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Hong Kong - any experiences of living & working there?

Londonliberty2047

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 11:06

Hi ladies,
I am hoping you may be able to help. It looks like a transfer to our Hong Kong office may be on the cards with work and I was wondering if anyone had any experience of living and working there. I am single, so no family to take into consideration. Just wondering how it compares with Dubai, pros & cons etc.
Thanks!

glamsara

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 30 September 2011 - 23:02

It's a shopping paradise,you can find even the OTT Hermes birkin.rather than that I found it quite boring to tell u the truth and I couldn't get adjusted to the time difference at all. For me best place to live is right here,our lovely dxb;)

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Dragon

457

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 16:15

Lucky you! If I was young free and single again I would relive those years again in a heartbeat. I found making friends easy as there are lots of single people there and you'll probably first start to hang out with people in the office and then get introduced to a wider group. When you get there pick up HK Magazine which is a bit like Time Out and is a weekly Friday freebie. Agree with 4princesses, Mid-Levels would probably be suitable for you as it's easy to get around. Happy Valley is also a good choice. Good vibe and laid back. I have lots of friends on Discovery Bay which is a 25 min ferry commute but they are mainly families. Alot of singles do live there as you can switch off the frenetic rush of the city. Choose somewhere where you have plenty of transport options. When the wet weather arrives in June it isn't that easy getting taxis. Not sure what the rental market is doing but looks like they will be on their way down esp. with current volatile markets and HK is sensitive and reacts very quickly, so you could be heading there at the right time! Take a look at http://www.gohome.com.hk/english/en/ HK$ is pegged to US$ like the Dirham so I found that eating out is cheaper if you go to the right places (noodle bars, dai pai dongs) but mostly it was on par with Dubai. Make up and toiletries definitely cheaper and you get the full spectrum of clothes at all prices in HK. Tung Chung for outlet mall shopping is great. Manis and pedis will be a bit more expensive. Re work - I never did 9 - 5. It was always way over plus working at the weekends. One thing I did notice when I was back a couple months ago was how much the mainland had blended in with HK. I could hear alot of mandarin being spoken. Also it seemed even more crowded! Anyway, have a fabulous time and good luck.

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4princesses45189

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 15:17

HK is great for single people. Lots of fab bars and retaurants all in Soho and Lan Kwai Fong area. I think eating out is a bit cheaper than here, groceries also slightly cheaper and you can buy alcohol really, really reasonably (no duty tax on it anymore) in supermarkets. It has a lovely outdoor lifestyle, especially over the cooler months as there are all of these wonderful hikes to do and great running/walking trails in the mountains. The landscape of HK is nicer than here I think, greener, hillsides plus some really great beaches like Shek O. A lot of the beaches have bars and DJs on weekend nights. Lots of people hire junks with a group of friends and have a day on the water. Accommodation is more expensive, but there are probably more one bedroom apartments available. Best area close to Central is Mid-Levels. There is a moving escalator that takes people down the hill in the morning and heads in the direction in the evening. Pokfulalm on the west side of the island is close to Central, more reasonably priced. If you lived in mid-levels you wouldn't need a car. You are 10 mins from the nightlife and HK has a very good rail, bus and mini bus network plus taxis are cheap and plentiful. Can't say about packages, as I only know from my husbands when we moved. But the tax rate is low (not nil like here), accommodation probably more, but eating out and transport would be cheaper. Plus general things like clothes, makeup etc is heaps cheaper than here, same brands too. I will remove my email from the other post, but please shout out if there is anything else you want to know closer to the time. Can also put you in touch with a very good rental agent I used and recommended successfully to lots of friends when we lived there.

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Londonliberty2047

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 14:35

Ladies - thanks so much for your helpful comments. I knew I could count on you! Discussions are in the very early stages so my concern at the moment is really about lifestyle. I am single and have a fabulous network of friends here who I would be very sad to leave behind but very comforted to hear that HK is quite lively for single people. As the possibility of the move gets more real I will definitely be back with more questions. Do expats tend to have similar packages to here. I've heard that accommodation is expensive? Anything else? 4princesses I will no doubt be in touch - thanks so much for your kind offer.

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AdviceSeeker13702

1100

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 13:29

Haven't been there myself, but a good friend of mine grew up there and absolutely loved it. I've also known a couple of people who lived there and had a fab time, its somewhere I would definitely consider if the opportunity came up.

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m_king

618

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 13:10

I lived there for a couple of years. Left in 2006. And I LOVED every moment of it. And I actually think you CAN compare to Dubai. At least, I grew up in AbU Dhabi and was shocked at home 'familiar' HK felt!! Only because you're looking at a small place with a strong British influence and heavily populated by expats, so similar dynamics, I found. But I think whether or not you like it will depend enormously on what kind of lifestyle you enjoy. My couple of years there were very intense both work-wise and play-wise and although I was very sad to leave, I did the right thing to go. Now that I'm married and have a LO, would I go back... hmmmm... not sure. Maybe. But only on a REALLY good package so we could afford one of those nice big villas!

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MrsMopp39686

594

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 28 September 2011 - 11:55

I spent a lot of time in China a few years back. I would say that being single is better ( although plenty of friends do have villas and would disagree, but they are out of town and very expensive), and that there will be a good community of single expat people. Socialising is fast and furious and plentiful - and can often go on to very early hours! I don't think it is really possible to compare to Dubai, as they are just so different... Someone may have a more recent experience of it, but I always found it fun and friendly, although a little smelly!

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