A few months ago, I decided to move to Hong Kong from my life-long residence in Cincinnati, Ohio. Recently, I connected again (on Facebook) with a pretty girl from my high school, with whom I had not met personally since 1985. Since I was never married, had no children, and did not work with my own Internet company, which allows me to work from anywhere in the world, I decided to make the first visit to check it out. It took me only a few days to realize that I want to live in Hong Kong.
After extending my two-week visit to four weeks, I returned to the states to tie several loose ends. I sold or left most of my personal belongings and reduced my possessions to fit in two suitcases. Being 43 years old, and your life comes down to what fits into two suitcases, it was a surreal and amazing release. A month later, I was in Discovery Bay in Hong Kong for a new life experience. For those who plan to take such a step, I would like to share a few comments and recommendations.
Currency: The Hong Kong government uses "Honk Kong Dollars". If you are used to US currency, the transition is actually quite simple. The current exchange rate is about 7.8%. Simply put, this means that a pack of cigarettes, worth 39.00 Hong Kong dollars, translates to about $ 5 in the states. Since I'm not very keen when it comes to math, I found an easy way to convert HK dollars to US dollars. Suppose you see a pizza in the menu, which is HK $ 100.00. How much is it in US dollars? What I consider an easy way to convert is to first determine what 10% of the price is. In this case, 10% of $ 100.00 is $ 10.00. Then I add about 25% of $ 10.00, which is $ 2.50. Thus, a pizza that costs about $ 100 is about $ 12.50 in US dollars. If you want to buy a flat-screen TV that sells for $ 8,000 HK, I take 10% of 8,000, which is $ 800. Then I add 25% of $ 800.00, which is $ 200. Thus, a flat-screen TV HK $ 8000.00 is about $ 1000.00 US dollars.
Another thing to remember about Hong Kong is the lack of sales tax. In addition, tips in restaurants are rare. It seems odd at first not to give advice or just leave changes for the service, but servers and bartenders in Hong Kong usually get a good salary or an hourly wage - unlike the states. Try leaving $ 5.00 for $ 200 dinner at a restaurant in New York and see what happens!
Transportation: many adults in Hong Kong never traveled by car. They just do not need. Hong Kong is wonderful because it is such an orderly and organized city. Bulk transport is safe, clean, convenient and very affordable. It is very easy to get a taxi, take the subway (known as “MTR”), take a ferry, or jump on the bus. Despite the fact that Hong Kong is part of China, it is filled with English-speaking expats from all over the world. As a result, 99% of the characters are in English, which makes it extremely simple. A not so obvious advantage of the transit system in Hong Kong is that when you are not driving, you can do other things, such as reading, checking email, drowsiness, etc. This is a huge stress reducer that most people don't consider. Imagine that you have two more hours every day!
Hiking: I currently live in Discovery Bay, which is a community on Lantau Island. I often compare DBs with Hawaii and the center of Hong Kong to New York. In other words, I can experience the best of both worlds. The great thing is that we live here so that we can travel around the island to different communities, many of which are very Chinese and reliably primitive. If you love nature and love being active, there are countless opportunities to get out of the city and watch Chinese culture on foot.
Proximity to other countries: I am used to living in Ohio, which has almost no connection with the land. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is very close to mainland China, the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Many people I encountered in Hong Kong travel the world very much. It is not uncommon to meet people who have visited 10, 15 or 20 countries. In just a few months, I founded friends from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, South Africa and Baltimore. It really is a melting pot, and there is never a dull moment.
Residence: When you enter Hong Kong, immigration stamps will have your passport, which allows you to visit the region for 90 days. If you plan to stay longer, there are several ways to become a resident. If your state company sends you here on business, you can go with a work visa. If you are here and hired by the company, you will also receive a work visa. If you are planning to start a business, you will need to submit your immigration plan and get an “investment visa”. Do not do this on your own. Contact or visit the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and they will introduce you to an accounting firm that specializes in presenting business plans for immigration approval. If you meet a resident and you fall in love, then you can stay forever if you get married!
Living in Hong Kong is amazing. My only regret is that I waited 43 years to get out of my comfort zone in Ohio. It is never too late to go on a new life adventure. Life is short, so if you have always had the desire to explore this beautiful planet, consider checking out Hong Kong. It is different, but not so different from the fact that the culture shock will be too strong.
