Latest Column for Expat Focus As an expat blogger in Hong Kong, I get all sorts of weird and wonderful requests to collaborate. Everything from joining a 'baby formula selling' business in South Africa to taking part in travel focus groups in the US, to write ups for removal companies and health bar reviews come my way. Naturally some things are better suited to Mint Mocha Musings than others. But mostly, I get asked about living in Hong Kong. Usually from people in the West who're considering taking the plunge and relocating to the far East. "Is it really that expensive to live there?" "Will I make friends?" "Can I still walk my baby in the stroller?" "Will I be able to get 'normal' food in Hong Kong?" Just to name a few. I've even had people writing to me asking my advice on going to university in Hong Kong. Obviously some things are plainly just out of my area of expertise, but general day to day stuff…I figure after three and a half years here, that I can do! For this column I decided to list a few of the more commonly asked questions and provide a few answers/opinions, that (hopefully) might ease a newcomer's concern and/or interest a curious onlooker. Pop over to Expat Focus and get my top tips! Click here... Please hit share if you think someone could benefit! Sharing is caring.... :) … [Read more...]
Moving to Hong Kong – 10 things you shouldn’t leave home without!
Latest column for Expat Focus When you get the call to uproot your life and relocate to a new, foreign country, the shellshock of packing up your ‘life as you know it’ and heading into the unknown abyss, is more often than not followed by a fast and furious ‘Google’ of the new ‘home’ in question. First things first: Location: Check! (Yes it is right where you thought on the map; or Surprise! who knew it was so close to Timbuktu!?) Population: Check! (Mighty important to know what you’re dealing with here - are you one of hundreds, thousands or millions?) Language: Check! (Just how much brainpower is this assignment going to require?) So, with the basics ticked off - you’re in business. Next on the relocation agenda, the things that make your world turn - jobs, real estate, schools, medical facilities and supermarkets. If you’re a couple making the move into the expat world, usually one of you gets the job of heading into uncharted waters first and it’s usually the one with the new job. For us, it was my Hotelier husband, who arrived cold turkey in Asia’s World City. We’d both had a brief taste of the city that never sleeps in a past life but for all intents and purposes, those trips (for me) were about shopping, eating and sightseeing, not so much focused on the unknown fact that my future might involve living amongst the madness that is Asia’s Manhattan. For more click here >>> … [Read more...]