Just finished watching a great documentary by Channel News Asia titled 23 which overwhelmed me with emotions that I just had to find a way to express them.

The part that really hit home for me was when a young 23 year old in Hong Kong felt that the Hong Kong she knew has turned unfamiliar. I live in Singapore and I have never once really appreciated the fact that I’m home until that very moment. Some times it takes losing something to really realise the value of it.

So Close Yet So Far

I was born in Hong Kong on 1996, but left when I was around 3 years old. I’ve never been back since.

I was proud of that fact, that I was born in a great city and grew up in another. Had I been born a Hong Konger, I might have been the lucky remainder to be registered under the British National (Overseas) or BNO, granting me a possible route to citizenship in Britain.

But for those born after 1997, they don’t have other options. Hong Kong is their only home. It pains them to see that few older then them are willing to fight for their freedom.

It is sad to know people my age, who are probably most like me (ethnic chinese living in city that has high autonomy) had to choose between their relationship and their future.

What Have I Learnt

I learnt that the notion of home is very precious. It might be considered a physical space where I can wander freely and feel at ease. It might be a social space where people share my views and there we can come to agreements. It might be a mental space where I feel a sense of belongness and peace.

When home turns unfamiliar, I won’t feel comfortable. I will try to leave, but where else will I go. It’s like leaving Earth, but with no other place to go in the universe. It’s like leaving in limbo. It feels painful and terrible.

Feeling at home is very important. It gives me the confidence to venture knowing I could fall back on some certainty.