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Anyone else having trouble deciding if they like living in HK or not?

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  1. #11

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    Mar 2007
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    What you are feeling is culture shock. It's completely normal. I went through the same thing when I moved to Kuala LUmpur 15 years ago - and I HATED the place. Some expats around me loved it; many of us hated it.

    When I came to HK 5 years ago, i expected to hate it. I don't like big cities and I didn't like Asia the last time I lived here. But I love it here. Odd eh?

    I think the difference is nothing to do with KL or HK. It's all to do with ME. I'm much more flexible that I used to be. I'm much more capable of ignoring the things I don't like (like the stupid women doing the shopping, the luxury stores, the pushing and shoving, in fact most of what you listed!) and much more capable of finding something that I do enjoy and getting on with it.

    I enjoy hiking and have found that the hiking meetup group was a great thing to discover. Finding that HK is full of empty, beautiful hikes, beaches and places with no people, or shops yet easy to access was a godsend. I found serenity and like-minded people. At the same time, after living for 10 years in Australia and NZ, I really do appreciate being closer to the "centre" of the world again and only a 12 hour or less flight from most places, rather than a 24 hour flight. There are SO many short trips you can do here - it's a paradise.

    I love the fact that I can sleep or read or surf geo on my bus to work, rather than having to deal with NZ drivers. So there is plenty to love.

    You just need to see it. You need to focus on the good, and ignore the bad. Folks like Dear Giant appear unable to ignore the bad. They whinge about it on here all the time. I'm not saying it does not exist, nor that we couldn't try to improve HK - every so often I try. But to be happy, relaxed and enjoy the place, some selective vision is essential, and accepting what you cannot change is essential too.

    The locals en mass are a weird bunch - money orientated, pushing and shoving, morons in general. But each of them individually is often kind, interesting and fun - it's a strange dichotomy! So learn to choose what to focus on, relax, find something you enjoy doing, get to know people and you'll enjoy HK too.


  2. #12

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Kent, England
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    6,728
    Quote Originally Posted by Kat27:
    Thanks… Goodluck with your new venture!
    Thank you, hoping to come back soon!
    Moving's post is great, by the way.

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
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    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    What you are feeling is culture shock. It's completely normal. I went through the same thing when I moved to Kuala LUmpur 15 years ago - and I HATED the place. Some expats around me loved it; many of us hated it.

    When I came to HK 5 years ago, i expected to hate it. I don't like big cities and I didn't like Asia the last time I lived here. But I love it here. Odd eh?

    I think the difference is nothing to do with KL or HK. It's all to do with ME. I'm much more flexible that I used to be. I'm much more capable of ignoring the things I don't like (like the stupid women doing the shopping, the luxury stores, the pushing and shoving, in fact most of what you listed!) and much more capable of finding something that I do enjoy and getting on with it.

    I enjoy hiking and have found that the hiking meetup group was a great thing to discover. Finding that HK is full of empty, beautiful hikes, beaches and places with no people, or shops yet easy to access was a godsend. I found serenity and like-minded people. At the same time, after living for 10 years in Australia and NZ, I really do appreciate being closer to the "centre" of the world again and only a 12 hour or less flight from most places, rather than a 24 hour flight. There are SO many short trips you can do here - it's a paradise.

    I love the fact that I can sleep or read or surf geo on my bus to work, rather than having to deal with NZ drivers. So there is plenty to love.

    You just need to see it. You need to focus on the good, and ignore the bad. Folks like Dear Giant appear unable to ignore the bad. They whinge about it on here all the time. I'm not saying it does not exist, nor that we couldn't try to improve HK - every so often I try. But to be happy, relaxed and enjoy the place, some selective vision is essential, and accepting what you cannot change is essential too.

    The locals en mass are a weird bunch - money orientated, pushing and shoving, morons in general. But each of them individually is often kind, interesting and fun - it's a strange dichotomy! So learn to choose what to focus on, relax, find something you enjoy doing, get to know people and you'll enjoy HK too.
    *** LIKE ***

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    6,317

    I think being at the 6 month mark is hard. But the question is, did you like it at 3 months? You wont wake up one day and feel like home. It is sort of a love hate relationship. If you are not working and busy with children, then its going to be hard, I would think. The spaces arent getting bigger and the air isnt getting cleaner.

    I like Hong Kong because it is easy to make money, travel and you can maintain a work life balance. I think the hardest part is finding friends, as it seems everyone is busy trying to make every dollar they can. This makes it hard, in my views, to really enjoy the place.

    You will probably get more adjusted to the ways things are, and learn to ignore the stuff that once bothered you. But you wont wake up one day to the lifestyle you once had in your previous country.

    Good luck.


  5. #15

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    Feb 2011
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    Hong Kong
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    SS, where are you moving to? Are you sad to leave HK?


  6. #16

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    1,259

    I pretty much love the place. If only it wasn't for the cost and size of accomodation, I would say it is my perfect place to live, as I definitely wish to stay in Asia (disclaimer: of course if I could live anywhere, I would rather be on a beach on phangan, but given the need to work in an English language environment, kid's schools, etc, it is good for me).

    my route was almost seven years in what was the wild west of beijing, followed by one year in what was a rather dull singapore, so HK was the perfect medium.


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    You just need to see it. You need to focus on the good, and ignore the bad. Folks like Dear Giant appear unable to ignore the bad. They whinge about it on here all the time. I'm not saying it does not exist, nor that we couldn't try to improve HK - every so often I try. But to be happy, relaxed and enjoy the place, some selective vision is essential, and accepting what you cannot change is essential too.
    I liked your post except for the unnecessary personal swipe directed at me. You might try extending your positive, rose-colored-glasses attitude to include your fellow Geoexpat members.

  8. #18

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    Oct 2005
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    14,414

    Dear Giant

    Nobody really needs to be here.


  9. #19

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    Mar 2007
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    If I misrepresented you as liking HK, or as not raising the many issues it has on a regular basis then I apologise DG, but to be fair, you can be relied on to highlight every flaw in the place given half a chance! It was not, however, meant to be a personal swipe.
    I don't disagree that issues exist, but happiness lies in deciding where to focus your effort and stress..... !

    Last edited by MovingIn07; 18-04-2012 at 05:17 PM.
    dear giant and pikapp22 like this.

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    1,369
    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    Dear Giant

    Nobody really needs to be here.
    People often do unpleasant things in order to obtain a deferred reward or benefit -- like someone eating oatmeal for breakfast every day in order to lower their blood pressure without taking statins -- or living in an unpleasant place while building up a nest egg.
    InigoMontoya and TheBrit like this.

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