Job Discussion Forums

[hkteach]

Some very good advice here from the past three posters.

I'd agree - choose the location of your accommodation AFTER you've been to your school and checked out the transport links. Some people do it the other way and end up with a multi-change transport trip and/or spend a lot of time travelling. Depending on your constitution, this can be extremely wearing.
One thing that people usually don't factor in is the physical tiredness that people often feel here.
Newbies who arrive for the start of the school year in August -September come into a hot and humid environment (given that many have just come from a British summer or an Australian winter that's a bit of a shock). This can be very draining when added to an eight hour day (or longer) at school.
Add in all the other things that are new and different and there's some degree of disorientation and stress as one adapts to the new environment and expectations.
These comments are not meant to turn you off, but many new arrivals suffer some degree of culture shock.
To minimise this it's a good idea to get a (nice) place to live that's not too much of a trip from your school. It will be your haven from the hustle and bustle and constant noise of Hong Kong.
Even if your're not right amongst the action, you can always make the trip on the weekends or a couple of times a week rather than have a long and tiring trip to and from school every day.

[afarr]

I agree with HKTeach - find somewhere really nice to live not too far from the school. Last time I taught in HK I got a beautiful apartment only 30 mins minibus ride away, with fabulous out door pool, gym and shops/bars/cafes near by.
At the end of a hectic day I get home quickly and rest up... You can travel into town (HK island) to your heart's content on the weekend when a bit more travelling doesn't matter so much and if it's late at night... well taxis aren't that expensive.
My advice is as before; find somewhere easy to get to and not too far from school.

[saroq]

My advice is contrary to the previous posts. I suggest that you live in an area that you will be happy living in socially even if that means spending time traveling to work. There is nothing worse than getting home and knowing that there is nothing to go outside for. Live somewhere where you can enjoy being in HK and if you have to travel an hour to work and an hour home take a good book to read on the bus. The job is isolating enough without being isolated in your free time.

[Kaloi]

If you can read Chinese at all, go here:

www.freelord.com

there are a lot of repeat posts and there seem to be a few scams, but it is by far the biggest site for hk - the prices are way cheaper than on the expat sites, too.

Oh, but beware! Hahahaha, you'll probably end up in tou kwa wan...

[Tammi]

I found a 3 brd room apartment in Yau Ma Tei for $8,000 through a local real estate agent. It's newly refurbished, on the same block as the MTR, 20 mins from my school, and around the corner from Mong Kok, where you can literally find everything, even Burger King soon.

The advice here is great. Travel to your school first, speak to the local teachers who often know about minibuses that could get you there faster than the MTR. After a long day of teaching, lesson planning, and the other activities that your school cooks up, you'll probably be too tired for an unnecessary commute. The Central, SoHo, Wanchai areas are small (well, if you are coming from like NY or Toronto), you'll appreciate HK island better if it's a special trip across the water. I like TST a lot, so many weekends I stay Kowloon side with pleasure.

Plus, there is an all-night minibus to Mong Kok from Central(in front of McDonalds) - $15 dollars. A great save on the extra $20 taxi tunnel charge.

[Serious_Fun]