There may be no busier place in Hong Kong on a Sunday than the Jollibee restaurant on Connaught Road. Nestled between skyscrapers in the city’s Central District, the Filipino fast-food outpost is packed. At lunchtime, there’s no place to sit. Customers are waiting to pounce on a free chair as soon as one opens up.
Sunday is a day off for the city’s domestic helpers—most of whom are Filipino. Dozens of them are crowded in the basement of this outlet to socialize with friends and post on social media. The room is so loud you have to shout to be heard. The gathering spot also offers them a taste of home.
