My job prospects/security are really not looking very good at the moment and in the last few days I have been approached on a couple of occasions about roles in HKG. So the word is obviously out there that we are looking to lose people.

Anyone lived and worked in HKG? If so can you please shed any light on your experiences of working or more importantly living there.

I have visited HKG on holiday and on business, and have lived in NYC for a number of years. But, HKG strikes me as a typical “expat enclave”. I am too old to be looking for a fast life of spending each night drinking in foreign embassies etc

For context I am 46 currently single and with no children.

Gary

If you go alone, you don’t have to join the ex-pats.

I am too old to be looking for a fast life of spending each night drinking in foreign embassies etc

Sadly, if my recent trip out there is anything to go by, this is rather the norm.

People seem to spend a lot of time within either company or national groups. Good life, though, but expect very hard work and very hard drinking. Also, the mainland Chinese are really taking over, as they seek what they see as a potentially easy way to evade the currency woes on the mainland, so that may change the feel of the place a lot as well.

Could you really not manage to type Hong Kong at least once?

Lived there for 20 years, married a local girl, now in my forties I decided it’s a young man’s town and I moved to Australia a couple of years ago.

There is a hard work hard play ethic, you will always feel like a ‘visitor’ rather than at home, friendships are fleeting as everyone is transient and only interested what they can use you for, and the expat life is a bit like la la land – its not real!

But… jobs pay well, life as an expat is privileged and comfortable, and if you can resist the temptation to act like 99% of people who go out there (party hard, become too full of yourself, and spend all your money on fleeting indulgences) there is a minority who manage to lead a very normal life, enjoy the active outdoor lifestyle available in Hong Kong (yes its there if you look hard enough), travel extensively around the rest of the region, and save enough money to retire very comfortably in a country of their choice.

My advice, decide what you want to get out of it (party for a few years vs. stash away as much money as possible for your retirement) and stick to that plan despite the distractions,and you’ll do all right…

perthmtb +1

I lived there for a few years and had a couple of years behaving as ‘a typical expat’ before settling down a bit and behaving more normally.

Both periods were great fun and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

It’s a stinky, dirty, overcrowded hole but boy does it get under your skin. I’ve lived and worked all over the world and HK is still one of my favourite places. I’d go back like a shot (as an expat).