Last weekend, my young cousin Kelly came to my house and asked me to be his guarantor so that he can apply for a Canadian passport. After chatting for a few minutes, I learned that he’s planning to go to Hong Kong, in the hope of finding a job in either Hong Kong or mainland China. He has a bachelor degree in Finance, and a bunch of finance related certificates, plus two courses short of attaining his Chartered Financial Analysis professional designation. He has a good job with a large chartered bank here in Canada, but with his adventurous mind, he’s looking forward to adding some real life experiences to his youthful years. He’s hoping to land a job in the Far East for several years, just to experience the culture and do some serious sightseeing. He’s trying to broaden his cultural horizon, in his own words. This young kid came to Canada when he was two, so besides his oriental look, he’s as Canadian as a native born can be. In his mid-twenty’s, he speaks impeccable Canadian English but no Chinese at all. He doesn’t have a clue about the Chinese culture. (His mom is not Chinese.) He certainly grew up with hamburgers and hot dogs rather than BBQ pork buns!
He’s so naïve that he thinks because Hong Kong was once a British colony, everyone speaks English as good as he does! I was unable to convince him that life can come in as a big surprise for him over there. Laughing in the face of danger and feeling fearless about the uncertain future are certainly his fortes.
As his eldest cousin, I’m worried about his future well-being in the distant and unknown land => China. We have no relatives or friends in China, my uncle also worries about the potential troubles his son is running into as he marches into the wild wild East. It is very likely that he can either be relocated there if he stays with his current employer or secure a new job with a new company. He’s flying there with his young Caucasian classmate who also can’t speak a word of Cantonese or Mandarin. These are truly two brave soul with naïve mind.
I thought I ask for input from our forum friends. Can you tell me how my little cousin should prepare for his new life in Hong Kong or China?
Many thanks for your help.Neil
