[campas12]

Hi all...
figured i'd give a quick intro: i'm currently a back office guy at a nyc ib- but i've been interviewing for a sales role in uk (which has now been relocated to asia due to expansion of the product).

28 yrs old- chinese by blood, born/raised in uk, but have been in nyc for the past 6 years (went to school here too so total time of about 14 yrs). very active social life in nyc, and am somewhat of a serial dater (being in nyc how can one not be?). currently living in gramercy park...working 15min walk or subway from work.

i've recently decided that even if the specific job i was looking into doesn't pan out (i have the third interview coming up later this month), i'd still move out to hkg to work/live...

noting all of the above...

1. is hk side or kowloon side better to live?
2. how is single life over there?
3. i'm a fan of larger beds- all the apts i've seen don't seem to have much room- is it possible to get queen/king sized beds?
4. would it be more attractive to potential employers that i have RTL instead of just a work visa?
5. my command of cantonese is quite crap- i speak hakka well...and obviously english-with both accents ...will this be an issue- didn't seem too bad on hk island, but the further north i went, it seemed to get a little rough...
...

on a related note, i originally planned 2 mo's for a move...but the more i think about it, the more i realize it's going to take a lot longer.

list of things to do:

1. decide whether i'm selling my condo, or subletting it out (and dealing with mgmt co's), in addition to selling the majority of my furniture!

2. Sell all my toys- already gotten rid of car, now two motorcycles left *cries*

3. renew my british passport (easy), apply for my US citizenship (i was lazy after i became eligible, and never bothered with the admin. step of applying), figure out how to get my hk ID (i had one as a kid, but didn't bother renewing- both my parents are hk ROA holders, so i assume it shouldn't be too hard (for me to get RTL)

4. figure out the job situation-- if i don't get this current role, i'll probably wait til i get to hk before looking as it'll be easier that way

5. straighten up finances- set up new banka ccounts/cc's in hkg....though again probably easier once i'm there.

6. have a gigantic going away party

...

anyone have any suggestions for things i'm missing out on in terms of 'checklist before moving'...also anyone have similar time frames or suggestions for time frames?

thanks all and HI!

(sorry about the long post!)

[carang]

i'd say that RTL would be easier as it would mean you don't need sponsorship.

BUT if you have it, you may not get all the perks a "true" expat would get.

hakka is not going to help you much. my mother-in-law is hakka and spoke it as a child in HK (she is an indiginous villager) but doesn't even use it now to speak to her siblings.

yes you can get places that can accomodate a kingsized bed, but you may have to look around (you don't say what kind of budget you'll have~as you don't have a job yet, that's not surprising)

[campas12]

Originally Posted by carang

i'd say that RTL would be easier as it would mean you don't need sponsorship.

BUT if you have it, you may not get all the perks a "true" expat would get.

hakka is not going to help you much. my mother-in-law is hakka and spoke it as a child in HK (she is an indiginous villager) but doesn't even use it now to speak to her siblings.

yes you can get places that can accomodate a kingsized bed, but you may have to look around (you don't say what kind of budget you'll have~as you don't have a job yet, that's not surprising)

so it may be better to approach the job search (again assuming i don't get the role i'm currently looking at) as someone needing a visa?

as far as hakka not helping- will the fact i don't speak canto (but can understand it if spoken slowly) hinder my job search/appreciation of hk?

budget- i'm entirely unsure- i assume that compared to nyc, salary is somewhat depressed due to less taxes. and while rents may be higher the relative COL makes it a cheaper place to work/reside... what would you suggest for a decent place?

the place i own right nwo is a 2 bdrm duplex that i share with my brother- it's about 1ksqft (by US standards!) and 300sqft private deck- it's relatively big by nyc standards, and probably what i like in terms of size. if i get a place on my own, i could probably make do with a ~450-500sqft (useable)

the current role i'm looking at is at central sq- but the office will be moving over to the new building over on kowloon side (don't recall the name, but the building isn't complete, but it gigantic and sits on top of a really nice mall)

then again being that i don't currently have the role, it's somewhat of a moot point

[hello_there]

2 months is nowhere near long enough to apply for US citizenship

[campas12]

Originally Posted by hello_there

2 months is nowhere near long enough to apply for US citizenship

then plan is- shoot off my n400 app- wait til they give interview date- fly back in for that...and hopefully be done.

as long as i'm back every 6 mo's...i'm fine.

[rebekah]

not saying you shouldn't do it but... if you apply for US citizenship you'll have to pay US taxes while you're working here. consider it and talk to a lawyer before you do so.

[KnowItAll]

Well, you have to pay US taxes on a green card too (which is what I'd assume the guy is on ...)

[hello_there]

Originally Posted by campas12

then plan is- shoot off my n400 app- wait til they give interview date- fly back in for that...and hopefully be done.

as long as i'm back every 6 mo's...i'm fine.

nope, if you are residing abroad it doesn't necessarily work. you should talk to am imm lawyer in the US just to make sure you get the application right. the process is much more difficult than pre-9/11

[campas12]

Originally Posted by hello_there

nope, if you are residing abroad it doesn't necessarily work. you should talk to am imm lawyer in the US just to make sure you get the application right. the process is much more difficult than pre-9/11

i'm really not worried- i've been doing a lot of research.

i shoot off my app in the next few days. if i leave before my interview- i can still come back for my interview- what/who's to say that i just didn't go on a long vacation btn jobs? i still have my current apt/utils/cellphone/credit cards here...and even IF i sold my apt, i iwll be sending all of my bills to my parents address...(in the US).

bottom line is i still have ties here, and no one can prove i don't still plan on living here for the long term (which i do)

re: green card- i have to pay taxes regardless

[axptguy48]

1. is hk side or kowloon side better to live?
A:That depends a lot on on where you work.

2. how is single life over there?
A: Not that I'm single but as I understand it's very active.

3. i'm a fan of larger beds- all the apts i've seen don't seem to have much room- is it possible to get queen/king sized beds?
A: The bedrooms aren't that small. No problem fitting a king in the master of any place I've seen. Of course, you might not be able to fit any other furniture apart from nightstands.

5. my command of cantonese is quite crap- i speak hakka well...and obviously english-with both accents ...will this be an issue- didn't seem too bad on hk island, but the further north i went, it seemed to get a little rough...
A: English is fine on the island. If you speak ANY Cantonese that will go far in smaller shops and such.

BTW shameless self plug of vaguely accurate information: Hong Kong Tips.