clients who are accustomed to
independent homes resist the idea of
living in high-rises, but I urge them
to see it as vertical villages with ready
access to a community.”
Neighbourhood social networks
like myflat.hk want to recreate Hong
Kong’s bygone era when neighbours
once knew each other and often
relied on one another to help with
simple household concerns. Margaret
Leung Goodchild, vice president
of myflat.hk says, “Most residential
buildings contain hundreds of units,
but people on average know only
about three neighbours!” She and her
team hope their site can change this
disengagement and create a vibrant
micro-community in every residential
complex.
Unique experiences
When Vicky Easton moved to Hong
Kong, she wanted to immerse herself
in an activity unique to the city. She
posted a query on GeoExpat about
dragon boat teams and immediately
got responses from three different
teams. She joined the Tai Tam Tigers,
who train four days a week during
the racing season, but has become
so passionate about it that she also
trains with the Stormy Dragons
year-round. Come autumn, she’ll be
participating in the World Club Crew
Championships in Italy. Vicki says,
“Seventy to 80 per cent of my Hong
Kong friends have held a dragon boat
paddle in their hands at some point.
There really is nothing that beats
training and playing with your pals.
Hongkongers complain about how
expensive the city is, but most of Hong
Kong’s best experiences are free or
inexpensive. Hong Kong’s outdoors are
as unique as they come – you should
not leave Hong Kong without seeing
the pink dolphins, or the 140 million-
year-old volcanic rock formation in Sai
Kung.”
As the old saying goes: Grow
where you are planted. The key to
settling in is to be a fearless explorer
and view every day as an opportunity
to familiarise yourself with this
multi-faceted city. Soon enough,
the gestational period of feeling
unanchored will give way to the
comforting familiarity of home.
