Hong Kong FAQs

I thought I'd use this blog entry to answer some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)..

Where do you live?
I found a one-bedroom apartment in Repulse Bay; an expat beach resort on the south side of Hong Kong Island. The place I have is nice, and it's quite large for Hong Kong standards (about 700 square feet). It's ridiculously expensive; rent is about $3,500.00 USD per month, but the school subsidises most of that cost. Repulse Bay is one the most exclusive neighborhoods of Hong Kong. It's where HKIS is located, and I wanted to be close to work each day. The fact that I'm three blocks away from a gorgeous beach is great, too.

How do you get around?

The 6X bus is my connection to Central HK

I rely almost exclusively on public transportation. If I want to go to downtown Hong Kong, I catch a bus (the big double-decker, British kind).  There's a bus stop right in front of my apartment and I can get to Central Hong Kong in about 20-25 minutes. The bus fare is about $1.25 each way and busses come buy every 10-12 minutes.

Taxis are another affordable option. I can get almost anywhere on Hong Kong Island for less than $20.00 and most of my taxi rides are $5.00 - $10.00; depending on where I'm going. Taxis are everywhere (just like New York), and all drivers speak enough English to get me to my destination.

To get to work, I ride a school bus with students. HKIS runs a fleet of about 25 busses, which fan out across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. That means that there's a pretty good chance that a school bus route passes by a teacher's house. Luckily, there's a school bus stop outside my apartment and the bus (#37) takes me directly to school. It's about a 10-15 minute ride along a seaside road. Every morning I get panoramic, sunrise views over the South China Sea.

What are Telecommunications Like?
I have cable, home internet access, and a mobile phone. All three are significantly cheaper than in the United States. I get about 20 cable channels in English; stations like CNN, BBC, FOX, FX, Discovery, National Geographic, History, Biography, etc. I also use a Slingbox which allows me to stream TV from the United States. I use that a lot. In Hong Kong, you can buy cable channels a ala carte. I think my cable bill each month is about $34.00.

My Internet connection is pretty good (even if I had to search for the right provider). I get speeds that are about twice as fast as those in the USA for about $19.99 per month.

My cell phone costs about $24.00 per month and I get unlimited calls and data. Oddly, text messages are ridiculously expensive in Hong Kong, so everyone uses an app called Whatsapp which sends texts through the data network. Cell phones are out of control in Hong Kong. Everyone is glued to their screens and it can actually be dangerous to walk around downtown on Saturday afternoon because you're bound to slam into someone who is looking down at a phone screen. It's crazy. The network is fast and robust though. Even in subway tunnels, we get 4G LTE connections with 5 bars.

What's the food like?
Hong Kong is a global city, and it's relatively easy to find any kind of cuisine. Naturally, there are plenty of Chinese restaurants. Some are amazing; many more are horrible. The best food I've had here comes from Vietnam, Thailand, and India. It is possible to find a good steak. Most "good" beef comes from Australia. U.S. beef if available, but it's incredibly expensive ($75.00 for a 8 oz. filet). Hong Kong has many fast food chains: McDonalds, KFC, and Subway. There are countless one-off places that are great too.

The grocery stores stock an amazing array of western goods. My local market (aptly named Jason's) is practically an American grocery store. Sure, they have asian goods, but they also carry plenty of names you'd recognise at Dierbergs', Schnucks', or Kroger.

What's the best thing about Hong Kong (so far)?
The view outside my classroom and the view across Victoria Harbour are jaw-dropping. This is a gorgeous corner of the world. 75% of Hong Kong Island is devoted to national parks, so there's plenty of hiking to do. I hope to explore a few trails when the weather cools down in November. The beaches and islands are pretty to look at, too.

What's the most annoying thing about Hong Kong (so far)?
Downtown crowds on the weekend, IKEA, rush hour traffic, two-year contracts for everything (cable, phone, rent, etc.), pollution days, typhoon days, and the general lack of ice in drinks.

What do you miss most about St. Louis?
Family, friends, my car, yards, St. Louis sports radio, and news, knowing where to go for everything.

Stanley: My "Main Street"

What do you do with your free time?
I've made a few new friends; mostly new hires. We explore the city together. We have dinner at a new restaurant every Tuesday night. We've been to a Michael Jackson concert, done a few touristy things, and generally helped each other settle in. We're planning a trip to Macau in a few weeks.

My family has been here lately, so we've been exploring, too.

I'll do another section of FAQs soon.

That's What Friends are For...

I've been doing my best to keep up with all of my friends and family back in America. The 13-hour time difference makes communication difficult at times, but every time I hear a voice from home, I feel comforted. It's really a blessing to have so many people in my corner. They all want me to be happy and find comfort, and their words of wisdom mean more to me than ever before.

