JoCharvel is on the move again

7 years ago today, an overnight bus from Union Station to New York and a transatlantic flight to Riga marked the beginning of Jocharvel's journey across Central and Eastern Europe, Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia, China and eventually to our present home in Hong Kong.

Living in Hong Kong has been a highlight in JoCharvel's quest for the fullest life - work had been experiential and rewarding, trips to southeast Asia had been plentiful and sensational, and the local Hong Kong life, taking the good with the bad, had been one of a kind like nowhere else.

We may even have packed a little too much in our life with Sofia and Aidan joining the JoCharvel family in 2016 and early 2019.

With the new arrivals to the family, we began to outgrow our little apartment here, and it is time to move. After some deliberation, it is obvious that we needed more than a bigger apartment at this stage.

So 7 years later today, we are getting ready to roll again. We will return across the pond again, to where we started and explore our life as a family of 4 in Toronto.

We look forward to our family and friends back home and a more family friendly life style.

The Movie - “Ten Years“ / 十年

“Ten Years“ （Traditional Chinese Name: 十年 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years_(film) ), a Hong Kong movie released in 2015 directed by Jevons Au, Kwun-wai Chow, Ng Ka-Leung, Kwok Zune, and Wong Fei-Pang. 

I have always thought Hong Kong people are never really that concerned about politic.  As long as there’s money to earn and a good living to be made, not a lot people care about it.  The past 4 years I lived in Hong Kong, the “Umbrella Revolution” (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29407067) and Hong Kong Bookseller Lee Bo (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35693759) happened making me and a lot of Hong Kong people become increasing concerned about the political situation in Hong Kong.

“Ten Years” did say some of what a lot of Hong Kong people feel about the political situation in Hong Kong and our despairs.  From a lot of angles, this movie, at least to me, is not amazing enough to title the Best Movie.  With such highly sensitive political content, I was expecting that the movie would not be able to air in China.  It is not surprising that China's state-run Global Times newspaper commented that the film as "totally absurd" and a "virus of the mind."

But what I did not expect is that it would be pulled from cinema in Hong Kong and it is only available in private cinemas.  I have never thought the censorship in China may one day happen in Hong Kong.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Movie Academy, Derek Yee Tung Sing, said at the Award he cannot find Presenter of the Best Movie so he has to do it himself because of what recently happened and Andrew Choi, Producer of “Ten Years”, in his thank-you speech thanks for the Academy to have the guts to give us this award.  What hammered it home is my husband’s comment “I wonder whether the movies produced or directed by Derek Sing will be banned in the future..”.

These adds up that the government has been pressuring the Academy and the Film industry – the freedom of speech.  I have been prepared that it would happen eventually I guess but have never thought it happen so soon.  Fuck the promise “50 years unchanged” stated in the Basic Law. What Hong Kong people fear the most is happening.  Something is inevitable.  I guess we know it but is it the right thing to accept it? 

It is interesting to live in such time in Hong Kong.  What the government do, how the Hong Kong people react and the situation in Hong Kong made me reflect and learn.  From my travel, I have envy people in countries that nurture their political point of view, having the intelligent and mind to speaks and have a view point of politic.  They seem so passionate about their view point and about their country while I feel nothing being born in a colonial city though raised in Canada later part of my life. 

Now I learn that not having a view point about politic perhaps because I was lucky that politic was not an issue as I was living a peaceful and abundant life where I was provided everything I needed in a safe society and being treated fairly with human right I deserved.

From Instagram nigelyau hashtags #十年 #publicspace #Cityisourplayground

Hostel At HK

Hostel is not a pure cheap accomodation option for travellers. Often travellers pick this option for their atmosphere to meet other travellers, to meet friends, or to share their travelling stories. We have met many friends at hostels that hotels or B&B cannot offer.  There are certain quality to be qualified as a hostel such as a place to hang for travellers to interact, travel information, kitchen facilities. 

I have a few friends who passed by HK to visit have asked me for hostel recommendation here.  There are lots that claim to be hostels but they are just cheap hotels with bed in a room.  That is not hostels!  There are a handful that are sort of like hostels with common area but lacking some nice to have ammenities.  But why?

We have a friend who attempted to open a hostel in HK but gave up mainly because of the ridiculous rent and it was difficult to get landlords to sign lease longer than 2 years, which makes it hard to recover the rennovation cost he needs to put in.

On top of all these, the HK government do not give any slack to hostels in terms of requirement over "safety".  Hostels owners needs to put in a significant investment to match these standards that are shared with hotels. 

