Why are Hong Kong’s expats still down in the dumps about living in the city?
A new survey suggests foreign nationals remain less fulfilled than their counterparts in Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia
Eco warrior Jo Wilson has lived in Hong Kong with her family for 21 years, but she feels so depressed about the city’s environmental situation that she is increasingly splitting her time between here and her home in Britain.
The founder of environmental group Living Lamma, which campaigns for greener practices on Lamma Island, said she was becoming more frustrated by the city’s waste problem.
A mother of two whose children Max, 11, and Kate, 8, join her on regular beach clean-ups, she is one of a growing number of expatriates who feel turned off by Hong Kong’s poor environmental state.
“When you have kids in Hong Kong, it’s hot and you can’t take them to the beach because it is covered in trash, then you have to wonder [about leaving],” she said. “I think it’s particularly hard when you have something to compare it with.
“We know now that marine plastic is a major global issue, but when you are able to take the kids to beautiful, clean beaches elsewhere and experience the joy of being in nature, it is really hard to tolerate beaches that are covered in landfill. The kids come to their very own obvious conclusions about Hong Kong and it’s sad to say it’s not a place they want to stay.”
It is really hard to tolerate beaches that are covered in landfill
