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Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Old May 27th 2006, 10:03 pm
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Question Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Hi There,

My Family and I are considering a move to Hong Kong. We are currently living in Auckland, New Zealand(originally from London). Could anyone give me advice on what living there as a family is like? The children are 11, 8, 6 and 1. I am worried that it would be a culture shock for them after living in the relative quietness of Auckland!! Is the pollution really that bad?

Would you be able to find accommodation in a quieter area with a garden or does everyone live in apartments?

Any help/ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks Mandy.
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Old May 29th 2006, 12:22 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Amanda,

First of all, have you ever set foot in Hong Kong? If not, are you going there for work?? If so, I hope that your employer is paying you well because life in HK is TOTALLY different from NZ. You will need to financial "compensation" to justify the sacrifice that you will be making for the move to HK. Imagine this, there are 6 million inhabitants squeezing themselves in a tiny Island. Unless you are a multimillionaire, you can forget about living in a house with a garden. A typical HK apartment is approx 600+ sqft. That is only gross living area. You will have to discount another 20% (minus the common area i.e. lift, corridor....) in order to obtain the nett living area of your apt. Just picture squeezing your family into a 500 sqft apartment. Impossible??? Well! That is what a typical HK family is doing. A decent 1200 sqft (gross living area) apartment in HK will cost HKD6-8 million. Don't quite know the rate of rental.....

And yes.... pollution is BAD. It is caused by the industries across mainland China. I heard the Chinese govt is doing something about it. HK is a place that I will bring my family for a holiday and food. I have no intentions to stay there permanently, not even if my employer up my salary 10 times!!! To me, the stress, the pollution level, people pushing people to get into the train, ....etc. It is just NOT worth it.
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Old May 29th 2006, 6:26 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Thanks- an interesting opinion from someone in KL!

The only thing the guy above did say which was correct is that HK is different to Auckland. Moving from there with 4 kids would be a major undertaking. I would suggest that if the company is serious about sending you here then you should come and have a look first. There are many factors to take into consideration and HK is loved by many, many expats and locals alike.
Pollution is a big issue here but is only bad at certain times, there are times when the air is very fresh and visibility great. Accomodation plays a large role in the amount of pollution you are subjected to. If you live on the built-up waterfront areas such as Central, Wanchai, North Point, TST etc you will experiance much more than the more open areas such as Stanley, Pokfulam, Lamma, Discovery Bay etc, etc. Where you live will play a large role in where your office is too.
Instead of me going on, visit sites such as www.geoexpat.com and search some topics you are interested in- there you will also find a good resources section for prices of flats, cars, things to do etc. We moved here from Dubai and love it!
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Old May 29th 2006, 11:36 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Originally Posted by Desert Dweller
Thanks- an interesting opinion from someone in KL!

The only thing the guy above did say which was correct is that HK is different to Auckland. Moving from there with 4 kids would be a major undertaking. I would suggest that if the company is serious about sending you here then you should come and have a look first. There are many factors to take into consideration and HK is loved by many, many expats and locals alike.
Pollution is a big issue here but is only bad at certain times, there are times when the air is very fresh and visibility great. Accomodation plays a large role in the amount of pollution you are subjected to. If you live on the built-up waterfront areas such as Central, Wanchai, North Point, TST etc you will experiance much more than the more open areas such as Stanley, Pokfulam, Lamma, Discovery Bay etc, etc. Where you live will play a large role in where your office is too.
Instead of me going on, visit sites such as www.geoexpat.com and search some topics you are interested in- there you will also find a good resources section for prices of flats, cars, things to do etc. We moved here from Dubai and love it!
Thanks for the advice. Went on the site which you mentioned and found it extremely informative.
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Old Jun 3rd 2006, 2:14 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

A lot of people are contemplating a move 'out' of Hong Kong due to pollution/ health concerns.
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Old Jun 12th 2006, 5:52 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Originally Posted by Desert Dweller
Thanks- an interesting opinion from someone in KL!

The only thing the guy above did say which was correct is that HK is different to Auckland. Moving from there with 4 kids would be a major undertaking. I would suggest that if the company is serious about sending you here then you should come and have a look first. There are many factors to take into consideration and HK is loved by many, many expats and locals alike.
Pollution is a big issue here but is only bad at certain times, there are times when the air is very fresh and visibility great. Accomodation plays a large role in the amount of pollution you are subjected to. If you live on the built-up waterfront areas such as Central, Wanchai, North Point, TST etc you will experiance much more than the more open areas such as Stanley, Pokfulam, Lamma, Discovery Bay etc, etc. Where you live will play a large role in where your office is too.
Instead of me going on, visit sites such as www.geoexpat.com and search some topics you are interested in- there you will also find a good resources section for prices of flats, cars, things to do etc. We moved here from Dubai and love it!

It always amazes me that when people talk about HK they only mention the island.
We stayed there for six years and only lived in the New Territories, up in Fo Tan in Sha Tin where you could get frost in the winter and out in the countryside park, north of Sai Kung where we had and enjoyed a nice garden.
We didn't have children then.
No problem getting to work for me even though at one time I had a 50 minute drive out to as west as you can go west in the NTs.
My wife with no car didn't mind the public transport getting to work and later on with her volunteer job with Mother's Choice which she really really enjoyed.

