Adapting Well in the UK, Thank You Very Much

The change of lifestyle is a welcome one for many HKers

Some pro-Beijing media are trying to find the narrative that Hongkongers who migrated to the UK have had a tough time surviving, with a recent survey that revealed 52 percent of the 2,000 BN(O) holders interviewed were unemployed and 47 percent worked in jobs that barely matched their work experience and skills.

But when other Hongkongers there were interviewed, many of them said that while they might be making less money, they are happier with their work-life balance, and their children are enjoying school.

Many were making less money that was exacerbated by inflation. One man named Jeffrey Lau said he and his family had a better lifestyle in Hong Kong as their double income allowed them to go out to eat more, but living in a small northern English town called Dewsbury meant his seven-year-old daughter had a less stressful education and didn't need to commute three hours to and from school.

He said less academic stress meant his daughter learned more in a year in the UK than in Hong Kong. Can you even put a price on that?

Another, 59-year-old Walter Cheung used to work in a high-end hotel in Hong Kong and in the UK was a food packer and then a restaurant waiter.

"I don't care [that it is a step backwards]. In Hong Kong, I would regularly work overtime, with no extra pay," he said. "Here, I'm asked if I want overtime, and I'm paid for it."

Cheung has even improved his health by losing 7kg. 

He was surprised by the survey as Cheung found there were lots of jobs available and the government assisted people to find work.

Meanwhile Paul Leung, a freelance delivery driver who used to have an office job, is adapting to his new life well. He is even making more money than he did in Hong Kong and spend more time with his wife and child.

"I need to look after my family, I need to accept this. It is not like I can starve to death," Leung said. "You have to adapt to people's culture when you go to another country. You also need to accept new things when you leave your own comfort zone."

Well said.

How about celebrating people's achievements instead of trying to find failures? That's the true Lion Rock spirit.