SINGAPORE: When he first moved to Hong Kong for work, Mr Lim Wei Yi felt homesick for three months. After a decade teaching in Gan Eng Seng School, the 37-year-old had successfully applied for a posting at the Singapore International School in Hong Kong (SISHK), trading the familiar for the foreign.Now into his second year, Mr Lim has adjusted to life in the city. But he is candid about the early days.“I won't lie and say that I wasn't homesick, because Singapore is still at least about four hours away,” he said. “We are far away from our friends and family, and naturally, I'd be a bit homesick because my loved ones are all in Singapore.”The language barrier also took some getting used to. While English is the main language within the school, outside is a different picture, with Cantonese and Mandarin used frequently.
Mr Lim's spoken Mandarin is "fine", but he has been picking up Cantonese from colleagues over lunch. Two years in, he has mastered a handful of phrases that have made daily life a little easier. "Siu siu," he said with a laugh – "a little bit" in Cantonese.
Singapore International School in Hong Kong teacher Lim Wei Yi taking a selfie with an iconic Hong Kong tram. (Photo: Lim Wei Yi)
