MAKING FRIENDS ON THE PCLL
October 17 Monday 2005

I’ve been reading over some of my archives, and I was struck by how often I thank God for my friends. My time in Hong Kong would be so different without them. And it’s the same on the PCLL. I’ve been studying at HKU for about 2 months, and my time here really wouldn’t be that enjoyable if it wasn’t for my friends.

Most of the people I hang out with are International Students, or overseas born/raised Chinese. It’s not that I’m selective of whom I hang out with, I just tend to gravitate towards people I have lots in common with. And in the same way, that’s why ethnic minorities tend to draw together wherever they are in the world - be it the Asian Communities in the UK, or the Ex-Pat Communities in Hong Kong. It just happens naturally (although being a Third Culture Kid mixes things up somewhat, but that's an entirely different matter).

And so it annoys me when certain individuals criticise others (and criticise me) for, “not making an effort to integrate with locals”. What a broad and loaded statement to make on their part. In response, I would simply urge them to try it. To try emigrating to a totally foreign country on their own, where they don’t understand the language or customs, to leave everything familiar behind, and then seeing how they handle it.

I hang out with my friends because they are my friends. Friendships happen naturally – It's not that I don't make an effort, but I can’t force myself to form a relationship with someone I have little in common with  (regardless of where they’re from), it's just harder (but not impossible).

I digress. I simply wanted to write about how thankful I am for the friends I've made on the PCLL. I guess being in the law-school exposes me to a lot of “politically-correct” points of views, which in my opinion have been taken a little too far.