Monday, April 10, 2006

From Tokyo to Hong Kong

Let’s see, in my last blog entry I was telling you the secrets to perfect macorons. Two months passed by without a sound from me, and now I’m writing in a tiny little serviced apartment in Hong Kong’s SoHo district, sans dog, with a pot of hot soup simmering on the stove, waiting for Jason’s return from work.

Yes, life can be funny sometimes. Just when I thought I had everything planned out (I was going to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu and open up a cooking studio/language school at home, teaching French pastry in English or Japanese, depending on the students’ wishes) Jason decided to take a job in Hong Kong. Within a month we sold most of our furniture and the car, packed up everything, and voila! We are in Hong Kong!

I don’t quite yet know how I feel about the move, but let’s just say I am experiencing a sense of true sadness leaving Tokyo, something that never happened the last two times I moved (from US to Singapore, and from Singapore to Tokyo). I don’t think I fully admitted to myself that we were leaving Tokyo for good the whole time I was selling off furniture and household appliances. It didn’t hit me until the captain of our flight announced the final descent into Hong Kong airport. At that moment it was like a sledgehammer hit me in the chest and the wind was knocked out of me. That’s the moment that I realized that Tokyo is no longer my city. It made me want to cry.

.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

You make it sounds so sad, and I would love the move to be simply exciting fo r you.

BTW: Time to update your location on your blog. :-) You are no longer in Tokyo.

dropshot said...

Geez then did you manage to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu? Do you plan to take up some Chinese cooking classes in HK, like dimsum making? Enjoy yourself in HK, though I think you'd prefer to be in Japan... Just make the best out of this stay!

Unknown said...

Jason, I know, I know. but can't I just hang on to the illusion that I still live in Tokyo a little longer? ;oP

JY, I have to go back to Tokyo for three months at a later time to finish LCB. You read my mind about the dim sum course. I really want to learn how to do that, for when I move away from HK, because while here, there's no need to make dim sum myself =o)

Anonymous said...

It's always sad to leave behind a place that you enjoy so much. But there will be new adventures to look forward to ... :-)

chocokat0718 said...

Aww, I can relate a bit to what you may be/have been going through. I think that this will definitely be another adventure for you and I look forward to the wonderful photos that you'll share! :D

Unknown said...

yes, Lisa, I keep on reminding myself that when I first arrived in Tokyo I really didn't like it that much. Hopefully the HK experience turns out the same way.

Kat, yeah, it must've been hard for you too when you moved to Germany, but it looks like you're really enjoying it.

Yohana Wu said...

I am going to experience what you experience right now. I am going to leave Vancouver to Indonesia very soon. I hope I can be as strong you are you!

brownbreadicecream said...

Oh, Lynn! I'm sorry leaving Tokyo was so hard on you. Well, you were here a long time, so it's no surprise that you adopted it as home--even if it was a somewhat unconscious decision.

Akito and I might be leaving Japan this year (I know, when have we heard this before?), but we won't know until August. I think I'd be sad to leave too, but I guess, for me, I know I'll be back eventually.

We miss you here in Japan and hope to see you soon!

Anonymous said...

Lynn,I have been in Tokyo for the last 7 years. This was the first city outside my country and I am all set here..its like my second home and now my hubby tells me that he wants to move to HK. I just googled 'leaving Tokyo for good' to find out all I have to do when I leave and here I am in your blog!!! You wouldn't beleive I feel the same way you do and probably in a couple of months I will be sitting in a serviced apartment and writing blogs as you do!!!