Hong Kong Fuey

[SeoraeMaeul]

Having felt guilty for hijacking Rillyrillygoodlooking's thread I decided to start a new one. Any HK'ers who wish to join me feel free!

Just arrived 6 / 8 weeks ago and still feeling a bit lost. Actually I think thats what I need to do is actually just have some time to get lost walking or driving round the island until I feel like I know it. At the moment the place I know best is Ikea in Causeway!

So tell me the good, the bad and the ugly of Hong Kong and help me get to know it

Anyway hello or Ni Hao and look forward to hearing from you all!

well jo-san! I was there a while ago so can relate. it's rather alien until you get used to it with western/shopping mall window dressing..
star ferry always good to mix with locals/mull..tram also.

imho, good of HK:

work ethic v admirable
diversity
work hard/play hard like nowhere else!
phenomenal scenery, countryside/junk trips, most unexpected
easy access to SE asia
good income, low tax, affordable childcare
food!
v v safe - remember stumbling round Lan Kwai Fong a couple of times alone and inebriated at all times of the night.

the bad:
so so crowded
culture -people push/walk into you/spit in street/stare at the
"gweilo" in outlying areas
work-obsessed
v expensive
v materialistic
not calming

good luck, it's really worht it but hard work!

We' ve been here a couple of months also - and I would agree with the list above - every time I think I've figured this place out, then I see something which makes me think again.
I am sort of fascinated by it all, and then equally just really exhausted, and just want to have a really big lie-in and just switch off from it all for a day or two!

Thanks - as someone said on the other thread, I've hit the 6 week wall. I remember that feeling from the move to Korea - you get over the initial chaos of the actual moving house part and then you feel a bit lost. I guess the difference was Korea was so alien that you just had to dive in and go with it - the challenges never stopped. Very little english in shops and markets, govt offices, or even in a lot of the attractions like the palaces etc, but on the flip side a population that just wanted you to love their country which was very infectious so you ended up loving it!

Like I say I think I need to get out and find the HK behind the School bus runs and the high end malls! Given the glorious weather today maybe I need to drag the kids up a mountain :)

We live on the south side of hk island so its all mountain and sea and very peaceful, yet therebis this vibrant city a 20 mn ride away and I am loving having the best of both worlds.

There is a life beyond causeway bay! Will come back in a bit with my top 5....

Jo san! Welcome to HK. (waves hello to Mummysaysno) HK is an amazing place, but there is so much more to it that all the shopping centres and chaos of Central. I completely agree with Expatagain's list, but a few of the other things I love about HK include the geography of it (really beautiful and very dramatic), hiking, the excellent public transport system, the warmth and welcoming nature of HK Chinese towards children, the beautiful beaches, the vibrancy of living and moving about in such a bustling and thriving city, the abundency and excellent value of taxis, the markets, the weather, and of course, the karaoke rooms I just love it here. We have been here almost 2 yrs now (out in the New Territories) and really, really like it here. HK seems to be one of those places which people either love or hate, and if you love it, it gets under your skin in a way that makes it hard to leave. I hope you settle in soon, it really is a wonderful place once you get to know it. Drop me a line if you fancy meeting for a coffee one morning.

Seorae If you want to go hiking then the Serious Hikers Guide to HK (All bookshops) is great. The trails are actually really well marked but the reason the book is useful is that it explains how to get to the trailheads by public transport/ what to tell the taxi. There's also a leisurely hikers guide which might be more appropriate, depending how old your children are.

I agree that HK can seem materialistic but I generally don't find the expats to be that way inclined- most of them are admittedly wealthy, but not especially acquisitive. I think kids here are far less into "stuff" than kids in the UK, and I like the fact that most of them seem to have actual interests and don't watch endless TV (other than in Typhoon 8). However, the flip side of that is the seemingly never ending schedule of after school and weekend activities/ sports camps etc.

Worst thing about HK are the rents and the plague of frikkin' Alphards which are always parked somewhere knobbish.

