Leaving HK - things you missed

[TeachHK]

Haven't done the move so can't really comment, but...

Good luck with it.

For me the biggest shocker was Finding that some shops shut at 5pm when I'm used to 10pm or later in HK.

That's always a big shock for me when I'm in the UK. That and the town centre is dead by 5 o'clock. Oh, and there are not restaurants to go to at 9pm as they've all stopped serving food. Though TBF I'm from a relatively small town.

[huja]

After HKIA and Airport Express, just about every other Western airport will feel like a remote bus depot in a third would country.

The cables, accessories and little electronic gadgets you pick up for next to nothing in the computer centers will be marked up many times at the retailers back home.

Lots of repatriated expats "suffer" as they have to get reacquainted with washing their own clothes, cleaning their own bathrooms and minding their own children on a full-time basis.

[hullexile]

Covered-ish; what problems did you have? We've submitted the application to the council with our preferred schools (which seem to have places) and they said, over the phone, that they'd accept our accommodation situation (not being able to provide actual proof as we're not in the country, but having a place lined up)

No places, not only in the two nearest schools but in the entire city.

[Scousebanana]

I'm 18 months into a move from London to Hong Kong.

Good things about Hong Kong:
Everything is close by, feels safe, more of a 24/7 culture (though the centre of the big UK cities are still quite lively at night), shorter commute for most people, public transport is cheap and reliable, cheap to eat out, taxes are much lower, air con in the summer, helpers for childcare and domestic duties, less drunks

Good things about London
More space (though much more in the regions), air is cleaner (just), general public more considerate (e.g. holding doors open rather than letting them go in your face), heating in the winter, easier to buy high quality fresh food (e.g. organic meat) to cook at home, education system more balanced (but getting your children into the better schools can be almost as hard as it is here), more multi-cultural, more cultural options for theatre, concerts, shows etc.

[jgl]

Good things about London
More space (though much more in the regions), air is cleaner (just), general public more considerate (e.g. holding doors open rather than letting them go in your face), heating in the winter, easier to buy high quality fresh food (e.g. organic meat) to cook at home, education system more balanced (but getting your children into the better schools can be almost as hard as it is here), more multi-cultural, more cultural options for theatre, concerts, shows etc.

Has air in London really gotten that bad? I lived there fifteen or so years ago and it seemed perfectly okay then.

[merchantms]

Has air in London really gotten that bad? I lived there fifteen or so years ago and it seemed perfectly okay then.

We left in 2015 and there were a few days that rivalled a January in Hong Kong. Eyes burning, coughing, etc. Only a few though, generally it's much better for the vast majority of the year.

[jgl]

We left in 2015 and there were a few days that rivalled a January in Hong Kong. Eyes burning, coughing, etc. Only a few though, generally it's much better for the vast majority of the year.

If it's only a few days a year, I'm guessing it's strongly related to freak wind conditions rather than an obvious and relatively new pollution source?

In HK it's pretty easy to point north (ignoring local roadside problems) but I find it difficult to imagine that a load of coal-fired plants have sprung up just outside the M23.

Perhaps it did get bad when I lived there, and I was just too preoccupied with the horrendous weather

[HowardCoombs]

Has air in London really gotten that bad? I lived there fifteen or so years ago and it seemed perfectly okay then.

Its not as bad as here, but its also not particularly good.

See the date of this article :
Heatwave causes Sadiq Khan to issue London-wide emergency air quality alert | London Evening Standard

[jgl]

The photo and caption "A smoggy day in London town: the capital is one of the most polluted places on the planet" is a bit OTT compared to what we regularly see out here!

[HowardCoombs]

The photo and caption "A smoggy day in London town: the capital is one of the most polluted places on the planet" is a bit OTT compared to what we regularly see out here!

*smile*
Well, they do have to sell papers now....
*smile*

But the statistics and the numbers are easily found online. Similar to many western big cities, not as bad as what we get here but its not the mecca that many assume them to be....