Just Me and the Ladies

One of the first things that I did when I arrived was join the American Women’s Association (AWA). The group offers classes, happy hours, organized hikes, volunteer opportunities, social events and more. I know what you’re thinking, Junior League! Snore! But, it’s a great way to meet people and to have a network and outlet that I otherwise might not have.

Take yesterday, for instance. Yesterday was my Foon Ying group meeting. Foon Ying means welcome in Cantonese and the three-session course is offered once a month to anyone who is new.  There were four of us in the group (2 women from England, 2 of us from the US) and our leader, a New York native who has been in HK for 12 years. 

Okay, so I was the youngest by about 20 years, so what? We were all in the same boat: new to Hong Kong, don’t know many people, don’t know too much about the city. We met at 10am and exchanged intros, asked some general questions and learned some cultural basics.  Who knew the number 4 is unlucky in Hong Kong? You should never order 4 of something, give someone 40 dollars, or buy just 4 glasses. In Cantonese, the number 4 sounds like the word for death.

After our two-hour session, two of the women were meeting some fellow AWA members for lunch. Did I want to join? Sure! We had lunch. Me and seven women who were all about 20  to 30 years my senior.  There we were, women from all over the world who came to Hong Kong for all different reasons, lunching.

After lunch they were going to the Ladies Market. Did I want to join? Sure! Before I knew it I was traveling as part of a group of six, through the streets of Hong Kong Island, underground on the metro, through the crowds of Mong Kok, and then through a busy street market! At around 4:30, after hours of shopping, one round of coffee, a few bathroom breaks, and an exchange of contact info, it was finally time to part ways.

I came home giddy. All right, so it wasn’t quite the same as shopping with my girlfriends, but I had gone out of my comfort zone to accept invitations each step of the way. And what I found was that these women were smart, diverse, interesting and welcoming.  I think the women, who all have kids my age, liked taking me under their wing.  

And for a few hours, I didn’t mind being adopted by some moms, either.