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Transcription: [00:31:49]
{SPEAKER name="Stacilee Ford"}
--Even if you don't identify with that culture sometimes you're seen as identifying. Question?

[00:31:54]
[Crowd member] If you already said, or answered my question you don't have to but —

[00:31:58]
I was interested in knowing, how did you develop an interest in teaching in China? And how long have you been doing it and how do you feel about it? [[?]] the two cultures [[?]] in China sounds difficult.

[00:32:12]
You know? And it's — Well and Hong Kong, Dan Rathers said at one point "Hong Kong is Asia for beginners".

[00:32:19]
And I think he's not wrong about that. I think what you see on the surface is not what's really underneath. But I went there. Honestly, I followed my husband.

[00:32:27]
I am the trailing spouse, in a certain way, and we moved originally — I finished my graduate work and we moved to Madrid and we were in Spain and he had a business trip to Hong Kong.

[00:32:39]
And he called me on the phone and he said "You would really like Hong Kong. I think you would really like living here."

[00:32:45]
Which is code for "I really really want to live here, now let's see if we can make this work for you."

[00:32:51]
And so, he did. And his company actually helped me get an interview with Hong Kong U and so I started out teaching one class. And honestly we were there for two years and then I was back here.

[00:33:05]
And I am part of a lovely extended family network who comprises a lot of the audience today.

[00:33:12]
And so, I went kicking and screaming in a certain way. And over time, what I think happens is, if Hong Kong can grab me, it can grab anybody.

[00:33:21]
Because I was really — I still am very U.S. identified. And I think what happens is, Hong Kong was an incredibly welcoming place and there were opportunities.

[00:33:33]
I've had more opportunities as an academic in Hong Kong, than I would have had here, honestly. Because I did want to have a family life as well.

[00:33:43]
And I think when I look at what people on the tenure-track here are having to deal with, I think it is a kinder, gentler life in some ways professionally for academics in Hong Kong.

[00:33:56]
So I was able to combine. Caroline and Ellie have both had experience as academics in Hong Kong and they can speak to that as well.

[00:34:04]
But actually, it became home. And it didn't happen naturally. And I actually felt at home for the first time after the SARS epidemic.

[00:34:13]
This is — my oldest son Tyler will tell you, I've had a very ambivalent relationship with Hong Kong.

[00:34:19]
But during the SARS epidemic, a lot of the ex-patriots left. And I went to my boss in the history department of Hong Kong U, and I said "Okay Keqing, I'm a little worried. There's all this discussion about maybe it's just a good thing to go."

[00:34:34]
And my children's school had shut down, they were doing virtual school. Everything was online.

[00:34:39]
And she looked at me square in the eye and she said "You're such a phony."
[laughter]

[00:34:44]
And I said "Excuse me?". She said "Well you talk all the time about this great experience and how we can all get along and the cross cultural encounter.

[00:34:54]
Look at all these people that have no choice. They don't get to leave Hong Kong. Just because you can get on a plane and go, does that mean you really should?"

[00:35:02]
And so, I thought about that and my husband and I decided that we would stay. And as a result, I got to see --

Transcription Notes:
Had some difficulty hearing the audience member's question, left [[?]] where it needs to be filled in. Also not sure if I spelled the boss's name right, I put Keqing, but this may be incorrect.