HK - what a place

For the first time in a long time, I didn't have MBA classes, and took advantage of good timing to visit my mum in HK, who purchance was in HK at the time.

 

It's been at least 6 months since I was last there.  Within perhaps less than an hour of landing, I had travelled by their express train to Central, and walked up to my aunt's office.  In half an hour's walk from there, I bought clothes from a mall, walked through the new four seasons hotel (nowhere near as flashy as shanghai's - quite a different look), and passed a number of interesting bars cafes and restaurants.  Wow, I'd love to work in that area.

 

Hong Kong rocks on the grounds of great architecture, high standard of living, and proximity.  Everything is so close by.  You don't get this with Shanghai - and certainly not in Pudong - you have to cab from place to place.  Maybe I'd feel differently if my office was in plaza 66.

 

This weekend I had a rooftop barbeque overlooking the harbour, had seafood hotpot by the beach in Cheung Chau, buffet at the Jockey Club and walked TST and Soho with my mum.  Staunton street and Elgin street were amazing - tens of tiny international restaurants and bars.  Perfect for a casual date - strolling around and picking a place to eat, or browsing in some of the small shops there.  I met also with Kellog, Janice and Yonnie and some of their friends, at two very nice bars - Isola in the IFC mall, and Finds in upper lan kwai fong (which I'm told is now also known as LKF).

 

HK has shops, restaurants, trees, hills, beaches - all within maybe 20 minutes of the centre.  It's an amazing place to live in.  I'm told Vancouver is similar - I must go check it out.  I'm not convinced by the working lifestyle in HK though - the professional working day does seem to extend across dinner time and weekends as a routine - something that as a European I'm not so ready to accept.  And, there really isn't much of a consulting market there - if I continued as a consultant I'd likely spend most of my time being sent into China for work!

 

So it's back to Shanghai for me :)