Banzai bonsai

Postcards from Hong Kong #010

Voxy on Mosque Street, Hong Kong

So many years ago, prompted by various friends’ trips to Hong Kong, we gave each other nicknames to parody the ridiculous English names that abound*.

The nicknames we had included Laser (pronounced lay-sur), Mobile, Cherry Windmill and, mine, Voxy. Imagine how pleased I was when I saw this car on my street.

And also a slew of other emotions not so easily described or defined. How I felt then about things, and how we are now. The people I’ve walked away from and those others I do not make time for, even though I did/do enjoy their company. We grow up and move on, and certain memories gild themselves with the innocence of nostalgia while others take on a tinge of bitter regret. We cling on, still, to the hopes seeded then and which, so much time later, are only taking root now.

When I decide to get a car here in Hong Kong, I’m going to hunt this down.

*A solicitor at a big law firm here is named Cholorophyll. I was assisted by Milky while looking for moisturisers at Sasa.

Postcards from Hong Kong #009

Down the Rabbit Hole

This is the difficult thing about not writing for so long. There are so many bits of stories I want to tell, but so hard to string them together.

Stories about work, people I’ve met, friends, journeys and thoughts on important world issues. And the lack of time.

We take these things for granted, I guess. The present. We think there’s always going to be a way of remembrance. but in the midst of all the now, we forget.

It’s all the everyday things we leave out that make it real.

No one can truly fathom those phantoms that haunt us, not even ourselves.

Ten thousand leagues under the sea.

Postcards from Hong Kong #008

Despite having been in Hong Kong for almost a year (yes, first anniversary coming up pretty soon!), I have to admit that I haven’t seen much of Hong Kong.

The most famous thing I’ve been to is The Peak. And I’ve taken the Star Ferry and the trams, and I’ve been to a couple of beaches. Oh and of course every well-known watering hole on Hong Kong island. But not the Big Buddha or the outlying islands.

Perhaps this ought to be rectified pronto.

Wheeler-dealer

One of the deals I worked on while here in Hong Kong got nominated for ‘Best M&A deal of the year’, so we attended the awards dinner this evening.

I’ve never been to one of these things before.

Well, I’ve been to many of these dinner events before – where you sit around in a nice dress, sip wine, make small talk to the person seated next to you and eat average food, whilst an emcee makes bad jokes and every once in a while someone gets on stage and mumbles something or other. But never a law awards dinner. Surrounded by lawyers of every ilk from all over Hong Kong.

I wondered, at some point during the dinner, how long I’d have to be in Hong Kong for before I could walk around that banquet hall and be able to find familiar faces from other law firms to say hello to and to catch up with. Or how many different firms I’d have to work for.

And then I realised that I haven’t even been qualified for a year, so really, I was just getting completely ahead of myself. But still, it never hurts to dream.

We didn’t win in our category, by the way. But we’re working on being ‘Best law firm’ next year.

Postcards from Hong Kong #007

Summer has arrived here in Hong Kong. It’s hot and sticky. Hotter and stickier, even.

I’ve been here, what, over 6 months now. Everything seems more familiar, but I’m still a stranger to the city. We, the city and I, still have quite a long way to go before I can call it mine.

The push and pull of these brightly-lit cities, swirling attractions of lifestyle and career and the ebb and flow of friends. Despite my usual willingness to jump off metaphorical cliffs, it’s harder to do so knowing that this time I might have to do it without a parachute or a landing plan.

But, hey, we all have to choose our own adventures and make our own endings, right?

p/s: in the spirit of things thrilling, here’s some information about James Bond in Hong Kong.

Postcards from Hong Kong (via Singapore) #006

Peel Street, Hong Kong

So, technically I’m not in Hong Kong. I’m back in Singapore for Chinese New Year and will be hanging out here on and around the equator for the next few weeks. And then it’s back to Hong Kong again.

In some ways I miss Hong Kong already. I miss the coolness of temperature, although I’ve been told that that will disappear in the Summer months. I also miss the ease of walking to most of the places I frequent – here in Singapore I usually drive or get driven (it’s good to be a girl).

On the other hand, it’s good to be back and having the time and leisure to meet up with friends over the course of a month instead of trying to squeeze them all into the space of a week. It’s also Chinese New Year! All the yummiest foods and snacks, the tacky decorations and clanging muzak, new clothes and new shoes, seeing relatives I don’t see at any other time of the year… LOVE IT!

I’m still trying to get my head into the holiday mood seeing as I’ve got 5 more weeks of non-work to endure (ahem). I’ve been telling folks that I want to go to surf school, and it’s way up there on my agenda on the MUST-DO list. I’ve done research and everything! But before that, it’s chilling and diving in Ko Tao, Thailand with Ninja Jones and the HK trainee crew. It’s going to be awesome.

Beachy head

We went to the beach today, and had a barbecue while the sun fell slowly into the sea.

It was my first time on the south side of Hong Kong island, and Em introduced me to all her friends. It was lovely. After that, we went to Stanley, which looked like a quaint little fishing village until we turned onto the main street lined with bars, pubs and restaurants. The charm faded slightly from then.

It’ll be nice in the Summer, visiting the beaches of Hong Kong island. Only another 5 months to go. Sigh.

Postcards from Hong Kong #005

It’s really hard being away, sometimes. Shiny and new really isn’t all that it’s rumoured to be.

I forget how everyone back home (London? Singapore? Both?) looks like, lose track of who is where why doing what, and I begin to confuse memories from fantasy scenarios. Did we really do that, or is it my imagination? Or did I do that, but with different people, not you? Hmm.

It’s also so easy to be transient. If it happens that we see each other often and become friends, that’s great. Otherwise, I’m happy not knowing what the name of your cat is or what you do for a living or even where you’re from. Maybe I’m becoming used to not being in once place long enough for very much of anything or anyone. There’s not much one can do a few months here and there at a time.

On the other hand, I’ve become an expert at passing through airport security and smiling at immigration officers. That must count for something, right?