Posted by
KevB
15 yrs ago
Hi Everyone!
My job is relocating me to HK on May 1 from NYC. I am a single 27/m and was wondering what are the best neighborhoods to start looking in and can find some new friends.
Also, has anyone had trouble bringing their LCD HDTV to HK? I have heard stories of them not working in HK, but hope they are not true. Any other advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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For modern TVs, it mostly depends on the voltage they can handle.
- First test: US is 110V as you know while HK is 220V. Check near the power cord. Does the data plate say 100-110V? In that case don't bring it. If it says 100-240V bring it.
- Second test. Check the manual and ensure it can handle PAL signals. If it cannot, don't bring it. The vast majority of modern TVs can handle signals worldwide so this shouldn't be an issue.
As for neighborhoods, do a search on the forum. There are plenty of threads on the issue.
- First consideration is your housing budget. How much is it?
- If I were single I would live in Midlevels, Star Street in Wan Chai, Happy Valley, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, or something like that. But I'm not you. Are you ok with urban jungle or do you need greenery? Do you care about facilities like pool and gym in the building? Where do you work?
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And if you play slop itch give me a shout.
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KevB
15 yrs ago
Thanks so much for the info. I'll check out my TV later today.
As for housing, probably between 15k and 19k a month for a place. I am ok with the Urban Jungle, I currently live in Manhattan. Gym & Pool would be nice but things like Laundry/Oven/dishwasher are more important to me (and space). I work at Bank of America Meryl Lynch.
Philly Cheese, would love to play (softball?). Pretty athletic, I like basketball, football, squash, hiking, running, cycling, blah blah blah.
Thanks again!
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15-19k will get you a nice, if very small, apartment downtown. We're talking 300 square feet perhaps. Smaller the nicer the building.
Go www.gohome.com.hk and get an idea of prices. Take these with a pinch of salt though, as you won't find out the actual price until you talk to the agent. Rents are somewhat negotiable, but it is typically much easier to negotiate on extras like furniture and such.
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STS
15 yrs ago
Check out: http://hongkong.softballsystems.com/ for the softball league in HK
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CFWK
15 yrs ago
Hi, I am from midtown manhattan here is my impression.
Hong kong is cool in many ways, but it is not as diverse as NYC. The theater and artists are not here and you will feel the difference. HK is filled with people working in real estate and finance with large salaries and people working in finance and real estate with small salaries... that is pretty much the diversity. I know I can get some slack for that comment but you will find it is mostly true. I am an oddball here. OK settling in... do not worry about being close to the subways as the busses and mini buses here are very fast and come often and taxis are affordable (not like NYC). The sooner you learn the minibusses the better, no worries of getting lost as HK is a small island and you can always find your way back to Central, just dont go cross water (Kowloon side) without some sort of idea where you are going.
Apartments, believe it or not, but they are smaller here... no worries, you really do adjust. If you like swanky and modern, check out a building in Soho (no joke) called "Center Stage" (modern, pool, gym, central and hip). Moving westward to Chinese area Sai Ying Pun there is a super cool new building "Island Crest" which is extremely hip, like a W hotel, apple computers and Nespresso type coffee machines in lobby, stellar pool, three story high ceiling at entrance, but the area is crowded and air is polluted. Air is cleaner going up to midlevels, but I do not think s interesting for single young professional. I would consider the soho area, but know it is not the same as NYC. Food not nearly as good, but the area is fun and is great for social life. I live in building called Queen's Terrace which is in between the two I mentioned. No amenities to speak of and more chinese than expat, but is modern, clean, solid with doormen upper floors have great views. I recommend budgetting in a membership to Pure Fitness if you want more than an exercise bike and treadmill. 10 minute walk into Central. i am partial to the west side of island as I do not know Happy Valley/Wan Chai area as well. It never made much sense to me, but just my opinion.
There is no central park and it is a huge bummer. HK park is nice but does not allow for picnics and frisbee. Get used to using Lantau Island as your weekend getaway for hiking and overall green escape. You will miss NY Delis as there is absolutely nothing like it here. not even a bagel to speak of or quality bread really... hit grocery store City Super for your high end grocery must haves (cheese chocolate quality cuts of meat etc.)
