Hello Italians and fans of Italy! We would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you who follow our life as Italians in Hong Kong from the pages of our blog.
This page is the place where we help others live the Italian way in Hong Kong and support Italian expats who want to blend into the diverse city atmosphere without losing their sense of identity. That is why we strive to provide useful advice and share interesting articles about Italian culture and lifestyle.
Let us tell you who we are and why we decided to create this blog. We hope you find our story engaging and inspiring.
The Existential Question: Who Are We?
As you already know by now, we are Giuseppe and Maria and we both come from Italy. Besides our common Italian background, we also share a university degree in History of Art. Giuseppe is from Palermo, Sicily, whereas Maria was born in the depths of Tuscany and later on moved to Rome.
The Eternal City is where we met as university students. We quickly became friends and started hanging around museums and galleries together. While we lived nonchalantly in Rome, one day a friend of ours informed us about an opportunity at our university that allowed art students to go on an exchange program in Asia.
It did not take us long to consider the possibility and drop by our university’s Foreign Exchange Office, where a very polite clerk informed us about the program. It turned out we had to complete a few forms and – if approved – we would be able to spend the next semester in the city of Hong Kong.
What an opportunity! Neither of us had left Italy before. I mean, why would you leave a place where you have a beautiful climate and nature, delicious food, tasty wine, amazing history, and some of the most influential works of art?
However, the idea of getting to know Asian culture truly captivated both of us. It was not before long that the university Foreign Exchange Office informed us we were approved to go to Hong Kong.
That is how, on a sweltering day in August, we jumped on a plane, and an incredible journey began.
Maria and Giuseppe in Hong Kong: The Big Adventure
When we finally arrived in Hong Kong, we discovered a universe that was completely different from what we had been used to. I must tell you, we fell in love with this stunning Asian city and adored every minute of us being here.
Sadly, time spent well flies by way too quickly. Before we knew it, we had to go back to Rome to continue our studies at our home university. Then we did something unexpected.
A New Home and New Beginning
Much to the dismay of everyone back home, we decided to transfer our studies permanently to Hong Kong and just stay here. It did not take us long to do that, and when we did, we were the luckiest people in the world.
Several years have passed since we made this decision, and it still seems like the right choice. Meanwhile, we both finished university. Today, we own an Italian language school for kids and adults, and we find our careers very satisfying.
Initially, we started this blog in an attempt to help Italian expats like ourselves settle in Hong Kong more easily. However, we also wanted to do something for our homeland. Being Arts majors, we decided it would be best if we dedicated our efforts to promoting Italian culture in Hong Kong. That is how this blog took its current form, and we hope you like it!