Contacts in Hong Kong and Shanghai?

I visited Hong Hong and China once back in the 1980's and have always been intrigued with them. Lately as I look around for new work I have been trying to do some out of the box thinking and have been contemplating living and working in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Maybe it was reading James Clavell's epic novel TAI-PAN about Hong Kong that helped to spur my thinking. I haven't yet pursued the matter seriously or even casually, but the idea keeping popping into my head with increasing frequency. Besides the simple fact that I haven't the foggiest clue what it would be like to live and work over there these days, the most immediate obstacle is that I have no professional contacts over there. Zero. Not even a single one.

 

So, I put out this simple query: Anybody have any technical/professional contacts over in Hong Kong and Shanghai that would be interested in having a conversation with a modestly adventurous American?

 

If I had the money, I would simply hop on a plane and check out local technology groups and businesses when I got there, but unfortunately such "larks" are not within my current budget.

 

One idea I have had is to pursue the concept of "virtually living" on the Internet, with all the photos, videos, web cameras, and discussion forums on the Web these days. This would allow me to experience a fraction of what life is like in some distant locale without the cost physical movement. For now it is simply a thought, but it is a thought that keeps popping into my head.

-- Jack Krupansky