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New Dawn, New Opportunities
I was born to an English Father and an Italian Mother.
My wife is half Australian and half Canadian.
I have been lucky enough to live in many countries and can legally call four of them ‘home’.
And yet at this moment, I – along with my wife and cat – are flying high in the sky, away from our life in Singapore and onto a new adventure in Hong Kong.
Looking Down On History
It’s a strange feeling being somewhere and yet nowhere.
In Singapore I knew how to get around … I had friends, I knew places, I understood the cultural quirks … and yet in HK, despite being there many times, I know I am a stranger – someone who still has to forge a place in that land.
I wonder how long it will take for me to truly call it home?
Sometimes it’s about the time it takes to make friends … other times it’s linked to ownership … you never know what it will take or how long you will need.
Believe it or not I’m not complaining … it’s just part of life … and the fact is, as long as I have my family with me, everything will be OK,
So goodbye Singapore, hello Hong Kong.
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you know were running a book on how long itll be before you get in shit with the hk government. 2/1 fave is a week.
this is a sweet little post campbell. safe travels
Comment by andy@cynic January 17, 2009 @ 9:27 amI reckong it might be the toughest assignment yet based on my experience of living there.
But much more rewarding in the long term.
I was lucky in Hong Kong to have a bar at the end of my road in Causeway Bay that had locals and expats. They took me in, took care of me, made me smile, played bar games with me and showed me what the Cantonese are about.
It’s the ones who are fiercely proud of Hong Kong’s independance from the UK and now China that are the original DNA.
Comment by Charles Frith January 18, 2009 @ 1:54 ami think ‘home’ is an ideal that is greater than the sum of its parts. it only took me a week to call melbourne ‘home’ again, after 13 years away. but sydney took 5 years, despite friends, family, place, etc, etc. and then you have those second and third homes (like hamburg and london for me).
i hope you come to rest in HK quickly and that the feeling of stranger-in-a-strange-land passes quickly.
Comment by lauren January 18, 2009 @ 11:04 pmWoke up to eagles flying around the window of our apartment. At first I thought they were vultures of karma, but luckily the cat brought me back to reality by looking at me with a face that said, “I could take them if I had to” … which is just the sort of big talk/small reality the Campbell’s are famous for, ha!
Proper blogging starts soon – I have a lot on my mind, ha!
Comment by Rob January 19, 2009 @ 9:11 amsounds like the start of something amazing… and im glad to be here to read it first hand. good luck mate.
Comment by Age January 19, 2009 @ 9:16 amI guess its only a matter of time, before you start referring to HK as home, and start feeling passionately about it ; which means taking on the establishment!
Comment by bhaskar January 19, 2009 @ 11:51 amI’ve also been having a bit of conversation with a mate who is from Hong Kong and I think that Hong Kong has gotten lazy. I don’t mean in terms of hard work. Everyone knows that HK is stupidly hard working (I used to get emails at 3am when I was there)
But somehow Hong Kong used to have something a bit less polished and a bit cooler.
I can’t explain it but I think Wong Kar Wai get’s it right in Chung King Express (which is a must see for HK film action) and I’d also revisit “The Wonderful World of Suzie Wong” for it’s black and white cinematography. Obviously it’s white man contrived but it’s still got some lovely flavours of Hong Kong in that very special post war period when The British got it back from the Japanese military after they capitulated.
Comment by Charles Frith January 19, 2009 @ 4:26 pmI love Chung King Express. My uncle was in the army in HK during the 50’s, apparently he played a game of football in the stadium there.
Comment by Rob Mortimer January 19, 2009 @ 4:48 pmI know EXACTLY what you’re saying Charles – but it’s more than just something that has hit HK, it’s hitting places like Singapore, Shanghai and – to a lesser extent – Bangkok.
Whilst it doesn’t represent all the reasons, I think an obession with lifestyle rather than life seems to be a significant part of the cause.
Comment by Rob January 19, 2009 @ 6:35 pmThat’s it mate. Life and not lifestyle. Nice one.
When you said you woke up to the Eagles I thought “Oh God no. They’re not into Hotel California over there are they”
It’s practically the alternative national anthem in Thailand. Can’t bear to hear it one more time 😉
Comment by Charles Frith January 20, 2009 @ 12:44 amSorry mate, they are not eagles but probably a bird called a Kite, who are scavengers living on the rubbish that society produces. A bit like planners really.
Comment by martin January 20, 2009 @ 11:05 amKite … the more wind produced, the higher up they go. Yep, just like planners.
Comment by Rob January 20, 2009 @ 11:51 am