Alison

Environments I’ve Lived In

Throughout my life, I’ve had the opportunity to live in several different environments, each place different from the other. From bustling cities to suburban towns, each place has made me the person who I am today.

England

I was born in London and raised in Essex and lived there for 31 years. There are certainly parts of England that I love, London, the South West, the coastal towns. The environment is great in summer and sometimes spring and autumn, but the winters are not for me.

After living away from England for so many years, I realise I could not live there again. I’ve got too used to the wide open spaces and the sunny skies of Perth.

I enjoy a visit though!

Oceans, Rivers, Estuaries and Suburban Rooftops

Hong Kong

In my early thirties, I upped and moved to Hong Kong and it was a significant culture shock. The frenzied pace of life and the sheer number of people everywhere was overwhelming at first, especially the heat and the weight of the air, like a wet blanket over your shoulders. Anyway I soon fell in love with this City and also a few weeks later, my husband.

Hong Kong is not just a concrete jungle as many people think. There are many country parks and huge green rolling hills for hiking. Beaches on faraway islands only accessible by boat or ferry. Popular at the weekends for people to enjoy a calmer environment.

I remember when I first started work on the 37th floor of a skyscraper and travelled to work by ferry, I felt like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl!

I enjoyed 14 wonderful years here and both my children had their primary education here.

We were lucky enough to live in the countryside with views in the distance of the sea. We had six dogs, rescued by Anthony and Elena from the bins or left abandoned by the road side.

Skyscrapers surrounded by rolling green hills
Reliving my journey to work
More skyscrapers with the green mountains behind
and the ocean in front
Sai Kung Harbour
Sacred tame cows on Lantau
Lantau Island

Perth, Australia

Deciding to leave Hong Kong was an extremely hard decision, I think all ex-pats would agree. It was like stepping out of our comfort zone. From the moment I first visited Australia in 1988 I knew that I could live there though. We left because it was time for senior education for the children and Anthony had family in Perth. Also because Hong Kong is not a place to grow old unless you are Chinese!

Perth has to be one of the best environments in the world to live. Nearly always blue skies and warm weather. Endless coastlines and green parks and ovals only a short drive away or even on your doorstep. As much as I love to travel I always look forward to going home.

I’ve been extremely fortunate in all the places I’ve lived, but then again I always try to make the best of everything life has offered me.

A few photos below of what Perth has to offer, including a couple from my garden

  • Perth Skyline
  • Cottesloe Beach
  • Swan Brewery
  • Honeyeater in my garden
  • Kookaburra on my garden wall
  • Swan River

Posted as part of Lens Artists Challenge – Environments.

43 comments

  1. I can picture you as Melanie Griffiths, Ali 🤗💗. It sounds an exciting life. Another good blogging friend, Rosemay, lives in Perth too and I’m very familiar with the landscape. Love the UK as I still do, living with the cold is a struggle for me too. 🌞❣️

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  2. Three very different locations to have enjoyed life. What triggered the moves, I wonder. Did you have a job opportunity in Hong Kong that brought about the move from England? And did you and hubby secure employment in Perth before you relocated again? By comparison my location schedule is seriously dull….Derby, Bedford, Sussex, Kent….doesn’t bear comparison to yours!

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    • You have world in the palm of your hand though Phil!
      What triggered the move..a string of broken romances and just the claustrophobic feel of my life. I did have a job to go to in HK but was only meant to go for two months and then my dear husband stepped in and so I stayed.
      Anthony carried on his business in Perth to secure our visas..trading in leather. Once we had our visas he retired and handed over all responsibility to me! I was a bit bored after two years so trained as a medical administrator and found a job. But I’m also retired now. It’s the best isn’t it 😁
      Thanks for asking

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  4. Three very different environments but each of them seems to have suited you at that particular point in your life 🙂 I can certainly see why you now love living in Perth, it has so much to recommend it!

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  7. A really lovely read Alison. I’ve visited Hong Kong numerous times but never for longer than 10 days at one time and although I’ve visited Australia at least five times I’ve not made it to Perth yet, but one day I will! You are right to embrace all that life offers you wherever you might be!

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    • Thanks Marion, yes one day hopefully you will make it to Perth, it’s hard to fit in when you’re on the other side, the flight is quite long and there is the time difference too. You wouldn’t be disappointed. We have a room waiting for you ☺️

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  10. You chose some amazing places to live Ali! We loved HK and agree there are many beautiful natural areas in addition to the city life. I would love to visit Perth as we’ve done the other half of the country and hear it’s amazing. it’s just so far for us to travel there. Loved your post and your images are wonderful!

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    • Thanks so much Tina. Perth is probably the most distant place to reach and often people who visit Australia just can’t fit it into their schedule. It needs a complete separate visit
      Thanks for your comments 😊

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  15. I admire that you just up and moved to a completely different country, Ali. England looks amazing in its own right. I had a good friend of Chinese descent whose family lived in Toronto but she and her kids lived in Hong Kong. She is still there but visited me in California years back. That would be a culture shock for me since it’s such a huge urban area. Perth and anywhere in Australia sounds gorgeous–definitely on my list of places to visit. Great shots of your environments!

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