Gweimui's Hong Kong Story

"The streets were full of things that were new to me. I could not read the huge colourful neon signs, except the trademarks which were in English characters like those of cigarettes and photographic equipment. The billboards and signs seemed to stretch across the street, looking like tapestries being hung outside the buildings to dry."

This is a journey of a French young woman turning into a Honghonger. From the bizarre wet market to colourful decorations for local festivities, Christine invites you to enjoy her daily adventures in a Chinese society which she calls home.

Christine Cappio was born in Lyon, a city in east-central France. She went to Paris in 1983 to study Applied Arts in Ceramics, where she met a young Chinese man who later became her husband. She has been living in Hong Kong since her arrival in 1986.
Being able to speak Cantonese has helped her integrate into the local community and this vibrant international metropolis.
After having worked for 20 years in the private sector and the French International School, she started in 2006 doing volunteer work for several non-profit organzations, including Hong Chi Association, Virtus Foundation, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and more recently the Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centres.

Contents of

Gweimui’s Hong Kong Story



Preface by Mr. Eric Berti ....................................... v

Preface by Mr. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung ................................................... viii

Preface by Professor Wong Yin-lee ................ x

Preface by Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung ........................................ xiii



Preface by Christine ................................................ xv



Yan ........................................................................................... 1

First trip to Hong Kong ...................................... 13



Discovering Hong Kong ..................................... 25

Wanchai ......................................................................... 31

Central and Tsim-Sha-Tsui ................................. 33

The Chinese University of Hong Kong ........ 41



Separation ....................................................................... 43



Return to Hong Kong ........................................... 47



Finding a job ................................................................ 51



Getting married ......................................................... 53

Our wedding day ..................................................... 58



Living in Hong Kong ............................................. 61

The wet market ......................................................... 61

Causeway Bay ............................................................. 65

My first typhoon ....................................................... 68

First job and commuting ..................................... 69

Buses ........................................................................... 70

Taking taxi ............................................................... 71

Taking the elevator at “Easy Prosperity” .... 72



A few differences ...................................................... 73

What I missed ............................................................ 78



Lucien’s birth ............................................................... 86

Recovery food ............................................................. 89

Care and education ................................................. 91



Settling down ............................................................... 95

Our first home ........................................................... 96

Other homes and areas ...................................... 102



Mainland China and Macau –

1986 and after ....................................................... 112

Honeymoon in Shenzhen ................................. 112

Xi’an .............................................................................. 115

Chengdu ..................................................................... 119

Macau ........................................................................... 123

Transformation in Mainland China and

Macau since 1986 .............................................. 126



Hiking and day trips ........................................... 129

Tai O ............................................................................. 131

Cheung Chau ........................................................... 135



Integration ................................................................... 138

Jobs and Cantonese .............................................. 138

Volunteering ............................................................. 147

Friendship ................................................................. 152



Food in Hong Kong ............................................. 154

Soups ............................................................................ 156

Home cooking ......................................................... 157

Yum-cha ...................................................................... 159

Dai-pai-dong ............................................................ 164



Hong Kong-style milk tea ................................ 165

Crustaceans and live fish .................................. 167

Peking duck and roast meat ........................... 169



Chinese festivals .................................................... 172

Lunar New Year ...................................................... 172

Homophones and decoration.......................... 173

Spring-cleaning and new garments ............ 174

Flower market ..................................................... 175

Distribution of lai sees ..................................... 176

Turnip cake and candies ................................. 177

Third day and lion dance ................................ 180

The Moon Festival ................................................ 180



Chinese beliefs ......................................................... 182



Hong Kong and China – 30 years ........... 185



Conclusion (without ending) ..................... 192



Notes ................................................................................ 194



Acknowledgments ................................................ 195