" I am a dual US/Canadian citizen. My wife (US citizen) and three children (all three have dual US/Canadian) moved to Toronto, Ontario just over a year ago. Now my company is considering me for a position in Hong Kong. Can someone help me with the pros and cons. My boys are 8, 7, and 5 years old. We have two German Shepherds. Can we bring the dogs? My seven year old neads speech therapy, is it available? The job will be part of a start up joint venture between two fortune 100 companies. This would be a high level executive position. I''m being told that we would have wonderful living conditions. ""Should I stay or should I go?"" Thanks, Mark "

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" You would be able to bring your dogs - there are quarentine regulations which are available through the department of agriculture and fisheries. If you have a good expat. package, living conditions can be great - but you need to know exactly what''s on offer, first, especially with regard to accommodation. Is it rented, and will the company help with rental allowance or cash payment - property is still very expensive here. Also to consider - what leave will the company offer, is there any education allowance, and any other incentives, such as return air tickets, or club membership - all worth investigating. Schools The Canadian International School has a very good reputation, as do all of the International Schools. Cost may be a factor, though, as none of them are cheap! Have you thought of contacting the American General Chamber of Commerce? Their details: Address: The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong Email: amcham@amcham.org.hk Tel: (852) 2526-0165 Fax: (852) 2810-1289 Office Hours : Mon - Fri 8:30 - 17:30 Hope this helps (BTW I''ve been here for 15 years and love it!) Gillian Download the Electronic Press Kit They have produced a book called ""Living in Hong Kong"" (I think), that you might find useful. "

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" Don''t rule out the dogs - a lot depends on where you live and how much time you will have to exercise them - I have a Canadian friend who brought her two Collies, and they have had a wonderful few years here. Equally, I know two Australian vets who brought their dogs (one has two small dogs, the other two brutes!) - again, with satisfactory results. Before you decide, check the size of your apartment and your location - if you leave your beloved pets at home and then find out you''re in a 2000 sq foot apartment or a village house with a large park nearby, you will kick yourself - equally, if you try to fit two big dogs into a matchbox with a dual carriageway round the corner, the dogs will (figuritively speaking) kick you. Gillian "

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" > Now my company is considering me for a position in Hong Kong. > Can someone help me with the pros and cons. My boys are 8, 7, and 5 years old. HK is a great place to live, but then again I don''t have kids or dogs. I can''t speak for how the boys will like it, but there is a fairly large expat population with kids in the same situation - giving you a good support infrastructure. I''ve heard that the international schools are good, but of course expensive. Some kids really take to the expat lifestyle, enjoying the new culture and experience, but then again I''ve seen others that just wished for home. > We have two German Shepherds. Can we bring the dogs? I''m not sure how great it would be for your dogs. It is a big city, and unless you live well outside the city you will not have much space for the dogs. Apartments tend to be smaller than you may be used to in North America as well. If they''re outdoor dogs, you''ll need to move well outside the city to accomodate them. (That said, I do see large dogs being walked in the Mid-Levels every day, often by an amah/domestic helper.) > My seven year old neads speech therapy, is it available? Sorry, I can''t answer that - although it is a modern city of 6+ million people, which means just about everything you might need is generally available. > This would be a high level executive position. I''m being told > that we would have wonderful living conditions. HK is generally a very nice place to take an expat assignment. Language isn''t much of a problem, corruption isn''t rampant, and it''s safe. Depending on the expat package, you may enjoy very nice living conditions. A nice 3BR good-view midlevels apartment of about 1500 sq. ft. will probably run around HK$30-60k/month (that''s US$3,800 - 7,700 a month). If you need more space it goes higher; if you can live further away from Central you can go lower, perhaps to the HK$10-20k/month for a similar size. That''s the biggest portion of your package right there! 4BR is harder to find, and you''re probably getting up in the range of prices - be sure that this is included in your package, or at least have a good idea of what the costs will be before you get here. Transportation is great in HK - you may not need, even or want, to have a car. Parking is harder than it may be worth - just take a taxi or public transportation instead. A car is nice if you are living outside the city, or need it for the prestige (which is probably why 75% of the cars in HK exist). There are some very good restaurants in HK (I''ve heard that there are more restaurants per-capita in HK than anywhere else). However, for international concerts, plays, etc., you are generally outta luck. Weekends can be spent hiking on the good trails available around HK, as well as weekend trips or perhaps excursions to Lantau or Lamma Island. Shopping is also good fun for some people, although I suspect your boys may not agree. > ""Should I stay or should I go?"" Only you can answer that, but it''s been our favorite location by far (compared to Singapore and Brussels). Regards, Steve Casagrande scasagrande@netscape.net Hong Kong HongKong "

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" one year ago we left Hong Kong (after 3 years). Our children , now 4,5 and 9, enjoyed the experience very much. Our son needed Occupational Therapy and we also find a wanderful speech therapist ( we are Swiss, but our son Michael went to the HK International School -which is actually an American school). We used to live in Shouson Hill, in the southern part of HK Island - in my opinion the nicest aerea of the island. If you need any more advices, I will try to answer them. Agata Mumenthaler Switzerland "

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