I knew Hong Kong before I even got there. 

My grandfather kept a stamp collection that featured visions of Hong Kong in pastel colours and royal Britishness. 

I had watched Wong Kar-wai’s films. 

I liked Hong Kong before I even got there. 

It was already dark when I first took the train from the airport to Central. I walked up to Lan Kwai Fong despite the rain. People held transparent umbrellas. The neon lights trembled through my wet glasses. I found the tiny cobbled street and remembered watching the first Blade Runner film with a friend who kept saying ‘it’s just like Hong Kong’. 

I have visited Hong Kong several times now, I think five.  

The new Blade Runner film is out and it looks nothing like Hong Kong.