It’s been just over 1 week since I’ve arrived in HK. This strange place which once I called home and now seem all so alien to me.
The last time I was living here I was 8 years old, all that was important to me were cartoons, transformers and comic books! All I knew is I was going to be living with my parents in UK after not seeing them for 2 years and that they have lots of fancy sweet and chocolate there (because my parents often sent fancy sweet and chocolate to me and my brother) I knew they speak English there, but never really comprehend just how difficult it would be to communicate. For the first year or 2, I used to cry nearly everyday because I didn’t know what the hell was going on around me. Fast forward 17 years, there I was at the airport saying good bye to my parents with my mum's eyes red to the very place they left 20 years ago to provide a better standard of living for us. Even when I bought the tickets some what 2 months ago the actual day came much faster then I thought it would.
I’ve been preparing for live here for some time now and even so, I think I was still very ill prepared. I knew about the inhuman heat and humidity, the insect bites, the rudeness and even the tropical thunder storms. Even though all those things still bother me a lot, SPECIALLY the heat. The hardest part is going from how well I knew London to how little I know this place that was once home. Living in London for almost 4 years, I’ve grew to know it reasonably well (I might have got lost a few times recently). I knew the transport system can be a pain and had to plan ahead just in case there’s more engineering work! I knew where to go if I want to eat or buy something, I knew to stay away from Lewisham if Its past 1am. But in HK I don’t have the comfort of all those local knowledge yet. There’s no TFL I can look up to plan my! The hardest part to adjust to it’s the life style so far. I no longer have the luxury of being able to see all my good friends. They say You never know what you've got until it's gone. Even though I knew what I was leaving behind, not being able to see any of you in the near future still pains me.
On a more positive note the food is FANTASTIC! so much to choose from but unfortunately in this part of the HK most of the menu are in Chinese using ingredients I’ve never heard of and because of that I have no idea what’s healthy and what’s not! As a result I’ve managed to put on a fair bit of weight in just 1 week! Since I’m “Fresh of the boat” here, they won’t let me open a bank account until I have proof of address and until I get a bank account I can’t join any gyms and that’s driving me nuts, is so hot in my room already I’m struggling to do the little bit of exercise I force myself to do. Chances are, if you’re reading this you would know how much I used to train in various sports. I miss it all so much!!!!!!
I’m now together with my girlfriend Pauline, and I can not thank her enough for all the help and support she’s been giving me. Without her help I really don’t think I would be able to start work so early, After a very painful sleepless flight to HK I knew I had to sort out internet connection ASAP so I can start work, if she weren’t there to help me translate what the sales person was saying(from super sonic sales pitch to normal chinese), I might have just sign my life away without knowing about it. It’s amazing how they can explain the same thing in different but just as confusing ways! The sales person really tried, my brain just wasn’t getting into gear in the heat. Oh well, at least I'm finally up and running now!
I’ve already done my first week as a freelance designer for Cashcade. It’s difficult working as a freelancer. In this house with my Grandad and his carer. Most of the time there’s not really anyone to talk to, have banters with or play pranks on, when you’re working by yourself in a all too hot and humid surrounding, having a construction site 10m from your window can also make it hard to concentrate. I also worry my office might not believe I’ve put in the full amount of work hours I’ve promised as a result I’ve put in more hours here then I would in UK, but that is also partly because I don’t really have a social life here yet. I’ve booked in intro classes to Parkour and Capoeira so hopefully I’ll be able to make some friends there while getting some training in!
I really do miss uk. Today on my way home there was an English chap sitting behind me and as he spoke on the phone with a cockney accent, I realise just how much I miss London. Part of me still having trouble adjusting to the fact that I no longer living in London, I still consider that my home and HK to me feels like a place I come for a holiday. Guess I'm not really ready to let it go just yet. I know it’ll take me a few more weeks to get used to how things work here and hopefully I’ll be able to settle in to call this my home one day.
