Five Tips to Living in Hong Kong
A Few Tricks Can Give this Electrifying Asian City a Homey Feel
Aug 1, 2009
Not a tourist and not a local, many people transferred to Hong Kong for work find themselves overwhelmed by the swirl of sights, sounds, and smells. Although many things are familiar to Westerners—English is widely spoken there, for instance—there are many more things that are strange and exotic. These few simple tips will help expats to navigate their new home.
Choosing a Place to Live
Housing in Hong Kong is notoriously expensive. To get advice on where to live, seek out an expat agency, as opposed to a local agency. They will have a better understanding of what foreigners require. Consider your commute and your company's housing allowance. Some areas are farther away, but offer more space and tranquility. Want a view? There may be mosquitoes. The beach? The commute may be longer. Want convenience? There will be crowds. Hong Kong is crowded with nearly 7 million people packed together in an area the size of Manhattan, so many expats live on the outlying islands, where there is more room. Visit the different parts of Hong Kong, because each has its own flavor.
Commute by Escalator
Owning a car in Hong Kong is a bad idea. Full stop. Roads are crowded, routes complex, and parking expensive. Plus, thanks to a century and a half of British rule, people in Hong Kong drive on the left-hand side of the road. (In mainland China, they drive on the right.) Apologies to cyclists, as well. Hong Kong is not designed for bikes, the main impediment being the narrow streets clogged with pedestrians.
Fortunately, Hong Kong has many cheap and convenient public transportation options. There is the MTR (Mass Transit Railway), an underground line that even takes passengers to the Hong Kong Disneyland resort; the tram, which is relatively slow, but cheap at $2 (26 cents) a ride; buses and minibuses that cover most areas; ferries, especially useful for those living on the outlying islands; and taxis, comparatively inexpensive-starting at HK$ 15 (US$1.9)-and reliable.
People who live in the Mid-Levels, a residential area overlooking the Central business district, commute via the mid-levels elevator, which is elevated and covered. At 2,624 feet (800 m), it's the longest outdoor escalator system in the world. Several entrances/exits can be taken to interesting shopping and dining areas. It takes 25 minutes from one end to the other.
Hire a Live-In Maid
Back home, most expats won't have had the experience of employing a maid. In Hong Kong, they live in your home. There is usually a maid's room even in the smallest flats. They look after your kids, cook your dinners, iron your pants. At first, it can be uncomfortable, because there is a certain loss of privacy, but before long, they are an integral member of the household. Traditionally referred to as maids, there has been a trend to call them helpers. Most of the domestic helpers in Hong Kong come from nearby countries, such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
When seeking an agency, make sure it has staff that speak the languages of the helpers they hire. Ideally, the agency will help train the helper and be willing to solve conflicts or misunderstandings. They make a minimum monthly salary of HK$3,580 (US$ 462).
Because Sunday is the day most helpers get their day off, public spaces around Hong Kong are flooded with them on this day. There are 140,000 Filipino helpers alone. They usually hang out for the day to picnic with friends. It's quite a sight.
Get to Know and Love Local Culture
The local culture is the best reason to live in Hong Kong in the first place. Because there are many recreational and social clubs and association that cater to expats, it is a comfortable trap to only mix with other expats.
A Chinese city that was a British colony, Hong Kong has a unique identity. Chinese values, like family solidarity, courtesy, and saving face dominate. Concepts like feng shui are taken seriously, and locals will consult reputable feng shui masters on everything from how to position furniture to making big decisions. Cantonese is the dominant dialect, but English is widely spoken, and since the 1997 handover to China, so is Mandarin.
Cantonese people are superstitious. Many buildings skip the 4th, 14th floor, or 24th floors, because the Cantonese pronunciation sounds like the words for "die," "will definitely die" and "is likely to die", respectively. Gambling is big in Chinese culture, and is legal in Hong Kong. There are many mahjong parlors and horse and football betting are also popular.
A good way to get to know Hong Kong is to watch a local film. Hong Kong is internationally known for its film industry, action films, and stars like Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. Local films, especially the comedies, offer a quick education (and some confusion) in the Hong Kong worldview.
Fresh Food Is Your Friend
Although dining out is the most popular pasttime in Hong Kong, fresh ingredients are readily available everywhere. They are an important aspect of Hong Kong cooking, so most locals shop at these markets all around the city for meat, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit. Frozen foods are shunned. While housing is astronomically expensive in Hong Kong, food is very inexpensive. There are many outdoor markets in every district, so you won't have far to go.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
