One Week Til Hong Kong

I leave for Hong Kong on July 2. The "when to go to Hong Kong" section of my Lonely Planet guide warns against traveling there from May through September, due to the oppressive heat and humidity. A friend of mine there now reports that his sunglasses fog over when he steps outside. I guess I'll be giving up running outside.

As my start date at the International Herald Tribune approaches, I am starting to wonder exactly what I'll be doing there. Hopefully, lots of web-related stuff. I also know I'll be working closely with the sports editor on Olympics coverage. And laying out sports scores for the newspaper. Hopefully, I will develop an interest in sports this summer. At this point, it's the section of the newspaper that I immediately discard.

Unfortunately, I won't be getting anywhere near the Games in Beijing. I have noted that the equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong, so maybe I'll get out of the newsroom to help cover those.

One week til take-off!

Housing in Hong Kong

Once I decided to take the internship in Hong Kong, the first challenge was to find housing. Having lived in D.C. for five years, I have come to see Craiglist as the go-to resource for everything, from an apartment to furniture to a roommate. Unfortunately, Craigslist Hong Kong hasn't really come into its own yet, so I had to look elsewhere.

I e-mailed the folks at the International Herald Tribune and every friend of a friend I could find in Hong Kong. They all pointed me to the same two websites: GeoExpat and AsiaXPat. The second yielded a sublet in the Midlevels in Hong Kong.

I am subletting from a freelance journalist who's heading to Beijing for the summer to work on her Mandarin. I'll have a roommate in a 2-bedroom apartment on Peel Street. I have to send my rent for the summer in advance via wire transfer which kind of freaks me out. But I have a good e-mail rapport with the two women... and I know where they work.

Midlevels are near Central and SoHo and are the place to be for expats. It's a more expensive neighborhood, but close to Hong Kong's hot spots. My monthly rent actually works out to less than I pay in Washington, D.C. Woo hoo!

For those looking to live somewhere cheaper, but stay on Hong Kong Island, check out Wan Chai or Causeway Bay. Now on to the next challenge... finding housing in New York City when I return to the States to start school!

Introduction

My name is Kashmir Hill. This is the start of a blog marking my leap from D.C. non-profiteer to journalist-at-large. It all started at the National Press Foundation in Washington, D.C., where I managed educational programs for journalists around the world. Kenya, Canada, China, Australia.... there are great travel perks in the non-profit world.

I caught the journalism bug and did a short stint at The Washington Examiner. Then I started writing for the legal tabloid blog, Above The Law. And now I am bound for Hong Kong for the summer to intern with the International Herald Tribune. I do not know exactly what I'll be doing there, but it will involve the 2008 Olympics. And the eating of many dumplings.

In the fall, I start a masters program in magazine journalism at New York University. This is the place where I'll be charting the journalism journey.