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population he finds a limited social environment. Most of the other foreigners he meets are
business people, lawyers, or investment bankers, all receiving healthy salaries and perks,
their housing paid for. Conversations typically center around real estate or travel to exotic
resorts.
Of course, Gary has some local acquaintances, too. But it's only natural for a person to
compare her or himself with others in the group to which she or he most belongs—that is,
the expatriate community.
At the beginning he convinced himself that he does have a comfortable life in Hong
Kong and he didn't come here expecting to get rich. But more and more he finds himself
bombarded by the idea of measuring success in terms of wealth. They travel to 5-star Bali
resorts at company expense; he takes budget holidays in Thailand. He rides the bus; they
have chauffeurs. Unavoidably, he compares himself with his expatriate neighbors and en-
vies the fancy, high-class lifestyle many of them have.
The growing jealousy causes him to feel more and more discontent. He often returns
from parties feeling depressed and resentful, so increasingly he shies away from social
gatherings. He finds that being with other foreigners reminds him of his “class” and rein-
forces his feeling of “failure”. Inside, he is experiencing tremendous struggle.
On the one hand, he realizes that he wouldn't want to change his job merely to pursue
higher income. He knows this is the profession he likes. in which he spent many years earn-
ing his credentials. Giving it up is really out of the question. But on the other hand, he can-
not control his burning envy. Intellectually, he understands that he shouldn't be feeling this
way because he is doing much better abroad than back in New Zealand. Yet the jealousy
seems out of his control. His turmoil causes him to feel restless and withdrawn and he is
unable to concentrate on his work.
Everyone experiences covetous feelings from time to time. In a society like Hong Kong
where success is measured by accumulated wealth, you can easily feel like a loser if you
don't score high on the materialist scale. Such feelings are further magnified in expatriate
circles, where high salaries and luxury living are the perceived norm.
Coveting can easily turn into an addiction for many people and force them to depend on
tomorrow to bring them the happiness that today couldn't supply. The more people meas-
ure their significance by bank balances and other people's accomplishments, the less they
will be able to feel at ease in their daily lives.
Jealousy is not easy for anyone to handle. Gary's feelings in fact are normal and
almost unavoidable, considering the Hong Kong (and particularly the expatriate) lifestyle.
However, the mere fact that he left home in New Zealand to move far away overseas could
be an indication of underlying dissatisfaction within himself in the first place. Thus, for
Gary moving back home will not solve his problem. It would be even more devastating for
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