19 or under
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50+
I used to work as an export sales manager in the UK in the mid 90s and used to travel 6 or 7 times per year to SEA and frequently to HK. I was in my early 30's at the time and always enjoyed trips to the Far East although HK was one of my least favorite places. I considered it noisy and just too busy and only used to stay here a few days then fly on to another country in the region only too glad for a change of scenery.
Come the back end of 1996 and the Asian Financial Crisis everything changed dramatically across SEA and in HK it was worse because of the lack of confidence in the handover in 1997.
I lost my job in UK in late 1996 due to the swift demise in the amount of business we had in SEA and as big a blow as that was to me, I always wanted to live and work full-time in Asia but never thought I would end up in HK.
I remember in the mid-90s there appeared to be many more Gweilos around and I have met some 'Old China hands' here these past few years who came in the early 90s with only a couple of suitcases and found casual work in bars. The general consensus amongst them was that it was much easier then to find work (especially for Brits) and many ended up staying.
I may be wrong (and I apologise if I am) but I believe pre-1997 Brits did not need work permits to take employment in HK?
pre-97, they did not need them. one of the advantages of being a british colony...oops... sorry, TERRITORY!
i luckily have both canadian and british passports, so i did earn a few extra dollars working in a pub for 3 years or so.
Indeed - SARS was 2003 so a decade ago was well pre-SARS.
I arrived at 19 y old in hong kong 10 years ago, the economic of Hong Kong was not that good and the immigration gave me a lot of headache to get my visa, even i had all diplomat and experience for the job i was seeking for.