There is no question that in the past months I have come to appreciate the joys of this hedonistic city. When I first arrived I had a bit of a hard time with it, but I seem to have settled in quite nicely now. I’ve even started taking Hong Kong’s relentless efficiency for granted. There’s a cheap taxi waiting for you at every street corner and the MTR is one of the most punctual in the world. Hong Kong is a tiny stretch of expat paradise in the East, hugely overcrowded, but that’s only normal because everybody wants to get a piece of it. The only real problem with this town is that you constantly have to be prepared to say goodbye. Hong Kong is expat central, I can’t say I’ve met many locals here, but I meet new expats every week. There is a constant influx of fresh gweilo blood, but this, of course, can’t happen without a good number of people leaving all the time as well. There has to be some balance, there’s not enough space here as it is. It’s the waving goodbye part that kills me, along with the constant talk of going away amongst my friends and acquaintances. We are human beings, we adapt but we also get attached. This may sound cruel but it has come to it that when I meet someone, no matter how nice they are, if they tell me from the bat that they’re leaving in a couple of months, I don’t want to waste my time talking to them. Hong Kong does that to you. I remember that when I was asked to come here my boss said, “Beware, Hong Kong is a tough city.” She was referring to the coldness of investment bankers and how it’s all about money here, and sure, the harsh gold rush energy that hangs heavy in the air can be daunting at first, but it means nothing compared to losing friends all the time.

I have a two-year contract with a good − almost certain, if I want to − chance at renewal, so I know I will be here for a while. Last weekend was one of the first of many smouldering Hong Kong beach weekends and Lucia and I went to Lamma Island to get sunburned − of course she’s Spanish so I was the one doing all the burning.
“When does your contract expire?” I asked. It seemed like a fair question for two people who are getting further acquainted. Lucia works for a shipping company and she’s been in Hong Kong for three and a half years already.
“My contract is up in September,” she said. My heart sank. It was noisy on the beach but had it been night-time with no one around I bet she could have heard the sound of my heart falling down my chest. This is why this city is not made for romance, it’s made for one-night-stands and loose arrangements but definitely not for falling in love. “I haven’t been asked to stay yet and I wasn’t really waiting for the question because I wanted to go back home.” My heart sank a little deeper. “But that was before I met you.” A tiny smile was building at the corners of my mouth, but it had nothing on the tears stinging behind my eyes. “So when they ask me now, I will think about it twice.” My Sunday afternoon was ruined and saved at the same time. It’s no secret that I really like Lucia, with her dark hair, matching eyes and adorable Spanish accent. We’re still in the early courting stages of our affair but she’s already so easy to be around. In the course of two weeks my tiny crush has developed into a solid case of infatuation. And I don’t want her to go.

To be continued…