There is no doubt about the importance of last Sunday's legislative council election. But to a first-time Hong Kong voter, and an expat one at that, it was a rather curious affair.
Faced with an election campaign conducted almost entirely in Cantonese, a baffling voting system and a bewildering array of candidates with seemingly indistinguishable platforms, even the most determined expat voter is severely put to the test.
The last time I had to cast a ballot in any election was 12 years ago in England. That, as I recall, was quite a straightforward affair. The choice was effectively between the relatively right-wing Conservative Party and the moderately left-wing Labour Party.
If you didn't fancy either of them, you could opt for the middle road and vote for the Liberals. And for something completely different, there was always the Monster Raving Looney Party.
Things in Hong Kong, however, are not quite so simple.
The aim of any responsible voter should be to make an informed choice. But that is not as easy as it might seem.