Larry Feign is an award-winning artist and writer, author of historical fiction, and cartoonist whose work has appeared in Time, The Economist, Fortune, the New York Times, and other publications. Books include the novel The Flower Boat Girl and Aieeyaaa, a cartoon Chinese-English dictionary. Originally from Buffalo, New York, he has spent most of his adult life in Kong Kong but recently made the decision to move to Setúbal with his wife.
Why move from Hong Kong to Portugal?
I’d lived in Hong Kong for around 35 years, so Hong Kong really was home. However, there had been a number of changes, politically, which meant that it no longer felt like home. I had been a cartoonist for the South Morning Post, the largest English-speaking newspaper in Hong Kong and at one time was politically active. I no longer am, but the fact remains that I once was. I felt it was time for a change.
What drew you to Portugal?
My attraction to Portugal is probably unique. Prior to moving here, I spent six weeks at an art retreat in rural Alentejo to work on a historical novel, and the experience there convinced me that this is one of those rare cultures that genuinely respects artists and writers. Here in Setúbal, for example, the central square is named after a poet, the main street named after an opera singer, and next to the football stadium is a monument to Portuguese authors; not a military hero or politician in sight.
Look down at the Portuguese calçadas and you’ll see art at your feet. It’s on the tiled and painted houses. It’s everywhere. In comparison, Hong Kong barely had any support for local culture and arts.
One of the biggest pulls is this novel, which I’ve been working on. It’s about piracy on the south China coast in the early 19th century, and involves numerous real life personalities and events in Portuguese Macau. This has led to me researching a Portuguese character in depth, which has meant I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the Portuguese language and culture.
How did you decide Portugal was right for you?
We initially came to Portugal on a “look-see” trip. We had no expectations, but we really fell in love. However, it took several visits before we were really convinced.
On my third or fourth visit, I came to Portugal for the artist’s retreat in the Alentejo, spending around six weeks there, and that’s when I really felt this was going somewhere.
Initially, we were just looking for a second home. But after a while, we decided that it would be our permanent home.
Why did you settle on Setúbal as a place to live in?
We would have loved to have lived in Lisbon as that’s where all of the cultural museums and events are, but we also wanted a garden. Unfortunately, prices in Lisbon mean it’s hard to get both. We also didn’t consider the Alentejo due to the hot weather.
Initially, we were planning on looking at a place in Sesimbra as we wanted to live near the beach, but there were no rooms available even for a night, so we booked a hotel in Setúbal. The guidebook had suggested it was ugly and industrial, so we weren’t expecting much. It was just a place to stop off.
And, honestly, the hotel wasn’t that exciting, but once we got into the historic center, we thought “this isn’t bad.” The market was beautiful, the seafood was great, the people were friendly, and the pace of life was just right. There’s also a train to Lisbon, meaning we could live here and commute to Lisbon when necessary. We never made it to Sesimbra.
What are some of the cultural differences you’ve noticed between living in Hong Kong and Portugal?
Bureaucracy and efficiency is the obvious difference. Recently, I needed to change the address on my wife’s and my joint bank account. In Hong Kong, I would simply go online, enter a new address, maybe upload some kind of proof of address document, which is then processed and approved by AI. A new address would be registered within seconds.
In Portugal, things are a little different. I walked into the bank branch at 10:30 am and left at 3:45 pm, mission finally accomplished. Meanwhile, I’ve learned the life stories of two bank managers. I learned about one’s passion for extreme sports and the other’s love of writing poetry, while my wife Cathy spoke about her love of gardening. We both stepped out of the bank not with exasperation at how long it took, but with smiles on our faces. That to me is the cultural difference. Hong Kong is ultra efficient in nearly everything, but there’s something clinical about that efficiency, like living in a faceless, futuristic techno-state. On the other hand, Portugal’s sometimes obtuse inefficiency is, to me, more humane. Sure, someone can renew their Hong Kong visa entirely online in two weeks without encountering a human, but…well, never mind, I’ll take that over SEF’s eternal delays (update – now known as AIMA) and anal demands for paperwork. But name anything other than immigration issues, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how well I’m easing into that zen patience you need to deal with getting certain things done here.
Did you face any additional challenges as an American already living abroad?
No, I don’t think so. I was already well established in Hong Kong by the time I moved.
What were the biggest challenges in moving from Hong Kong to Portugal?
For us, the biggest challenge was our boxes getting selected for inspection when they arrived in Portugal. It wasn’t stuck for long. We were advised to give it up to a month, but it was out in under a week. Even though only two boxes were opened, we had to pay an “inspection” fee of €900 + VAT.
How have you found learning Portuguese?
I’ve been self-learning the language for a couple years mostly because it simply makes sense to do so when you keep going back to a place, but also to read historical sources in Portuguese, of which there are many. So for a few years I’ve been gradually drawn deeper and deeper into the Portuguese sphere.
Although I have worked my way through some books in Portuguese, I would probably say I’m at an A2 level right now. Essentially, I’m at the stage where people don’t reply in English, at least not all the time, or not as much as they first did.
I’ve learned several languages, including Cantonese and Mandarin, and Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese: it’s like cutting butter with a hot knife.
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