Splitsville

There are big glaring facts about life in Hong Kong that I miss. Fortunately, I've cultivated the habit of hanging out with people who are considerably smarter than me.

Last Friday, we spent the evening with some friends and several other ex-pat families. While the kids played in the lower level of their flat. We adults sat around the living room and did what we adults do best: chew the fat.

Talk about work gave way to talk about marriage which lead to the topic of divorce. The guy on the sofa -the one in the trendy glasses- pointed out that his kids have almost no friends whose parents are divorced.

What -I said. You need to explain that to me.

First, Hong Kong culture is thoroughly Chinese for whom divorce is relatively uncommon. Therefore the divorce rate among Chinese Hong Kongers is lower than in the West.

Second, the divorce rate among expats living in Hong Kong is also significantly lower than in their home countries. It’s not that people who live overseas are somehow more matrimonial gifted or that living overseas necessarily strengthens a marriage.

As the guy in the trendy glasses continued to explain this, my mind raced ahead trying to puzzle this out before he could offer up the explanation.

I came up blank.

I had no idea why the divorce rate in the expat community would be so much lower.

The answer –it turns out- is quite logical and rather simple actually.

People who are divorced with children usually have custody restrictions -one of which is that they are generally not allowed to leave the country with the children.

The result: not as many kids living with divorced parents in Hong Kong.

Fascinating.

-Jack

Picture: Hello Kitty bride and groom hood ornament.