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During July of 1994, when I had I first arrived as an expat Hong Kong, I realised how naïve I actually was in terms of the World. This was highlighted in my first week as I was looking for work and failing miserably.
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British Expat Hong Kong - BSN Books During July of 1994, when I had I first arrived as an expat Hong Kong, I realised how naïve I actually was in terms of the World. This was highlighted in my first week as I was looking for work and failing miserably. I was sitting down by the Central Star Ferry pier thinking through options such as leaving the Colony and continuing to Australia, heading back home to no job or staying. When I first arrived in Hong Kong I thought I was going to walk off the plane and into my first expat job in Hong Kong. That was my first mistake. The second one was going to have a more financial implication. As I was sitting on a bench overlooking Victoria Harbour this Indian guy came along and started by saying “You have a lucky face”. Thinking nothing of it I simply answered “Thank you”. That was the first mistake of many. He sat down next to me and told me that he would be willing to tell me my future. Stupidly I agreed. That was mistake number two. He then told me that I had a successful future in whatever I wanted to do and that I just needed to believe in myself and that everything would be perfect. He also added that I would meet the girl of my dreams soon and that we would be happy and have many children. Obviously, he had seen that I did not have a wedding ring. So I kept listening as this guy carried on with all the great news and positive life that I was expected to have and guess looked extremely interested in what he was saying. Then the kicker came. He opened a little book with an acorn and said that I needed to offer a donation and in return I should take the acorn and keep it close to ensure that all the wishes came true. So being the naïve expat that I was at the time I handed over a few Hong Kong Dollars and expected him to move on. That didn’t happen. He requested more money, so I passed over a few more dollars. But that still didn’t satisfy him as he asked for more. I put another ten Hong Kong Dollar bill in his book and started to walk away. He simply followed me as I tried to make my escape. I walked off towards Jardine Tower thinking that he would give up. He must have smelt blood and kept coming. He kept badgering me as telling me that the more money that I gave the more likely my dreams would come true. And so it went on as I kept giving him more money from my wallet. Eventually he stopped. That was because my wallet was empty. I never forgot the smile on his face as he walked away. This stayed with me until several years later when I bumped into one of his friends at Central Star Ferry, the result of which was very different. But that is something you need to see in my book Being Stripped Naked. For more stories like please see my book Being Stripped Naked as either hard copy or Kindle Version. And I am always happy to read the comments that you leave.
