[eils]

Hi all,
you all seem like such a helpful bunch of people. So I need to get some of that help!

I am moving to Hong Kong with my partner at the end of the month. It is a complete panic, nothing is organised except a one way flight and the visas. The jobs are nearly set though, fingers crossed.

So a few questions:

1. The weather - I have been checking the weather status and it doesnt look good right now. Is that usual? Does the weather ever get sunny, if so when?

2. Food - are their many westernised grocery stores? I'm not too fond of Chinese food, and would like to be able to make dinners at home sometimes with ingrediants I recoqnise!

3. Wages - is 18,000 dollars a good monthly wage for teaching english to kids full time?

4. Socialising - will it be easy to make friends, and go out and have a good time? What time to bars close, etc?

5. Transport - if I live in one area and work in another, is the transport system good enought to get me there without too much hassle?

6. Irish - I am Irish and I'm just wondering are the Irish accepted well in HK and are their many of us!!

Thanks so much, any help or advice is appreciated grately, as you can tell, I am very unprepared!

Eils

[Jon.E.Kong]

1. The weather
It was sunny for a few weeks almost every day before this last Typhoon. Also very 'nice' weather last November. Blue sky every day for 2 weeks.

2. Food
You can get any ingredient here that you can get in Europe/North America, except Lays Ketchup chips

3. Wages
18K is average starting wage to teach for a learning centre. Schools pay more, but require more experience.

4. Socialising
Bars close here? I wasn't aware Drinking in the streets is the norm. Meeting people is easy, especailly ladies if you're not cheap.

5. Transport
Best, cleanest, cheapest subway system in the world. MTR rules! Lots of gross diesel buses too if you prefer above ground.

6. Irish
Too bad for you there's lots of English folk around. The locals won't have a clue what language you speak. lol.

[carang]

1. The weather - I have been checking the weather status and it doesnt look good right now. Is that usual? Does the weather ever get sunny, if so when?

Of course it gets sunny...but it is also VERY wet, so you will get a week of rain and then a week of sun.

2. Food - are their many westernised grocery stores? I'm not too fond of Chinese food, and would like to be able to make dinners at home sometimes with ingrediants I recoqnise!

Well, what you've had in Ireland is NOT Chinese food...it's what western people believe chinese food to be. But, yes, there are westernised supermarkets around. you WILL pay a premium, though, if you only plan on eating imported food.

3. Wages - is 18,000 dollars a good monthly wage for teaching english to kids full time?

NO, that salary is not great. it would be what a new-to-the-workforce might get. you might even have a hard time getting a work visa for that kind of salary. I just hired a part-time english teacher to work 5 mornings/week at $13000. and if you plan on eating imported food all the time, you will have a hard time of it.

4. Socialising - will it be easy to make friends, and go out and have a good time? What time to bars close, etc?

Very easy to go out and meet people. on weekends bars don't close or close around 4am.

5. Transport - if I live in one area and work in another, is the transport system good enought to get me there without too much hassle?

6. Irish - I am Irish and I'm just wondering are the Irish accepted well in HK and are their many of us!!

There are some around...(my mum is from ireland and my own two children, although 1/2 chinese, have irish names).

HK has some of the best public transport in the world. CLEAN, EFFICIENT, CHEAP. the MTR closes around 1am, so after that you'd have to find a night bus or a taxi (there are many, and they are relatively cheap).

[Jon.E.Kong]

18K is not a poor wage for teaching English if all you have is a general degree and teaching certificate. Check out any classified section from anywhere in HK and they all advertise around 15-20K per month to teach/start at a learning centre. I have never heard of anyone being refused a visa because 18K was too low to teach.

18K is also not new to the workforce wage in HK. It's more like 10K and below to start for any local, IF they have education. New to the workforce for an expat would be more like it.

You should know Carang, you just posted a full time job offer paying 6-7K/month. THAT'S what I would call a poor wage. 18K seems like Upper Management compared to that.

If you're living on your own 18K will be tough, but a guy on my rugby team made only 13K a month for Chatteris and still managed to go out partying every weekend, travel, and save money. He did live in Mongkok though.Depends what your lifestyle is.

[carang]

yes, jon. i did post an ad for that wage. however, the working conditions are very good, and i'm not requiring a degree holder. rather, i'm looking for someone fresh out of school, preferably a local (doesn't need a visa).

VERY different requirements than someone giving up a life to come over here to teach english.

$6-7K per month PLUS paid holidays at christmas, CNY, easter! PLUS a workday that is 9-4:30 WITH a 1 hour lunch. for hong kong, those are pretty good working conditions for someone with a F5 education! this is for a TEACHING ASSISTANT, not a TEACHER!

if you noticed, i said, that i'd just hired someone for $13,000 for part-time (monday-friday mornings ONLY).

$18k is not that great! i didn't say it wasn't livable, i said it wasn't that great. (especially since in their post, they mention that they don't want to eat local food).

[jimbo]

Yup 18k with I assume no housing allowance and not liking local food is going to be tough going indeed.

At least half of your wages will go to rental and bills thus it does not leave a lot to play with.

You mention moving over with your partner will they be getting a job too?

[Jon.E.Kong]

I didn't realize coming to HK was considered giving up a life. It hasn't been so bad for me at least.

OP said visas. Two people making 18K each would be fine living together.

Cooking your own food here is no different than cooking your own food back home. Cows are cows, chickens are chickens, flour is flour, sugar is sugar. If you ate out every night back home I think it would cost more than eating out every night in HK. Also, HK has many other types of food other than Chinese. Seems like every day a new burger joint opens.

[jonnye]

Originally Posted by eils

6. Irish - I am Irish and I'm just wondering are the Irish accepted well in HK and are their many of us!!

Think everyone else has answered most of the other questions. No problem with the Irish being accepted here. You'll just be another gweilo expat along with the rest of us. The 'expat community' is made up of loads of nationalities here, and there's what I would call gentle ribbing amongst everyone. There's not a huge number of Irish expats (3-4 Irish themed bars I can think of though). But then, if you wanted to be surrounded by Irishmen, why leave Ireland?

[eils]

Wow, lots of posts in less than 24 hours!

Yes I will have my partner living with me and he will be making decent wage also. Hopefully we'll make it work ok.

I feel bad for giving out about Chinese food now, I am not that ignorant that I would refuse to eat any ( I am very fond of aromatic duck!) I just would like to know that some of my favoruite foods will be available.

Good to hear about the transport.

Still a little worried about the weather!

Another quick q: What stuff should I bring over with me, that might be more expensive in HK and what stuff ahould I leave at home, because it's cheap in HK. (Having trouble with a full suitcase!)

[Lammarite]

Originally Posted by eils

What stuff should I bring over with me, that might be more expensive in HK and what stuff ahould I leave at home, because it's cheap in HK. (Having trouble with a full suitcase!)

Marmite...