The Choice to Stay — Five Years of Re-rooting in Shifting Sands

Time, ever elusive, slips swiftly by; in what feels like the blink of an eye, five transformative years have come and gone. For many Hongkongers, this half-decade has marked an odyssey across oceans and emotional frontiers. The United Kingdom has become a place of new beginnings—a canvas for reinvention. While some have since moved on, countless others have embraced the decision to “stay,” painstakingly constructing fresh lives, brick by brick, upon these unfamiliar shores.

Staying: A Profound Reconstruction of Life

The act of staying transcends mere geography. It is an intimate, ongoing process of adaptation, self-redefinition, and the forging of new direction. This choice is woven through the minutiae of daily life: one witnesses people wielding tools, reshaping their homes amid clouds of dust, and seeking stability in the tactile act of renovation. Families settle into unknown neighbourhoods, striving to kindle warmth and belonging within unfamiliar postcodes. In the professional realm, many have relinquished past accolades to embark on new careers or entrepreneurial ventures, navigating the intricate terrain of a foreign work culture. Across every life stage, those who stay grapple with momentous decisions—marriage, parenthood, sustaining relationships, and, at times, the delicate conversation about whether a loved one will remain. These everyday fragments coalesce to reveal the true essence of what it means to stay.

Divergent Paths, Shared Resonance: The Neutrality of Choice

The title “Those Who Chose to Stay” is deliberately neutral, for choice itself bears no inherent right or wrong. Rather, it is a mirror reflecting an individual’s mindset and commitment at a particular juncture. This notion resonates not only with Hongkongers in the UK, but equally with those who have remained in Hong Kong.

Despite the deep fissures wrought by recent history, our shared cultural heritage endures. Both groups face disparate practical challenges—those in the UK busily navigating integration and survival, those in Hong Kong contending with adaptation and adjustment—but the internal anxieties, the uncertainty of the future, and the struggle to find one’s footing amidst relentless change are fundamentally alike.

Who among us has not endured the heartbreak of drifting from friends or family over political convictions, only to find ourselves longing for them in quiet moments or during festive gatherings? Blood ties and bonds of affection often outlast, and indeed outshine, the pain of ideological conflict.

Five Years On: Reflections on Sacrifice, Education, and “Worth”

Five years afford us the luxury of reflection: was the sacrifice justified, especially in pursuit of better educational opportunities for our children?

Many relinquished lucrative careers and the comforts of familiarity for the promise of open lawns and greater freedoms. Yet, education offers no panacea; the journey through a foreign school system is replete with its own trials, uncertainties, and moments of disquiet. Even now, we may ponder and occasionally question our choices. But life proffers neither “what ifs” nor “if onlys.” To dwell upon past decisions is to drain our present of vitality. Only by embracing the primacy of the present can we continue, with resolve, along the path we have chosen.

Breaking Stereotypes: From Outsider to Trailblazer

Half a decade in the UK has also granted us a more nuanced understanding of “identity.” We must candidly acknowledge that skin colour and cultural background can, at times, serve as silent barriers—manifesting as invisible, yet palpable, discrimination.

Yet, it was precisely our desire not to be circumscribed by race or background that led us here. While our appearance may mean striving doubly hard for recognition, it also embodies our resilience—the capacity to transcend boundaries and flourish in the liminal spaces between cultures. Recognition is not a favour bestowed; it is an accolade earned through the daily practice of wholehearted living.

A Sincere Dialogue Across Backgrounds

To draw together this tapestry of experiences, Hong Kong Professionals CIC warmly invites you to a sharing and exchange session. We have assembled five remarkable guests whose journeys are shaped by the influences of the UK, Hong Kong, and the US. Together, they will illuminate the stories, struggles, and hopes behind the “choice to stay”:

Wendy Moroney – CHKers CIC
Tommy Chan – Easehome
Linus Leung – Showalker
Henry Wong – Chairman of HKPCIC
Devyn Ranis – Boddhicitta

This gathering is much more than a seminar; it is a meeting of hearts and minds. Whether you are navigating the frustrations of home renovation, the uncertainties of a career shift, or the crossroads of family life, we hope that the heartfelt sharing of our guests will offer resonance and solidarity.

“Choosing to stay” demands courage, yet to move forward requires community. Let us draw strength from one another’s stories and continue, together, to write a vibrant new chapter for Hongkongers on these shores.