When my father was young, he worked as an electronics engineer. In the 1960s, when he was in his early 20s, one of his Kong friend who used to live in Indonesia introduced him to the owner of one of the largest company in Indonesia. At the time, that company needed an engineer to operate a new machine, as there were no experts in Indonesia yet who knew how to run it. Consequently, the company owner invited my father to come and work in Indonesia for a period of 7 years.

Dad Met Mom at a Party

While working in Indonesia, my father attended a party that my mother also attended. They were introduced and fell in love. Despite having been in Indonesia for quite some time, my father understood very little Indonesian and had difficulty speaking it. This was because my father, the company owner, and his other colleagues only communicated in Mandarin, so he faced difficulties communicating with my mother at the time.

Grandfather Sometimes Served as a Translator Between Mom and Dad

As it turned out, my mother's father (my grandfather) was a Hong Kong native who had come to Indonesia for trade. Because of this, grandfather was very fond of my father since they could both speak Cantonese. Grandfather would sometimes help my mother and father communicate with each other. Not long after, they got married in Indonesia at a very young age.

Deciding to Return to Hong Kong After Getting Married

Shortly after they wed, my father decided to return to Hong Kong because he wanted his children to receive their education there. That was the very first time my mother set foot in Hong Kong, and she went through a very difficult period of adaptation.