All that said, HK is a terrific place for a young single person. Forget your TV, not much worth watching. You should have a terrific time. Be adventurous, don't get sucked into expat only life. Explore. Enjoy!! oh, and best coffee in town, Barista Jam in Sheung Wan on Jervois Street. Do NOT go to Pacific Coffee, it is undrinkable super old grounds. Use openrice.com for restaurant reviews.
I hope this helps! Good Luck
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CFWK
15 yrs ago
PS
do not try to do realestate shopping online as prices are higher.
Agents are extremely localized here. You have to walk around util you find an area that feels good to you, then within a block there will be a realestate office (or two or three) and you just begin talking to them. Rents are far more negotiable here than NYC. Find what you want where you want and ask what you want no harm in it.
if you can adjust to the chinese style walk up, you will be richly rewarded with more room, but beware, the kitchens are well... you will see. Area of upper west Bonham Road, High street, Lyttelton Road you can find spacious old style places with some greenery and tranquility around you.
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I can answer as to the tv. we brought our plasma over from the US last year, no issues except we had to purchase a voltage converter for the electric and a converter for the TV signals:
http://www.220-electronics.com/Transformers/trans/diamond-voltage-converter.htm
http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-Pal-HDMI-to-NTSC-HDMI-Converter-1080p.html
Better to buy both of these from the US as it's more expensive here.
You may want to try getting in touch with these guys:
http://www.220-electronics.com/java2.htm
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CFWK - for bagels the "best" (using that term very loosely) I've found is sloop - they bring them in from San Fran's House of Bagels. HK22 each. Still a far cry from NYC but better than the frozen Lender's.
As for bread - try Robuchon Cafe in Landmark - they have a bakery that has GREAT bread! A bit pricey though. The bread at Great @ PP is nice as well and they have Poilane from Paris flown in regularly.
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Hi! I'm 28/f and moving there from Chicago April 14th. I'll be in a hotel for a couple of weeks until I find an apartment. I'm targeting Mid Levels or Soho area. I'm there initially for 12 months. Are you open to having a roommate...I'm considering it due to the high rents in these expat neighborhoods. Let me know!
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I agree with cara on CFWK's HK rant. If you keep comparing to NYC, you'll never enjoy HK for what it is. I bet if a native HKer (not a gwailo) moved to NYC, they could say the same in reverse.
You're making the assumption that NYC things are just inherently superior. There are no delis here, but there are tons of dim sum shops.
There's no Central Park, but there are hundreds of km of hiking trails right on HK Island.
You have a very gwailo perspective. You might not find it diverse but you (and I) are missing a zillion things from the local culture since we don't speak the language and don't understand the context.
Every time someone says that HK has "too little culture" because it's missing jazz clubs or something I like to point out that there is tons of culture. Chinese culture like Chinese opera, Cantopop, HK movies, Chinese art exhibitions and so forth.
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To be fair I have not lived in NYC itself. I lived in Connecticut which I freely admit is not remotely close to living in Manhattan.
You have some fair points. However my main point is that not everyone wants to live in Manhattan. My criticism of the post was mainly that it sort of assumed living in Manhattan was the ultimate, and I would say it is not the ultimate for everyone.
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mayo
15 yrs ago
+1 I would also never have qualified CFWK's post as a rant. It was an informative post that happened to mention things one might miss upon moving from NY to HK along with things one might enjoy in HK.
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Maybe not a rant, but to me it came off as very haughty and condescending towards HK. The whole tone is "check me out. I'm from NYC and there's no way your piddling little town can compare because we have all these cool things in NYC that you don't." Arrogant much? Again, I'm not saying that HK is "as good" as NYC, I'm saying that the arguments this guy trots out mean nothing to a lot of people, but he assumes they are important because for some reason NYC delis make a town better than another.
Also, this guy seems to never wander far from the "gwailo comfort zone". Saying things like "Be adventurous, don't get sucked into expat only life." while in the same post warning "just dont go cross water (Kowloon side) without some sort of idea where you are going." and "i am partial to the west side of island as I do not know Happy Valley/Wan Chai area as well. It never made much sense to me, but just my opinion. " is a bit much...
