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Home ยป Living In Hong Kong ยป Living Here ยป Occupy Central from an Expat’s Perspective

Occupy Central from an Expat’s Perspective

21 January, 2017 by Brooke Chenoweth 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/occupy-central-from-an-expats-perspective/

Iโ€™ve always had a tricky relationship with Hong Kong. Being an expat has meant that itโ€™s taken me a long time to feel at home here. But Iโ€™m rapidly approaching the seven-year mark, which means that Iโ€™m now eligible for permanent residency in Hong Kong. No more visa renewal, no more sitting on the sidelines as a transient visitor. Iโ€™ll never be granted citizenship, but as a permanent resident I can now vote. Given that Iโ€™ve lost the right to vote in my native country, this is a pretty big deal to me.

After the events of last week, itโ€™s suddenly huge โ€“ Occupy Central has been a game-changer. For months thereโ€™s been speculation on Occupy Central and many, our government included, have tried to garner support by talking up the negative impact that this movement will have on stock markets, and housing prices and tourism. Hong Kong is nothing, if not resilient, and it has survived much worse. But one thing is for certain, however these protests end, the ramifications will change the course of the cityโ€™s future.

Against all odds, and despite facing rubber bullets, tear gas and angry, violent mobs, the students and protestors have remained resolutely calm and peaceful, and Iโ€™m filled with immense pride as I watch it all unfold. Medical school students are positioned to assist those who are injured, there is a team responsible for clearing away garbage left by protesters โ€“ theyโ€™re even sorting recyclables. The overwhelming number of images of whatโ€™s been labelled โ€œthe most polite protest in the worldโ€ shows the sort of civil disobedience you would expect from a nation as law abiding as Hong Kong. No stores have been looted, no cars overturned, and until the anti-Occupy mob turned on protestors on Friday, no one had rioted.

The protestors have shown nothing but respect and compassion for their city and fellow citizens, which I never expected to see. In a city of seven million people, itโ€™s very easy to adopt an โ€œevery man for himselfโ€ mentality. But this movement, this coming together of so many locals, from so many walks of life, shows that this just isnโ€™t the case here at all. Thereโ€™s a belief in Hong Kong as an independent nation, capable of deciding on its own future, and with such pride in its own unique culture that its citizens have risked unknown ramifications to fight for it.

The Occupy Central movement has reminded the world just how impassioned people can be when it comes to democracy, and how dangerous it can be when you stand up to those who oppose it. The unprovoked and unexpected clashes this weekend at protest sites around the city were a sign that people have begun to grow tired of the inconvenience and disruption to their daily lives, and that many disagree with what the protestors are trying to achieve. With tensions running so high, there is always the risk that Occupy Central will end in bloodshed, but thereโ€™s an even greater risk that it will all come to nothing in the end. The people of Hong Kong are standing their ground for now, but I have to wonder whether or not they will politely pack up and go home when more serious interventions are brought in to remove them.

Joyce Man wrote a piece in the SCMP about leaving Hong Kong earlier this month where she talked about leaving, and the ability to do so, as an โ€œinsurance policy.โ€ As expats we always have that insurance policy โ€“ weโ€™re free to leave whenever we wish. But her sentiment, that she might one day choose to leave because she canโ€™t bear to see the city that she loves โ€œslip awayโ€, really resonated with me. If China tightens its grip on Hong Kong, which now seems almost inevitable, Hong Kong, as we know it will slip away.

Iโ€™ve come to love this city too, and for my children, who were both born here, it is the only home theyโ€™ve ever known. But itโ€™s a very different city to the one we moved to seven years ago, and the difficulties of life here that Joyce Man mentions are the same aspects that have come to frustrate us over time, but I honestly had not given much thought to local politics until recently. I preferred not to get involved, believing it didnโ€™t really affect me โ€“ my expat status affording me the right to live in quiet ignorance of the unrest and disharmony slowly building momentum. And then I realised that if we are to have a future here, to really prove that this is our home now, we need to stand up and own that disharmony.

Iโ€™ve been heartened by the number of expats supporting this movement, including those we know who once lived here but have moved away. At the end of the day, it isnโ€™t our fight, but if we care at all for our neighbours, our colleagues and friends, we have a responsibility to support those fighting for change and to make sure their voices are heard. We support the students and protestors, not because weโ€™re pro-democracy, but because weโ€™re pro-Hong Kong, and the outcome of this movement affects us, and our way of life too, now. When I vote for the first time in 2017, I want to know Iโ€™m voting for a representative chosen by the people of Hong Kong.

We may not have been born here, and many of us wonโ€™t die here, but I know we will always have a connection to Hong Kong, whether we live here or not. And I will make sure that my boys know that they came from a place where tens of thousands of people took to the streets in 2014 to stand up for their right to decide the future of their country. I truly hope that these will be stories I can tell them with pride one day, and not with sadness.

Categories: Living Here Living In Hong Kong News Where To Live Tags: Hong Kong Permanent Residency Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution

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Thanks Julianna for this delicious 
Easy Blueberry Oreo Cheesecake to start the weekend!
Serves 4, or 2 if you're hungry๐Ÿ˜‰

Preparation time: 15 mins Ingredients:
โ€ข 6 digestive biscuits
โ€ข 50g butter 
โ€ข 250g cream cheese (1 brick) 
โ€ข 6 Oreo biscuits
โ€ข 125g blueberries (1 box)
โ€ข 100g milk or whipped cream 
โ€ข 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
For crust:
1. Crush digestive biscuits in a big bowl and add melted butter.
2. Press together at the base of the cake mould.
3. Set aside to cool.

For filling: 
1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk or whipped cream on medium speed in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. 
2. Add crushed Oreos and beat until they mix evenly. 
3. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
4. Freeze for two hours and top with blueberries!๐Ÿซ
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Generally speaking, a crisp white linen table-runner will do. But if youโ€™re looking to up the ante this year, go for one with subtle prints on it. 
 
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A package for two, including an aroma steam shower, deep sleep tourmaline crystal massage, sparkling champagne facial and a glass of champagne ๐Ÿฅ‚

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Recipe: Flourless Pecan Cranberry Brownie

Ingredients

Brownie base:

2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Chocolate Protein
1.5 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of hazelnut butter or almond *
1/2 cup of raw dark cacao powder
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of dehydrated cranberries
2 teaspoons of Manuka honey ** Optional
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1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons of Erythritol
Dark chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
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1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
3 tablespoons of raw dark cacao powder
1 teaspoon of Erythritol
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Brownie base:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease a square baking tray with coconut oil and line tray with parchment paper.
In a large blender, mix all the brownie ingredients together until smooth.
Pour the brownie mix into the pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
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Chocolate drizzle:

You will need two separate mixing bowls for the white and dark chocolate drizzle.
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TGIF ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒฟ

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Good morning! Weโ€™ve got another delicious recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness ๐Ÿ’•

Recipe: Persimmon Vanilla Chia Porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients

PERSIMMON-VANILLA-CHAI-PORRIDGE.jpg
Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

1/2 cup of chia Seeds
1.5 cup of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Vanilla 
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
2 Medjool dates
2 slices of fresh persimmon
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

1 whole persimmon chopped
1/2 cup of coconut yoghurt
2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
1 teaspoon of almond butter
Instructions

Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together apart from the chia seeds.
Once the mix is well blended, add the chia seeds and mix well. Place in a glass jar and leave overnight in the fridge.
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Place in a glass jar, leave overnight in the fridge.
The next morning you can enjoy your porridge by layering your chia porridge with the persimmon porridge.
Optional: Add in between crunchy texture by sprinkling some raw buckwheat groats already activated or quinoa puffs
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