Lifestyle: Hong Kong versus Singapore

[JR8]

There is experience experience, and there is overseas experience.

While benefiting oneself in many ways, for most jobs back home I don't think overseas experience would be significant criteria for most companies to consider one person over another.

Quite: I don't mean seeking overseas work experience just for the sake of it. Although such a person could be thought of as more curious, adaptable, and so on .

I mean going from being 'The P/L guy' for a few trading desks in London or New York, to THE debt product controller in SG. Or, the repo controller back home, to setting the whole back-end for a start-up repo desk in SG... and so on ...

OSOD:
Working overseas means you lose the contacts you need in your market place back home

I don't think such a thing exists in finance, or that it matters. People are constantly on the move so it is expected. If there is a market-place with contacts, it is internal. Maybe it ties with working for Cos with perhaps 50k staff (?)

[ScoobyDoes]

So, the agents in HK are using the same style as SG?

Generally not.....agents actually have things called shops. You can walk into this stange concept, talk to an agent, be presented with lists for rent and sale, shortlist and then actually go see the place. In most cases this is instant.

You don't have to trawl websites sending countless SMS and emails waiting for 'an appointment' and with so many agent 'shops' you can generally find what you want quite quickly.

[zzm9980]

So, the agents in HK are using the same style as SG?

Generally not.....agents actually have things called shops. You can walk into this stange concept, talk to an agent, be presented with lists for rent and sale, shortlist and then actually go see the place. In most cases this is instant.

You don't have to trawl websites sending countless SMS and emails waiting for 'an appointment' and with so many agent 'shops' you can generally find what you want quite quickly.

You don't even need to always walk in! Just walk around your desired neighborhood and look at them in the windows. The agents are even nice enough to post a variety of low to high budget units usually. It seems every other city in Asia I've visited is like this, except Singapore.

[Sergei82]

...when my EP renewal was rejected here...

Any idea why?

[ScoobyDoes]

The agents are even nice enough to post a variety of low to high budget units usually. It seems every other city in Asia I've visited is like this, except Singapore.

That is true, but unless you are hunting around Stanley, DB or Repulse Bay 99% of the adverts are now in Chinese......which is fine if you read Chinese, but I don't.

Any idea why?

Nobody ever knows why the government does anything. Got it through negotiation, which is just as well otherwise I would have had to have closed my company.

[refugees]

Having spent 2y working in HK, these r my pros n cons for HK:

Pros:
- Good & efficient public transport network, from MTR, tram, bus, mini bus, ferry, taxi. No complex maths involve for taxi fare structure, no hide n seek, in fact, u get 15% discount if u call cab for distant of more than HKD60 fare.
- Plenty of nature reserve & islands for trekking
- More interesting climates (can be cons for others)
- I actually saved more money in HK as I don't need a car there.
- Things are generally cheaper there due to cheap china imports, and even the high end dining.
- Personally, i find the service standard in HK are more efficient and better, unlike SG.
- Fresh seafood are readily available from wet market.
- Better clubbing scene especially during Rugby 7 & Halloween. Alternative entertainment are available with an hour drive away up north.
- Cheaper alcohols

Cons
- Housing generally about 20% higher and flats with good view r hard to come by. You be lucky if you don't look directly into your neighbours units.
- Private hospitalisation cost a bomb, especially labour.
- Human traffics.
- not good environment for children due to space constraints and high private school fees.

[v4jr4]

Cons
- Housing generally about 20% higher and flats with good view r hard to come by. You be lucky if you don't look directly into your neighbours units.
- Private hospitalisation cost a bomb, especially labour.
- Human traffics.
- not good environment for children due to space constraints and high private school fees.

Well, I came across several links about the flats, and most of them put higher rate. Oh, well

As for hospital, I guess the same thing goes for SG

Human traffics and space constraints are something that I can get used to, since Jakarta is overcrowded as well

[refugees]

the problem with hk flats are good quality r hard to come by. What i meant good quality is decent view with privacy (no need to look into neighbour), good facilities development n location, easy access to public transport. These flats usually fetch premium. and bear in mind that effective area of hk flat is only about 60-80% of advertised area. So you can't exactly compare 1k sqft flat in hk to 1k sqft flat in SG.

