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Another Aussie newbie in HK...please help!
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| Newbie |
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| 17 Posts |
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| posted by muss12 220 days ago |
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Hi all,
Moving wife and 3 kids (6, 3, 18mths) to HK soon. Will be working in Kowloon. Any advice on finding accommodation (3bdrm aptmt) and schools would be greatfully appreciated.
Are there any locations to consider or avoid?
Any other tips regarding health insurance, contents insurance, cost of living, cleaners, anything would be fantastic.
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| Regular Member |
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| brilliant view |
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| posted by Britney 220 days ago (edited 220 days ago) |
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 Hi.
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| Newbie |
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| posted by Gatita 220 days ago |
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Where in Kowloon are you going to be working?
For schools, take a look at:
www.esf.edu.hk
(This is the site for the English Schools Foundation [ESF]. For the 6-year-old you might consider Kowloon Junior School, and for the 3-year-old you might consider Tsing Yi Kindergarten - depending upon the commute. The ESF has kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools throughout Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and the New Territories. My son went to Kowloon Junior School for primary and he is now at King George V School for secondary.)
www.aishk.edu.hk
(This is the website for the Australian International School which just happens to be in Kowloon Tong. Quite pricey but lovely if you can afford it!)
For housing in Kowloon... (Note: these are all just off the top of my head; hope they are helpful!)
1. My family used to live in Yau Yat Tsuen (which is also spelled 'Yau Yat Chuen'). Nice area.
2. Kowloon Tong is another nice area.
3. Beacon Hill
4. Ho Man Tin (also 'Homantin')
5. Hung Hom
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| Junior Member |
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| 1596 Posts |
| SEOUL |
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| posted by crusty 220 days ago |
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cost of living is seriously cheaper than Seoul.
Polution is seriously worse than Seoul.
HK is very user expat freindly.
Best advice to all new expats is to check into some short term accom (serviced apartment) then get out and about and look for a an apartment. HK Is pretty compact, so living close to work is not a major issue for most people.
There have been upteen threads on this subject on this site. Check the search function under 'new to HK', 'moving to HK', 'schools in HK' etc
Good luck
Rehab is for quiters
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| Newbie |
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| Adelaide (Sth Austra |
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| posted by muss12 219 days ago |
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Thank you everybody. Getting some great info here.
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| Regular Member |
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| over the hill |
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| posted by puyi 219 days ago |
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there are some hackham smithfield plains type areas to steer clear of in hong kong....but then on the upside there are places like burnside and toorak gardens that are worth living in.....no kitchener buns or balfours......
darren rudd is a sinophile
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| posted by xpat-Aussie 219 days ago |
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and no Carlton supporters! 
"...and once you have tasted flight,
you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been and there you long to return...."
-Leonardo DaVinci
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| Newbie |
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| posted by muss12 218 days ago |
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Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know any of the Hackam, Smithfield Plains areas to avoid in Hk. Probably can't afford the Burnside, Toorak Gardens areas. We'd be somewhere in the middle.
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| Newbie |
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| Adelaide (Sth Austra |
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| posted by muss12 218 days ago |
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Did you find it hard to get a school placement in an ESF school? The school our daughter goes to will probably descide approximatley what area we will live in due to the zoning.
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| The Designer |
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| posted by HKBloke 218 days ago |
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All ESF Schools are generally over-subscribed, however you might have a bit more luck if you try and get someone in mid-year.
Don't forget the internationl schools have English streams plus of course there is the Australian intl School Kowloon side.
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| posted by Lola 218 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by muss12
Did you find it hard to get a school placement in an ESF school? The school our daughter goes to will probably descide approximatley what area we will live in due to the zoning.
It works the other way around, I'm afraid. The school your daughter gets into will be depend on where you live, due precisely to the zoning you refer to.
Waiting lists vary by school and by year, but assuming English is her only language (i.e. she cannot read or write Chinese), then she stands a better chance of getting in.
Dancing madly sideways
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| Newbie |
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| posted by muss12 218 days ago |
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The Australian Intn'l school is just soooooooooooooo far out of our budget. We probably will be arriving in HK sometime in late February-Early March. Probably not going to help with school enrolment. If a child HAS to go to school and you can't get them into an ESF or Aust Int'l school what are the other options? I don't really want to go to American or Canadian Curriculum. She would end up too far behind when we come back home.
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| The Designer |
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| posted by HKBloke 218 days ago |
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French International & German Suisse both have English streams.
However...the difference in school fees btwn AIS and ESF is not that much. The International schools are generally 10% higher.
As a general rule - international junior education in HK is going to cost you btwn 8-10k hk$ prr month per child exc debentures.
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| posted by Beer Boy 217 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by puyi
there are some hackham smithfield plains type areas to steer clear of in hong kong....but then on the upside there are places like burnside and toorak gardens that are worth living in.....no kitchener buns or balfours......
translation services are also desperately needed for some of our Aussies in here
I take under performing to new lows...
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| posted by muss12 183 days ago |
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Looks like we might be going to live in Hung Hum. What did you think of Kowloon Junior School? I heard there aren't many Westerners. How did your son cope with this?
Hmmmm Now is it me or the wife that wrote this message?
Gotta keep you guessing.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by sunwaterandsky 183 days ago |
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http://www.shambles.net/hongkong/index.htm
This site has a list of most of the international schools in Hong Kong. Kowloon Junior will be the most affordable, but places are not always available. Back up with other school applications.
You can also apply to the ESL schools (ESF's poorer and more expensive cousin).
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| posted by Load Toad 183 days ago (edited 183 days ago) |
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My kids (half Chinese half english) are at KJS and love it - no worries. If your kids are coming to HK surely you would actually want them to experience some other races and cultures eh?
And at the ages your kids are at - will they notice / care? Won't they just see 'kids' and new friends?
You used to speak the truth.
But now you're clever.
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| posted by Velvet 182 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by muss12
Looks like we might be going to live in Hung Hum. What did you think of Kowloon Junior School? I heard there aren't many Westerners. How did your son cope with this?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but there aren't too many Westerners living in Hung Hom either.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by Load Toad 182 days ago |
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Not too many but it's a very convenient location and further developing.
You used to speak the truth.
But now you're clever.
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