Leaving HK for the kids...

[justjoe86]

No, their perspective never changed. They came with a set of assumptions and they simply look for things to confirm it. Tell them to grow up.

Hahaha. Your logic is hilarious.

People move to Hong Kong in order to confirm negative assumptions about it?

You really think that?

"Hong Kong is shit. Let me move there and raise my family there to confirm that. Won't that be fun?"

[Coolboy]

Hahaha. Your logic is hilarious.

People move to Hong Kong in order to confirm negative assumptions about it?

You really think that?

"Hong Kong is shit. Let me move there and raise my family there to confirm that. Won't that be fun?"

People come to HK for all sort of reasons, but among a lot of them, the primary motive is money. As for actual place...some of them don't really care for it. Make enough $$$ and move to the next spot, where ever that may be.

[justjoe86]

People come to HK for all sort of reasons, but among a lot of them, the primary motive is money. As for actual place...some of them don't really care for.

So they got a new perspective.

Money isn't everything.

The fact they're willing to take a pay cut in order to leave is actually worth considering. It's not out of narrow-mindedness but due to experience. The quality of life elsewhere (for some people, according to their own value systems) is better even with less money.

I know if I move to the UK, I will initially take a pay cut. I also believe my daughter's quality of life will be better. This isn't a personal insult to Hong Kong. It's just my own decision and that of many others.

You're the one who brought a sarcastic and defensive tone to this discussion and painted people as villains simply for having an opinion. Anyway that's enough internet forum squabbling for me today. Go drop your fishing rod somewhere else.

[Coolboy]

So they got a new perspective.

Money isn't everything.

Yes...that can be in true in some cases, but in my experience, what I hear instead is that "HK is only a good place to make money and offers nothing else...my stay here has confirmed that".

[Coolboy]

So they got a new perspective.


I know if I move to the UK, I will initially take a pay cut. I also believe my daughter's quality of life will be better. This isn't a personal insult to Hong Kong. It's just my own decision and that of many others.

You're the one who brought a sarcastic and defensive tone to this discussion and painted people as villains simply for having an opinion. Anyway that's enough internet forum squabbling for me today. Go drop your fishing rod somewhere else.

Just to show you I am fair, I think you got a valid point there. Some of them do realize money isn't eveything. Of course, the credibility of a lot them saying that is undercut by the fact they are retiring and was going to move back anyway.

But in fairness I can admit there can be a few who aren't yet at retirement age saying that and I can believe they are genuine in their belief, albeit they might not be in the majority.

[Aramis]

The fact they're willing to take a pay cut in order to leave is actually worth considering. It's not out of narrow-mindedness but due to experience. The quality of life elsewhere (for some people, according to their own value systems) is better even with less money.

I know if I move to the UK, I will initially take a pay cut. I also believe my daughter's quality of life will be better. This isn't a personal insult to Hong Kong. It's just my own decision and that of many others.

I certainly agree that this is all true for some but it is not an objective truth for everyone. I fully understand and respect the families that leave to give their kids a taste of home and something different. There is definitely value in it. There are also families that deem their quality of life and experiences will be better in HK for their own reasons and they are also in my opinion just as justified.

What can be annoying is when people project their own decisions and values on a whole situation and appear to declare that their choice is objectively the better one regardless.

[HK_Katherine]

I think there are often a lot of social pressures to have kids and it's just "what you do" in your mid-age. But I notice there are more and more people who aren't really interested in parenting, perhaps because there are indeed so many alternative opportunities for women nowadays.

Again, it comes off as kind of sad that people have chosen to have kids but come across as if they are more of a nuisance to planning daily life.

I don't deny having kids in Hong Kong, or any of these "world's most expensive cities", would be very tough, especially if you want the benefit of two incomes. But that's not the reality for the rest of the world...

I wish people would just be more open to considering alternatives to becoming biological parents. I think the 21st century needs a radical rethinking of what "parenting" means and alternative ways to fulfill those desires.

I just wish people would not assume that just because you don't have kids of your own, you don't know anything about them! As you note, plenty of ways to get to know kids other than giving birth to them.

[justjoe86]

Moving away from the squabbling and to the actual debate... I think one of the ironies is that a lot of people move to HK for money, but leave because they don't want their kids living in such a money-orientated environment. We want our kids to realise there's more out there than a fat pay-cheque and a Gucci bag, and sometimes in HK that's a struggle.

Also safety, and in turn extreme risk aversion (both health and financial). We all want to be safe, but should we avoid all risk in pursuit of miniscule increments of safety, at times at the expense of enjoyment and upside? Sometimes that's another aspect I think HK is too conservative with.

These and many other factors are just scales where you sit somewhere between 0 and 10, and I happen to be closer to the UK side. Also, I would like my daughter to be exposed to more variety of opinion during her childhood. It's not a criticism to those who are at the other end of the scale... just a choice.

Oh and the number one reason for me moving back to the UK... family

[hullexile]

I just wish people would not assume that just because you don't have kids of your own, you don't know anything about them! As you note, plenty of ways to get to know kids other than giving birth to them.

But probably best not to tell parents how to raise their kids, that is when you get flack.

[TheBrit]

I just wish people would not assume that just because you don't have kids of your own, you don't know anything about them!

You don't know anything about human beings in general, let alone the subset of young human beings!!