It's a small world after all

I remember growing up, that Hong Kong is a faraway place.

Singaporeans had their skewed perception of Hongkies, as do Hongkies Singaporeans. Then I made friends with a lot of Hongkies in Uni, but Hong Kong was still far away. I did not understand or maybe "feel it" when HK TV shows/movies, and my friends talk about Shatin, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, etc. etc. And never did I imagine I would actually live in HK at some point in my life.


In Hong Kong, I realized that 3 of my childhood playmates, whom I have not seen for at least 17 years live there! This was surprising, coz 1 one them is Singaporean, the other 2 migrated to Canada a long time ago. My sister, whom I never expected to want to work in Asia, made the move to HK sometime before I was leaving. And when she arrived, I was introduced to even more ghosts of my past whom I did not know were in HK.

So then I move to the UAE. A distant and exotic land.

A serendipitous series of events lead to W and I being invited to a Christmas dinner at a friend's place in Abu Dhabi. And of course you engage in polite conversation over dinner with the other guests about your place of origin, how long you have been in UAE, rugby 7s,etc. etc.

So there was this guy whom W was trying to explain the location of Shenzhen to, and the guy said "I know Shenzhen, I worked in HK". "Ah, what did you do?" I asked. His answer filled me with a tinkling feeling, something like a soothsayer might feel before making a prediction. "Where did you work?" I asked, "not TL!!"

His eyes opened wide, and both of us covered our gapping mouths. "My god!"


"What's your name again?" Then came the reply in full, the 2 names lit up in my head like a matchstick. I have heard of this guy throughout my time in TL. He had left TL before I went in, but we know the same people.

He had gone to HK, gone to Canada, and now to UAE.


This was Christmas last year. And just an hour ago, I found out my postgraduate course mate in Oz is also here! I have not seen her in about 6 years!  She also went halfway round the world, and now live in UAE.

So it is a small world after all.