Disappointed by HK

dtb · 05-12-2011, 10:54 AM

1. Is HK more a city for people without kids?

Speaking of that, I read a piece of news a couple of days ago saying 29% of Hong Kong male shagged 16 women while 16% Hong Kong Female got laid with 4 men.......

HowardCoombs · 05-12-2011, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by anothercanuck:

analogheart..can you tell us what YOU envision for your kids? what is your current lifestyle like? if you would like them to have free reign of huge outdoor areas around your community, for bike riding, impromptu sports etc. (as I did growing up), that is not really available here...

Yup, this is not Canada and the opportunities available here are different.

yes, HK is something like '60% country parks" but really much of that is inaccessible for kids, or consists of concrete walking paths and steps, with a few exceptions...

How old are you kids? If they are very young, you may be right about many paths being inaccessible but if they are of schooling age (6+) then either you havent explored much or you are just too afraid of whats out there.

There are several hundred kilometers of paved&hardpack trails along with several hundred more of bushwhacking trails suitable for all kinds of adventures. Some have stairs, some have rocks, some are flat and some have concrete. Some of them have war relics, some have forests and some have high views. Very few are boring.

If you havent found anything you like for your kids, drop me a note and I'll show you some exciting places. I have 3 kids 12, 10, 8 and we've been hiking ever since they could walk.

cycling areas for kids are limited and thus crowded (several people have been killed in collisions with inexperienced riders in the past couple of years for example)

Cycling in Hong Kong: The complete guide | CNNGo.com
There are a lot of cycle paths available in Hong Kong. Some parts can be crowded. many parts are not. Isolated accidents with other cyclists or motor vehicles can and do happen but it certainly is not at any significant rates.

most public spaces are plastered with 'look around but please don't play' lists of "Do Not's"

The signs at the beach are equally annoying but thats part of Hong Kong. Its different. The nice thing is that there are lots of parks and beaches and Hong Kong isnt the concrete jungle that most outsiders assume.

...we are making the best of it with our kids, but it's definitley not the life I envisioned for them as far as outdoor play is concerned...

Yup, I cant argue with that - the place is different than Australia, USA, Canada, UK - its a bit like raising a kid in Manhattan but with more mountains and a lot safer.

Mat · 05-12-2011, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Loz_2:

At least in London your kids can run around in the park and feel real grass under their feet. Its not the same here. Good luck with your decision.

Spent the weekend in Macau and yesterday my nieces and nephew ran around barefoot on the grass in and near the Westin Resort.

At least in HK, kids can run on the beach and feel real sand under thier feet ;-)

The grass is always greener elsewhere ;-)

jimbo · 05-12-2011, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Loz_2:

At least in London your kids can run around in the park and feel real grass under their feet. Its not the same here. Good luck with your decision.

And your less likely to get robbed and stabbed in HK parks than in London.

HowardCoombs · 05-12-2011, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Loz_2:

At least in London your kids can run around in the park and feel real grass under their feet.

Chances are, in most of Europe, kids will not only feel real grass but they will also feel canine excrement too

What is with this attraction to grass anyway? Vast majority of the world's kids dont have grass and they run around just fine on dirt, sand, rocks, ice, snow or anything else that happens to be around where they are growing up...

Its not the same here. Good luck with your decision.

Yup, its not the same here. Its different and anyone coming here will have to embrace the differences to be happy. Otherwise, you will forever be thinking about grass, 4 seasons, big&long highways with weekend drives etc etc

MovingIn07 · 05-12-2011, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:

What is with this attraction to grass anyway?

I LOVE grass. I really miss "grass". And we actually have a fair bit of grass in the Gold Coast, so I'm not missing as much as most people here! Grass is for picnics, for cricket, for sitting around reading a book, for knocking a ball around or a frisbee, for running and jumping and rolling about on.... the smell of grass after rain, after it's been cut ... the feel underfoot.... how any anyone NOT MISS GRASS?

Mat · 05-12-2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by MovingIn07:

I LOVE grass. I really miss "grass". And we actually have a fair bit of grass in the Gold Coast, so I'm not missing as much as most people here! Grass is for picnics, for cricket, for sitting around reading a book, for knocking a ball around or a frisbee, for running and jumping and rolling about on.... the smell of grass after rain, after it's been cut ... the feel underfoot.... how any anyone NOT MISS GRASS?

what you need is not the UK or Australia, but the 60ies ;-)

Kids nowadays don't ready books in the grass (they barely read books) or play frisbee, they have Play stations, Wii and all those sorts of things ;-)

anothercanuck · 05-12-2011, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:

Yup, this is not Canada and the opportunities available here are different.

How old are you kids? If they are very young, you may be right about many paths being inaccessible but if they are of schooling age (6+) then either you havent explored much or you are just too afraid of whats out there.

i don't mean the paths are inaccessible, just that the '60%' is a lot of inaccessible bush (and I DID qualify my statement about notable exceptions)...and your condescension is kind of cute...i'm hardly afraid of what's out here...we go hiking in any terrain, any weather, but we leave our toddlers at home...

MovingIn07 · 05-12-2011, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Mat:

what you need is not the UK or Australia, but the 60ies ;-)

Kids nowadays don't ready books in the grass (they barely read books) or play frisbee, they have Play stations, Wii and all those sorts of things ;-)

I disagree. Last summer, back in the UK for a few days, spent a fair bit of time outside on the (very large) lawn at my parents house, playing with my niece who does gymnastics and hiking and all sorts of outdoor stuff. She's never inside with a play station.