Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018 • Hacker News Board

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#41

Post by oblio » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 9:54 AM UTC

kalleboo wrote: post #15

> I don't know how to pin it down exactly, but it feels like Europe is suffering from the culture and attitude of pensioners who are still living in their ignorant version of a 20th-century fantasy. They are reassured by their situational wealth and are either unaware, or scared of reality. Everything is hedged, risk averse and there's a general sense of aimlessness and cluelessness. Funny this is exactly how I would…

He's comparing 2 spots in Asia with the whole of Europe. Holy generalization, Batman!

I also find this amusing:

> there's a general sense of aimlessness and cluelessness.

That's how Europe has always operated. Its historical success came from chaos. Tons and tons of chaos from many sources, all competing. Columbus was looking for India and he stumbled upon the Americas.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#42

Post by pipio21 » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:03 AM UTC

When you travel to a new place you fall in love,everything is fantastic, not like the shitty place you come from, but if you live in a place long enough you start seeing the failures of the new place (and the good things of your native country).

I was born in Spain, and had experienced this effect multiple times, living in San Francisco, Boston, London, Shanghai, Tokio, Berlin...

Right now I value a lot more Spain and Europe at its culture than I ever did.

Living abroad gives you perspective and lots of options. When I started I thought it was risky. Now I think what is risky is living in the same place all your life.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#43

Post by mirgj » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:13 AM UTC

ciguy wrote: post #38

I've lived in Hong Kong and Tokyo as well Bangkok and Manila. Many of these observations totally miss the mark, which isn't unexpected from someone just visiting as a tourist. Blockchain and Bitcoin are huge in HK tech circles right now, in fact I'd say it's way too huge. Same for all of Asia really, but the main Crypto operations are all HK or Singapore based. I know quite a few people in Asia caught up in the Crypt…

I agree with the first part a bit less with the last. Blockchain and crypto are huge in HK and Singapore also after the ban in China. Many Chinese startup are moving in HK and Singapore and that make these cities the main hub in Asia.

> Many in Asia are cast aside or left behind

I don't see so many people left behind in Asia because of the progress, indeed in my opinion is the opposite. Even the elderly people are willing to embrace change and use smartphones for their daily life, something that is not so true in Europe. In China you may find street food stand owned by older women in their 60/70 using everyday smart payment systems. Something that in Europe would never happen.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#44

Post by andygates » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:14 AM UTC

ben_utzer wrote: post #7

‍️emoticons and emotics.... Is it a utf test page or am I getting old?

It's a test to see if the reader is one of these cranky old guard. Congrats!

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#45

Post by innocenat » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:19 AM UTC

ywnner_0001 wrote: post #14

robjan wrote: post #4

Think OP has misunderstood a few things about Hong Kong. First of all, the designer shops are not really for investment bankers; they are for tourists, particularly from the mainland. Hong Kong is the most visited city in the world and people from the mainland love to buy high quality tax-free goods. Sometimes for personal use, often to sell. It's easy to spot people from the mainland squatting and re-packing their b…

I guess it depends who's counting, but I'm pretty sure BKK is the more recent, most-visisted city. What you said about HK applies to BKK as well however. I'm really surprised of the opinions that tourists form of the city, given that there's basically zero correlation to the lives of residents. For example, it's pretty common for (older, less enlightened) people to talk about the city's red light districts, as if the…

As a fellow BKK resident, I beg to disagree. I use Taxi (regular one). I walks a lot (yes it's painful), but that's life.

But I avoid rush hour CBD like plague, yep.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#46

Post by shellox009 » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:22 AM UTC

philliphaydon wrote: post #35

shellox009 wrote: post #18

I lived in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. I think Hong Kong's tech scene is mostly about blockchain/bitcoin now. Most of the tech jobs I found here are in finance. Taiwan has not a very good tech scene, but is an amazing place to live. Singapore has a lot of startup hype and some good startup companies. It feels more diverse than Hong Kong and Taiwan for sure. Melbourne, AU has a good start…

What's your favourite place out of those you've lived in? Where do you live now?

New Zealand is an amazing place, but the distance to home(Europe) is really far and opportunities are limited. Taiwan is beautiful too, but English is not widely spoken and you really have to spend effort to learn Mandarin. I'd consider both for retirement, but not good moves for your career.

I'm currently living in Hong Kong.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#47

Post by yomly » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:23 AM UTC

zinckiwi wrote: post #28

"Many flats have pipes rigged on the outside" as if that's a bug and not a feature. Hong Kong doesn't get cold enough to have exposed pipes be a freezing risk, and in the meantime you get a) access to the pipes for repairs and maintenance with ease and b) no risk of property damage, cascading down the many floors of a typical residential highrise, if a leak does occur.

Reading other people's assessments of countries always reminds me to stay humble and open in my own.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#48

Post by innocenat » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:24 AM UTC

jiggunjer wrote: post #19

cageface wrote: post #9

Truth is - Advanced Asia™ is just incomparably more vibrant right now. There's constant movement. A steady, fast-paced struggle. This is what keeps me here. There's an excitement and energy in the air that I haven't found anywhere else in the world. Big Asian cities are not the place for you if you like stability and quiet but if you thrive on variety you should come experience it.

I've compared it to the industrious attitude of the 'wild west'. Except a bit less wild and bit more east.

Probably more 'west'. From North America just go west until you reach far east!

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#49

Post by yomly » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:26 AM UTC

mrarjen wrote: post #22

"Internet connectivity is far ahead of Europe" You mean Germany? And I agree German infrastructure can use quite the upgrade, it's 3/4G is pretty patchy and internet speeds lacking.

3 years ago in HK, (my last experience) 300Mbps connections were like an average connection speed.

Re: Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2018

#50

Post by donttrack » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 10:30 AM UTC

If you are in Hong Kong, you can get a 5 day single entry tourist visa for the Shenzhen area very easily at the Chinese border (Luo Hu border and Shekou border also last time I checked - at the Futian border, you cannot get one).

Go in the morning (by boat from the Hong Kong harbor, train or bus from elsewhere), get lunch in Coco park in Futian or Sea World in Shekou and go to the electronics market in HuaQiangBei in the afternoon.

In the evening go talk to armchair experts on Chinese culture in on of the foreigner bars or if you don't care much for drunk westerners lost in limbo maybe better get some hot pot in HaiDiLao or Little Lamb or Chinese barbecue in one of the street barbecue shops.