Job Discussion Forums

[Kaloi]

Hey Folks,

I have a contract signed and a visa on the way and a plane ticket purchased.. I have managed to condense everything I own into one suitcase and the rest is going to Ms. Salvation Ann. Only a few days and I will be gone.

I may be jumping the gun, because I am not physically THERE yet, but I have twelve million questions that some of you may or may not be willing to answer.. alot of these have to do with my budgeting for the first month (some of these questions might seem pretty green, but I'm 21, so gimme a break).

Anything is appreciated.

I will be working in Yau tong and I will be living around Kwun Tong:

1) Why is it that I can't find any gymnasiums in the area? I'm trying to scope it out and they don't seem to have any sites. How much is a membership on average?

2) Where should I buy a macbook (actually, should I be asking a Chinese person this question? ) . Am I better off just buying one online before I come?

3) I will be bringing my own cell phone and just getting a SIM card with whatever provider. I have a feeling this won't be a huge expense, but I would at least like to know the names of the big outfits.

4) My landlord ain't the most communicative fellow on the planet and I still don't know anything about how I should be setting up accounts with utilities:

-will I have a huge selection of companies?
-Will their rates vary that much?
-What is the average for each deposit I will have to lay down?

5) I have heard so much about Hong Kong having a reasonably large Francophone community, but I can't really find any trace of it online. Allegedly there are over 5 000 French people living there now? Where do they drink?



that's all i can think of for now - i would really appreciate any help you can give me.

Also, if there are some important details concerning moving to HK that you wish you yourself had known about, please let me know. I want nooooo surprises whatsoever.


Thanks,
J

[starfall]

I can answer two of your questions:

1) Don't buy a Mac YET. Wait until you are here because they'll be cheaper. Also, if you get a letter fom your school or use the first page of your contract, you also get another 10% discount online. Look under educational discounts on the website, order your mac and then fax the letter stating that you are a teacher to the number stated.

2) Your phone may have to be 'unlocked' which you can get done at any of the independent phone stores (not the big companies). Just get a stored value SIM card at 7-11 or OK until you decide on a plan that you want.

[Kaloi]

[anninhk]

I'll try and answer your questions about utilities.
Electricity - not sure what you are renting but sometimes the landlord keeps it it their name and you get the bill in other situations you have to go to the power company (only one) and register and have it put in your name.
For gas and water it is the same - only one company for each service.
For telephone and internet you have a variety of companies. You have to take a contract for a year or 18 months.
TV - you have a choice of PCCW or Cable and it is the same terms as your phone and internet service.
You will have to wait to connect to all these things until you have your HK ID which will take a couple of weeks from when you apply.

You are not far from anywhere in Yau Tong or Kwun Tong. The MTR from there to Central or Kowloon is very efficient so you will find a gym somewhere convenient for you. Not sure of costs - sorry.

[dandan]

So the only question left for me to answer is no. 5. I can only advise that as we don't have any apartheid-style zoning regulations in Hong Kong, French people generally drink in the same bars as everyone else.

For French associations/community groups etc I assume you would look in the usual places such as the French consulate website, Alliance-Francaise etc.

[Marcoregano]

I can recommend one groovy bar under French management - Gecko. Just off the escalator in Central, near Soho. Ask and ye shall find.

[Kaloi]

Whoa, thanks, folks. These posts are all really helpful!

So - if I have to apply for an HKID in order to set up my utilities, then why hasn't my landlord requested to see it in order to rent the flat in the first place? Is that shady? It sounds shady. I think he had actually mentioned something about keeping the electricity bill in his name, but his English isn't the greatest and he refused to communicate with me in Chinese.


Can anyone give me any indication as to what the deposits will be for utilities?

Thanks again!

[anninhk]

I think it is HK$500 - 600

[hkteach]

Re deposits for utiities - I paid $900 for electricity, $600 for gas and $400 for water.

Perhaps the reason why you can't find a gym in the Kwun Tong area is that there's not a lot of demand (?) or money in this area - it's quite a low socio-economic area where most of the locals living there would have higher priorities than gyms - quite industrial, lots of older estates (public housing) and due for reclamation.

Other areas not far away might have more of the things you're seeking - maybe Diamond Hill,Kowloon Tong.
From Kwun Tong you can use MTR or minibuses to reach a lot of other parts of Hong Kong, so it will be fairly easy to reach the things you want.

[hkteach]

Re. the Mac....... although you can buy new at a good discount as per a previous poster's advice, it's worth knowing that there are a few computer malls here where you can pick up a good second-hand bargain if you know what to look for (and know if it''s a bargain or not!!)

A friend recently bought a second hand G4 Power Book for 2600HKD (two or three years old ) at Sham Shui Po (famous for all IT stuff).
This model, when new, cost almost 15000HKD - we bought one at that price about 3 years ago.

[Serious_Fun]

[Kaloi]

Serious_Fun:

With regards to Kwun Tong, my objective was to live in the neighborhood where I will be forced to use as much Chinese as possible. I know its crap there!

And in fact, I haven't settled the deal yet, and my boyfriend is advising me to get something in Lam Tin, or TKO... I just want to have a flat waiting for me when I arrive and, as long as I'm far away from whitey, it doesn't matter.

Thanks for the input and the links, though.