HK as "transient city" (unlike T.O.)... and progress how Chinese deal with animal viruses

Right now its 8pm and I am at work.  Its only Wednesday and so far this week, I have clocked in 40 hours (and counting). Painful!

Most expats like us come to/through HK for a few years.  (Mostly) British and some other foreigners - although fewer these days compared with Singapore -- may settle down and raise families (FILTH, failed in London, try Hong Kong).

Since arriving here in late 2010, several of my business school and other friends have moved away, back to US/Canada, off to cleaner & more English friendly Singapore, etc.

This "transient city" idea is VERY different from my experience in Toronto.  A lot of smaller-town Canadians study and then settle in Toronto (including my own hubby!).  But if that occurs, in my observation, they rarely leave.

What is the impact of this?
- traveling a lot more for weddings and special occasions
- having close friends in many other cities is the norm
- being open to making new friends all the time - even if you're 'middle -aged' (for sure the people here in HK are more open to new friends than my experience in Toronto even with "friends of friends"!)
- seeking for stability where possible, e.g. expanding network to include local family and colleagues, living more like a local (less in expat areas), etc.
- yourself being ready to move on short notice - usually for work (as this often is the cause of folks coming through and leaving HK)

On another scary note, there is a mysterious bird flu in Eastern China that has so far claimed the lives of 9 people.  They shut down many live chicken trading markets and as a result, I went "vegetarian" while in Shanghai earlier this week. Scary stuff. I don't think they really know what's going on, whether human to human spreading occurs...as this strain was only before seen in pigeons.....

Funny but scary (related) feedback from my Shanghai colleagues. He said it was "progress" that Chinese pig farmers disposed of the hundreds of thousands of pig carcasses floating in the Huangpu (Yellow River) through Shanghai!  At least they recognized a problem and didn't use the pigs for food supply!!!! GEEZ... I guess this is all about progression from an Emerging Market to a Mature Market?!