Meet Benjamin

Life in Hong Kong

Benjamin lives a pretty decent life in Hong Kong. Amidst his busy schedule, he still gets to do all the usual things he used to do back in the Philippines, such as going to church on Sundays or dining out with friends.

At work, he’s mostly surrounded by colleagues who can speak English pretty well, so he doesn’t have to worry too much about language barriers in terms of employment. Outside of work, however, not knowing Cantonese becomes a slight problem, especially when visiting markets or riding the minibus. On top of this, being a Filipino has also led Benjamin to some rather interesting interactions with Hong Kongers. On one particular occasion, a bank teller apparently mistook him for a driver or a domestic worker. Though Benjamin simply laughed it off, the exchange has left him wondering about what the Hong Kong people think of Filipinos in general.