I've HAD IT with Hong Kong... Advice? Wanna move to Singapore.

[LaowaiLulu]

That thread led me to this:

Work passes and permits

Maybe there is a chance to get a PEP? I'll look into all of this tomorrow, as it is almost 2 am and I'm exhausted

Thank you again

[ray98]

If you think there is good air quality anywhere in HK you have been there too long.

Ok, may be I should have said "good compared to TC".

But yep, I have lived there for actually 12 years, played football once a week, swam 50 lengths of the Ma On Shan pool twice a week during summers, went biking on the Tolo harbour often - I'm still here and not wheezing or asthmatic, and haven't noticed anyone wearing masks (before the current flu outbreak). In fact, didn't notice any difference to the air in the UK when I first came back (but may be because it wasn't something I would think about).

Ok, out of respect for the OP, not going to hijack this thread with a side topic .... apologies to the OP, was just trying to give you a easier alternative to think about given you like HK so much.

[cetsi]

Still off-topic, but... I have been wondering if there is any real evidence for the common idea that Tung Chung has worse air pollution than other areas. I understand that Tung Chung is supposed to be closer to the factories across the border, but if you look at the figures for Tung Chung, they seem pretty similar to those for other parts of the New Territories. There are occasional days when Tung Chung is definitely much worse than other places, but these days happen maybe a dozen times per year. (I also live in the Ma On Shan area, and I certainly wouldn't recommend anybody move here for the air quality unless they currently live on the sidewalk in Mong Kok.)

[bookblogger]

Moving out of Tung Chung would be like taking off a pair of overly tight shoes -- everything in life would seem better as a result. Try that first!

[drumbrake]

Doesn't Singapore also have a pollution problem (although different to the one that HK experiences).

BBC - Future - The choking problem of Asia’s air pollution

[Elegiaque]

Do you have all those purifiers because your family has a reaction to the pollution or because you just read the ratings and know it's bad?

[jgl]

Apologies in advance but this isn't addressing your question.

There is an easier solution - try moving out of Tung Chung which is notorious for its air pollution.

The area around Ma On Shan and Tai Po has good air quality (not based on any official figures, just my experience of living there for over 10 years). May seem far but a lot closer than the Pore.

I really wish people would stop with this ridiculous line of justification. If you ever pay attention to AQI stats across HK, you would realise that the idea of air in certain areas being 'good' or even significantly 'better' is just wishful thinking.

There are some stations that report consistently higher pollution counts, but they are CWB, SSP and Mongkok, which are all heavily congested and with poor airflow. Eastern HK usually reports slightly lower than other stations on the island. Kwai Chung is consistently bad for SO2.

I used to look at station data on a daily basis, for the better part of the year. I never noticed any of the stations being consistently 'good'. Just that some were less shit than others. And I never noticed the Shatin/Tai Po readings to be any better than average. I kept hearing this, so I actually paid attentiona and looked at numbers.

For years I have heard people say that air in the NT is better, or that air in Saikung is better, or that air around Tung Chung is bad because of the airport. This is simply wishful thinking, and putting your hand up and saying "I've been here for ten years and go outside every day" just means that your system is better at dealing with pollution, or that the effect of fine particulates just hasn't set in yet. It's like a smoker saying "I've smoked a pack a day all my life, so smoking must be fine for everyone".

[ray98]

OK, jgl, how about out of the 14 villages of Sap Sze Heung (with a good smattering of "at risk" groups like old fogies and kids), I have no knowledge of any one having respiratory problems blamed on pollution? Or are you going to argue that my observation should be qualified with a "yet" at the end? The area is my ancestral village, so I should know what I'm talking about.

[jgl]

Do you have all those purifiers because your family has a reaction to the pollution or because you just read the ratings and know it's bad?

I realise this was asked of the OP, but thought I'd answer this anyway.

I run purifiers because I use a particle counter to measure indoor air quality, because as the above post kind of gives away, I beleive in looking at data rather than relying on vague handwaving.

This morning, I checked the counter and air outside my apartment measured worse for particulates than standing directly outside Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Rd, which is famous for burning massive amounts of incense. If you're familiar with the incense-burning shrine that sits just off Lan Kwai Fong on Wo On Lane next to the Taco Truck, the air is within 10% of that.

Edit: I should add that I am running two air purifiers in my living room. Things bring inside air to 5-10% of the reading of outside air.

[jgl]

OK, jgl, how about out of the 14 villages of Sap Sze Heung (with a good smattering of "at risk" groups like old fogies and kids), I have no knowledge of any one having respiratory problems blamed on pollution? Or are you going to argue that my observation should be qualified with a "yet" at the end? The area is my ancestral village, so I should know what I'm talking about.

Pollution has been bad for 10 years. That's a short period of time for long term chronic illness to be kicking in. Air pollution also affects children more than adults- you're going to want to look at how many 10 year olds develop asthma when they are teenagers.

> The area is my ancestral village, so I should know what I'm talking about.

Ah, no, that is a terrible argument. That's one step away from superstition. This is like saying "my parents and grandparents always boiled water, so I have to boil water before drinking". Your previous generations didn't grow up as children blanketed in smog.