Full Version: American expat Spike living in Hong Kong China

American expat Spike living in Hong Kong China

Hong Kong is probably one of the busiest places in China and the rest of the world. The cosmopolitan life in this small island moves at a busy pace, with its teeming businesses and hard-working people. For US-born Spike, this gourmet and shopping paradise that’s close to many other great places is the land he now calls home.
  
Spike



July 12 2006

-Where were you born?
New York City, USA

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live alone.

-In which country and city are you living now?
Hong Kong, China

-How long have you been living in Hong Kong?
Almost 9 years

-What is your age?
52

-When did you come up with the idea of living in another country?
I was looking for something different for my life and a trip to Asia gave me the idea that living and working there might be the answer.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No, because I had my job arranged before I arrived and they sponsored me for the visa.

-How do you make your living in Hong Kong? Do you have any type of income generated?
I am a manager for the Asian branch of an American company. I got my job via a recommendation from a friend.

-Do you speak Chinese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?


I speak some Cantonese but am not fluent. While it's not necessary to speak



Cantonese to get by in Hong Kong, it's helpful to speak at least a little and it earns a lot more respect from the locals. I also think that being aware of local holidays, pastimes, and culture does help one to earn respect.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I don't miss the U.S. and I've never been homesick. This is my home. I like doing things like travel, dining out, hiking, bar hopping, and shopping.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I travel constantly both for work and pleasure and expect to do much more of the same.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I am renting an apartment. The cost is roughly US$3,000 per month, which is towards the lower end of the middle range for rents here.

-What is the cost of living in Hong Kong?
Cost of living can be high if one insists on doing things western style but it can be quite low if one goes local style. As one example, a burger and a beer can cost US$20 but a bowl of won ton noodles and a glass of tea can cost US$2. Real estate prices are among the highest in the world here, and that impacts the cost of almost everything else.

-What do you think about the people in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong people are notorious for being rude and only caring about money. There is some truth to this but for the most part people are very friendly and helpful to me. However, no matter how long I stay here, most will always view me as a foreigner and as long as I am not completely fluent in the local language, there will always be some sort of wall between them and me.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Hong Kong?
The positives are: the lifestyle here is 24 hours, always exciting, always lots of choices, and some of the most exciting destinations in the world are short flights away. Every day is new; every day is a chance for learning, even after nine years.

The negative aspect is the high cost of living.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Hong Kong?
Try to learn the language or at least something about the local culture. Don't only associate with other Westerners; make as many local friends as possible. Don't have an attitude of "Well, in MY country we do it THIS way and it's so much better" because that is not a way to make friends or earn respect. Be open to everything, be laid back, be accepting and non-judgmental and you will enjoy yourself and go far.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Hong Kong and China?
Hemlock - [url]http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/papers.html[/url]
Sarcastic, funny, insightful view of politics and lifestyle

EastSouthWestNorth - [url]http://www.zonaeuropa.com/weblog.htm[/url]
A local Chinese who translates HK and China newspaper articles into English, the coverage is often quite different, and you can learn more about what's going on and how local people view things.

Simon World - [url]http://simonworld.mu.nu/[/url]
Good political coverage from an ex-pat's point of view

Cha Xiu Bao - [url]http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/[/url]
Great tips on local food

Glutter - [url]http://www.glutter.org/[/url]
Chinese woman into art and politics

Walk the Talk - [url]http://www.blogthetalk.com/[/url]
Daily posts about HK history

FriskoDude - [url]http://friskodude.blogspot.com/[/url]
Good coverage of regional current events

Asia Pundit - [url]http://www.asiapundit.com/[/url]
More on current events from around the region

Flagrant Harbour - [url]http://flagrantharbour.com/[/url]
Comments on local doings

Here are some expat sites with busy forums are good for getting questions answered:

asia-expatsforum.com
hkexpats.com
geoexpat.com
hongkong.asiaxpat.com.

My blog: Hongkie Town - laowai.blogspot.com
A diary, which can range from things of a very adult (sexual) nature to current events to music, movies, travel, whatever's on my mind that day.