Job Discussion Forums

[yeahthatgirl]

Hi,

I�m thinking of moving to HK to teach English. I have been there on holiday a few times before, so I know a little about city but I wondered what the expat culture is like�.

Is there a strong expat community outside of Central? For example, if I was living in New Territories is it easy to meet other expats? From what I�ve seen so far it looks as though all the expats cluster around Central/Stanley/Saigon but are few and far between elsewhere, although this is just my brief observation without really seeking them out.

Also, it seemed a lot of the expats where bankers/accountants/business people and really snobby! I got the impression they looked down on English teachers, not only that but I don�t think I would earn enough as an English teacher to support their kind of lifestyle. Is their much of a community for English teachers?

This message might come across as though I�m not keen on socialising with locals which isn�t the case. I love to find out about new culture and hang out with anyone I get along with, but sometimes it�s nice to know people in the same situation as you as well.

Would be great if anyone could share their experience of socialising in Hong Kong, good or bad.

Thanks!

[sistercream]

My own experience is that the expat/ returners community here is large enough that water can find its own level.

Yes, there are outrageously well-paid professionals who think that anyone who earns less than they do should bow, scrape and admire them.

There's a bunch of young (and not so young) people whose idea of a good time is to get too plastered to remember their names and too high to care at weekends, and then compare hangovers.

There's a crowd that seems to do nothing except work and then complain about everything about HK except the money they're earning.

There are those who learn Cantonese, make local friends (even with people who don't speak any English!) and generally "go local." Some of them look down on the sort of expats who Aren't Like Them; others don't.

There are sailors and hikers and knitters and cooks, atheists and Buddhists and Christians and Muslims, pretty much you name it.

If you have a look at http://hongkong.geoexpat.com/forum/88/ you'll find a small but reasonable cross-section of expattery, and learn about different meet-up and interest groups in town.

[Joshua2006]

Hong Kong Pub Crawl is a good way to meet people too...

Like any city - it depends where you work, who you work with, if you're single, married or with kids, what you want from the city and what you are prepared to do to get what you want from the city.

[ozman]

Most of the expat action is around Central and TST.

There are few pubs in the N.T.'s. so not so easy to congregate or bump into other expats. There is quite a large expat community at Dis. Bay if you like that sort of thing.

it's no so cheap to rent on Hk side or in kowloon but of course here, you are closer to the night life.

There are many "meet up" groups you can join on line if you don't know people. these offer a variety of activities. yes, many of the teachers do tend to stick together.