thx for info
when u say "Chinese" u mean Putonghua, right? this is a sought-after skill in HK. if yr Putonghua-fluent, is it from study or did u grow up with it? most HKers who grew up speaking Canto can handle spoken Putonghua, some are highly fluent also. but HK-Canto is the cultural identifier. i can't be precise, but i learned French for 12 years and while it's rusty, i can speak OK, read decently AND read any Romance language (like Spanish or Portu) about halfway. i can't SPEAK it, but i can read it. if u can read traditional (or even simplified) Chinese and speak Putonghua well yr not gonna have much trouble picking up enough Canto fairly quickly.
i'm not gonna ask what line of work yr interested in, but u can PM me anytime if u want to take things offline...i'm no expert but i can try to point u in the right direction.
if u can afford 15-20K you'll find something suitable...i'm assuming yr used to urban Asia and won't freak out cuz u can't park yr Hummer in the driveway. HK is a small place but one-hour commutes twice a day on crowded buses aren't much fun. if u get a job here u will need to consider location. will u be traveling a lot? maybe u want to live nearer the airport? can u work from home? u cd live in one of the rural enclaves like Sai Kung, Shek O, or one of the outlying islands. there are compromises, but u need to work them out.
HK has about five property agents per block. u can search online, but u'll find the big agencies like Centaline...there are places that specialize in renting to gwailos and think guys like me can only live in pricey places in Mid-Levels cuz we can't eat local food and blah blah blah. fortunately, u don't have to live like that. i live like a local: i'm the only gwailo in my building, it's just east of Victoria Park, rented thru a verrrrrrrrry local agent at one of the shopping malls in nearby North Point. having a comfy/quiet flat is a must in HK as the place is crowded and noisy. but much depends on u and yr lifestyle. lots of guys like to socialize in Lan Kwai Fong, go to Wanchai bars and pick up freelancers. great, but that's not my scene.
so, over to u, but all u bros reading, help our friend feliphile with some advance, sheh sheh nie!
JtB | |