It Takes Me to Lose My City Before Realizing How Much I Love It
Why everyone should learn to love their home
Being born and raised in Hong Kong, I’ve always thought that this place is a huge mess. The overpopulation, the housing shortage, and the fact that everyone is into money and business 24/7 got me into consideration of leaving this place forever.
With this attitude, I graduated high school, made it into vet school in Edinburgh, and finally got the chance to leave. Ironically, it took me to lose my home city before realizing how beautiful and unique it is.
The 7 months of being abroad
Moving to Edinburgh for university was a huge excitement for me. Not only because it represented the beginning of a new chapter in my life, but also because I could finally leave.
Adapting to the UK life was not as tough as I have often heard from people. I found it relatively easy because Hong Kong used to be a crown colony of Britain, therefore inherited some similarities with the UK culture. If anything, the canteen food would be the only thing that I would complain about, which otherwise I would seriously consider staying.
Or at least I thought so. Until the Anti-extradition Movement started in Hong Kong, which had forever altered my perspectives.
By being physically away yet mentally trapped in Hong Kong, witnessing the escalation of the movement was a few of the hardest things that I had ever gone through. There are periods where I would check the news every 1–2 hours to ensure that I was all caught up because it felt like this was the least that I could do. Nonetheless, being away still felt like I was living in a parallel universe, where I started to feel guilty every time I found myself enjoying my university life.
Precisely because of this, I’ve realized that Hong Kong the only place where I want to be. I want to be back at home.
What I’ve realized after all
Due to the global pandemic crisis, I’ve come back to where I call home after 7 months of departure. However, this time it’s different. Upon my arrival, I’ve discovered certain aspects that I have never noticed before.
- People are much more sympathetic and passionate than I’ve always pictured
Before everything, I used to think that everyone couldn’t care less about others. Yet, as the social movement progressed, I am deeply moved by the extent people are willing to sacrifice for the justice of others, those who they have never even met. It’s touching to see people uniting together and encouraging each other to stay strong during these difficult times. This warm-heartedness is what makes me so proud to be a part of Hong Kong people.
2. My home is truly beautiful.
Being surrounded by Medieval architecture buildings for 7 months, it made me start to pay attention to how beautiful my home is. Not that Edinburgh isn’t beautiful, but the difference between the two is what made me appreciate the uniqueness of my home. Ever since I’m back, I’ve been documenting the real-life portrayal of Hong Kong. I begin to notice the small details of the buildings and streets wherever I go.
As I begin to pay attention to my surroundings, I am more and more grateful for being born and raised in this city, where my love for it begins to grow. The photo above is captured in a sunshower moment. If it was a few years back, I would moan about how this sudden pouring rain soaked me up. Now, I’m in love with the phenomenon and I enjoy it whenever it happens. It is these small elements that make up the list of reasons why I should treasure my time back at home more.
3. I started loving my culture
It took me to be abroad for 7 months to understand why people identify themselves as a Hong Kong nation rather than Chinese. The reason boils down to the cultural differences. Not only is the language here different from ‘Chinese’ in every shape and form, but also this city has its prosperous native film and music industry that make its culture stand out. For instance, Stephen Chow movies from the 1990s and Eason Chan’s cantopop songs are both the very icons and representatives of Hong Kong. Until today, they are still referenced for their iconic dialogues and lyrics.
After being away, I realized how much I should treasure my culture. I used to never listen to cantopop or watch Cantonese films. Instead, I preferred browsing the top hits on Spotify or Netflix. Now, I start to appreciate locally produced products because there are no other cultures in the world that can deliver what I find in my own culture.
I learned to love my own culture because if I don’t preserve it, who will?
4. There are no other places in the world where I will call home.
After all, this is my main thought. It is not until I left my city that I understand how amazing it is to be born in this place. The tiny pieces in life — whether is it the wet markets, the busy hours on streets, the sketchy food stalls called Dai Pai Dong, the stuffiness in the summer season, are all reasons that make this place great.
“Home is not where you live but where they understand you” — Christian Morgensten
What I’ve learned after being away is that there are no other places in the world where I will call home. As the quote says, I treasure this place not only because it understands me, but I understand this city too. I’ve realized that even if I choose to leave, Hong Kong will always be in my heart because I identify myself as a part of it.
Key Takeaway
I’m not writing this piece to show people how much I love Hong Kong. Instead, I’m writing to show people that they should learn to love their home too.
If you’ve never thought about how amazing it is to live in your city, start brainstorming. Pay attention to the uniqueness of your home. Immerse into your culture. Notice what’s good and special about it. Don’t wait until you’ve missed the chance to do so.
Learn to love and appreciate your home because if you don’t, who will?
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If you enjoyed this piece, you might like to consider reading: Life Is Not A Competition — Give Yourself The Credits You Deserve