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Aug-Sep15
HOME&PROPERTY
We also love to travel as a family, and we’ve been quite
adventurous since being in Asia. We’ve been cycling in
Cambodia and travelled by train all through Vietnam with the
children. They’re so portable when they’re little – we thought
we’d just get on with it, and make the most of exploring the
region. In the study there’s a wall of framed photos from our
travels, from places as far flung as St Petersburg in Russia,
Halong Bay in Vietnam, Rome, Paris, Thailand and Japan.
What would your advice be to new expatriates?
When my husband first brought up moving to Hong Kong,
we had literally just got married. I’d finished decorating my
dream house, and we were living in a lovely part of London
surrounded by friends; I was very happy! But the other part of
me that loves travel and adventure thought: it’s an opportunity
that doesn’t come along every day, and we’ve got to take it –
there was no question of not coming. So I came and I fell in
love with Hong Kong.
Still, it was a “slow burn” for me. Initially, there were lots of
things to adjust to. I found the heat difficult, I missed family
and friends, I missed being able to stroll down the Northcote
Road in Battersea, and I had to find my way around a new
city and environment. You need to take lots of deep breaths
when dealing with the administration here, but everything
works in the end. Most importantly, take full advantage of the
outdoor lifestyle, get out into the hills, into nature, and explore!
There are so many different places to see and visit and lots
of alternative things too: quirky little temples, ancient villages,
fantastic restaurants. The joy of Hong Kong is the contrast:
you can eat at a local seafood restaurant one day, then have
a champagne brunch at a five-star hotel the next!
Hong Kong is changing all the time, but the city still needs
more pop-ups and installations promoting creativity – it has
started with PMQ, and I love all the quirky new restaurants
that are popping up everywhere. There’s just so much to see
and do.