This was written by an anonymous person. I think it makes sense why Hong Kong continues to attract the expatriates and not Malaysia. According to thsi unknown writer, these are the things you need to grow the expatriate.1. Watch “The World of Suzie Wong” [ Tongue-in-cheek!]
2. Speak no Cantonese. If you do, use it sparingly. Remember, English is king (Tell that to a South-east Asian country!]
3. Avoid public transport
4. Avoid wet markets
5. Avoid cramped, noisy local eateries
Follow these steps closely, add plenty of sunshine and water and watch your expatriate population thrive.
Hong Kong is listed as the fifth most expensive Asian city to live in yet the fragrant harbour still attracts expatriates to its shores.
Hong Kong’s currency peg to the weakening US dollar means that the cost of living has decreased slightly, human resources company ECA International said in its cost of living report.
I can’t tell though. I hear that my regular bowl of fishcake hor fun still costs HK$18![What do you expect?Cooked food prices do not follow the law of gravity.Same here in Malaysia]
So expensive noodles aside, what is it that draws people from faraway lands to seek fortunes in Hong Kong?
Could it be the five-star lifestyle? The salary of a teacher in one of the many international schools here affords rent of a cosy apartment, a helper and a long summer holiday to start with.[In Malaysia-no way, Jose!]
With the cosy apartment comes a deck chair to work up a healthy tan by the pool overlooking the South China Sea. Taxi rides. Dinner at nice restaurants. The list goes on.
There’s more. Welcoming the expatriate is a support system so encompassing that it makes you never want to leave. Or have the need to learn a word of Cantonese.
There are a host of companies, retailers, magazines and websites ready to make the newcomer feel right at home.
I just came across a taxi guide that simplifies what can be the most exasperating exchange: telling the taxi driver where you want to go in Cantonese.
A case in point: Ventris Road translates to Vun Day Lo. I would never have ventured a guess like that.
This book, and many more, are targeted at expats provides names of shopping malls, restaurants, schools and the like in English and Chinese with phonetics.[What a guide! Take note, Malaysian Tourism Council!]
There are websites like www.asiaexpat.com where one can go to buy and sell second-hand items ranging from a luxury yacht (yes!) to children’s toys.[Walla!]
New posts go up every hour of the day and popular items like furniture tend to go within hours alluding to the frequent comings and goings of the expatriates.
There are even property agencies and pet relocation companies that exist solely to serve the expatriate community.
International schools cater to the various foreign communities: American, Australian, Canadian, French, German, Korean, Norwegian and Singaporean.[Mana Malaysians?]
Perhaps aware that companies with deep pockets offer top level employees education allowances, some institutions require a debenture for a student’s enrollment (a certain kindergarten stipulates a HK$70,000 debenture).
There are also a growing number of supermarkets that target the well-traveled with imported goods far outnumbering local produce. Staff speak fluent English and are polite and helpful.[In Malaysia,wait for another generation as the education system currently behaves like a dog chasing its tail!]
One needn’t have to trouble one’s self with the local lingo or struggle with unfamiliar fish and vegetable at the wet market. You want rendang sauce? Chorizo? You got it.
Ironically, one of the great joys of living abroad is immersing in the local culture. Yet all this pampering is taking away the essence of the experience.
Last year’s vicious retrenchments saw an exodus of expats — yet not all have left for good.
A report in the Sunday Morning Post (“A Silver Lining in the Credit Crunch”; March 22, 2009) revealed that major relocation companies had seen a dramatic rise in calls and orders for storage facilities compared to calls and orders to ship belongings home.[Early reversal in the works!]
It seems the whiff of money is still strong for there are families who have simply moved on to cheaper locations like the Philippines for extended holidays while riding out the wave.
No matter what the economic climate, Hong Kong is still a magnet for those seeking greener pastures.
And something tells me that the evergreen Suzie Wong has had a hand in winning over more than one expatriate-to-be.
So, it's over to you, Minister of Tourism Malaysia? Apa boleh bikin?
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