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Sure I was a bit defensive. But I'm not saying HK is "as good" as NYC. Again , it wasn't the arguments themselves. It was the tone of the post which irked me. And personally I'd much rather live in HK than Manhattan. But that's just me.
I'll get over it. ;)
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I am getting transferred to Hong Kong from NYC (Manhattan) late this summer. I don't think we should be comparing the two cities. I love NYC, having been here for over 10 years but at the same time I travel back to Hong Kong very frequently and I love Hong Kong as well. If two cities were the same, that would be somewhat boring. There are plenty of things in NYC that I cannot get in HK and vice versa.
Anyhow, does anyone have any advice about the new apartments around Kowloon Station? My wife and I will be moving back this summer but there appears to be a bunch of new housing activity over there. Thanks in advance!
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As I said, I overreacted to the tone.
As sunmnan8 wisely said, it's not really something you should compare. Both places have their charm. If you compare in either direction you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Gwailo is not at all like calling someone a n***er. It used to be derogatory but nowadays has pretty much lost the stigma.
Re: Kowloon Station. There are a ton of newish places there like The Arch. I think they are all pretty high end.
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Hi KevB,
Welcome to Hong Kong ! I have just shifted here too - 2 weeks ago. I'm from Malaysia, workin in Big 4. Anyway, from my hardworks of selecting areas that within my budget and easy to access to central, and plenty of foods around. i reckon kennedy town is ok. you could check it out - the merton tower. I have just shifted in today ! my unit around 400 sq, brand new, fully furnished and around hkd 12k. i think you could google the merton tower. another tip - you need to go through property agent to get unit. cause normally it is safer and more efficient this way. all the best to you !
cheers,
alice
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Cara. That's very mean. Do you have a chip on your shoulder? CFWK is just trying to explain the situation to someone who is moving from NY. Of course, they will make their own decisions when they arrive. Usually, for western expats, they tend to settle around the SOHO area and Western when they first arrive as it has the most European/western ambiance. If they stay longer, they tend to disperse to other more local areas - especially if they marry someone from HK. There are Refuseniks who move to Discovery Bay - but that's another story.
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I agree with cara (no surprise to anyone I'm sure). CFWK's post reads as quite condescending to me. She reacted to that, as did I.
It's not the information. It is the way it was presented.
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Cara. The snide bit about 'God Bless America'.
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@sunman8 - west Kowloon has some swanky new places, you really don't get much space for your $... and many of them are owned by mainlanders as investment properties, so it can be a bit quiet at night. Fancy lobbies rule!
Having lived in HK and Manhattan, I'm happy in both but if I had to choose, I'm staying put!
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Cara
I'm a native New Yorker and you're the reason why we feel superior. You clearly have no perspective of either NY or Americans. Hong Kong is a great place to live and work but it is not NY. No Great museums,theater,arts or sports. It does for the most part have a good many good and sharp people. To paint all expat Americans as arrogant chest beaters makes you look ridiculous
kevB, you will have a great time here. cfwk is spot on.
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I didn't think CFWK was being condescending at all. I don't know where all this God bless America thing is coming from, Cara. Maybe you're being a trifle too sensitive or, as Lloyd says, you've got a chip on your shoulder. He was simply giving his opinion and he's certainly entitled to do that.
I'm assuming that KevB is going to be working on HK island (only an assumption on my part) and let's face it, a single 27 year old young man arriving in HK isn't going to want to live and hang out in Kowloon, unless he's working on Kowloon. No offence intended to anyone living on Kowloon, but one of the greatest things about living in HK is not having the long commute to work that you do back home, so why shouldn't an expat take advantage of the ability to live very close to his work?
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"I'm a native New Yorker and you're the reason why we feel superior"' - seablues24, you're kinda proving my and cara's point...
Personally, I don't think all expat Americans are arrogant chest beaters. I just think some are without even noticing it....
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mayo
14 yrs ago
"funny how the non-americans had negative comments about the post, but americans thought it was informative....hmmmm....."
In response: I am Australian. I have lived in the US and have been known to enjoy the occasional hotdog but definitely an Australian.
