BANANAS - Fitting in as a British Born Chinese expat

bibbju · 07-04-2013, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by usehername:

It's not to do with citizenship, it's to do with whether you are a UK resident who is temporarily living/working abroad. If your house, spouse etc are still in the UK whilst you're here on a contract intending to go back to the UK, you'd have to pay UK tax. The HMRC website explains it fairly well.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile

It's not quite this simplistic but the general gist is correct. If HMRC considers you a UK resident for tax purposes, you are liable for UK tax on any UK income (subject to the usual allowances). There is NO double taxation.

Creative83 · 07-04-2013, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by kurumipoo:

I am CBC, and I can speak fluent Cantonese.. But I dont know what's wrong with me.. lol Every time someones speaks to me in cantonese, It takes me longer to respond, though I am not like this when I talk to my family? Maybe it's because I use english to communicate with my friends and coworkers back in Canada? Not sure. lol :/

I sometimes feel like an alien here though I know the language

You only use cantonese to speak with your family members right? Well then, the vocabs you rarely use when communicating with your family members hasn't been practiced enough for you to speak it at will. Rather, they may be at the tip of your tongue - knowing what to say but are always looking for the right words. The situation when speaking outside of your family members may demand vocabs you're not used to speaking.. and as a result, it may also demand more complicated sentence arrangements.

I think it's good. Adapt to them rather than have them adapt to you. You'll be the one who'll learn more in the end.

quirksome · 01-05-2013, 05:39 AM

Thanks Middleman for your advice and for everyone else about the tax situation! Was v worried for a bit.

I just posted in the other forum about a flat on Caine Road for $32k at 1000sq ft gross unfurnished, I haven't been able to find many flats of that size for less than $30k in Mid Levels. Is this reasonable?

http://hongkong.geoexpat.com/forum/6...ml#post2374478

Your friendly neighbourhood banana

Originally Posted by Middleman:

Hi Quirksome,

Fellow BBC here....have been back here for 6 years and have to say am loving it very much! I think if you live here you'll find it so much more enjoyable than England right nowâ€¦

Best of luck with the move.

Titus · 13-05-2013, 05:25 PM

32k for anything 1000 sq ft gross is cheap IMO for Mid Levels and actually for most of core-Kowloon side as well...

Originally Posted by quirksome:

Thanks Middleman for your advice and for everyone else about the tax situation! Was v worried for a bit.

I just posted in the other forum about a flat on Caine Road for $32k at 1000sq ft gross unfurnished, I haven't been able to find many flats of that size for less than $30k in Mid Levels. Is this reasonable?

http://hongkong.geoexpat.com/forum/6...ml#post2374478

Your friendly neighbourhood banana

quirksome · 15-05-2013, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by Titus:

32k for anything 1000 sq ft gross is cheap IMO for Mid Levels and actually for most of core-Kowloon side as well...

Dammit then we had a good deal... so upset we were gazumped by $2k... thought we had an agreement but the landlord went with another offer over the weekend without letting us counteroffer.

So turns out the flat wasn't actually in the same building as the one the tenant was complaining about, and the landlord was a lady in the UK, so we made an offer... and lost :'( Now to start the search all over again when we get to HK... frustrating.

Thanks everyone for your advice above. About to start a new thread on international movers now, not long to go!

quirksome · 11-06-2013, 11:21 AM

Hi all, just thought I'd update and say we've arrived! Thanks for all the help and we look forward to meeting you soon. We should be at Chris's(?) BBC meet on Friday so see some of you then!

SL_BBC_in HK · 30-06-2013, 03:58 PM

I've been following your posts with great interest and wondered how you guys are settling in? I am flying out of London today to HK to start a new life - excited and nervous all at the same time! How are you guys finding it with language etc anyway? I'm BBC but similar to you, know little Cantonese...