Saturday morning. At the coffee stand. I always miss this place the most when I am gone from here. I love my perfect little writing spot. I have yet to find one in HK.
As much as I wanted to run away from life, once again my decision to become a HongKonger came back to bite me in the ass. It was as if a metaphorical Grab driver came into the bar yesterday holding a red envelope just for me. When I opened it said, “We Own You. Time for you to come back! With Love, HKSAR.”
In reality this message came in the form of my friend, who I have been jokingly calling my “Chinese Minder” since he’s all up in my business. I told him I wanted to run off to Vietnam to do yoga on a beach for a month. He told me that I need to grow up and face the reality that I am unemployed on the other side of the planet, that the best career opportunities are in HK, and it would be really stupid to throw away my chance just to bankrupt myself doing nothing.
“I knew it,” he said. “You are too much under the influence of the Thai Expat Community. You can’t stay on vacation forever. You don’t want to. You’re not like them!”
I sat there for awhile with my discomfort and realized he was right. So I re-booked my old apartment in HK for the month of March and now I’m searching for a plane ticket. Apparently the hosts were renovating the place during February, which is why I couldn’t stay there. They were more than happy to put me back up again. It’s not ideal, but the price and the location cannot be beat. Something better will come along when the time is right…
My reward for going back and facing up to the challenge instead of running away is a Chinese New Year Party at the horse racing track. So obnoxiously bougie, I know. I love it. I can’t help myself!
Now we know why I need to get out of the guilded cage once in awhile to run around with all the riff-raff down by the docks. That alleyway scene from House of Guinness sure hits different now, lol! It may not have worked out with my Irish Guy in the long run, but I’ll always remember the night he made me howl like a wild, wild cat at the moon.
If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.
God help me if I ever see that man again. I will not be able to hold it together…
Anyway, enough Lifestyles of the Bang Lads and Degenerates. We must return to Hong Kong and be serious, stylish, and successful. Money in the bank. That’s all that matters right now. Money in the bank. Assuming I acquire said money, I can finally buy my own bar in 20 years and retire comfortably to watch my favourite reality TV show in peace. For now… money. It’s all about the money.
I keep telling myself this is just a strategy game. I’ve got the Wild Card. The rarest tile. The letter worth the most points. Boardwalk and Park Place on the Monopoly board. I just don’t know how to play my hand. At least, I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m just waiting for the right opportunity to come along so I can play it and take all the winnings home.
Gong Hei Fat Choi, indeed.
I hope I get rich…