Job Discussion Forums

bliksem · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 16

Hi there - long time reader first time poster - went through the whole registration process just to give some info on Tsuen Wan from the other side Shocked

It all depends on what you want and more specifically about HK - what you don't want.
Personally - I prefer peace and quiet above a bagel and a cappucino. If I want to let my hear down [although I shave my head] I prefer to go into town - that way I enjoy it more because I never see so many Gweilos in one spot [which as a lot of people here can tell you is a blessing all on it's own Wink

]
Tsuen Wan is close to Tsing Yi with a Waterfront bar and amazing restaurants - where else can you get hotpot for $12 for any dish - definetely not in the rip-offs Central offer you.

TW has an amazing maket covering 2 floors and this is where you can get "down" with the real people of HK. Yes the MTR station and surroundings aren't that nice - neither are most MTR stations in any country. Take a 5 minute walk away and you get something different that Central cannot offer you.
The attitude here is much more relaxed to Gweilos than in Central and Kowloon - why? - pretty obvious - because there aren't that many Gweilos here.

Bottom line of this all [and I look fwd to debate it further here Laughing

] is that there are decent coffee shops and bagels and parks!!! - but in the "Westernised" places everyone has been there - so you basically get a worn through path leading to it - in the New Territories you have to look, explore and find it yourself - and believe me when you do the rewards are bigger.

Lastly - and here I'll stop for now - have a look at a place called park island - www.parkisland.com.hk

If you can beat that living in Central and get it all for under $15 000 I'll be surprised ... we get it all for $6600 - 720 sq ft - sea view, no cars, fresh air and nice friendly people

and we worked through a local agent - none of this take a local with you cause they will try and sell you something you don't want or whatever nonsense!

We had two working together and they were giving us tips on what to ask the landlord for etc. - YES I KNOW the market is down so they will do anything to make the sale - but I choose to see it in a good light.

Man! Can I go on and on or what Rolling Eyes

So that's it. Have a look around TW when you get here - get a longstay in Central if you want for a month and then decide - but see the whole picture for yourself not just what all of us here think about a place.

Happy hunting it's a great city!

sypanda5 · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 57 Location: HK

bliksem,
WOW! i truly do appreciate you registering even if it was just to post that reply....it really gives a differnet perspective! i think there would be pros and cons about staying in central (for example) OR staying in Tseun Wan....
I checked the link for your place - WOW! BEAUTIFUL! i feel so strange looking at all these beautiful places - I feel like i'm just a mid-20's girl...i don't need anything fancy, nor have i ever had "that kind" of a lifestyle....but....geez...these apartments look pretty darn nice - especially considering that they are WAY under the NET allowance! But I wonder how much the aprtments cost now? Well, I will surely take the time to look at places and see what I can find and to see what area would suit me best!

Thanks so much for your perspective! Much appreciated!

PS. Does anybody know? In terms of the monthly rent allowance ($13,000). Does NET give you $13,000 no matter how cheap or expensive your apartment is? Or how does it work? Thanks!

arju · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 58 Location: h.k

hi re the allowance
its a flat payment each month its yours to spend how you like if you want to live in $8000 or $14000 its up to you its a fringe benefit which we pay tax on at the end of the year.
bye

monty97 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 24 Location: Hong Kong

Hi there,

I've been a primary NET at Tuen Mun (25 mins from Tsuen Wan) Government Primary School since August 2002. Last year only seven govt schools had NETS. The conditions seem to be more agreeable at govt schools. They tend to heed the Ed Dept. advice for NETS and play by the rules. I've certainly got no major gripes.

My local teaching partner and principal live in Tsuen Wan and both say that your schools are of a good standard.

As for living in the area, the parkisland development apparently has brand new flats for $4,000 per month (according to my principal). There's a connecting ferry to Central. You could also consider the island of Tsing Yi which is minutes from Tsuen Wan.

You might consider sharing a place with another NET as you can feel a little isolated at school and in the NTs. We have a PNET website administrated by the British Council which you can log into once you arrive. I'm sure there will be folks looking to share in August.

As others have said you can stay in a serviced apt on a monthly basis for around $6,000. The one in Tin Shui Wai is good but quite a trek from Tsuen Wan.

Best of luck and congrats on the govt school.

sypanda5 · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 57 Location: HK

hey arju and monty97,
thanks again arju for your reply! Smile

monty97, WOW! thanks so much for your info about tseun wan, my schools and the living situation! Smile

it really REALLY makes me feel so much more comforted and a little less stressed about the whole thing! Wink

i really have no idea about areas and where they are in relation to each other....but i am sure i will quickly orientate myself once i am there! (for me, its' easier to picture things if i SEE it!) haha...

thanks everybody!

ChrisRose · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 427 Location: Hong Kong

I used to teach in Tsuen Mun,

The countryside is nice, but the communte was a killer. 4 hours a day.

Ifyou want to know what is there, see my earlier post, Electronic map of HK

sypanda5 · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 57 Location: HK

thanks for your response chrisrose, but my schools are in tseun WAN, not mun! Wink

(but a previous poster had just made a comment about tseun mun...)
thanks anyways! Smile

chi · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 26

I have to say this has been the most informative threads I have read to date, and has answered so many of my own questions about accommodation and the pros/ cons of living in various areas of Hong Kong. So, thanks guys Smile

dodgee · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 47

I agree with chi. I am glad to read this too as it is helping me a great deal.

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

You might also want to register at www.pnets.org - it's a chat room for PNETs and is a great place to talk to existing NETs, learn about social events, moan about stuff, ask questions etc.

wabbit · Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 32

hi there..
i had recently been told that i passe both the interview and written test. i am wondering how long more do i have to wait before net will give me any more confirmation.
firstly , i have to resend my transcript for net . next they will offer a contract?
i heard that the next step is that i have to wait for a school to accept me, so what happens mean while?
it is only after a school has accepted me, then i will get a chance to apply for visa right?

one more questions, how promt are the nets in giving reimbursements?

thanks so much for your help

Toosey-Jay · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 28

Thanks!!

Gavi19 · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 5

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring on this one too.

I've read through the posts mentionning the likes of Central, Park Island and the NT. However, one place as been overlooked and considering that's where I reside, I think it's worth a mention.

That place is Tung Chung.

Without waffling on here for ages. I'd just ask you to take a moment to google Tung Chung, Citygate, Coastal Skyline. You'll find a nice write up about Tung Chung over at Wikipedia.

I moved in to a brand spanking new apartment 2 years ago with everything inside for the amazing price of $5200. That has risen to $6000 now, but it's the steal of the century in my eyes considering everything that I have here.

Tung Chung is becoming the place to be in HK I feel, many expats are moving here, most notably because of it's easy access to the MTR, bus routes. Located next to the airport and Disneyland literally plus the so to be opened Ngong Ping 360. It's got sea views, mountain views and is a great place to go cycling or hiking from. Plus there are beaches over the other side of the island. It's a haven for most HK people to come at the weekends. Some might talk of the pollution which we may suffer, but that's everywhere in HK. I love this place to bits and if I wasn't living here then I probably wouldn't be living in HK. In my opinion, it's the best place to live. Oh, one more thing, we've just had our supermarket rennovated into possibly one of the best supermarkets that HK has to offer now without the expensive price tags that some of the western supermarkets like Great and Oliver's carry in Central.

So please don't overlook Tung Chung. FYI, it would only take about 30 mins by MTR from Tung Chung to Tsuen Wan and even then we have buses from here to there which take in a lovely scenic rotue across the Tsing Ma Bridge which on a clear day allows you to see all the way to HK island, quite something believe me.

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:05 am Post subject:

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

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