[HKNewBi]

I certainly agree with your comments on ineptitude Jimbo. Strikes me as a pretty ridiculous statement to make.

But not so sure about the opportunities. I think it very much depends on what it is you do. From my recent experience, as an IT consultant, the opportunities here are very poor compared with London.

But if I was to make a comparison of a non English speaker trying to get work in London (as I am a non cantonese speaker trying to get work in HK) maybe the opportunities aren't so bad.

Certainly the scope of industries available in HK is far more limited than that on offer in London.

[nation]

Yeah I'd have to agree with that. When I moved to London I was amazed by the amount of business opportunities available. Not to say that there's a lot here but given the pricing that is "rip-off Brittain" and average Londoner's propensity to spend opportunities abound.

But as to why HK, for me it's simply being in the region. It's an area I prefer and an area personally suits me better.

[JonnyC]

I just fancy a new challenge and HK will be a good base from which to travel. The job I'm taking is also a good opportunity and more money than I'm currently on in London (although if I looked for something new in London I would get paid a lot more), I think it's a little harsh to say people in London are slackers, there's a reason London is the financial centre of the world and it's not because the people are lazy. I'm just fed up of the weather there and the government taking more and more of my money, nothing to do with the people

[HKNewBi]

There are many reasons why London is the financial centre it is - mostly historical.

The financial industry is one of the few industries in London that does work efficiently (producing up to 10% of the UK's GDP) but look at the huge salaries at have to be paid to motivate people.

I can tell you as a fact, the tubes don't work, the hospitals and schools are filthy, waiting lists are ridiculous, streets are full of rubbish..... no excuse for this whatsoever.

It took me 3 months of daily phone calls to get my local authority (Tower Hamlets, right across from Tower Bridge - major London tourist landmakr) to just simply sweep the streets outside my office. Every single flat surface in the area was covered in rubbish, the gutters had a two foot wide, 5 cms thick mountain of dirt. This is despite paying business rates that were nearly the same as my office rates.

Never went to A&E and experienced anything less than a 9 hour wait.

Last time I was back in London I took the tube 5 times. 5 times I experienced major delays. Yes a 100% track record (scuse pun) of failure here.

As a born and bred Londoner I can say I am happy to be shot of the place. It is an amazing and fantastic city, but having to deal with that on a daily basis grinds you down. Especially if people just did what they are paid to do this wouldn't happen.

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by JonnyC

I just fancy a new challenge and HK will be a good base from which to travel. The job I'm taking is also a good opportunity and more money than I'm currently on in London (although if I looked for something new in London I would get paid a lot more), I think it's a little harsh to say people in London are slackers, there's a reason London is the financial centre of the world and it's not because the people are lazy. I'm just fed up of the weather there and the government taking more and more of my money, nothing to do with the people

Oh believe you me the number of colleagues I worked with and under in London were the pure essence of laziness.

I'll throw in an example, A fresh graduate analyst that joined my last firm expected me to create personal folders for him in outlook and move all his e-mails into those said folders. Of course I refused as its not my job to do his work for him. He got mightily upset when I said no.

He wasn't the first and certainly won't be the last. This sort of thing happened in numerous multi nationals I worked for in London.

Yes London salaries pay better but then it has to when you're spending excessive amounts of money on Travel costs, Congestion charge, Council Tax, Petrol etc etc.

Things went down the tubes when labour were voted into power but thats another argument.

[nation]

Hate to jump on the bandwagon but I felt the same about London. Would you believe it literally took 4 months to the day from putting in my application to have my bank accounts with Lloyds Bank UK, including internet and phone banking, setup and fully operational. The sheer incompetence and contempt on their part to not get it done correctly and make continual errors in each step was something to be amazed by. Contrast that with the literal 30 minutes (including 10 minute waiting time) to set up my bank account here in HK, including internet and phone banking. And to top it off, although I had 3 bank accounts with them and had banked in excess of GBP90,000 within a year they still refused to give me a UK credit card. I can go on and on about the numerous other service difficulties I've had in my 2 years in the UK, including my experience working in financial services in London where I literally (again) was working with planks of wood

However, it's London's incompetence and inefficiency that makes it a great place for anyone half competant to trump the competition.

[Laughing_Monkey]

In the words of the great Samuel Johnson,"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

It is not where you are but what can be made of it...

[JonnyC]

Woah guys, I don't want to get into an argument about where is better out of HK or London, hell I haven't made it to HK yet so I can't comment.
Guess I've been lucky in my 5 years in London that I've not experienced most of the bad things most of you mention, I've worked with a couple of planks for sure but for the most part people work hard and professional. Our main problem is working with teams in other countries, specifically Germany, but that's a whole other thread

I tend to agree with laughing monkey

[Laughing_Monkey]

Everywhere has its good and its bad points, but like i said - its what you make of it. Hong Kong has a lot going for it, but it would be naive to think that you wont have the same kind of problems wherever you are... they just manifest themselves differently...

[martinj]

I was planning to leave europe for the adventure, having been in 4-5 different countries in Europe. It was either California or HK for me to move to. As a LLB student in England I can take the PCLL with my LLB + 3 local courses. When I met my ex I decided to pick HK. And now I am still going to go for HK. Will first move in 1-2 years and hopefully be there 2-3 months every summer till then. 4 of my buddies have lined up to visit me when I am there so I am looking forward to it. The reasons are:
weather
new way of life
well connected to other asian countries
24 hour city
might work with US/Asian/English law firm?

About the internet:
took them double long time they promised, didnt have this problem in Nice, or in Stockholm but I would not judge London by this. It is a cool city and has quite some things you can do but it just doesnt give me the same feeling Madrid or Nice did.

The public transport is better in London than in Stockholm.

Every where you go, there will be better or worse things, it just matters how important those things are for you.