A Year in HK

One year ago today, El Hombre and I arrived in HK, homeless and jobless. Since then, we both found jobs, found a flat, made some great friends, found our favorite neighborhood restaurants, and basically built a life. A year in HK goes by pretty fast.

After my first year here, I think it's an amazing (albeit often annoying) city to be in, and I feel fortunate to be a teeny part of the eclectic fabric that constitutes HK. In my humble opinion, this is pretty much the most exciting city to live and work in in the world right now, period. HK is the gateway to China, the platform for the rest of greater Asia, the world's hottest financial center, a hub for international travel, a gastronomic mecca, the most international city I've ever been to or lived in - and all of its greatness is packaged into one tiny island.

Living here can often be grating, but that's the price you pay for the privilege of living in the world's freest economy, which attracts opportunity-seekers of every kind.

Here's the thing about HK: I can name a hundred reasons why this place sucks, but at the end of the day, I truly enjoy living here. In contrast, I could name a hundred reasons why Tokyo is amazing, but at the end of the day, I couldn't stand living there a moment longer.

I never would have guessed that life would land me in HK some day, but despite all of its many flaws, I love this overcrowded, polluted, chaotic city. Happy anniversary Hong Kong!