A few weeks back I went for a job interview at one of Hong Kong’s well-established publishing houses. Arriving at 11 am I found the office locked and still dark from the night before. A few minutes later the CEO of the company rolled in wearing board shorts, a polo shirt and Haviana sandals. He apologized for his being late and explained that he got caught up with a group of tourists till early morning.
My thirty-minute debate, earlier that morning, as to whether I should have worn a tie was suddenly inconsequential.
Our interview began; he turned the blinds, complained of a ‘giant hangover’ and asked if I minded that he smoked.
This guy, who I will refer to as SHK to preserve his identity, is a New Zealand transplant and has been in HK for close to thirty years. SHK studied at various levels in various locations before landing in a major investment bank, based in Hong Kong. At our first meeting, he explained that after three years of working in finance he was ‘bored to tears’ and ‘could not stomach another day of discussing market trends and other dreg (garbage) with colleagues’. SHK decided to try his hand at publishing, where he was initially disappointed to find that the field was not merely a dream world of photographing beautiful women on exotic beaches. Nonetheless it was a good fit, and his success as a result of this decision is obvious.
SHK admittedly gets involved in too many ‘extra-curriculars’ on most weekends… and many weeknights. He speaks fluent Cantonese; a trait few expatriates can boast. His business manager is a savvy, well-dressed local, who is a businessman during the day and performs a cross-dressed song and dance at night. SHK has a wealth of stories about Hong Kong’s golden age (when drugs were everywhere and HK went crazy for five years) and others about how he was able to mediate disagreements between two of Hong Kong’s most dangerous triads (gangs).
He has a reserved seat at a local dive.
SHK is just the type that can become a man about town in Hong Kong. He is considered a local by the locals. He is sharp, charismatic and honest. This city rewards those who are hungry, brave and uniquely intelligent.
Of course, I know a grand total of 25 people here after two months of residency so I can't say for sure that he is the most interesting guy in HK, but he is the most interesting dude I know. I wish I could have put a photo in this post (and I have a great one) but couldn't risk my new job- send me a note if you want a visual to this post, or maybe it is just better to create your own image.
Peace and Feng Shui:
Far East Coast Gross