OK one of the great things about HK is the social side which is not so easy when you aren't on the island but it's easy to make your own 'scene' locally and go onto the island maybe once a week.

As for the pollution. Well NZ and Australia excepted anywhere in the world today has pollution problems. Smoking will damage your health more than the pollution, IMO.

KIds/cultural shock. Well kids settle in much easier than us. From what our friends experienced with their kids then they had no problems at all. Even though for one or two of them it was their first time overseas.

Thing about HK is you have to work and work really hard.
But the rewards are great.
We wouldn't have missed it for the world.
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Old Jun 13th 2006, 2:12 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

I don't live on Hong Kong island either and enjoy the greenery, quietitude and comparitive cleanliness of the air outside the city where I spend my day working.
With 4 kids you definitely wouldn't want to be in the heart of the city due to space restrictions alone. A big village house in the Sai Kung area, Discovery bay, Lamma, Gold Coast or Southside.
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Old Aug 24th 2006, 6:06 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Originally Posted by ex reg
It always amazes me that when people talk about HK they only mention the island.
We stayed there for six years and only lived in the New Territories, up in Fo Tan in Sha Tin where you could get frost in the winter and out in the countryside park, north of Sai Kung where we had and enjoyed a nice garden.
We didn't have children then.
HK Island is for pampered expats...Kowloon and NT is where the real people live

I miss Sha Tin racecourse.
 
Old Sep 7th 2006, 1:14 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Amanda
I have lived in Hong Kong for twelve years. Loved it for ten years until my son was born.
I then began to look at this place through his eyes. Filthy air almost all year. Very hot and humid.
Limited resources for kids of all ages.
Cramped living conditions and a completely different culture.
I have tried to raise my little boy here on my own as my wife is always working. Our marriage is failing and all I want is to return to the UK and get away from here.
My advice to anyone wanting to live in HK is this: Don't bother.
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Old Sep 7th 2006, 8:14 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

...no it's not raining in this picture!
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Old Oct 19th 2006, 6:03 am
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

If you were single or a couple without kids then I would say go for it, we have just left HK after 8 years and had a great time there for the 4 years we didn't have kids, the money was great and the travelling we did was fantastic. With Kids however it is a different story. We lived in a 1000sq ft apartment which was under renovations for the last year of us being there we couldn't even use the tiny balcony we had for that time. We lived on Lantau Island in Discovery Bay which is one of the easier places to live with kids, there are no cars allowed there however and it is a 25 min ferry ride to HK island so your live is ruled by bus and ferry timetables. The schools all have waiting lists and even if you do get in they will cost you a fortune. I loved our time in HK and so did the kids whilst they were there but they didn't know any different, they absolutely love NZ, they have a massive house with a garden and are starting to act like the locals by refusing to wear shoes to school!
One other thing we love about being here is the relaxed workplaces, my husband is a teacher and would regularly work until 9pm, in fact the only time the kids ever saw him was in the holidays as he had to take on a weekend job to in HK. Here in NZ he is at home before 4pm and we have family time for the first time ever.
It's your choice but I would visit before making any decicions.
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Old Oct 24th 2006, 12:45 pm
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

I spent some time in Hong Kong just over ten years ago so I guess things are different now it is the hands of the Chinese.

My personal experience was completely positive. I loved the place. It was vibrant and exciting and you could feel and see the 'anyone can be a millionaire if they try' attitude everywhere. Nightlife was expensive but better than anything else in Asia and there was a great transport system.

If twelve years ago it was very expensive then god only knows what it is like now. I agree with one of your other posts about the house and garden, you're talking serious money there. I found the best place for a family would have been one of the islands. I had a friend who lived on Lantow (forget the spelling) and worked in HK Central. She had a nice little place and lived in a nice environment.

My one complaint, except it used be awash with American school kids with too much money and bad attitudes during the holidays, was the food. I can't stand Cantonese food. But there's such variety of food that's a small point. The other point of negativity was that nice as the locals are when you befriend them they are miserable buggers in general. Not a place where people smile a lot (my experience).

Surely worth paying a visit first to check things for yourself.

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Originally Posted by Amanda
Hi There,

My Family and I are considering a move to Hong Kong. We are currently living in Auckland, New Zealand(originally from London). Could anyone give me advice on what living there as a family is like? The children are 11, 8, 6 and 1. I am worried that it would be a culture shock for them after living in the relative quietness of Auckland!! Is the pollution really that bad?

Would you be able to find accommodation in a quieter area with a garden or does everyone live in apartments?

Any help/ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks Mandy.
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Old Nov 15th 2006, 12:40 pm
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Default Re: Contemplating a move to Hong Kong

Here are a couple of helpful sites
www.asiaxpat.com
www.gohome.com.hk

Because I have been here over four years and with HK being so transient I am classed as an old timer therefore please PM me if you need More help.
v
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