<p>my d is turning 18 and graduation high school, she has worked hard and done well and we would like to make her summer between high school and college special. One of her friends has invited her to spend 3 weeks at their family home in Hong Kong with one or two other hs friends. The parents will be there but give them their freedom unless they are touring far from the village home. Although I think this is an incredible opportunity and know how responsible my d is, I would like to know how safe three weeks there with minimal supervision would be for a blonde not-street smart non-chinese speaking d. Any info or suggestions on that or on exciting things to do when she is there</p>
<p>If you don't hear from momrath or robrym, you might want to PM them...</p>
<p>I've visited HK a number of times and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity. There are plenty of English speakers in this recently liberated colony. You shouldn't worry about it. </p>
<p>Not sure what the 'village' reference is...but there are no villages near HK. Visualize Manhattan with more neon and tropical plantings and you're getting closer to the picture. Is there anything to do in Manhattan that's NOT exciting for an 18 year old? Ditto Hong Kong.</p>
<p>It sounds like they will be touring the city with a group of three or four, in the company of a native? Fantastic! What an eye-opener!</p>
<p>I'd let her go in a heartbeat. (I let my 17 year old S go to Africa by himself).</p>
<p>Post a question about restaurants and things to do on the International Students thread. There are a number of Hong Kong regulars on that thread....</p>
<p>Best advice: Lose five pounds and go easy on the soup and appetizer courses. Eating ten course meals in HK is mandatory. :p</p>
<p>rmom,
Great opportunity for your daughter. It is a very approachable Asian city with a generally high level of safety. There are smaller communities removed from the main residential parts of the islands- like Sheko(?sp)- maybe she would be in one of these. No matter where she is staying if she is with a family there she will surely see things visitors usually don't...and will have a great time. HK has great hiking, sailing, poking around, shopping, walking, eating...among other things. Given the fact it was part of the Commonwealth until not too long ago they are accustomed to blondes, and many,many people speak English. </p>
<p>I'm with Cheers on this one, I would let her go in a heartbeat as well! It is my favorite Asian city to visit by far...</p>
<p>Oooh, sounds wonderful. It's a fun city, never sleeps, crowds walking on the street at all hours...you can walk around and find food all night. I would send my 17-year-old without a second thought, esp. if she was going with a family. In fact I am sending my 17-year-old anywhere she wants to go with 3 close friends, U.S. or abroad.</p>
<p>Are they going to be in the city, or a remote location, do you know?</p>
<p>If she's only staying in Hong Kong, then there's no problem. </p>
<p>Anywhere else in China may make her succeptible to sams, etc. meant for foreigners.</p>
<p>what are sams</p>
<p>?? My S was in Beijing last summer and did not return susceptible to sams--whatever that is!</p>
<p>3 weeks could be a little long. They might get bored and end up at Lan Kwai Fong every night. (expat bar/nightlife area). Hopefully they will organize some daytrips and hit all the tourist spots. Maybe even an evening at the racetrack. There is plenty to do if they make the effort to do it. There are still a lot of expats in Hong Kong so it's not as if the people will be touching her hair and screaming "white ghost!!!" at the sight of her. :)</p>
<p>yeah, good question - where does the family live? "Village home?" If they are out in the so-called "New Territories" it could get boring.</p>
<p>I'm guessing that sams was meant to be scams.</p>
<p>Aaahhhh. I guessed SARS. Still, my 18 year old S spent the summer in Beijing and did not fall victim to any scams or SARS.</p>
<p>What a wonderful opportunity for your daughter! Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world. It's compact, with good public transportation, good medical care, wide international influence and common use of English. Hong Kong really is a concrete jungle, but one of the lesser known facts is that there are also huge areas of public park lands which are wonderful for hiking and water sports. It would also be great if she could tie in a visit another Asian country, like China. </p>
<p>We lived in Hong Kong for four years and visit often now. My son was six when we moved there from Manhattan and I will always imagine his amazement that he was for the first time allowed to go to public restrooms by himself! </p>
<p>I would say that HK is a great place for teenagers. It's true that there is a lively club scene -- for both locals and expat young people -- but the good news is that they most likely won't drink and drive as taxis are quite cheap. In short, Hong Kong is a dynamic, international city. It's more modern than traditional, but you can certainly find pockets of old Chinese culture if you're adventuresome. A fascinating place.</p>
<p>HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. One missing letter can change the meaning of my sentence.</p>
<p>Anyway, I meant scams :)</p>