All these make it awfully difficult for potentially hostels owners with limited fund to start one up on top of the fact that you cannot make huge profit from running a hostel (may be in some countries you can).

It is shameful that HK does not nuture this alternate type of accomodation to travellers.  Aside from shopping, HK has so much to offer that are not promoted.  One of the things I love about staying at hostels is the opportunity to interact with the staffs who are locals and go to places recommend by locals that are not in any travel books.  Travellers can get a deeper exposure to the local culture through hostels.   HK is such an interesting place with a mix of Western and Eastern culture that it is shameful that we do not support the passionated locals to run hostels and give travellers an option to be closer to our local culture and people.

2013 - A fascinating year.

(Her: Joanna)

2013 was a fascinating year for me.  We relocated, found a home in HK, been a house wife, found a job, got married, changed jobs, reconnected with families and started a new life in Asia.  There were a lot of exciting changes but adjusting to them didn't came as easy for me as Charlie.  I struggled and hung onto my life in Canada.  I have doubt whether the move help my career.  Along the way, Charlie helped put myself back on course time after time.  I realize, then, we are in this together and in this life together with many years to come.  

Have I consider move back to Canada? Yes.  Did I regret coming? No.  

I'm struggling to embrace my life while I am here.  It has always been a challenge for me when I move.  In 2014, I will look to unique things in HK to discover and enjoy and less on how different HK is to what I am used to in Canada.     

JoCharvel – 1 Year in Hong Kong!!

(Him: Charlie)

Looking out the window from our Shatin apartment – City One is unsparingly radiating its suburb sleepiness and laziness on this late fall Saturday. With mild sunshine and cool northeasterly breeze soothing the otherwise distressed crowd, the busy intersection below seems particular calm and, believe it or not, tranquil today. It is the best season in Hong Kong after all (fall). And it is the beautiful weather that reminds me that Jo and I have been here for 1 year! I still remember the first weather-related news when we first landed in Hong Kong, that a cold weather warning was forecasting a temperature drop to 19 deg C. Interestingly, a year later, we are bracing for another significant drop to 16 deg C in a few days.

Time flies, but looking back the last 12 months, there’s much worth reminiscing! Out of everything, the biggest milestone is definitely our memorable Koh Samui wedding. In my opinion, it couldn’t have been better. I like its simplicity, its fun, and most importantly, with many great friends, family and relatives. Having another person entering my day-to-day life is a change to both of us and it comes with challenges, but the companionship and the ability to share life is exactly what marriage is about, so I am quite enjoying our journey together, especially an adventurous one. Over the last year, we made new friends, grew in our career, explored new places both locally and internationally, and personally, I completed one o the greatest physically challenges of my life – completing the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker! We look forward to another amazing year ahead!

Foreigner Job search in Hong Kong

It is always a mix of excitement and anxiety job searching.  I particularly hate the wait, guessing, and rejection.  Overall, emotionally, it is a crappy experience.  Though I already have relatives and some friends in HK to give me some connections but not having a well set people network in my field is terrible news when it comes down to job searching. 

It is awfully challenging when you don’t know the “standard” application process, how to apply, what are key things people look for, how HR in HK operate, and what a standard resume looks like? I feel worst equipped than when I graduated from University looking for my first job.

Being in marketing, not having local marketing experience is a downer.  I thought my management training background and work experience in Canada would make me a decent candidate.  I did not expect that with my background, my job pool would be that limiting.   

HR in HK doesn’t seems to put much weight on management training and they rely on agent to find candidates more so than in Canada.  Unfortunately, agents only refer you to industries that match your background despite the fact that a lot of skills are transferrable.  Breaking in is challenging.

Networking event in Marketing doesn’t seem to be popular neither.  So where do you start networking when you don’t have a job?

Why can companies in HK does customer service North American can’t?

My first credit card in HK has just been approved.   Through out my application process, the same person contacts me by phone and email to ensure I have all the documentation needed for them to review.  Then, I got SMS updating me on status of my application and congratulate me when they approved my credit card. 

What is drastic difference on customer experience compare to those I got in Canada?  This would never happen in Canada.  Why?  Does people in HK spend more to make this operation cost justified?  No, US has a much larger population than HK.  Is it that the labour cost in HK is cheaper?  No, the salary cost may be lower in Hong Kong but it should be in the same proportion to income/spend as it is to the US. 

Charlie and I came to the conclusion that it is the intensity of competition in Hong Kong that makes it possible.  The additional customer service that will get them that one extra customer is enough edge for them to make this worthwhile.  Crazy isn’t it?