neither of us are in IT. we each have our own businesses.
as for going to vancouver or calgary...i'm originally from saskatoon(not HK...i'm not chinese, my hubby is originally from here) that's why i want to go there...i don't know toronto at all...
and about the education... i'm a product of "free" canadian education...
i have two degrees...i came here at 22 years of age right out of uni...i've owned two separate businesses...i think that i'm doing alright (i know i don't make very much money, but i get to spend a lot of time with my 12 week old son and with my husband...i don't have to answer to anyone when i want to take a day off etc...)... i think that the public system in canada is just fine!
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10-05-2005, 01:41 AM #21
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10-05-2005, 02:44 AM #22
Not sure if you/ur hubby are currently live and work in HK, sounds like you are. In fact 800K (I mean total household income) is not what we're making these days, when converted to Cad dollars and considered we can make more if we looked harder over here in Can. But like I said, we are thinking of a change; therefore, although 800K might be lower, this could at least give me a reference point and hopefully I can line up with a better job to match up with our current situation.
Originally Posted by u22girl:
Just heard you turned down a 1Mil offer...was it IT related? or Do you mind telling me what kind of IT job can give me 1Mil salary...
was it something like you need to work 24/7 and managed teams of geeks, and what not? I remembered I did turned down a 1Mil offer from PCCM around 2000 timeframe but I was not regreted. But now it might be hard to find something that close I think...
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10-05-2005, 02:59 AM #23
I hope you don't find my post offensive...Getting 2 degrees may not mean anything...tell you the truth, I had 3 degrees...I just think time has changed and it also meant that education sys used in 20 yrs ago may not be as good or even enough for nowadays needs. Just think of it 20yrs ago I would never thought of taking kids to private school is a norm or taking kids to private lessions are a must; but the reality is that today all the parents are getting their kids well-equipped starting at age 2. Not to mention, the job markets in the world are getting so competitive that you need to be hightly skilled and trained in order to get a job or maintain certain life style. (my nephew had a uni deg in Math these days can only get him working for Chapters as a part-time cashier...) Originally Posted by carang:
Yes, you need to spend time with ur beloved son but also realized that everything comes with a price tag. In fact I admire you have your own businesses and you can enjoy all the freedom being a boss. I also thought of this if I can run some businesses like you do.
What kind of business you are doing in HK?
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10-05-2005, 03:47 AM #24
Daltera,
I am still in Jersey, still trying to get a IT job from here before other steps...
I got few responses so far, either they want me to start too soon (can't wait few months for me to get all my 'steps' in action) or we couldn't agree upon the salary. In most case, I think I am over qualify for most of the jobs that I applied. (they only require 2 to 5 years of experience). And of course, a lot of them I will not even try if the offer is too low.
As far as the side business, I don't know what to do yet, just want to take my time and do more research when I am in HK, to see what is in demand or may have a demand for.
For me, I rather go thru this with at least few months period. That way, it will be easier to handle and easier to back out (if things didn't work out). I think my first step is a job, and then I will be moving to Hk by myself for few months. Then, maybe buy a flat , then sell my house in Jersey, and ask my wife to quit....
One thing that I worry the most, is the housing market in Jersey. Not knowing if I can still afford to buy a house if I need to move back from HK.
Wid
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10-05-2005, 11:12 AM #25
myths of living in HK
Allow me to share my cents here.
Hong Kong education system is not bad at all. It ranks highly in the world. On the average, IMHO most HK educated high school students are a lot better than those educated locally in US and Canada. Note that I used to teach in Canadian and American universities and have taught quite a few students of Chinese heritage from all over the world.
Hong Kong's health care system is in fact better than those in Canada and UK, IMHO. US's medical system is a lot worse unless you have a lot insurance coverage or a lot of money to pay on your own. You have to consider total care as a package. I am surprised on what the HK government have been providing and I hope that the HK medical system will last.
HK's pollution problem is definitely much better than that in LA and Houston. I don't think Tokyo metro area is that much better either.
Hong Kong's housing market is expensive. But, it is still a lot cheaper than those in New York City and San Francisco. In San Francisco, you may have a hard time to find a 1 bed condo in a reasonable decent area for less $500,000 USD which is close to $3.8M HKD.
Hong Kong's property tax is one of the lowest in the world. If you own a house in Canada or US, don't forget that you have to pay taxes related to your owned home. And, these taxes do go up every year to provide free education and public security. Are they really providing free education ?
If you want a peaceful life - going to work in the morning, sending the kids to school and piano lessons, going home to watch TV in the evening, mowing your lawn in the weekend, driving miles and miles of highway to attend events and for vacations, I would stay back in Canada or US. But, if you are young and want growth, I would go West - Hong Kong/China where the actions are and will be.
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10-05-2005, 11:22 AM #26
Daltera, you may also want to consider the moral/value system of HK people now. You have a 2 year old kid, I know, but I think HK may not be a good place to live anymore in the near future. People here are very different from before --- you can see minors smoking cigarettes a lot, there are too many out-of-school youths. The peer pressure is very evident. Moreover, there are more and more people now aged 20+ and above who are getting mental diseases. Just consider this one, not only if you can get a job here/decent salary, etc. Originally Posted by daltera:
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10-05-2005, 11:29 AM #27
Like this isn't something that is going on in EVERY other country in the world! What a poor comment to make. Originally Posted by dginipir:
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10-05-2005, 07:08 PM #28
Daltera, my hubby is not in IT. I wish he was ! He's an accountant...... I hope you'll find what you want in HK. I'm delaying my move till ???? From my research so far, I think Pokfulam is a good district to live, it's close to Central but not too overpriced as compared to the mid-level. Also, it's more convenient than Discovery Bay. These were the districts that we were considering if we were to move back. I agree with Wing that the medical system in HK is good as most of my friends work in public hospitals so you'll be in good hands ! Good luck !
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18-05-2005, 04:39 AM #29
Originally Posted by wing:
Hey Wing,
You've read my mind! You just spell out what I have exactly in mind! And that's why I am considering moving away from those considered as "nice things" by most people. Having said that, I still respect those who decided to stay that way.
Talking about medical and education systems, they are getting worst these days especially those "gay marriages", long waiting hours on Emergencies, so-called public health care...
But one thing to comment about Tokyo though, surprizingly their pollution is not that bad comparing to HK/Toronto/LA. I've been to these places many times about the same time during the year (say July in the summer), I can tell the air quality is still good at peak times and I still can see the sky over Tokyo Bay that was quite clear, compared to those hot summer days in HK where you can't see from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central over the Victoria Harbour, since it was covered by smog. I guess it maybe related to the disclipine of the citizens who they used a lot of mass transit systems, instead of driving their own car.
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18-05-2005, 04:53 AM #30
Originally Posted by u22girl:
Yes, you are the other person who can read my mind (other than Wing)... Yes, indeed before I moved to Canada, I lived in Pokfulam (Upper Baguio Villa), and I liked the area; however, for one thing the transport you still rely heavily on "green mini-bus" to commute between central MTR and Baguio, unless u own a car. I remember til 12:30am, the mini-bus stops servicing that area, if it is still true now.
I liked the idea of "you get what you paid" medical systems in HK, not like you have to wait a long line in Canada. Funny thing is that my wife is not allowed to have c-section when delivering our child unless it is an emergency situation. We can't even paid to stay longer than a day in the hospital after delivery....
You know I wish that I am a chartered accountant...at least I don't have to work so hard to keep up with the fast-moving techy stuffs...but I do realized that those long working hrs during accounting seasons...pros and cons..
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