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A review by katelynliu
Gweilo: Memories Of A Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth
5.0
I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs recently to live vicariously through the eyes of people who have grown up under circumstances I can’t even begin to imagine. Gweilo, on the other hand, is a book that not only makes you nostalgic for an often glorified childhood under the former British Empire, but a journey and reflection upon my own childhood here 50 years later. Hong Kong has since become a vibrant jungle of skyscrapers, high-end shopping malls, and luxurious high-rise apartment buildings, yet the heart and energy that Booth described in his memoir is as deeply woven into the fabric of HK as the humidity, geography, and incomparable views across the islands.
This is my last year in Hong Kong. I’ve lived here for 14 years but can probably count the number of times I’ve left HK island on my fingers. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t eat at a ‘dai pai dong’ (open food stall), venture past districts more than 2 MTR stops away from Central, or take the time to really understand and appreciate this city for all it’s given me, and for all its glory.
Booth’s childhood was truly such an adventure. At 17, I’m only just starting to re-embark on mine.
This is my last year in Hong Kong. I’ve lived here for 14 years but can probably count the number of times I’ve left HK island on my fingers. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t eat at a ‘dai pai dong’ (open food stall), venture past districts more than 2 MTR stops away from Central, or take the time to really understand and appreciate this city for all it’s given me, and for all its glory.
Booth’s childhood was truly such an adventure. At 17, I’m only just starting to re-embark on mine.