I first went to Hong Kong in 1999 to live but then it lasted just a few months, then Canada then Korea for a year then back to Hong Kong for two years then Korea, then Canada, then, then, then! Well there’s some boomerang effect with Hong Kong and myself as each year I find myself back here with a different experience from the last. I'm only here for a couple of days, as I seriously need a refresher, some shopping and time to chat with my dear friend Cherie. I also have the opportunity to move back here and walk straight into a public school position along with the previous teacher's two-bedroom apartment in September.
As some of you may know that I've been having a tough time in Korea, mainly due to my job as it's seriously disorganized and stuck in the conservative patriarchal world that leaves me stressed and pissed off. I’ve also been dating one guy; it's an on/off relationship/friendship. However the most positive thing has been my art, I am currently in a show that opened on Saturday, which received positive feedback. My art has helped me deal with some of the stress as well as my loneliness.
Moving to Hong Kong is no easy decision unlike before. It was easier for me to pick up and leave when I was younger, but these days it’s real headache, as I now long to settle and have a home. I really am unsure of the next move or I should say the next step. However if I stay in Korea I have also been presented with the opportunity to open an art academy along with a friend who is willing to help as much as she can however I need to commit at least three years in Korea. It seems my art has a future in Korea, as I'm surrounded by artists who motivate and support me in so many ways. That is something that I would have to give up if I move to Hong Kong.
To be honest I would really love to move back to the UK, but I have several fears; I am used to a lifestyle that I cannot afford over there and I feel that I need substantial savings to back me up and help me settle in. However saving money in Korea seems to be my weak point. Hong Kong salary is higher as well as legal part-time work andI should mention that while I stay in Hong Kong in preparation for the UK I could also study as there are numerous courses offered here that are not available in Korea.
I consider myself lucky to have all these choices and opportunities. But I feel dumbfounded just like you do when you walk into MacDonald's and stand in front of the vast menu like a deer in the headlights; frozen and unable to move, then order combo number one! Speaking of which, Cherie and I ordered two lunch combos in some Hong Kong fusion restaurant that had no English but did have pictures, to our horror werealized that we ordered noodles with tripe and a side dish of cow tongue! We ended up having two lunches in two different restaurants!
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1 comments:
I'm glad to read that you have some good, viable options for your next step. But... my recollections of you in Hong Kong have been that you tend to feel very alienated and lonely there.
Please feel free to ignore this unsolicited advice:
There are some things that have been making you unhappy for a long time. I would suggest that when you look at your options, try to figure out which option would offer you the most support in helping you resolve or improve the things that have been making you unhappy, instead of focusing on the opportunities you would be giving up if you didn't choose a particular place.
If going back to the UK would make you happy, it might be worth going with less money than you would hope for, and living a more frugal lifestyle for a little while.
You've mentioned that each place has its own advantages; your art may flourish in Korea, your bank account may flourish in Hong Kong... it's your life, of course, but I'd be inclined to place first priority on where your happiness may flourish.
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