As I explained before, I am an expatriate in Hong Kong (HK). I came here because I am involved on a project in Asia-Pacific. I spend most of the time on the top of a skyscrapper or sitting on a plane.
But my "leased time" in HK is not forever. It's only for 19 months. After this period of time, which finishes on January 31st 2008... will have to:
- Possibility 1: go back to France with my company
- Possibility 2: try to renegotiate to stay in Hong Kong (which is may be possible).
However if you look at this post, you will discover how you may feel in a cubicle or, like many other expatriates, in a plane, most of the time.
Some weeks ago, I went back to Paris for a seminar and I realized what I knew for long, that it is not time for me to go back to a normal European living.
So, January 31st 2008 could be an opportunity for me to tailor-make a "Possibility 3" for myself: to create an start-up. Right now I have some savings, I am motivated and, above all, I do not have any charge (no family). So even if after a year I don't succeed, I would have lost nothing.
It is very nice to be paid for a boring job and not to have to worry about. But... I cannot live without challenges:
So how could be "Possibility 3"?
First, I would need to quit my company to be able to work on my start-up. Writing a blog and having a full-time job may be compatible but creating a start-up while working 50 hours a week on something boring is more difficult. (I don not say this is impossible). For me quitting my current job after January 31st is a must if I want to have a decent try in the entrepreneurial world.
Then, I will have to quit my beautiful company-paid apartment in Wanchai (center of HK) move to a cheaper place:
Furthermore, I may also have to renounce to my precious temporary HK ID Card.
And then I will start working at home in permanent connection via skype with "the man over there" (whom I know since secondary school) and work a lot in a prototype.
I have been living in Hong Kong for more than 1 year. Even though I can follow conversations in mandarin, my proficiency is not very good (in HK they speak Cantonese). I would be very please if I could find some time to improve my mandarin 2 or 3 hours a day. I hope it can be compatible.
