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2.5 weeks to go, help!! How did you cope when you first moved?

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  1. #21

    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by fth:
    Expats, even the British ones, are far more open and willing to chat to total strangers than they would back home (e.g. the London tube, when working, seems to be a bastion of silence and avoiding eye contact).
    That's down south. In Hull you can't shut the buggers up. Every stranger wants your life story and will tell you theirs.

  2. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by carang:
    hk is NOT a melting pot in any sense of the word. 95% of the population is chinese. that does not make a melting pot. HOWEVER, there are enough "western" folks here that you will find most things are available. you'll see a mcd's and a 7-11 on every street corner, but what they stock/sell may be completely different.

    but that's kind of the point of relocating overseas, isn't it??? if you wanted things to be just the same old, same old then you'd stay home.
    You are right. Let me clarify. Exremely transient place where you can find a group of people from your own country or culture to socialize with very easily. Or you can try to meet native HK people. There's a lot of choice. Some areas are melting pots. In the apartment complex I live for example, there are representatives of all races and cultures. In the elevator I can be standing with Americans, Brits, Indians, Japanese, HK people, mainland Chinese, whatever - same goes for many multinational companies over here. But, certainly HK itself is not a melting pot per se I should have been clearer.

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    Bookblogger: Watch this video. Ignore the bit at 1:10

    ROFL!!!! I don't want to hit myself on the head with a shoe, hahaha....

    This thread has certainly cheered me up a bit. I'm nervous because I'm doing this all alone, I don't know anyone in HK, I don't have a job and I'm booked into a hotel for 9 days before I have to find somewhere a bit more permanent to live and I've quit by job here so I don't have anything to come back to. A lot of unknowns for me. Exciting, definitely but I'd be a fool or a liar if I said I wasn't nervous. It's nice to hear that some people felt the same before they moved.

    I'm looking forward to the move but I can't help feel nervous about it.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Gold Coast Marina
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    do you have ID then?


  5. #25

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    417
    Quote Originally Posted by peach_ blossom:
    I'm nervous because I'm doing this all alone, I don't know anyone in HK, I don't have a job and I'm booked into a hotel for 9 days before I have to find somewhere a bit more permanent to live and I've quit by job here so I don't have anything to come back to. A lot of unknowns for me. Exciting, definitely but I'd be a fool or a liar if I said I wasn't nervous. It's nice to hear that some people felt the same before they moved.

    I'm looking forward to the move but I can't help feel nervous about it.
    You're not explaining yourself clearly. First of all whats the reason for relocating here and the motives. why even move if you haven't planned it out. Are you a PR in HK or entering with a tourist visa?

  6. #26

    Essentially it's a gap year. I'm a recent UK graduate. I have 18 months professional experience. I'm fluent in English Mandarin and Cantonese - I've been to HK before and I like it. I want to see if there is the possibility of a long term future there.

    In terms of planning - I've done a fair bit. When I say I have nowhere to stay and no job to go to it doesn't mean I haven't researched where to live, looked at places to stay, booked viewings for arrival and applied for jobs and QMAS - because I have.

    However, despite any logical reasoning and any planning I have done nothing can prepare you for leaving your home country, no matter how excited you are about it. I can't be the only person who was nervous about leaving their home country and some replies on here have confirmed it. It's comforting to know that at least a few other people felt the same.

    (p.s. @movingin07 i don't have a HK id)


  7. #27

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    Dec 2008
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    Research has shown that buying people you met on forums dinner will remove 99% of your anxiety. Looking forward to your coming


  8. #28

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    Mar 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by peach_ blossom:
    Essentially it's a gap year. I'm a recent UK graduate. I have 18 months professional experience. I'm fluent in English Mandarin and Cantonese - I've been to HK before and I like it. I want to see if there is the possibility of a long term future there.

    In terms of planning - I've done a fair bit. When I say I have nowhere to stay and no job to go to it doesn't mean I haven't researched where to live, looked at places to stay, booked viewings for arrival and applied for jobs and QMAS - because I have.

    However, despite any logical reasoning and any planning I have done nothing can prepare you for leaving your home country, no matter how excited you are about it. I can't be the only person who was nervous about leaving their home country and some replies on here have confirmed it. It's comforting to know that at least a few other people felt the same.

    (p.s. @movingin07 i don't have a HK id)
    OK - in that case I think perhaps you do have a right to be nervous! Not having a job to come to, nor the right to legally reside here, would probably put your trip a little more in the 'nervous' rather than 'exciting' category.
    peach_ blossom likes this.

  9. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by peach_ blossom:
    Essentially it's a gap year. I'm a recent UK graduate. I have 18 months professional experience. I'm fluent in English Mandarin and Cantonese - I've been to HK before and I like it. I want to see if there is the possibility of a long term future there.
    Interesting. How come you are fluent in all those 3 languages? That's a gigantic bonus. If you're outgoing I'm sure you can make some contacts here and find a job, go back to your home country (or backpack or something in rest of Asia), and then come back when the work visa is sorted out. I'm sure someone will point out that looking for work on a tourist visa is illegal. But so is jaywalking and dropping ash on the street but people do it all the time. Not a great comparison, but you know what I mean. I'm not encouraging this, but let's be realisitc, looking for a gig with a tourist visa happens all the time with folks that move here. HK is an exciting place, especially with the gloomy UK autumn coming up!
    peach_ blossom likes this.

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    South of Sweden
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    Go for it!!!

    You gotta start sometime. Take deep breaths...

    Like you, fresh out of Uni, I had not the foggiest idea about the country I was about to invade (sic), no job there, enough money, knew no one there - this was the UK!!!

    15 yrs later, yep, despite screaming loony moments when you just can't grasp the way of life or people, attitudes, whatever at the other side of the pond, whichever country you choose to reside in ( I don't just mean the UK, but others), it WILL work out and 9 times out of 10, and I speak from experience, you will meet the most kindest situations and people. I am about to move from Dubai to HK and will miss my job and friends, and life, but the world ain't such a big scary place the more you've travelled it.

    Jump in and join us. Try it and always book a spare ticket home if , only if you really, truly cannot stand it anymore and have to leave.......what' the bet you won't.