Living it in Hong Kong

FROM ISSUE # 159 (March 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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IMAGES: DAMBAR KRISHNA SHRESTHA

Hong Kong is a busy city. One of the leading financial hubs in the world, the city has a high population density of eight million. Nepalis make up a large proportion–at least 35,000 Nepalis live here permanently. One of the main pull-factors for the ex-Gorkha soldiers and their children who have migrated here is that work is abundant and pay is high. While their parents either work in blue collar jobs or run successful businesses, Nepali youth in Hong Kong are leaving their mark on the economy. But they are taking back much more than just money.

Typical are 21-year-old Om Gurung and 17-year-old Sujan Rai. If they had been in Nepal, they would be doing little more than going to school. But here, Om and Sujan work and earn on their own.

Friends Om Gurung (left) and Sujan Rai hang out at a park in the city.

Om came to Hong Kong to live with his family after he finished his SLC in Pokhara. It's been four years now and Om already has a job at a restaurant and makes the equivalent of Rs 80,000 per month. He says, "As soon as I came here, I started working as a kitchen help. Earning on my own felt really good."

Sujan, who came six years ago, spends most of his time on his studies or on the computer. Like most other young Nepalis, he and his friends hang out, go clubbing, perform at cultural events and play taekwando, football or cards. He explains, "I make do with the money I earn in the 3-4 months during vacations."

Because he earns on his own, Om is independent. He buys branded clothes, spends a lot on hanging out with friends, helps the family pay the rent and still has money left over to save.

Rekina Subba came to Hong Kong with her parents when she was five. Currently, she is enrolled in IBE College. For the last five months, Rekina has taken up a part time job after college hours. She feels empowered by her own job. With her first month's salary, Rekina bought her mother a gold necklace. She says: "Once you start earning on your own, you get to understand the value of money." Rekina is involved a number of other things including drama. She performed alongside Deepak Rayamajhi in 'Lali Gurans Sajh' a program organised in Hong Kong last January.

Usha Rana Magar (middle) and Pratima Rai (right) hang out after college with a friend.

But Rekina's mother is a bit worried about her daughter: "Sometimes it's difficult to try to make her understand and stay within our culture. But I'm glad that she is more mature and independent, here."

Rekina Subba (top left) gets ready to perform at a cultural show organised by the Nepali community in Hong Kong.

Like most parents here, Pratima's mother was reluctant to bring Pratima to Hong Kong when she was younger as she was afraid she would get spoilt because of the freedom. But according to Lakshmi Rai, who worked at the 'We Drugs Project' for two years, Nepali kids who do the best in their studies are those that have been here all their lives. "Those that come later find it hard to integrate into the style of education and freedom here," she says. As a result of this new social freedom and the pressures of integration that it brings along, a large number of Nepali youth are getting into drugs. According to studies, Nepali youth have the highest rate of drug-dependancy among migrants here. Lakshmi informs that most of these young drug-dependants are among the non-working youth.

Fifteen-year-old Usha Rana Magar is in the same grade as Pratima. She came here three and a half years ago. Usha says that although she misses Nepal and her friends back home, living in Hong Kong is a better choice because there are fewer jobs in Nepal, and less security. Says Usha: "I'll always miss Nepal, but this is home now. "