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

[Mat]

the hiking/trail running was a big part of why i wanted to move here.
not the top reason, but top 5, for sure.

It's not the reason why I moved here but it definitely is one of the main reason I still kinda like HK, despite all its flaws (and they are many - pollution being a major one, if not the main for me)

[snoopy1234]

Some expats taking up PR in Singapore sometimes don't realise that their PR son(s) get a good dose of discipline through the compulsory National Service when they come of age.

How to avoid national service in Singapore

Singapore Dissident: Singapore. How to avoid national service (Disclaimer 02/06/2014)

[HK_Katherine]

the hiking/trail running was a big part of why i wanted to move here.
not the top reason, but top 5, for sure.

My prerequisite for the move was that there was mountains and hiking. I assumed (like many, I suspect) that there was none in HK and only agreed to come here on production of the CountrySide series of maps....

And I too hate the pollution and yes, it will probably be the reason we leave eventually. But having lived in 5 different countries now, I know that life only "looks" greener on the other side of the fence!

[Cho-man]

It's not the reason why I moved here but it definitely is one of the main reason I still kinda like HK, despite all its flaws (and they are many - pollution being a major one, if not the main for me)

Precisely.

Heck, I didn't even know there were so many hiking trails in the city when I first moved here. But once I realized that, I became an avid hiker. Some of the scenery from the hiking trails can make you forget you are in HK. Makes the city worth living for me, despite the pollution.

[LaowaiLulu]

Lao - have you fully researched giving up US citizenship? You have to continue to file taxes for 5 years after renouncing and you basically be blacklisted from ever returning to live in the US. It really only works for the extremely wealthy.

Do you really make enough money as a pilot/stay at home mom (just guessing as you said you have been indoors with your kid all week) to justify this? As in significantly more than the $100K that's tax free for overseas residents plus the deductions for housing and living expenses?

I wouldn't plan where to live based on renunciation alone, if that's the appeal of Singapore. There are other considerations. Your daughter may wish to go work or study in the US one day and giving up your citizenship will make that more challenging. Our real estate agent in HK studied in the US and was not able to get a work visa to stay, she is still upset about it...

Really is only one reason. We are still looking into all the possibilities. We oppose the war big time and hate that our money is financing it (among other things).

Back home I worked in legal setting (and with HK and SIN using English in court I'm planning on going back as soon as DD starts school -hopefully in september).... But still. I'd like to go back but there's no way I can drag husband back to the US (at least for now). We are looking for a place to Settle.

Like Katherine, I've lived in 3 countries so far (does that make us serial expats?) but haven't found home. I know SIN has plenty of faults, but there are some things that I can give up more easily than others.

We are still young and have the energy to roam the world

[Dankleness]

Curious, OP? So you just decide to go ahead and post on an internet forum? What nerve! Who do you think you are anyways? People obviously have much better things to do, sheeeesh.

[Cho-man]

Really is only one reason. We are still looking into all the possibilities. We oppose the war big time and hate that our money is financing it (among other things).

Back home I worked in legal setting (and with HK and SIN using English in court I'm planning on going back as soon as DD starts school -hopefully in september).... But still. I'd like to go back but there's no way I can drag husband back to the US (at least for now). We are looking for a place to Settle.

Like Katherine, I've lived in 3 countries so far (does that make us serial expats?) but haven't found home. I know SIN has plenty of faults, but there are some things that I can give up more easily than others.

We are still young and have the energy to roam the world

Why not become Canadians instead? We are not a war-mongering country. We have a relatively liberal inclusive culture and we don't force your kids to join the military (like in Singapore).

[bookblogger]

Why?

Tung Chung has dozens and dozens of Trails for example at its doorsteps.

I know you don't like new towns but you can easily live in TC (enjoy convenience of the mall for shopping and all) while enjoying magnificent nature at your doorstep. I know many top trail runners for example who do.

You dont have to live in the woods to enjoy nature.

Not attacking your choice, Mat, that is fine. Just making the more general observation that if the OP is miserable in Tung Chung, it might be worth moving to a different part of HK.

I can't really see the wisdom of moving thousands of miles around the world just to live in a grey tower block in Tung Chung or Tseung Kwan O, surrounded by highways and roundabouts. If I did that, I would also be miserable. As a new resident, I would want to live right in the middle of the bustle in the more interesting older parts of the city, say Tin Hau or Yau Ma Tei, or out in the villages with more space and better air, like Sai Kung or the outlying islands. A better experience all round.

[LaowaiLulu]

Why not become Canadians instead? We are not a war-mongering country. We have a relatively liberal inclusive culture and we don't force your kids to join the military (like in Singapore).

Boy do we love Canada Been to Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal and Halifax (call me crazy but Halifax is my favorite of all)..

Guess no job opportunities there so far... But yes I love all that about Canada, and more. Poutines...

[LaowaiLulu]

Original Post Deleted

Yup, exactly the reason we moved here!