Being the Damsel in Distress to a White Man in Hong Kong

Apparently, I need a White Knight in Shining Armor to save me even when in Asia

Photo by photo nic | Unsplash

I’ve never been good at playing damsel in distress. I am not one to sit still, look pretty, and let someone else speak for me. Call me outspoken. A strong independent woman. An ENTJ “Commander” personality type. Call it what you want, but I am not one to hide my thoughts or opinions.

I am used to being at a table surrounded by men who think they are god’s gift to earth. I am a Software and Biomedical Engineering graduate. I am an ex-Varsity Hockey player. I make sure my voice is heard, especially in situations where people assume I have nothing to contribute.

The idea of having anyone speak for me is perhaps the most abhorrent thing I could imagine.

Then I moved to Hong Kong, as a Canadian-Chinese girl who could speak no Cantonese and the most elementary Mandarin. And then I met a white man from America who could speak and read Mandarin.

At that moment, I inadvertently became everything I ever feared: A Damsel in Distress with a White Knight in Shining Armour in Hong Kong.

I wish I could say I taught the 外國人 (foreigner) everything he knows. When I first met this friend, he told me that he…