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Thanks Sistim and axptguy
Very excited to come back to Hong Kong and certainly will miss Manhattan as well but having worked in both cities - I will not complain.
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mayo
14 yrs ago
I was quoting from one of Cara's earlier posts
Cara wrote, "funny how the non-americans had negative comments about the post, but americans thought it was informative....hmmmm....."
I responded: I am Australian. I have lived in the US and have been known to enjoy the occasional hotdog but definitely an Australian
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mayo
14 yrs ago
Anyway it seems like we've all scared KevB off and Kev B gone.
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MJ1
14 yrs ago
The no sports comment is pretty funny...sports doesn't just revolve around nba, nfl and mlb..
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I don't think there are facts, only opinions.
The way I read it, I think CWFK used NYC as a point of comparison for KevB. It's natural to compare here and I think NYC has a lot of great things that Hong Kong lacks, but also vice versa. But at the end of the day, HK is what it is, and it will never be NYC. Enjoy your time here and take this city for what it is.
I would recommend picking up a copy of Time Out HK when you are here. It helped me get a better sense of what was going on around town and gave me some nice ideas as to what to do.
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"Tai Tam would be good for Americans' families if you can afford the HKD 25,000-high end rental fees. "
greatally, there's no way you can find an apartment for 25k in Tai Tam. The cheapest ones are around 40k, for 2 beds and 1400 square feet.
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Yes I get that Tai Tam is not that expensive compared to the equivalent square footage downtown. That wasn't my point. My point was that you implied there were apartments in Tai Tam for 25k. Which there aren't.
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greatally - why are you getting nasty? I just offered practical advice from MY perspective.
I never said I know a lot but I know I started enjoying HK more when I appreciated it for what it was and embraced the lifestyle instead of wishing I were in NYC. Thought it was appropriate advice given the OP's post and subsequent discussions. Why get all worked up over one single magazine mention? You are free to add add'l recommendations.
You talk about HKers being friendly but make assumptions about who I am and attack me for my honest comments? Seems like you have some issues to work through if my comments have you dropping f-bombs in your attempt to emulate a New Yorker.
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MJ1
14 yrs ago
I think greatally's frustrations and many others is that a typical expat's view on HK is very narrow compared to local HKers/long-term residents view on HK.
In all honestly, a typical expat really can only enjoy a small fraction of what HK has to offers as a city due to hurdles such as language, lack of local knowledge, western mentality etc
It's like an amateur photographer using an advanced dslr camera. An amateur photographer is never gonna fully utilise/appreciate what the dslr has to offer relative to a pro photographer.
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MJ1. I'm a long-term expat from the UK; I'm married to HK Chinese, have taken Cantonese classes and I put my kids through local school. However, it is impossible to really find out what is happening here unless you read Chinese characters . Unless you are extremely intelligent - or brought up here from an early age - this is a real non-starter. Also, you cannot look up words (ie Chinese characters) in dictionaries to increase your vocabulary - like you could, say, in Spain. Greatally's views, therefore, are little more than a rambling Gaddafi-esque rant and should be ignored in my view.
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that is exactly the point tho...if one is unable to 'really' know what is going on here (the case with alot of expats), how can one make the blanket statement that HK has no culture, arts, etc...better to say 'i don't know enough about the local scene to make an accurate comparison' (swallow your pride in other words) instead of the bashing...
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MJ1
14 yrs ago
LGMV - I must admit, I didn't understand half of what greatally was on about, but she did seem pretty fired up.
Your point about being Chinese illiterate reinforces what I wrote, an expat's enjoyment/experience of HK is inherently limited/restricted by this.
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Tune
14 yrs ago
exptguy- says..."Gwailo is not at all like calling someone a n***er. It used to be derogatory but nowadays has pretty much lost the stigma."
- Has it? How and why does this tag differ to other racial tags that are deemed offensive? The etymology of such tags is often from a benign source, why should one differ from the other?
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MJ1
14 yrs ago
greatally, again, I have no idea what you are on about, fyi, I'm not American.
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Greatally. Is this some kind of 'stream of conciousness' Hong Kong internet road novel?
