One year on...

To mark the completion of my first full year in Hong Kong, I have been reading over my posts from when I first arrived here.  I now cringe a little at my effusive ramblings from the early days.  I was so naive to what it would truly mean to move 6,000 miles from home and how I would be affected by the upheaval.  Ignorantly, I believed that I would take the move in my stride having been to boarding school and having lived in various different cities.  Having spoken to other expats, I know that I am by no means alone in having found the first year in Hong Kong a major challenge.  However, if I could go back in time to my snowy last day in the UK, knowing how the past 12 months have panned out, would I have stepped on my flight to Hong Kong?  Damn right, I would!

Despite the dramas, I have learnt so much and I am emerging out of the gloom far more resolved and settled than I would have been had I stayed in the UK.  So, what exactly have I learnt?

The value of money
Since I left the marketing world our joint income has been dramatically slashed.  Whereas before I wouldn't have blinked at spending over £100 on our weekly grocery shopping, on regularly impulse-buying clothes or splashing out on quality cosmetics and 'stuff' for the house, I now watch every dollar. I have stopped using credit and debit cards and only use cash, to reign in the spending.  I have learnt to say 'no' as we can't afford to do everything we may like to do.  Little things like a coffee from Starbucks or a meal out have become a treat rather than the norm.  I no longer throw away any food from our fridge, we only buy what we need, and if we do eat out and there are leftovers, I am not ashamed to take home a doggy bag!  It has made me see how wasteful I have been and how it is possible to live happily without hemorrhaging cash.

Rich through family and friends

Since I have been living in Hong Kong I have come across some incredibly wealthy people.  Some have been absolutely vile with depraved morals - others modest and perpetually generous.  I may not be rich on paper but the tenacious support, kindness and encouragement I have received from my amazing husband, wonderful family and fantastic friends throughout the year has made me conscious that I am significantly richer than most.  

Redefining myself
Before I left the UK, I was a relatively successful marketeer with a job and accompanying salary that defined me.  Arriving in Hong Kong I became a 'trailing spouse', followed by a brief spell as a 'PR luvvie', followed shortly afterwards as a 'trailing spouse who had lost her direction'.  My biggest challenge has been to work out what I want to be and what path to take next.  Having recently qualified as an English teacher, I am now combining private tutoring with part-time teaching in kindergartens and language centres to build my experience.  Longer term, once we are more financially established here, my plan is to teach part-time to fund my passion for writing.  I still have some way to go to fully redefine myself but with each small step, I am slowly making progress.

Accepting your lot
Much of the turmoil I have faced over the past year has been around accepting our child-free future.  Through professional counselling and the support I have had to my blog, I have found that I am by no means alone in feeling that my life is 'missing' an aspect that perhaps I'd assumed I was entitled to have.  I have come to terms with the fact that I am not intended for motherhood and my life is set to take a different path.  I am determined to make my life as meaningful as possible and live it to the full regardless.  So let the adventures begin....

Thank you Hong Kong for a roller coaster first year and here's to the start of an exciting next chapter...

Happy Bloggaversary!

A year ago (almost) to the day, I posted my first blog setting the scene for charting what was to happen once dream scheming about moving to Asia, became a reality.  Had I known the highs and almighty lows I was going to face during year one as an expat, I might have opted to stay put with my Winnie.  However, having weathered the storm, life is looking brighter and Hong Kong is beginning to feel like my home.

My Winnie Dog who I still miss very badly

In that first blog I posed a number of questions that I can now confidently provide answers to....  So, after 12 months of keeping you poised on the edge of your seats with eager anticipation, here they are:

1)  Would we be able to learn Cantonese?  Well we could, however we haven't.  I can only say the most important things in Cantonese... Hello, thank you, receipt, Mosque Street (my address!), hurry up, crazy white person, cheers
2)  Where did the expats live?  A vast majority of expats who have just moved to Hong Kong live where we live, in the Mid-Levels - safety in numbers and all that!
3)  Would I get a job without being able to speak or write Cantonese and Mandarin?  Yes, but it is very tough getting a job in most industries here if you only speak English.
4)  How could we afford to become members of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club so I could pretend to be a good corporate wife in front of David's customers?  By getting a short term membership.... so in 2 years time we are going to have to move elsewhere!  Oh, and fortunately I am not expected to be a good corporate wife which is a great relief for everyone.
5)  How frizzy would my hair go in the humidity?  INCREDIBLY - thank God for the inventor of the Brazilian Blow Out.  (For any blokes reading this, a Brazilian Blow Out involves the straightening, not removal, of hair).
6)  Was there a Toni and Guy?  Yes, but I can only afford to look through the window.
7)  Did they sell  fake tan in Hong Kong?   No - quite the reverse.  Most of the moisturisers contain bleach to whiten the skin so you have to be very careful not to pick up the wrong pot.  Luckily, with a fairly regular stream of visitors, there is usually someone arriving who can top up my fake tan supplies!

Tomorrow - to mark the anniversary of my arrival in Hong Kong - I will blog about what I have discovered in my first year living here.