Things we don’t talk about

How much do you know about Hong Kong? The first paragraph of the Wikipedia article on Hong Kong shares the following:

• It used to be a British colony and is now a special administrative region of China,

• Uses the Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) as its currency,

• Is a home to the second-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world and has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world,

• 90 per cent of the population use public transport.

Personally, I had only heard of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests and the political struggles between Hong Kong and Beijing. Fortunately, I can amend some gaps in my knowledge with help from our guest—’Jonathan’. He was born and bred in Hong Kong before moving to the Netherlands to study history at University of Amsterdam (UvA). After completing his bachelor’s degree, he temporarily returned to Hong Kong and worked at the Museum of Military History there. Then Jonathan continued his education in Art History at Leiden University. But enough dry biographical facts for now.

‘Was it a difficult decision to move so far away from your homeland?’

‘I never planned to move away but I wanted to experience life outside of Hong Kong. I saw many people emigrate. My family members live in Canada, Belgium, Great Britain. So, when the time came, I was mentally prepared for that step. It was just a fun adventure at first. But then I met my partner when studying in Amsterdam and left good old Hong Kong for good.’

‘What are the things you miss the most?’

‘Dutch food isn’t charming. The first few years I tried it as a tourist: mashed potato, croquettes, herring fish. It tasted British. It seems that British and Dutch food cultures are similar. They both treat food from a practical perspective: something that can be cooked fast and in large quantities. But The Hague has good Cantonese dim sum restaurants. No need to complain. Or is there? It’s a bit pricey. Food in Hong Kong is flavorful and cheap.

‘Reliable public transport—that’s something I miss as well. I’m taking a train every day and almost always there are delays or cancellations. How do you want people to use public transport, if they cannot trust the schedule? (Laughs.) I’m cursing the NS like the Dutch do.’

‘If you hadn’t met your partner, would you have come back here?’

‘No.’

‘What about work culture? Are there any differences between Amsterdam and Hong Kong?’

‘We value high performance at work. The week is about 45 hours. Not as relaxed as here. But in Hong Kong you are paid very well and the income taxes are lower (it has an absolute maximum of twenty-two per cent). All in all, it feels like a very good deal. I wish the Dutch government could learn from that example.’

‘About the governments. You lived in Hong Kong during the biggest protests in its history. On which side were you?’

‘I’m Asian. I don’t talk about politics. (Laughs.) Yes, it’s a thing. We avoid sensitive topics. It’s better to say nothing. (Looks at the recording device.) I love China!’

‘How about policies that have a direct effect on our lives? I mean gay rights.’

‘It depends on the neighbourhood. Two men or two women holding hands in public isn’t a shocking scene in Hong Kong. But I wouldn’t recommend being openly gay in some areas. The same is here. What seems safe to do in the centre of Amsterdam might be provocative behaviour in Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena.’

‘Was it easy for you to find new friends here?’

‘I like my old friends. Most of them ended up in London. I visit them, they visit me. But how do you meet people? (Pauses.) I found good friends while studying. They happen to be German and Italian because they were looking for a roommate at the time. I noticed that the Dutch kids didn’t want to play with the foreigners. They wanted to speak Dutch. I thought it was weird. I’m learning Dutch now to properly integrate and find a job at a museum. But I also realise that I’ll never become Dutch, that my position will stay different, at the edge of the Dutch community.’

‘What’s your dream?’

‘I want to define the aesthetic value—what is beautiful and what is not. I’d like to share my aesthetic value with people visiting a museum or a gallery. Maybe one day I can be an influencer. It would be nice to be influential.’

‘What are the cultural products that formed your personality?’

‘1. Hong Kong. I’m a typical Hongkonger, a product of its rich culture.

2. Food. Cantonese food in particular. Dim sum is more than the deliciousness of the dishes. It is a ritual that helps your family and friends to connect, to enjoy life together.

3. Museums. I like studying European history. It fascinates me. Beautiful fragments of different eras brought together in a museum collection leaves you wanting to know more. Who were those people in the paintings, why they dressed in that peculiar manner, what they thought of their future. It’s like assembling a jigsaw puzzle with limitless pieces.

4. Downton Abbey, the tv-show. Watching the Crawleys is like watching history unravel in front of your eyes. The way they struggle financially and lose influence reminds me of the history of Hong Kong. It was a big financial pillar for China but isn’t anymore. Today, Hong Kong is a rich Chinese city, no more than that.’

‘Wonderful. Thank you for the interview.’

⚙︎

For those who are new here. At Foreign Tales, we take interviews with real people and fictional characters. How is it possible? The same way you feel sadness reading about Otello killing his beautiful young wife Desdemona. Those characters are fictional but the emotion is real. It’s fascinating to observe how fictional might feel real and how true life events might feel fictional. What do you think you have read today? Please, vote below. An update with a right answer will follow in two weeks time.

Do you think Jonathan is real?

• Jonathan is a real person.
• Jonathan is a fictional character.

An update:

Jonathan in a real person.