Twenty-Two, 22 years old. Just finished college.

Written By: Noir
Translated By: Wks
Photo By: Julia Wood

Twenty-Two wants to be identified by the age when she gave this interview.

She came to Canada alone right after college graduation. It took just over a month from her visa application to her departure. She expresses, “the whole thing was rushed, and rash”. Few friends and relatives knew about her decision, and fewer knew exactly when she was leaving.

Determined, she took the express airport bus that sped away from the city towards the airport. The top deck front seat on the double-decker bus gave her a panorama view of the beautiful scene ahead. A grand fitting goodbye to her home as she looked ahead throughout the journey.

Twenty-Two never thought that her first long-haul flight would be one that takes her forever away from her home. To center herself, Twenty-Two even scheduled the whole flight. But instead the journey was full of anxiety because as fate would have it, her flight was turned back, and finally arrived in Canada a day later after further delay. Was this a foreshadow of the uncertainties to come?

It was arranged for Twenty-Two to temporarily stay at a rural home of a family friend, an auntie (Jern Bui) who was a complete stranger to her.

Chinese people emphasize respect for those above one’s generation. The elder generation, Jern Bui, is a person who is above your generation. The term usually implies a relationship where the Jern Bui takes up certain responsibilities for the younger generation (Hua Bui), something that did ease the uncertainties experienced by Twenty-Two upon her arrival.

Also implied in the relationship is for Twenty-Two to submit to the ways of the elder auntie, something that Twenty-Two trod with great reluctance as her goal was to live freely and independently in a new life.

Greater than the distance from home, is the difference of cultural habits that run deeper than memories. “How are you” and “How’s your week” are such awkward greetings for a Cantonese speaker, Twenty-Two raised her pitch as she tried out these local greetings.

“Hey, are you dead yet?” Twenty-Two laughs as she explains, “that’s how Hong Kongers greet each other, a bit mean isn’t it?”

If the pleasantness in the Canadian greetings portray a sense of distance, then the meanness in the Hong Konger greetings are at least direct; perhaps loaded with a sense of defiance against shared inescapable bitterness and hopelessness.

But meanness is something to be avoided in Canada, and so are the social and legal minefields around topics such as politics, religion, ethnicity, gender and diversity. People are encouraged to be politically correct. Didn’t Twenty Two leave self-censorship behind?

Before departure, a friend fulfilled Twenty-Two’s wish of learning to skate. She remembered the experience vividly, and how her friend blessed her journey, saying, “when you are there, you will be skating on a frozen lake pond. Remember to send me a photo”.

She reminisces about her days in Hong Kong having Chinese dessert for late-night snacks. “Even 10pm is early there, but hardly anything is open here after 10pm. It really is boring here sometimes”, she exclaims, and adds, “I was not bored in Hong Kong, I had relatives, friends, and my partner”.

Twenty-Two left swiftly and did not think of going back. She let go and left a life of familiar faces, places and traces behind. But she never thought she would part ways with her partner of five years. 

Her partner helped Twenty-Two pack and prepared for her departure. Her partner’s letters are the procession she cherished the most out of all her belongings. The plan was for her pattern to join Twenty-Two in Canada half a year later at the latest. But she changed her mind before the six months were over. “I guess she could not leave her comfort zone…”, Twenty-Two trails off.

No doubt, not everyone has the determination to cut off one’s ties and leave. But Twenty does not regret leaving, saying firmly, “even if it is a pity to leave, and if I had to make the decision again, I would still choose to come to Canada”.