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Westerners call each other "gwai lo" without batting an eyelash. Even when Chinese call them that it's no big deal - like "gaijin" in Japan. Blacks call each other the N word all the time but when a white person calls them that all hell breaks loose. So, in my opinion the G word and N word are not comparable. It's only when you add a "Si" in front of it is it considered derogatory.
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Tune
14 yrs ago
The 'N' word? Your words stand on their heads Mr. Cheese, in your attempt to answer my questions about the G word.
Let me put it this way- I take offence at being called it, as did the majority of students in my post grad. class. This suggests that a lot of people do take offence to the term- therefore, contrary to your opinion, it is comparable.
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MJ1 - good analogy and apt point :)
greatally - I'll take the advice of LGMV and ignore your rant and trolling, and let your words and behavior speak for themselves.
LGMV - since the thread has gone so OT, I'm curious about your handle Loyd Grossman is Miss Venezuela...
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Tune
14 yrs ago
NYC, it's all part of life here- I would like to think that mostly it's all a bit tongue in cheek.
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Yeah, always wondered about LGIMV's handle! greatally says "If I am telling you that I grew up in NYC and came to HK years ago then what would you say ?" - um, I'd say are you a product of the NYC education system?
Ed, can we have a "like" button so we lazy bones can just click when we agree with each other?
So, what was the OP's question??
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Ed
14 yrs ago
The Like option is coming when we re-launch...
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Ed
14 yrs ago
HK, while of course not up there with London, New York or other major western cities does have quite a thriving English arts scene... considering its a Chinese city...
e.g. http://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/
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From the Wikipedia entry for gweilo/gwailo. Yes I realize it is Wikipedia. However I find this paragraph interesting.
"The term is often considered racist by non-Cantonese people.[5] Many Cantonese speakers, however, frequently use the term "gweilo" to refer to foreigners in general and they consider the term non-derogatory, which some members of the foreign community resent.[6] On the other hand, some members of the Hong Kong community with foreign ancestry, particularly the younger generation, embrace the term, treating it as an affectionate designation and a colloquial slang with nuances understood after prolonged exposure to the local culture, which can be deemed offensive at face value. The term "lo" (佬) when used in other situations is generally quaint as it is a term that has mostly fallen out of use and the intentional use of it carries a certain comical sense."
My conclusion is that it is a word with a meaning somewhat in flux, which some people get offended by and some do not, and furthermore which can be used in a pejorative sense but mostly is not.
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joga
14 yrs ago
I would say if there is doubt don't use the word. It costs you nothing to rephrase.
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joga
14 yrs ago
I would say if there is doubt don't use the word. It costs you nothing to rephrase.
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Tune - I think it doesn't take a post grad degree to figure out someone's intent. Being ignorant is not the same as being racist. If it offends you, then I suggest you politely remind the other person not to use such term to refer to you.
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I'm moving to HK from NYC first week of May and would be open to looking for a flatmate. 29yrs in working in Finance and ideally looking to living around Central. Please msg if interested.
Cheers.
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Tune
14 yrs ago
"My conclusion is that it is a word with a meaning somewhat in flux, which some people get offended by and some do not," Yes like the N word- some do some don't.
PC- I was refering to my own class' age group- most of whom are working adults including Chinese people who said that they would not use the G word to refer to foreigners.
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Regarding the 'handle', I wanted to juxtapose the preposterous with the exotic.
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Loyd, you've put a smile on my face.
This thread started off as a simple request about where to live. I'm not surprised we've heard nothing from KevB after some of these cantankerous replies.
Ed, Maybe put KevB and NYC_29 in touch with each other and they can ignore everyone's comments and find their own way in HKG.
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Tune
14 yrs ago
'What should Cantonese people called caucasian people ?' & 'Please think of it and realise it.'
- ??? Ok, I'm off.
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Ed
14 yrs ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gweilo
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We moved here from the UES in Manhattan last year. HK is not NYC but it definitely has its own charm. We brought our TV along and use it with a voltage stabilizer but the only problem we have is that we don't get HD channels something about the broadcast frequency being different .. Nobody can help with that not PCCW our provider nor Sharp the manufacturer. I miss NYC in many ways but I don't miss the bone chilling winters at all..
