House Hunters

I knew that finding an apartment in Hong Kong was not going to be easy – co-workers told me that I’d have to see at least 20 places before I found one. I figured I would have to look at a few more – after all, I wanted a big kitchen (or at least an open one). But I didn’t expect it to be as difficult as it was.

For weeks, most of my free time was consumed with finding a place to live. I looked at 16 apartments in two days (43 in all). One agent laughed when I told him I wanted a place with a big kitchen and my price range. Three called to tell me there was no use meeting because the place they had planned to show me had been rented. Two others stood me up. Another guy called to tell me that his flat had been rented as I was on the bus to go look at the place. When I finally found a place I liked, it was out of my price range; the landlord agreed to come down on the price, then, before the papers were signed, changed his mind.

I should have known better. I was warned. By HGTV.

When I lived in Dallas, one of my guilty pleasures was coming home from work, putting on my PJs, and turning on “House Hunters.” And right before I left the States, Hong Kong was the subject of a “House Hunters” episode.

The day after it aired, a friend came up to me, somewhat panicked.

“Anna!” she says. “I saw Hong Kong on ‘House Hunters’ last night. And this woman was looking for a place. And they were tiny. And they don’t have kitchens!”

That’s all true. They’re also really, really expensive.

For those of you who don’t know HGTV’s No. 1 show, a typical episode goes like this: We meet someone looking for an apartment and her (eighth) real estate agent. We learn her budget ($1,600 a month or less) and what she’s looking for: a one-bedroom place with space for guests, an open kitchen and some sort of outdoor space that’s close to public transportation. (Nooooo, I’m not picky. No, siree.) We follow her as she looks at three places. Then (and this is my favorite part), the host, Suzanne Whang, breaks it down:

“So, did Anna choose house No. 1, centrally located with a great terrace, but no kitchen? Or, did she pick house No. 2, with built-in storage and a great view? Or is it house No. 3, with the big kitchen and the private rooftop terrace?”

Then, the show goes to commercial while I yell, “House number 3! House number 3!”

Most of the time, I find out I'm wrong after the commercial break. But this time, I'm right.