When he decided he had had enough of waiting tables at a hotel in cold England, Jack Shirley took off to the French Alps, where he discovered his new passion in filmmaking, which brought him back to London where he studied video editing. But it wasn’t long before he was on the move again, this time to Hong Kong. “In 2013 three friends and I came to Hong Kong (my second time). We stayed a week and I fell in love with the vibes and could easily see myself living here. I told my friends at the time: ‘I'm gonna move to Hong Kong.’ I doubt they believed me, that’s what everyone says whilst on holiday, after all. But I was determined, when I got home I researched how I could work in Hong Kong. Being an English teacher seemed like the most viable way, I liked the idea of being at the front of a class and entertaining people despite my parents both being teachers and giving me one major piece of advice of my life: ‘Don't become a teacher!’ I thought I'd love it and I do. So for now I teach weekdays and make films in my spare time.”
Making short films, he does, and not just your average videos. Using his drone device, Jack made a stunning video of the lesser-known sides of Hong Kong, something that was born out of his initial serendipity journey to the greener corners of the city, which ends up surprising many who thought Hong Kong was ‘just a concrete jungle’. But just as much as he likes Sai Kung, Cheung Chau, and Tung Ping Chau, Jack is also a a fan of the oft-claustrophobia-inducing Sham Shui Po, not least for its extensive offerings of food and reasonably priced meals.
Like many expats in Hong Kong, Jack finds settling in Hong Kong relatively easy: “The people of Hong Kong are very welcoming and that made moving here very easy. I love that Hong Kong feels so safe. I actually feel safer in Hong Kong than England. I don't think it's often people can say they feel safer in a foreign country, but I do. For instance, you just don't see gangs or groups of teens smashing up bus stops or vandalising things here. I don't have any personal experiences but my car on The Isle of Wight was broken into and my sound system and CDs were all stolen. I can't imagine it happening here so often, but you'd often see car windows smashed back in the UK. I don't think I've seen any here…”
Watch Jack's video of Hong Kong's greener corners here: https://goo.gl/lLg2Xk
- How was Jack Shirley like as a child?
I was brought up on the Isle of Wight, a small island in the south of England. I was a happy child despite getting beat up a lot by my three older brothers. I loved playing football and dreamt of becoming professional... like most boys in England.
- What brought you to Hong Kong in the first place?
When I was 20 I decided I'd had enough of working as a waiter in a hotel in cold England and thought I could do that job nearly anywhere in the world, so why stay? I got a waiting job in a hotel in Les Menuires, a ski resort in the French Alps. I bought a handycam for the adventure and decided I was going to film all the snowboarding we were going to do. It was whilst making these videos that I discovered my passion for filmmaking and video editing specifically. So when the ski season ended I moved to London where I studied video editing at Ravensbourne, a university specialised in digital media and design. After uni I got a job as an editor for a small production company in London and although I loved the job, I thought there was something missing in my personal life. I found I was happier at work than at home, and that didn't seem right to me.
In 2013 three friends and I came to Hong Kong (my second time). We stayed a week and I fell in love with the vibes and could easily see myself living here. I told my friends at the time: "I'm gonna move to Hong Kong." I doubt they believed me, that’s what everyone says whilst on holiday, after all. But I was determined, when I got home I researched how I could work in Hong Kong. Being an English teacher seemed like the most viable way, I liked the idea of being at the front of a class and entertaining people despite my parents both being teachers and giving me one major piece of advice of my life: "Don't become a teacher!" I thought I'd love it and I do. So for now I teach weekdays and make films in my spare time.
- Your first impression of Hong Kong?
I first came in 2010 with a friend. We only had four days here as a stop-over on our way to Australia. We stayed in TST and didn't venture outside of the city. So my first impression was simply skyscrapers and heat!
- Your favourite aspects of Hong Kong - places, food, people etc?
After coming back here to live, I discovered Hong Kong is MUCH more than just another city. It has amazing countryside and some spectacular views. My favourite places include Sai Kung, which has my favourite beach as well as great hikes. Cheung Chau is an Island I love. I like that there are no cars and many people ride bicycles around, it has a chilled out atmosphere, not to mention beaches, great views and hikes. I also really like Tung Ping Chau as it is just so different from the other islands here. Cool rock formations and exotic life are thriving there. That is actually where my girlfriend and I made our favourite video: https://goo.gl/hbtqSw
I live in Sham Shui Po and can't cook, so I eat out every day. Luckily I am surrounded by great restaurants and I love the local food. I can't single out one restaurant, but I'm rarely disappointed with a meal in Sham Shui Po. My favourite Hong Kong-style food are Char Siu Fan and Dim Sum, but I eat food from all over the world here as there is so much choice in Sham Shui Po and Hong Kong!
The people of Hong Kong are very welcoming and that made moving here very easy. I love that Hong Kong feels so safe. I actually feel safer in Hong Kong than England. I don't think it's often people can say they feel safer in a foreign country, but I do. For instance, you just don't see gangs or groups of teens smashing up bus stops or vandalising things here. I don't have any personal experiences but my car on The Isle of Wight was broken into and my sound system and CDs were all stolen. I can't imagine it happening here so often, but you'd often see car windows smashed back in the UK. I don't think I've seen any here...
- Tell us a bit about your video - why did you make that video, where did you go to produce that video, interesting things that happened during the production of the video?
I made the video just to show my friends back home that Hong Kong is more than just an urban jungle. It is something that surprised me when I moved here and I'm sure surprised many others when they saw the video. I think this is something the Hong Kong Tourism Board should be telling the world... I'm sure it would bring more tourists. My girlfriend and I went hiking almost every week for a year in order to make the film. I work a full-time job as a kindergarten teacher here so I can't fly the drone as much as I'd like.
- What are the most memorable experiences in your life in Hong Kong so far?
My football team have had many nights out, but I suppose they aren't so memorable. The nightlife here is great and my most memorable experience would have to be when I saw my now-girlfriend for the first time in a bar. She was sat on a stool with her friends and I didn't have the courage to say 'Hi' until her friends left her alone to go for a cigarette break. After stumbling over my words for a few agonising minutes, I finally got her number. Another memorable moment is one of my first hikes here - Sharp Peak. The moment we first saw the beaches of Tai Long Wan from the sharp peak trail I was amazed. I couldn't believe I was seeing this in Hong Kong!
- What’s the best thing about being Jack Shirley right now?
Having a great girlfriend to come home to every night (she's not even making me write this!) and simply having the opportunity to live in a city as cool as Hong Kong. I am very happy that my videos are getting out there and people are seeing my work, I'm excited for what the future holds and hope to start my own film business.
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