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Commute to Shatin

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  1. #31

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    I guess I should add that with a 2yo that is a handful and a 5yo the purpose of being on the island would really be to avoid a messy journey by cab to see friends. I can deal with MTR line changes and suchlike... but, we shall try everything with a "as if I were here" hat on when we come to feel out what might be right for us.


  2. #32

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    OK, so village houses are out then. The other way to get "facilities" and also to make loads of new friends (particularly with kids) is to get a membership at somewhere like the HK Football Club or HK Cricket Club. If either of you is happy to commit regularly to play some sport for their teams (which are in various sports, not just football or cricket!) then you should be able to get membership fairly quickly, and the ongoing cost is probably no more than the extra you'd pay for an apartment in a development with facilities (and the facilities at those two clubs are much better than any apartment complex).

    Oh, and if your wife would leave you for eating snake then I wonder whether she might have a bit of an issue dealing with the whole culture shock of moving here. It is possible to live in HK more or less as if you were in London / NYC and avoid all of that horrible local stuff, but that makes it a LOT more expensive.

    Last edited by Gruntfuttock; 01-10-2013 at 11:21 PM.

  3. #33

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    Original Post Deleted
    ...and don't worry about a knife!

    One couple has been there for a few years now, and the other looked high and low and settled on one of the older blocks at Bel Air because of the facilities too. I visited the first couple when I was there in April and saw from the apartment that it looked really good.

    But the commute seems insane.

    Any other similar developments in any of the other areas mentioned?

    Thanks again to everyone for devoting their time here. I'm getting a real sense of not being on my own here - it's nice!

  4. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruntfuttock:
    if your wife would leave you for eating snake then I wonder whether she might have a bit of an issue dealing with the whole culture shock of moving here
    LOL - she's never witnessed a reason to be disgusted at my eating habits but this might be a test for both of us! She's vegetarian too - but equally has travelled SE Asia enough to not just accept but like the region. Funny we were remarking as we were purchasing the entire store at a supermarket this morning that it might all have to go in a container to HK

  5. #35

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    Presumably though the "ladies who lunch" who live in Bel-Air don't actually lunch anywhere around there - I guess they just get their driver (or a cab) to take them to Central. So it really depends what sort of socialising with these friends your wife expects to do.


  6. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruntfuttock:
    Presumably though the "ladies who lunch" who live in Bel-Air don't actually lunch anywhere around there - I guess they just get their driver (or a cab) to take them to Central. So it really depends what sort of socialising with these friends your wife expects to do.
    Yes I think you're quite right - apart from the driver bit! They'll be visiting each other at home with their younger kids or going somewhere.

    Just looking at Google maps the obvious sweet spot would be Admiralty, for example. But I suspect that would not have what we're looking for (price or facilities, and possibly pollution issues - I don't know!)

  7. #37

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    My impression is that many of the ladies who lunch generally leave the kids to the nanny or DH then go off and do their thing. I rarely see ladies of the $50,000+ per month apartment type out with young kids except perhaps at the type of clubs I mentioned above.


  8. #38

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    I guess we'll have to see what they do actually do during the day... certainly wouldn't be our way of life to leave the kids with a nanny and go off... priority would be for kids to enjoy themselves. I think it's important to separate the issues of budget and lifestyle... key is kids being able to have fun 'at home' but getting about easily enough with them on the island too. If going towards Kowloon with them, I'd likely be with them.

    But all that said, if the island is really impossible, then we will through necessity have to just see these guys at weekends more than any other time, and make new friends (which we're experts at anyway!)


  9. #39

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    Sorry I haven't read all of the thread, but I just want to chime in and say what a beautiful area Sha Tin is.... the first time I went there (after living on HK island) I was astounded. Beautiful views of Sai Kung mountains and the water. Just go have a look at it.
    Incidentally, several of my expat colleagues, who work at a higher-educational institution live in Sha Tin. (One moved there after living for years and yeras in Happy Valley).

    INXS likes this.

  10. #40

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    Oh! And with the money you'd save living in Sha Tin instead of HK Island you could just buy a car and drive straight to Pok Fu Lam via the Western Tunnel.

    INXS and sidapa like this.