After immigrating, I developed a deeper love for my hometown (Recollection of the first arrival in this honorable land, part twenty-one, complete). When I first arrived, coming to a completely unfamiliar place, everything seemed fresh. I opened my eyes, breathed in the fresh air, and experienced new things. That year and a half were very special days in my life.
The first feeling upon arriving in this honorable land was that when I walked on the streets, there were few police officers around, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Actually, it wasn't that there were no police officers, but they mostly drove around, so there was little chance of making eye contact with them. In the past, in Hong Kong, police officers patrolled the streets, watching every person around them, scrutinizing them up and down, always looking for target individuals. I didn't blame them; it was their job, but it made me feel uncomfortable, as if I was being watched even when I went out on the street.
In this new place, there was simply no one managing or controlling us, which was truly great. In the past, in places inhabited by Chinese people, I felt uneasy regardless of whether I was sixty, seventy, or eighty years old. As long as there were elders above you, they would try to manage you. In places influenced by Chinese culture, the good traditions set by our ancestors are hard to preserve, while the bad ones easily flourish. There are always enthusiastic people pointing fingers at me because I often don't meet others' expectations.
It was precisely this aspect that pushed me towards immigration, wanting to live comfortably without forcing myself to do things I dislike. Thus, I came to this new country. The immigrants who came before me had largely settled into their new jobs and resumed stable lives. But I, as a new immigrant, constantly thought that one must find a foothold in the fleeting time. I needed to work regularly and rest regularly, for living like this had meaning. So, in this new world, I sought employment, eager to find a job, and was thus impatient. Not only was I full of vigor, but I also wanted to be a role model for my two daughters. During these first few months, I put my original home, Hong Kong, out of mind during the day. However, at night, images of Hong Kong surged in my mind. The closer we got to 1997, the crazier Hong Kong people became, desperately earning money to prepare for an unpredictable future after the handover, causing the economy to boom unprecedentedly. The prosperity of Hong Kong's economy once made people look at it with renewed respect, and the hearts of Hong Kong people became increasingly excited. They thought they were the best in the world, inflating themselves to the extreme. Hong Kong people became isolated, "having traveled ten thousand miles but never leaving home in heart," which is a vivid portrayal of Hong Kong people. People within the picture do not realize its beauty; those outside the picture can appreciate its beauty. While Hong Kong's economy boomed and all industries flourished, there was also fierce competition and deceit among people, leading to cultural deformities and no longer pure folk customs, suffocating people. It wasn't until I stepped away that, waking up in the middle of the night, leaning against the window and looking up, seeing the bright moon and clear wind, my thoughts returned to Hong Kong, envisioning another picture. Recalling when the plane left Kai Tak Airport, my heart was so heavy, filled with so much regret, that I almost cried. But how could a man cry in front of others? Hong Kong was where I grew up. Regardless of dissatisfaction or comfort, I still drank Hong Kong's water and breathed Hong Kong's air as I grew up. There are indelible traces of Hong Kong on me. Unwilling to become vague about Hong Kong's matters and feelings, I tried to remember as much as possible, meticulously documenting the places I could recall, the people I met, and the events I encountered. When my pen swiftly wrote on the paper, I suddenly realized that while embracing greater China, I was also deeply rooted in Hong Kong, for Hong Kong is ultimately my hometown.
This is not a public service announcement: Smoking is extremely harmful to your health. I earnestly advise you to extinguish the cigarette in your hand and quit! If you insist on ignoring this advice and happen to be in North America...