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The US uses NTSC broadcast signals. HK uses PAL. Many modern TVs can handle both, but apparently yours cannot.
What model is it?
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Wow...what a scary thread! Lets go back to the OP's question.
TO: KevB (THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED TO THE OP)
There's a lot of place in Hong Kong that you could live with your 15 to 19K. It depends on your lifestyle. If you love hiking, cycling or outdoors then SAI KUNG, STANLEY, REPULSE BAY and a lot more in Kowloon is the best way to go. Hong Kong is a small place so its very accessible in terms of public transportation. If thats not your interest then I would suggest that you stay in Hong Kong Island. I dont know about your TV problem man, but TV in Hong Kong is affordable and you dont have to call back and forth for the changes that needed to operate that here. Most of the technicians here doesn't speak fluent in English and if they do they charged higher.
Good luck!
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Out of line greatally. Way out of line. Your posts are incoherent and you make personal attacks...
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KevB
14 yrs ago
The prodigal son returns! We have had quite the variety of opinions about both NYC and HK from all walks of life. Thank you for contributing!
A little bit about me:
I'm not looking for a roommate, but I am looking to make friends!
I am American, and sometimes I may beat my chest, but I am very open to all cultures. I have actually been to Hong Kong before for 12 days in January on business. I saw a decent amount of sites: the buddha, ladies market, the peak, hiked dragon's back, partied in wan chai, LKF (of course), and TST. I also eat anything and will try anything once. This is how I like to live my life, so even though I want to be in a convenient location for work (which is in Central on Garden Rd), I will no doubt be exploring all of HK and hopefully Vietnam, Thailand, mainland China, and Cambodia to name a few. I hope this gives some more color about the guy I am.
What I am looking for in HK (other than moving there for work) is to get a REAL understanding of the culture and people. I will be teaching myself Mandarin (since the Rosetta Stone does not have Cantonese) to better grasp concepts that may be difficult to understand being a Native Westerner. When in Rome...right?
Anybody who wants to join me on my travels around the Far East is more than welcome, if you can keep up!! ;)
Thanks again to everyone for all of the advice! GOD BLESS HONG KONG!!
Kevin
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Greatally. Yes many people do speak Mandarin in HK but most are not up to speed - including the Chief Executive - and you don't hear it very often on the street. Of course, if you deal with large mainland companies, you need Mandarin. But Guangdong has a lot of local businesses and outside Shenzhen, Cantonese is widely spoken. Most HK people originate in Guangdong (Canton) province though a large number come from Shanghai. Basically, if you are brought up in HK, you need both plus English - or forget the high-paid job. If you want to learn enough to muddle by as an expat in HK, then learn Cantonese rather than Mandarin. Chinese University does some very good Cantonese classes for non-Chinese speakers and the certificates are recognised by the government. Cara seems to know what she is talking about.
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"I will be teaching myself Mandarin (since the Rosetta Stone does not have Cantonese)"
Pimsleur (other language course company) has Cantonese in its portfolio. Tutors and classes are inexpensive though.
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Ed
14 yrs ago
I'm not actually at the Sevens ... rather I'm in the mountain HQ of AX in Gianyar...
This was me when I read the overnight posts here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNUr__-VZeQ
Please don't insult other members (or call them liars) ... cuz that removes you from the conversation as greatally will find out upon awakening...
Let's all come together and sing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJTBPdVpdMc
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FIFIB
14 yrs ago
Just don't mind Cara she is very often creating controversy and getting into arguments with other people
She thinks she is Mrs Knows it All because she is been living in HK for 16 years and married to a local.
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The trouble with a topic like this is that it will create controversy whatever happens. I could pretty much tell after reading the initial post.
cara has strong opinions, but she always tries to help and she has a lot of knowledge about Hong Kong. I have never known her to state things she knows are not true. Quite the contrary in fact. I have never known her to be harsh on anyone unless that person says bad things about her first.
She tries hard to help people who ask for help. She does not have an agenda apart from that. And for this some members insult her. Mean and childish... Why not say "I think you are wrong because x, y, z" instead of attacking her personally. It is ok to disagree but this sniping is idiotic.
greatally said: "Ed : if you blocked greatally b/c of your friendship with cara then I will inform Paul."
