Moving to HK in a week

djc4m · 01-06-2006, 07:13 AM

This is my first time posting after just snooping around the last month - I guess the realization of relocation has really hit me finally. Since I would be relocating from ny without prior knowledge (I was there this Feb for a total of 1.5 days...), hoping to get some pointers/some wisdom from people here. I would definitely appreciate advice on expat living, places to see, and meeting new people, although the millions of threads here have definitely helped. Thanks much.

Janetw · 01-06-2006, 08:33 AM

Definately take advice from everyone who tells you to stay in a serviced apartment and to take your time looking for a perm home. We stayed in Repulse Bay because we thought we might like to live there and within two days decided against looking there permenantly. moved to Mid Levels and are very pleased with our decision. If you are mopving with a partner encourage her to join some clubs / associations. I have met people who ahve lived here for anything between 1 and 6 months who ahve not made any friends and they ahve then joined a club and suddenly have a full diary of lunch/shopping/courses etc. it makes a huge difference to both your lived for your partner to be happy and busy.
Moving from NY should not be too much of a shock. it is busy here and highly populated. This is the one thing people who had not lived in a big city tell me they struggled with. I moved from London so no great shock either. Just a completely different culture which is very exciting. Just get out and enjoy it....!!

djc4m · 02-06-2006, 03:30 AM

Thanks to both for the replies. But these serviced apartment search can be a hassle since the prices seem to have sky rocketed in recent years...

EUChinese · 04-06-2006, 04:10 AM

People in Hong Kong generally are quite friendly to foreigners as long as you don't do / say anything rude.

Except for one thing quite annoying me is people would never hold door / let you walk through before them. But if you come from big city, people are pretty much the same like that.

Waterloo · 04-06-2006, 04:13 PM

haha, no kidding! and 99% of the locals never say thanks when u keep the lift/door open for them. v. discouraging....True, big cities are the same everywhere.

kwanmichelle · 04-06-2006, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Waterloo:

haha, no kidding! and 99% of the locals never say thanks when u keep the lift/door open for them. v. discouraging....True, big cities are the same everywhere.

come on,(some) locals here aren't too impolite i guess.

Waterloo · 04-06-2006, 04:45 PM

I'm not saying all of them are impolite. I'm just saying this from my observation and experience, not trying to generalise people's behaviour.

kwanmichelle · 04-06-2006, 05:33 PM

yeh i know. it's true that generally locals don't like interacting with strangers, that 'none of my business' behaviour can be seen everywhere.

EUChinese · 04-06-2006, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by kwanmichelle:

come on,(some) locals here aren't too impolite i guess.

I believe the locals don't even realise it can be appearing to be rude for not letting people going through the door before you / not holding the door open for the person behind you.

It is common manner in England (probably in many other countries too). A number of occasions when I was in HK on holidays, I held the door for some stranger local girls (just being a gentlement) letting them to going through first, they thought i was after them and gave me some dirty arrogant look, didn't even have intention to say 'thank u' then walked off. soooo annoying. their acting even made them uglier.

Now I only show my manner to foreigners/ Phillipino any non chinese person if i go ever in HK.

Waterloo · 04-06-2006, 07:16 PM

"their acting even made them uglier"...haaa, it looks like you really had some bad experiences here...your gentlemen behaviour is a cultural thing, i guess, since most of the local men don't do that! And whenever someone being nice, Cantonese tend to think that person wanna take advantage of her/him. (What a shame!) It has so much to do with its history, I guess, but I have no idea why people from other countries do not turn into people like Cantonese here. I've been trying to figure out why Cantonese are loud and rude comparing to people of other nations, still haven't draw a conclusion....

But, EUChinese, I'm sure you see some good traits in Cantonese, don't you?