I realized that I actually belonged in Hong Kong where the real facts and challenges were waiting for me to face. I decided to stay.

My Relationship With Hong Kong

I am Amina but my family usually calls me Sisi. Having a Chinese parent and being born locally, I have a strong connection with Hong Kong.
When I was a few years old, my parents started to have arguments with each other, often caused by family issues and their different cultural backgrounds. All of this were affecting me both mentally and physically. To provide me a better environment to grow up in, my dearest grandparents took me to their small world away from Hong Kong in 2003, the year when I left my birthplace. My grandparents raised me in a very happy and peaceful environment surrounded by love. Throughout those years, never did I feel the absence of my parents who were still staying in Hong Kong.
After almost a decade, my parents started to demand my return. I had not seen my mother and father for such a long period of time and there came the point when I started to have feelings of curiosity and wanted to know more about them. I was really desperate to know how it felt to stay with the people who gave birth to me. So, as soon as my parents wanted me back in Hong Kong, one part of me wanted to agree without blinking an eye. However, the other part of me couldn’t bear leaving my beloved grandparents who had taken my hands when I was in my darkest hour. Leaving them would make me feel guilty. To make things easier for me, they said that I should listen to my heart and make decisions with full confidence. I told them how confused I was and my grandma said she wanted me to experience and enjoy every moment in my life. She wanted me to see what my parents’ world was like and then decide whether I wanted to stay with them or not, and if I did decide to stay with my parents then they would come to visit me anytime I wanted them to.
I made up my mind to join my parents in Hong Kong. By the time when I finally had to leave, I saw my grandpa weeping for the first time in my life and that made me felt really bad. I hugged my grandparents and told them not to worry about me, although at that time I seriously felt like I was leaving my soul behind. I wanted them to know that there were no words to describe my love for them and they were the most important people in my life but, for some unknown reason, I could not. The words would not come.
I returned to Hong Kong in 2013. As soon I arrived, I realized that I actually belonged in Hong Kong where the real facts and challenges were waiting for me to face. I decided to stay.
As I am building my future in Hong Kong, I have to pay a lot more attention to language and learn the culture again! As Hong Kong is my home and I am a citizen here, it is my responsibility to strive and do my best to create a brighter future for Hong Kong!