Over the last few years, I traveled a lot. I’ve seen many places but if I had to choose one, I would take Hong Kong as my favorite to settle down in. Today’s episode is about why I think Hong Kong is the best place to live in.
Video Transcript
Hong Kong combines a lot of these opposites: the Western culture on Hong Kong Island and the Chinese culture on Kowloon side.
This is also an interesting contrast: that’s a very busy shopping street down there and just a few meters away we’re in a park and you can hear the birds chirping. Between the trees, you see the skyscrapers…
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It’s all about efficiency
Even restaurants are all about efficiency. At this place here, when you wait, you just press the number of people you are and you get a little paper. So that gives you a number and then up here on this display you can see when your table becomes available. Looks like we’re already gonna be next for tables of three to four people. Pretty efficient.
One of the best subway systems in the world
I love the Hong Kong MTR system. It’s extremely clean given how many people are traveling on this line every day. There’s a train every four minutes. Whenever possible they have two stops with each other line. So that no matter which way you’re going, you always can change to the train right across your platform. You never need to go up the stairs or down the stairs or find your way to the other train. Probably one of the best subway systems in the world.
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We can walk all the way up there if you want to go to the very peak but the famous views are over here.
I travel a lot and about every two to three days currently I see a new country or new city. And so often I’m asked where would I stay if I couldn’t travel anymore. Let’s say I had to stay in one place for the next months or years. And it would be this place – Hong Kong.
So much diversity in one single place
I used to live here in 2011. The reason I would stay here is that I feel it offers so much diversity in one single place. So what I like about being in different places every few days is that I get to enjoy different people, different cultures, different projects, different kinds of cuisines and lifestyles from all over the world. And I feel Hong Kong encapsulates a lot of that in one single spot.
It’s such a dense city in terms of experiences. Not only can you get all kinds of different foods, like very cheap or good street food, mall restaurants, and world-class restaurants in a single one of all these towers, but you can also experience Western culture on Hong Kong Island. It’s very, very easy, it’s Asia-lite. But then you can go to the Kowloon side which is over there and experience the Chinese culture and a bit more Asian culture.
You have the 24/7 city life in Hong Kong Island down here but then it only takes you, I don’t know, like 30 to 45 minutes by car and you’re on a beach where you most likely won’t meet anyone else.
You can also get, custom tailor-made stuff here. An experience made for you or you can go with the Chinese masses and the Kowloon side. So it’s just extremely rich in terms of experiences at both ends of the spectrum. And that’s why if I couldn’t travel anymore, I would most likely want to live here for a while, even though my friends and family are not close.
How about you? Where do you think is the best place to live in?
Yeah, I think that’s a healthy thought experiment – think about it. Where would you stay if you couldn’t travel anymore? Would it be in the place that you’re in right now, would it be somewhere else? Does that tell you anything about, maybe, a potential move you should contemplate? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see you tomorrow!
You can listen to the audio version here:
