21st February 2017
Hong Kong is an amazing city and I’m often asked why I moved here, but to be honest it was purely by chance. I applied for jobs in The Ukraine, Lebanon, and Hong Kong. I said whichever British Council Centre employs me first, I’ll take it. Ideally I wanted to go to Lebanon or Ukraine but neither hired me, at that time I didn’t have the DELTA or Trinity DipTESOL and hence I moved to Hong Kong. I had been to Hong Kong before but had never planned to live here. Now you may ask, what makes me stay here seven years later. Well, there are loads of reasons, and this week’s blog will look at why I chose to live here and discuss some of the positive and negative aspects.
Hong Kong is a great springboard to other Asian countries as well as to Europe and America. I felt, and still feel, that as an experienced professional I can afford a decent living which allows for a decent amount of travel opportunities; it sure beats living in Chicago, as there isn’t much outside Chicago. Being here there are cheap flights to Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan, whereas in the USA it was Milwaukee, Cleveland, or St Paul. Not the most exotic places in my opinion, but hey, whatever strikes your fancy.
Additionally, I wanted to do an MA, but not on-line or distance. Hong Kong has some great programs, such as MAs in TESOL or Applied Linguistics which are internationally recognized and a bit cheaper compared to other places, for example the USA or U.K. Attending university here also allowed me to deduct the expenses from my yearly tax bill. Then there’s commuting. With the range of transportation i.e. busses, MTR, and ferries it’s very easy to get around quite cheaply and quickly compared to other cities.
I also found with the right amount of experience and internationally recognized qualifications you can find great teaching jobs, especially if you’d like to work for a university. I have several friends who work at University all of which hold a Cambridge DELTA or Trinity Dip TESOL as well as an MA. Besides universities, there are local/PNET scheme, and international schools. For primary and secondary schools I would recommend the PGCE/PGDE in education as those qualifications are valued over a DELTA or DipTESOL.
On a negative note, I wouldn’t say this is a backpacker’s dream destination. The cost of living is relatively high and being skint here wouldn’t be much fun. Moreover, as far as working hours go, they weren’t the most desirable in the beginning. They included long weekends, split shifts, and late nights, but on the other hand the British Council provided excellent benefits (i.e. health, holiday around 8 weeks paid, and educational opportunities, bonus and retirement plan). It took some time to find work which paid well and had better working hours. The holiday isn’t as generous nor is the health insurance, but I find the work rewarding. Another thing I enjoy is the low level of violent crime. There generally isn’t much of it compared to the USA. I don’t worry much about gun violence, muggings, or stabbings. I’ve walked home at all hours and have never been bothered. So, these are some of the aspects which make me a fan.