My first thought after I was informed that I was selected for WorkAsia was “I will be seeing the Handover!” I signed up for the programme in October last year after hearing about it from some seniors. Two interviews later, I was one of the lucky few who were going to Hong Kong for our work attachment. After the euphoria came the realisation that there was a lot of preparation to be done for the trip. Singapore International Foundation, which was organising the programme, was very kind and helpful in preparing us for overseas life.

Things didn’t always go smoothly though. The biggest headache was looking for accomodation in Hong Kong during the peak tourist season. There wasn’t any relief in the fact that the Handover was just around the corner and the whole world wanted to be there.

So after two weeks of examinations, I left for Hong Kong in mid-May. When I stepped down form the airplane, it dawned on me how different the place was, and that I had to spend two months in this strange foreign place. The company, Jardine Matheson, was kind enough to send a car to pick me up at the airport. After settling down at my surprisingly large apartment, I got down to meeting my international cast of flatmates. They were from New Zealand, Scotland, England and even Japan. They were all working for the Jardine group, one of the last “Hongs” in the territory.

My first day at work was an experience in itself. I was shown around from department to department until I reached my work place, Jardine Fleming Bank. I was assigned to help out in the operations side under the wing of the customer service team. My colleagues were initially apprehensive about a Singaporean working in their midst. But a few smiles and handshakes later, they were warm and receptive. Hongkongers work very hard. They are very diligent and care a lot about performance, and they expect you to do the same.

Life after work was fun too. There were so many food stalls to try, interesting places to go to and people to meet. I was never short of things to do. I went out with the Singaporean students also in the programme, trying to explore every nook and cranny there was in Hong Kong. The transportation system in Hong Kong is extremely efficient. There is not one corner one cannot reach on public transport.

The main highlight of our stay was definitely the Handover. After so much hype in the media about the event, the locals themselves did not seem that excited. It was up to the foreigners like us to bring up all the excitement. The magnificent fireworks at Victoria Harbour, emotional countdown at Times Square, cheering crowds at Wanchai all contributed to the unforgettable experience we had. Seeing such a historic moment in the making live definitely enriched my perspective of the Territory. History became alive. We caught the euphoria bug and partied all night long with strangers we just met.

Life in Hong Kong was a wonderful experience for me. Not only did I get a taste of working life in a foreign land, I was fortunate enough to witness the making of history. Though there has been a fair share of ups and downs for all of us who went on the trip, I believe we benefited tremendously from the experience. My outlook in my career plans has changed somewhat after the experience. I now feel that one must not only have paper qualifications, but also the sense of adventure in seeking out opportunities in the foreign market to be successful.