Fragrant Harbor
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:18AM In 6 months' time, I would have lived in Hong Kong for 7 years. I'll be able to get permanent residency.
When my then boyfriend-now husband and I decided to move to Hong Kong almost 7 years ago, we said we'll be here for 2 years. When we arrived, we kept meeting expats who said they've been here for 10, 12 years. I remember thinking there's got to be something about this place.
At that time, I didn't think I would be having my kids in Hong Kong. And that my kids would be Hong Kong citizens. I'll like to think that's pretty cool, that for the rest of their lives, wherever they go, they'll have a part of this city with them - that they'll always indentify themselves with this place, somehow, in some way.
They'll never be able to run for the US Presidency but oh well.
I remember when we first got here and went to the bank to open up an account. We were attended to by an earnest young girl, probably fresh out of university and all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
She asked us, 'Do you have any ghosts?'
We were genuinely taken aback and went 'Huh?'
Again, 'Do you have any ghosts?'
'Uh what do you mean?'
'You know, long term ghosts, short term ghosts'.
'OHHH. Yes, yes of course we do'.