Epiphany

I finally figured out my obsession of working/living in HK despite its reputation for being a squeeze, congested, loud society.

Some people might even wonder why bother when Sg is so close to HK in so many aspects.

Unlike HK, SG has still very little room for a lot of industries to grow. Despite the sheer numbers and even sales figures that are fast rivalling our ex-sister colony, the country is dominated only by a few players. Heck, the world might be dominated only by a few players but there is a niche market which is like an mega sized etsy which allows many others to still have a slice of the pie and flourish.

Here, I sometimes feel it's so hard to get a foot into the door of the industry I am now in. Going further, it is difficult to get recognised. In this industry, people play a perennial never-ending ageless game of musical chairs and the barrier to entry is SO high. You need to have experience but without experience which no one will give you unless you have experience, you never will get in. It's a nasty catch 22. (I can't explain this science).

Once in, it is a whirlpool that leaves little recognition to be desired. It is sometimes logical sometimes completely irrational. Sometimes only dead facts speaks. Sometimes, your numbers can be all red but if you're painted all over town in various media platforms, just wait, your promotion might still be due.

Of course, I may be writing out of some angst because it is looking like I may not get the bonus I so thought I deserved. Even my colleagues thought I deserved it and in a society that gives little recognition, I thought it was a high honour that my colleagues actually acknowledged it out loud.

In another place, another land, if due recognition is not given, the employee is poached within seconds and continues to thrive and flourish. Because people value quality and not quantity and the market is big enough for hard work to pay off and be recognised, talent to flourish and creativity to flow.

In this tiny, microscopic, over-congested market, people end up complaining, feeling down and hop only when the next chance in the next millennia comes along. Of course, in the meantime, the earth would have rotated on its axis quite a number of times and morale goes six foot under.

I like challenge. I like adrenaline. I love the industry. I love the job scope. I love my family. So given all that, maybe I can live in a slightly smaller house, dump some of my clothes and yes, I might have to walk faster and ...now what else do we really differ in since we also have bad air, congested public transport and Tim Ho Wan?

*food for thought*

That is why I love working in Hong Kong, with Hong Kong. Because my work would speak for itself and I don't have to prepare an arsenal of email ammunitions to fight for my bonus.

I don't think I care for the next opportunity to work for another one of the big Fours here. It would be almost akin to dangling a cucumber which I don't care for rather than dangling a carrot.

My carrot would be Hong Kong.