There r huge PRC influx for HK private hospital, hence pushing up the medical cost. My wife tried to reserved room from 3 private hospital 8m in advance, and they are all full. each labour will cost u easily SGD20-40k, while SG only cost u about SGD5-10k.

[Sergei82]

99% of the adverts are now in Chinese......which is fine if you read Chinese, but I don't.

Those are not poems with intricate collocations. Google Translate will handle it with ease.

[Callput]

the problem with hk flats are good quality r hard to come by. What i meant good quality is decent view with privacy (no need to look into neighbour), good facilities development n location, easy access to public transport. These flats usually fetch premium. and bear in mind that effective area of hk flat is only about 60-80% of advertised area. So you can't exactly compare 1k sqft flat in hk to 1k sqft flat in SG.

There r huge PRC influx for HK private hospital, hence pushing up the medical cost. My wife tried to reserved room from 3 private hospital 8m in advance, and they are all full. each labour will cost u easily SGD20-40k, while SG only cost u about SGD5-10k.

So would it be fair to say that like you see the Indian invasion in Singapore, you get the equivalent of chinese invasion in HK?

[zzm9980]

99% of the adverts are now in Chinese......which is fine if you read Chinese, but I don't.

Those are not poems with intricate collocations. Google Translate will handle it with ease.

For the adverts hanging in agents' office windows that you walk past?

Although, they are quite easy to make out. Anyone should be able to pick up a few Chinese characters without problem, and common sense also help you figure out which numbers mean what if you don't. Hint: the number for how much per month is likely much larger than the square meters.

[v4jr4]

the problem with hk flats are good quality r hard to come by. What i meant good quality is decent view with privacy (no need to look into neighbour), good facilities development n location, easy access to public transport. These flats usually fetch premium. and bear in mind that effective area of hk flat is only about 60-80% of advertised area. So you can't exactly compare 1k sqft flat in hk to 1k sqft flat in SG.

There r huge PRC influx for HK private hospital, hence pushing up the medical cost. My wife tried to reserved room from 3 private hospital 8m in advance, and they are all full. each labour will cost u easily SGD20-40k, while SG only cost u about SGD5-10k.

So would it be fair to say that like you see the Indian invasion in Singapore, you get the equivalent of chinese invasion in HK?

I almost forgot this case
Several months back, I found some articles about the tension between HK-ers and PRC, like this or this.

[Sergei82]

99% of the adverts are now in Chinese......which is fine if you read Chinese, but I don't.

Those are not poems with intricate collocations. Google Translate will handle it with ease.

For the adverts hanging in agents' office windows that you walk past?

Although, they are quite easy to make out. Anyone should be able to pick up a few Chinese characters without problem, and common sense also help you figure out which numbers mean what if you don't. Hint: the number for how much per month is likely much larger than the square meters.

Yes, no matter what, but numbers are still Arabic.

[zzm9980]

Those are not poems with intricate collocations. Google Translate will handle it with ease.

For the adverts hanging in agents' office windows that you walk past?

Although, they are quite easy to make out. Anyone should be able to pick up a few Chinese characters without problem, and common sense also help you figure out which numbers mean what if you don't. Hint: the number for how much per month is likely much larger than the square meters.

Yes, no matter what, but numbers are still Arabic.

Actually... Not always! The prices and sq/ft usually is. But I've seen a few descriptions where they used hanzi for descriptions. Things like how many bedrooms or whatever.

一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Unless it's on a fa piao or some shit in Mainland China. I don't know the 'fancy'/anti forgery numbers too well. Makes expense reports a bitch.

[JR8]

Yes, no matter what, but numbers are still Arabic.

As I recall you're right, '''western''' numbers are referred to as Arabic.

But now I am left wondering why, when they look absolutely nothing like numbers as written in Arabic!

http://www.salamcards.com/static/Arabic ... ciat.shtml