Forgot to say- the YWCA (English Speaking Members Dept) does a course called "At Home" for newbies to HK, as well as a host of other courses. It might be worth checking it out. I met a few like minded souls on it.

DoasIsay, karaoke sounds fun. Not sure i'd manage to grad DH!

TheBride, do you know if there are any good website for hicking groups? I understand some long term expats know the trails very well and organise group outings. I've only tried the one running from parkiview to stanley and back because its always busy. Its a bit daunting going solo.

seorae, some good itineraties to acclimatise/disover are:

• queen's road east and all the side streets around wan chai market for housewares/ flowers/ upholstery/ furniture & curtains
• the star street area behind pacific place 3 for delis/ vintage boutiques & arthouse bookshops
• hollywood road and cat street for contemporary and antique galleries. A couple of very nice brasseries & just further the western market and sheung wan for a whaff of chinese pharmacology-
• our favirite beach is south bay. Always pretty quiet, and one of the only cafes with half decent food and drinks.
• the drive along the reservoir and down to sheck O is always a hit with the kids. Big wide beach ideal for ball games
• boating. Junk trips to outlying islands or sai kung are a great day out. Pack a picnic & Back in time into victoria harbour for a sundowner. Pink dolphin watching out of lantau is lovely too. Deparing about 9 in the morning.
• star ferry to kowloon and sunday morning at the flower market, quick dim sum and science museum in the afternoon

laptop Go onto meetup.com and find the HK hiking group. They do literally hundreds of hikes a month ranging from beginners to super hard core, and do evening hikes as well.

The one you went on is the famous "twins". If you go the other way from Parkview you go onto stage 5 of the HK trail (Jardines') and can go all the way to Big Wave Bay via the Dragon's Back. IMO it's actually impossible to get lost because even if you go wrong, you'll hit a road within an hour and can just get a cab back However, there is obviously still a risk of hiking alone just in case you hurt yourself so can see why you want company.

Seorae Just to add- there's a good cheap Thai place in Shek O. Basically on the corner as you come into the village. Plastic tablecloths but good food and cold beer.

Thanks so much for all these tips! I took advantage of the weather and the outdoor pool. Met up with the neighbours and it's amazing what just chatting can do to cheer you up!

The itineraries look great and I'm going to start working through those as soon as the kids are back in school.

And as for Noraebangs or Karaoke rooms - loved them in Seoul so glad to see they are popular here. And on the subject final question (for now!) any restaurant/bar recommendations - I've an old college friend coming over on business in a couple of weeks so need to book something.

If there is ever a HK MN meet up count me in

Again thanks for all of this!

glad you had a good day today. What sort of bar/restaurant are you looking for? Cheap (relative to HK at least!) and cheerful, smart, one with a view, somewhere you can eat as well? HK is stuffed to the gills with all kinds of places, and you can look up the latest reviews, bars, restaurants and so on in Time Out HK, and HK magazine. The latter is a free weekly paper which I prefer to Time Out HK. You can usually pick up a copy in most of the bars/restaurants in Soho/Central. Their web sire is here hk.asia-city.com/ Shall we try and arrange a HKMN meet up? We could meet for coffee one morning in Central if that suits everyone. I have visitors from now until almost the end of Nov, so maybe some time in the beginning of Dec?

My pal is here for a bit of a one off so I'll probably try something with a view or somewhere that can show of Hong Kong at its best - so any recommendations great, if not I'll definitely check out Time Out

HKMN meet up would be great - who knows by then I might have broken through the "wall"

A December get together sounds great! Def up for it!

In fact, that is one thing I am loving about HK, meeting so many people, who I would never have met had we stayed with our life in London, and that everyone is incredibly friendly and honest about the transition etc.

(Cheers everyone to another gorgeous day today - the sunniest October half term my kids have ever had!)