This is seriously your argument? Let's see how that goes...
Ed has a history of being impartial and tough on ANYONE who is abusive. You were abusive. cara may have strong opinions but she is never abusive.
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I'm fine with someone not agreeing with her. I just feel that if said someone doesn't agree with her, this dissenting opinion should be expressed without attacks on her character.
You just provided a good example madtown. You stated your opinion factually and without calling her names.
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We "may not"? Excuse me? How rude! Who are you to decide if I may "represent people in HK"?
And BTW weren't you the one complaining about censorship?
I will keep posting here with my opinions and advice. Whether you choose to read my posts or not is up to you.
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FIFIB
14 yrs ago
Dear Greatestally,
Sorry I did not mean to imply that Cara feels the authority because she is married to a local (means he turned her into this)
What I meant is that for her this is what empowers and tells us she knows what she is talking about.
She many times doesn't have a clue
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Wow, this thread is great fun! I'm sure everyone who posts for advice on the site takes bits and pieces of all the replies & realises they're personal opinions. And ignores any rants... Personally I've always found Cara (who I've never knowingly met - disclaimer!) to be very helpful, esp. for those worried about the budget - everyone needs different kinds of info & that's the great thing here, you'll probably find someone in a similar situation to your own. Now shoot me down in flames for being too reasonable.
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I did live in Manhattan (upper west) nearly 10yrs. I would say HK apartments are small, but come with nice swimming pools, gyms, and most of the places for your price come with washing machines/ driers.
HK island side is more expensive though.
Meat they sell at big local supermarkets are still horrible.... Eating our are quite cheap and has varieties though its not like living in manhattan.
Talking about HK, each areas are unique, I think. So I also suggest you find the area you like. Best way may be find ST place while you hunt a place.
I myself is moving back to HK soon, but I would choose Kowloon for my work convenience.
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want to read...but..can barely see because my eyes are watering like crazy from laughing so hard.
dare not to reference any post by name or i'll never be freed.
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this is the FUNNIEST thread... EVER!
Y'all are crazy but please, keep on going.
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Kev, re finding new friends in Hk, there are local football teams, people who are looking for tennis partners, dragon boat team members, amateur theater companies, people jog/ go to gyms want partners, join a local band for a jamming session if you play an instrument. etc etc.
Hk is a different to NYC, which is one of its charms, it would be boring if all major cities in the world were the same.
There are plenty of theaters about, Lyric theater Hk side, Wan Chai conference centre does concerts,arts centre Kowloon, and the big Asia world expo at the airport, to name but a few. Many world class acts visit Hk so far we have seen Elton John, Rod Stewart, Santana, Lea Salonga -twice, Celine Dione, Sarah Brightman, Oasis-before they split, Deep Purple, Eric Clapton, soon to see Bob Dylan, Eagles.
Artists for the younger generation, Maroon 5, Adam (who came 2nd in American Idol), Taylo Swift and a few others we didn't see these because they are not our generation, more for younger people.
There is also Canto pop, and chinese opera, many excellent artists and musicians.
So you see there is plenty to do to get to know people, and enjoy the culture and the local people of HK, they are lovely. Visit the many beautiful places around Hk on the islands.
Cyberience gives good advice about maybe taking a services appt, then finding a more permanent place when you get the feel of HK. Enjoy your experience here.
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KevB
14 yrs ago
I am in Hong Kong now and having a great time! Thanks for all the great advice!!
Kev B
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wow good luck to you! it's getting really hot here! where did you decide to settle down in? mid-levels? i'd imagine a yankee would like hong kong coz it's just like newyork, but more compact! enjoy your stay!
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Hi KevB, I'm also a single 27/m, but from Sweden. Will probably move to HK in August/September. Where did you find an apartment, cost, size, etc?
I really would like to find guys and girls like you, that are eager to travel in the region and such. I'll write again if/when I move down!
/Rob
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Welcome Kev, I'm sure now you're here you're finding that we are indeed all slightly crazy, as this thread has shown. Before you know it, you'll be advising newcomers & slugging it out on asiaxpat!
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