Today is our HK anniversary. Exactly one year ago right to
this minute, we were in flight, en route to HK. The whole year that has just
passed was stretching unknowably ahead of the couple pictured here, just days
after the move.
It feels both like yesterday and an age away all at once. And
so today seems a good time to take stock.
There have been highlights aplenty. The lifestyle: from
practical things like the ease of getting around and quality of life; to
immersing ourselves in local cultural events like the Fire Dragon; to
submitting to expat decadence, be it the occasional champagne brunch, to junks to nights
out that wouldn’t look out of place for a first year undergraduate’s scrap book.
There have been excursions galore – gambling in Macau,
shopping in Shenzen, cocktail slinging in Singapore, sunny indulgence in
Indonesia, a treat in a Thailand and beachy fun in the Philllipinnes.
We have discovered heaps of new things too numerous to
mention here, but include hashing for both us, foot massages for Claire on tap
from our local masseuse Thai Retreat, and for me having “ones own tailor” (he’s
called Kenny. He’s very nice).
We’ve made tens of amazing friends since we got here, who
have made all of these experiences better many times over. A heartfelt thanks
to them. You know who you are. Equally, we’ve felt incredibly lucky that family
and friends from home have dropped in to sample this life with us. We look forward
to hosting many more.
But there have been downsides. The first few months were
hard as I looked for work and Claire took the burden of work and bringing in
the money. Our first flat was a challenge – holes in roofs, chaos on the
terrace, cockroaches in every nook and cranny. But toughest of all has been the
distance from close friends and family. Skype has made staying in touch much
easier than we thought, but when life events come and go that we have no choice
but to miss and family crises strike that we are powerless to help with, HK
does feel very far away.
Nonetheless, it’s fantastic to think how far we have come.
For me, I emerge from HK Year One about a stone lighter, two 50km races under
my belt and having secured a job that (whilst embargoed on this blog!) I enjoy,
feel challenged by and get a lot out of. You couldn’t ask for more.
But Claire’s year has been even better. She adapted so well
to a new and entirely alien work environment that when her area was
restructured just months in, she emerged with a weighty promotion. And at the
same time as grappling with more responsibility, she has in the last 2 months
joined a crazy fitness group that works out 6
mornings out of 7 at 630am. The weight is falling off and she looks
fantastic. Oh, and the Claire at the top of this post was fringeless - unimaginable now!
Year two has a lot to live up to. But I suspect it may be up
to the task.
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