If you are looking for views, then I would recommend the following. On Kowloon side, within striking distance of the star ferry pier is Aqua (check it is open as it was recently shut for refurbishment) and also the highest (and newest) bar in HK,Ozone On HK island, the M bar at the Mandarin Oriental also has great views. If you want the best of both worlds, you can go to Wing Wah Lane off D'Aguilar St (Lan Kwai Fong) for some street stall food at rat alley then a (very) short walk will take you to Azure for a cocktail or two with a view. I'm definitly up for a HK MN meet up in early Dec, maybe over coffee or at one of the above bars so we can all enjoy the view! . Hope you have fun exploring HK and sharing it with your friend.

The other place with a fantastic view is Cafe Gray at the top of the Upper House hotel at Pacific Place.

And sevva in the prince's building is a great buzzing yet civilised pre-dinner lounge. Fab view.
I hear the bar atvthe ritz at ICC in kowloon has an amazing view.
The best terraces for lunch are spice in the repulse bay and isola in ifc. Not too crowded and child friendly too. Booking essential though.

YY to the Bar at the Mandarin ICC- FYI no flip-flops- not even "posh jewely" flip flips

Laptop I actually would avoid Isola terrace at the moment as it now has a great view of the Western-Northpoint tunnel workings. They've got the earth movers just started there. Not v tranquil albeit "very Hong Kong"

I just thought of another dinner spot- the buffet BBQ on the roof of the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai. Lovely surroundings and great food. They do a free flow brunch on Sundays for HK$400 which is fab.

On another HK topic, I'm really nervous as tomorrow I've got to drive to Hong Lok Yuen (north of Shatin). Embarrassed to admit have never been through the Central Tunnel before. Terrified of getting lost in Kowloon as I just don't know it at all.

panic not Bride, HLY is not too hard to find (my kids go to the school there and it is excellent, we are delighted with it). Go through the Central tunnel (toll is $20), keep in the right hand lanes as you go through the toll booths. Just after the toll booths, a sign for Shatin will direct you onto a slight elevated section, and tell you specifically which lane to get in for Shatin (the left hand lane of the elevated section). As you follow the road round to the left (the first bend after the toll booths), move into the left hand lane, to filter off towards Shatin. Then keep driving in a straight line, do not leave the main road, follow signs for Lion Rock tunnel. Go through said tunnel (approx 7- 10 mins drive from Central tunnel, toll of $8), and follow signs for Tai Po, (do not leave the expressway). You will pass by signs for Shatin, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan (where you will pass the Shatin racecourse) , University, and as long as you stay on the expressway, eventually you will see a sign for Hong Lok Yuen. Come off the expressway and turn right at the roundabout at the end of the slip way. Then turn right at the lights just after the roundabout. This is HLY. Once you are through the Central tunnel, if the traffic is ok, the Kowloon/NT leg of the trip should take about 30 mins if the trafic is good. Good luck!

DoasIsay You are a rockstar!! thanks so much

my pleasure, hope you find it ok.

Does any one know any off the beaten track furniture stores?
Am so sick and tired of those 25 floors at horizon plaza!

Kowloon side maybe?

What sort of stuff are you looking for? Antique, modern??

My trip to the NT was a success- I actually ended up going through the eastern tunnel as had to pick someone up in Northpoint, but got to HLY and back without mishap. It is really nice up there- looks like the Costa. Blardy hot though.

Am really impressed. Have only ventured to the airport a couple of times!

Both I suppose. I need "accent" pieces, a long thin bench ( maybe black lacquer), an ottoman (maybe should go to upholsterer as I need to replace chair covers too)
Can I push my luck and ask if anyone knows where to find natural linen?
Have just discovered the linen shops in Stanley.
Cant' stop buying those little embroidered pouches and white linen mats and napkins.

Have you tried Homeless on Gough St for furniture?

I admit I have given up on nice furniture until the cats have died and the kids have left home . Just looked at the back of our sofa, and what hasnt been shredded by feline claws is horrifically sun faded.

I joined MN to keep in touch with the UK.... and find HKMN!! Fantastic.
We live in Sai Kung, so very happy to meet up in Central sometime soon!