Batgung

We've been asked before about this. Our less than earth-shattering advice has been to join a group of people with similar interests, eg a club or association, or an evening class.

Established clubs are a good place to meet existing residents of Hongkong. Signing up for beginners' classes in Chinese seems a good way to meet up with other new arrivals. Read more »

In this stage of my exploration of the cost of living in Hong Kong, we get out of the supermarkets and check out some of the other day-to-day expenses expatriates face in this costly city.

If you're interested in the earlier price comparisons I did for food, you can find them here and here.  Read more »

If you’ve been offered a job here, you’ve no doubt asked yourself this question.

Here are some tips to help you reach an answer. Read more »

A few weeks ago I introduced a new component in our set of articles on the cost of living in Hong Kong. In that first installment, I compared the prices of fresh produce and meats in Hong Kong's markets, ordinary supermarkets, and high-end 'expat-oriented' food halls.
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We Batgung are asked the same question by many commenters and emailers: ‘How much does it cost to live in Hong Kong?’

The easy answer is ‘quite a lot, but maybe not so much as you might think, so long as you know where to look for things’.

What’s much harder is demonstrating by anecdote or isolated example how much difference it makes in Hong Kong if you buy your goods and services from expat-centric providers, as opposed to local ones.

If you’ll be living in Hong Kong for several months or longer, why not learn Tai Chi? As a memento of Hong Kong, it’s much easier to take home than Chinese furniture, and it’s good for your health too!

There are a variety of courses on offer. You can choose from further education centres (e.g. YMCA), fitness centres (e.g. California Fitness), or even the free sessions run by the HK Tourist Board. But if you’d like to make some local friends at the same time, and can be a bit flexible with your schedule, there’s another option. Read more »

If you are planning to buy your first flat (aka apartment or condominium) in Hong Kong, you’re probably wondering how to get the best deal, while avoiding any expensive mistakes. Read on for Batgung's recommendations on trouble-free house-hunting.

I didn't intend to come to Hong Kong at all. Instead I was heading to Australia courtesy of their working holiday visa. But, there was a lady I'd met previously in Canada that I'd taken a fancy to. She was living in Hong Kong, so I thought I'd stop here on the way. Read more »

Question: I'm now experiencing doubts about moving to Hong Kong from the UK. Should I do it?

Mr B replies: I'm biased, but I'd say give it a go. Some people like it and end up staying "for maybe another year", and end up finding they've been here for ten or more. A fair number find themselves having enjoyed it, but looking forward to going home at the end of their 2-year contract.

I've only ever met one person that couldn't wait to leave. He was out here because his wife had been posted here. He had to have chips with every meal, hated Chinese food, didn't like foreign people, and spent his time here living in a little British bubble. If that sounds like you, you might not enjoy it either, but if it's just a case of butterflies, I'd advise you to take the plunge. Read more »

Question: How has Hong Kong changed since 1997? Is it no longer a good place to live? What does the future hold?  Read more »