – endless summer no less.
After two years here, however, I find myself shivering at anything below 20°C, and seriously bundling myself up when the Hong Kong Observatory issues a “Cold Weather Warning” at 12°C.
And when summer hits in all of its smoggy, sweaty, glory, I then begin to fixate on the heat and humidity. I’m tracking storms on my phone and praying for a T8 so I’ll get the morning off work.
Eventually, every expat becomes an amateur meteorologist.
(Photo: Ding Yuin Shan)
Hong Kong is certainly not for the weak of heart. It’s bustling, noisy, crowded, and a bit much for many.
In the end though, if you can rise above the insanity that is the very fabric of the city (and maybe become a little insane yourself) you’ll find your own methods to make peace with it.
This will hopefully allow you to recharge and rejuvenate in order to truly enjoy all that this wonderful city has to offer.
But you will have to change.
