Does Hong Kong bring Happiness?
Apr 17th 2013, 10:18 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1
Does Hong Kong bring Happiness?
I am wondering how Hong Kong compares to a UK city in terms of lifestyle, pay etc. ehat are the benefits of hong kong and what are the short falls?
I am interested in moving to Hong kong, but I don't know anyone who has moved there
I am writing my dissertation on this subject as a way of finding out for my own future, but it is a very difficult subject to research.
RebMelon x
I am interested in moving to Hong kong, but I don't know anyone who has moved there
I am writing my dissertation on this subject as a way of finding out for my own future, but it is a very difficult subject to research.RebMelon x
Apr 17th 2013, 2:16 pm
#2
...............
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Far North Queensland
Posts: 17,625
Re: Does Hong Kong bring Happiness?
Hi there and welcome to the forum.
I'm not in Hong Kong so shall have to leave for others to answer your questions. May I ask why you're thinking of moving to Hong Kong? Any reasons?
I'm not in Hong Kong so shall have to leave for others to answer your questions. May I ask why you're thinking of moving to Hong Kong? Any reasons?
Apr 18th 2013, 12:57 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 344
Re: Does Hong Kong bring Happiness?
Hong Kong is still a great place to live and work.
However, like all places it has changed over the years. The 70s was a great time to make the move to Hong Kong, particularly for the British and there were many opportunities in the Civil Service and Private Practice. Salaries were good and so were the extpatiate benefits such as a generous housing allowance and maids, car and driver, return trips home, medical etc. and the holidays were generous. There were plently of school places for expatriate children and the sports clubs were relatively cheap to join. There was relatively low pollution with blue skies almost every day. A good life was had by all.
That does still exist but like most things has changed. There are still expatriate packages to be had with the major companies but they are much less common than they were. It is much more common these days for an employee to be given a "package" which is a monthly payment which covers everything. This is ok for someone who knows the ropes in Hong Kong but can be a bit daunting for a new comer. Also there is now a shortage of school places for expatriate children. Part of the reason is not so much that there are less schools or even more children but that many locals now send their children to the "foreign" schools. Schooling is also very expensive and on a par with private schools in the UK and elsewhere. The biggest expense in Hong Kong, however, is housing. There is a very wide range in rentals from say HK$6,000 per month for a small 2 bed apartment in a remote location in the new territories up to HK$150,000 + for a spacious 4 bed house in a good location on the Island. However, most people would expect to pay somewhere between HK$30,000 to 60,000 per month for a 3/4 bed house / apartment suitable for a medium sized family. The private sports clubs are also quite expensive can cost between HK$100,000 to 200,000 just to join. Many have waiting lists of several years. If you are only staying for 2 years its probably not worth it but if you stay for 10 years probably is. The problem is that when you arrive you really dont know how long you will be staying.
The public transport system in Hong Kong is second to none. The roads are relatively smooth running except for Central & Causway Bay which is always busy even in the middle of the night.
The nightlife is good. Its a 24 hour city. There are bars and restaurants for everyones taste and budget.
There is more to Hong Kong than the City. There are vast areas of country park with many remote hiking and walking trails with stunning scenery and some of the most fantastic beaches in the world which are only accessible by foot or by boat.
So in answer to your question, yes Hong Kong can bring happiness
However, like all places it has changed over the years. The 70s was a great time to make the move to Hong Kong, particularly for the British and there were many opportunities in the Civil Service and Private Practice. Salaries were good and so were the extpatiate benefits such as a generous housing allowance and maids, car and driver, return trips home, medical etc. and the holidays were generous. There were plently of school places for expatriate children and the sports clubs were relatively cheap to join. There was relatively low pollution with blue skies almost every day. A good life was had by all.
That does still exist but like most things has changed. There are still expatriate packages to be had with the major companies but they are much less common than they were. It is much more common these days for an employee to be given a "package" which is a monthly payment which covers everything. This is ok for someone who knows the ropes in Hong Kong but can be a bit daunting for a new comer. Also there is now a shortage of school places for expatriate children. Part of the reason is not so much that there are less schools or even more children but that many locals now send their children to the "foreign" schools. Schooling is also very expensive and on a par with private schools in the UK and elsewhere. The biggest expense in Hong Kong, however, is housing. There is a very wide range in rentals from say HK$6,000 per month for a small 2 bed apartment in a remote location in the new territories up to HK$150,000 + for a spacious 4 bed house in a good location on the Island. However, most people would expect to pay somewhere between HK$30,000 to 60,000 per month for a 3/4 bed house / apartment suitable for a medium sized family. The private sports clubs are also quite expensive can cost between HK$100,000 to 200,000 just to join. Many have waiting lists of several years. If you are only staying for 2 years its probably not worth it but if you stay for 10 years probably is. The problem is that when you arrive you really dont know how long you will be staying.
The public transport system in Hong Kong is second to none. The roads are relatively smooth running except for Central & Causway Bay which is always busy even in the middle of the night.
The nightlife is good. Its a 24 hour city. There are bars and restaurants for everyones taste and budget.
There is more to Hong Kong than the City. There are vast areas of country park with many remote hiking and walking trails with stunning scenery and some of the most fantastic beaches in the world which are only accessible by foot or by boat.
So in answer to your question, yes Hong Kong can bring happiness
