If you had a choice : HK vs SYDNEY

[Mat]

In Hong Kong you'll also meet people but you won't ever really be part of the society, apart from a group of your expat friends who will keep changing.

Unless you make the effort to learn cantonese...

[ontheroad]

Unless you make the effort to learn cantonese...

Oh boy! You can make the effort all right, but it's not a language one learns overnight! Luckily many hong kong chinese speak english!

[nicolejoy]

Quiz for the day:

1 (Not too hard) Name three Australian intellectuals of international repute.

2 (Very hard) Name three that choose to live in Australia.

Barry Marshall - 2005 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Perth
Robin Warren - other 2005 Nobel Prize winner - also lives in Perth
Peter Doherty - 1996 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Melbourne

So do Nobel Prize winners of the past decade (plus one year) fit your category of "australian intellectuals of international repute"??

Personally, I think that Australia is a great place to live - but Hong Kong is a great place to make money. You give up quality of life to come to Hong Kong and make money - but yes, there are advantages in the food available, the closeness of everything... but if you're just talking about LIVING somewhere, Australia is a MUCH better place to live!!

That said, I don't much like Sydney. I'm from Wollongong - 1 hr south - and a bit more rural!! I love it and miss it... Although if I had to live in a bigger city in Australia, I would probably choose Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth all over Sydney - but my husband adores Sydney so who knows what will happen!!

[9315934]

I strongly agree with nicolejoy,

Hong Kong = money, but work like a dog...very long hours and hard
Australia = environment, but half of your money will go to TAX

Therefore, work in HK when you are young, earn the money and go back to live in Australia.

[keto1]

Yeah Nicole, I know a lot of "country" people feel the same way. They like living in the country, but go to the "city" because of work and money.

I'm a city person myself, so I dont think I'd ever settle in Newcastle or Wollongong. But I can honestly say many of the friendliest people I've ever met have been from the country.

And thanks for the Nobel prize winners- I had no idea Oz had so many!

[Mat]

Barry Marshall - 2005 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Perth
Robin Warren - other 2005 Nobel Prize winner - also lives in Perth
Peter Doherty - 1996 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Melbourne

Interestingly they do not live in Sydney tho...

[HKNewBi]

In fact, the GDP and income of HK are one of the highest in the world (top 10). Surprisingly, our income is even higher than Australia.

Perhaps true, but in HK it is very skewed. I have heard of 7-Eleven and MacDonalds employees getting paid as little as $14 per hour.

You don't need to earn a fortune here to pay income tax. Yet approximately only a third of the population earn enough to pay it.

Suggests to me that there is possibly a case of a bit of wealth distribution being required here.

[HKNewBi]

Barry Marshall - 2005 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Perth
Robin Warren - other 2005 Nobel Prize winner - also lives in Perth
Peter Doherty - 1996 Nobel Prize winner - lives in Melbourne

So do Nobel Prize winners of the past decade (plus one year) fit your category of "australian intellectuals of international repute"??

Possibly but as the great Bard may have put it "it is a rule more honoured in the breach than the observance".

[keto1]

Redistribution of wealth is easy. Just do what Singapore's PM did.

Just prior to an election, give everyone some money. Dont mention the "B" word though.

If the elections are held every year or two, then wealth gets redistributed pretty quickly.

[House]

Perhaps true, but in HK it is very skewed. I have heard of 7-Eleven and MacDonalds employees getting paid as little as $14 per hour.

You don't need to earn a fortune here to pay income tax. Yet approximately only a third of the population earn enough to pay it.

Suggests to me that there is possibly a case of a bit of wealth distribution being required here.

Agreed. For many if they divide their income by their total work hours, including over-time till 10pm or something, they'll also be working for peanuts. Many local teacher/accountant/designer/IT-friends told me so.