Staying "Not Bored" in Hong Kong - 2021 "Its Still Hot" Edition...

seirin · 17-09-2021, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Elegiaque:

- Bored.

People tell me go out and do stuff when I tell them I'm bored as hell - as if it's my fault I don't find anything exciting (38 degrees centigrade temperatures whoopeedoo - lets go out and catch heat stroke!!!). What's more obvious is that it's a sign of mental health deteriorating - and I'm not really sure how much longer I can continue on like this.

Elegiaque · 17-09-2021, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by seirin:

People tell me go out and do stuff when I tell them I'm bored as hell - as if it's my fault I don't find anything exciting (38 degrees centigrade temperatures whoopeedoo - lets go out and catch heat stroke!!!). What's more obvious is that it's a sign of mental health deteriorating - and I'm not really sure how much longer I can continue on like this.

Yes, exactly! I guess we really motivated ourselves around trips, whether visits home or holidays, OUT of Hong Kong...

It's annoying being stuck here with beautiful blue skies and vibrant green hills and, well, a sense of we can't enjoy it (hills killed my knees anyway).

I'm trying to focus on learning instead. It's all a bit of a struggle.

It's really sad when your nighttime dreams become about traveling and being somewhere else. It's the only way to mentally not be in Hong Kong.

Skyhook · 17-09-2021, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by Elegiaque:

Yes, exactly! I guess we really motivated ourselves around trips, whether visits home or holidays, OUT of Hong Kong...

It's annoying being stuck here with beautiful blue skies and vibrant green hills and, well, a sense of we can't enjoy it (hills killed my knees anyway).

I'm trying to focus on learning instead. It's all a bit of a struggle.

It's really sad when your nighttime dreams become about traveling and being somewhere else. It's the only way to mentally not be in Hong Kong.

Funny, last night I had a dream of being on a business class flight, enjoying a nicely chilled cosmopolitan at the bar during maintained cruise on an A380 last night, but will have to settle for one of our legendary Queensland camping trips with a group of 14 of me best mates during the September school holidays.

I have accumulated quite a lot of camping gear since we moved, my kids love it and I enjoy getting nicely lubricated with 14 of me besties that we go camping with, for a week of laughter and good times.

Our 5th camping trip away this year and pretty thankful that Queensland hasn't been affected too much by Covid restrictions compared to Melbourne and Sydney which really are a bit of a shit sandwich. So, no complaints from me.

I hear what you are saying though, Hong Kong is awesome when you can fly out to more pleasant environs to detox from its hectic nature every once and a while, not so great when one cant, which I agree would suck.

Plutark · 17-09-2021, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Elegiaque:

Well, I can't buy a property at $2 million and ensure the rent would cover a mortgage. For those of us who have arrived just in 2012 and after (PR tax), I don't think Hong Kong has offered those golden opportunities other expats experienced when they arrived before, grabbed a property, made a good salary and now have flexibility.

All these things point to a housing bubble crash. At least logically I cannot see the sense of trying to make Hong Kong a permanent base when it's so difficult to buy. It is yet another motivating factor to leave. At least we earned good salaries and have cash. Now, though, we can't even travel to other countries to secure a mortgage/home with our current jobs. These are financial disadvantages at our mid-age.

My list for planning to leave within a year:
- Cannot realistically own a decent property.
- Bored.
- Don't like the fear of living under the NSL (if I had been in that American lawyer's position, I probably would have done the same as him...)
- Don't feel Hong Kong could be a long-time home like it has been for those who arrived earlier.
- I'm kind of pissed off with Hong Kong and the personal sacrifices that have hit me this past year. Need a fresh start.
- I'm fed up with the "rules apply according to my power" approach in this city, which obviously has major implications, but can also be felt in just petty daily things.

While the work is still good here, and the pay perhaps the best in the world, it's just not worth it.

(Sorry, I'm really down... been hard times...)

Cheer up buddy. I can feel the anxiety around in HK ever since it's getting hard to visit family (impossible in my case.

I have two kids 19 and 4 months, zero intention in having them in the HK schooling system.

I did leave HK for a few months to leave somewhere else, it ended up not working out but it felt like a holiday. I came back to get my PR as I had a year or two left. Now it's useless after the protest/covid I feel.

For me the reasons why I would leave other than the education system are:

- Pollution
- Dryer and warmer weather all year
- The overall apathy here
- The fact you need to have ton of money to buy a place
- The increasingly decaying level of English
- The fear of technology, everything is 10 years behind
- A raising hatred for foreigners

jgl · 17-09-2021, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by seirin:

People tell me go out and do stuff when I tell them I'm bored as hell - as if it's my fault I don't find anything exciting (38 degrees centigrade temperatures whoopeedoo - lets go out and catch heat stroke!!!). What's more obvious is that it's a sign of mental health deteriorating - and I'm not really sure how much longer I can continue on like this.

Going out and 'doing stuff' presumably in the great outdoors gets a bit samey very quickly. Did so much hiking in 2020, some weeks would go out every second day as I live next to a network of unmarked trails. By the time it warmed up in 2021, have almost no desire to hike anywhere.

Wow, this thread has taken a really cheerful turn, hasn't it.

Rachel_ · 17-09-2021, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Elegiaque:

Yes, exactly! I guess we really motivated ourselves around trips, whether visits home or holidays, OUT of Hong Kong...

It's annoying being stuck here with beautiful blue skies and vibrant green hills and, well, a sense of we can't enjoy it (hills killed my knees anyway).

I'm trying to focus on learning instead. It's all a bit of a struggle.

It's really sad when your nighttime dreams become about traveling and being somewhere else. It's the only way to mentally not be in Hong Kong.

Exactly. I remember saying oh Hong Kong itself is okay but it's fine because you can just take a holiday any time! Well now some people have been stuck on this island for 2 years with zero signs that it will be opened up again soon. If travel is important to you that's a big chunk of wasted time.

We are planning to head to Dubai, similar tax-free expat lifestyle but borders completely open.

alexdown · 17-09-2021, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by jgl:

Going out and 'doing stuff' presumably in the great outdoors gets a bit samey very quickly. Did so much hiking in 2020, some weeks would go out every second day as I live next to a network of unmarked trails. By the time it warmed up in 2021, have almost no desire to hike anywhere.

Wow, this thread has taken a really cheerful turn, hasn't it.

In my experience, you get tired after doing all the trails multiple times.. (takes way more than a year though

)
then you move to other things. Stream hiking, coasteering, caving during the season. Dragonboat, OC, sailing.
The location is the same, the activity is different.

I personally still, after years, find new things to do and enjoy in the HK outdoors.

jgl · 17-09-2021, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by alexdown:

In my experience, you get tired after doing all the trails multiple times.. (takes way more than a year though

)
then you move to other things. Stream hiking, coasteering, caving during the season. Dragonboat, OC, sailing.
The location is the same, the activity is different.

I personally still, after years, find new things to do and enjoy in the HK outdoors.

I have done all those activities fairly extensively + climbing + cycling in my time here (except dragonboating, which seemed a bit pointless next to OC.)

Rowing is probably the only new activity I'd like to do on a regular basis (I enjoyed it more than outrigger), but the logistics for that are a bit impractical.