I had a really great conversation with one of my oldest friends this morning. He's known me for more than 15 years, and he has unique insight into my personality. He knows I'm a home-body, so he's not at all surprised that I'm finding it difficult to make Hong Kong my home. That was sobering and reassuring; especially since most people find it difficult to believe that I'm having a hard time here. 

Like many others, he reminded me that any transition takes time and that six months from now I'll have a radically different perspective. He assured me too, that my experience in Hong Kong doesn't have to last any longer than I want it to. If it's only meant to be a one-year program; that's all it has to be. It doesn't even have to be home; in fact it may never be home. St. Louis will always be HOME, and it will be waiting for me whenever I decide to return. So, in the meantime, open my mind to the possibilities that lie before me in Hong Kong; I might just learn to like it. 

When things get tough, I need to take a deep breath and remind myself that nothing bad can happen to me today. Those are wise words, indeed.  Thanks, my friend.

Carpe Diem.

First Impressions & Managing Differences

Well, the sun has set on the first full week of school.  While I feel like I've learned a lot, I know I still have a long way to go.

Repulse Bay Beach on a Sunday Evening

Naturally, the kids are the most important part of any teacher's experience, and my new students are great. They're very polite, they seem to be very driven and they're forgiving when I make mistakes as a brand new teacher. While I miss the familiarity of my Chaminade boys, I think I will get along just fine with the HKIS 6th graders. It's definitely interesting to teach girls for the first time. After a week, they seem sweet, nice, inquisitive and friendly. The boys are exactly the same as the ones at Chaminade. They're into their sports, video games, and silly antics. As expected, the kids seem to be a "global" bunch. Almost all of them carry US passports, and regardless of their ethnicity or heritage they are as American as the kids in St. Louis. They all spend their summers in the U.S. and they're as in tune with American pop culture as any other group I've known. At the same time, however, they've lived all over the world. I think many of them follow a parent's job around the globe. They have lived all over: Germany, Venezuela, Beijing, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Korea. I'm interested to see learn how they balance their identities as Americans abroad.

My teaching schedule is radically different, and it's one I'm still struggling to adapt to. I teach 42 6th grade students. They are divided into two classes and I see each class every day for nearly 2 hours. Within that time frame, I supposed to cover topics in Language Arts and Social Studies. I'm "ON" from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. with one 15-minute break. After 12:15 p.m. the kids head off to electives and lunch, and I'm left alone until the end of the day. I'm expected to stay on campus until 3:30 p.m. I'm still learning to leverage those three hours in the afternoon in my favor. It's great time to plan, grade, and meet. There are still so many new facets to the school however, I often feel like I'm not at my most productive during the afternoon. Perhaps with time things will get better.

As the week progressed, I felt like I was gaining a better grasp on the schedule and the curriculum I should be covering. I still can't plan more than one day in advance (which drives me crazy). I'm hoping that soon I can plan for at least a week. My teaching teammates are some really great people; they're super nice. It's still a challenge for me, however, to learn to teach as a "team" rather than an individual.

In short, there are a lot of differences to adapt to, but I'm here at HKIS to grow as a teacher and as an individual. I don't have to like things better or see them as worse; I just have to appreciate them as different. Ultimately, I hope I'll be a better teacher. We'll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, I think I'll take a walk along the beach...

The First Day of School

The first day of school at Hong Kong International School (HKIS) was unique and memorable for so many reasons.

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the first day is the fact that it was canceled by Typhoon Utor. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the Typhoon 8 warning at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday which forced HKIS to close its doors. I suppose a Typhoon Day is about as close to a Snow Day as I'll get in the tropics. During a Typhoon 8 Warning, the entire city shuts down. Mass transit stops and people stay home. Thus, I was forced to hunker down in my apartment and spend some quality time with my brother. (I'm very glad he is here to help me pass the time). We ended up watching Bloodsport; a vintage Hong Kong-based VanDamme movie. We also caught up on some American TV via the Slingbox. The typhoon warning was lifted at 2:00 p.m. so we ventured out to the city and grabbed a nice dinner in Repulse Bay.

Thursday arrived, and HKIS finally started; it was the first official day of school. It was nice to see kids on campus again; schools always feel a bit odd without the students. While the 7th and 8th graders arrived at 7:45 a.m. the 6th grade students arrived with their parents at 11:30 a.m. for a half day of orientation.

Friday was a full day, and I think I learned as much as my 6th graders did. I'm still wrapping my head around the schedule, the supplies, the curriculum, and the terminology. Chaminade and HKIS share a lot of similarities. For example, Mentor Group is called PCG (Pastoral Care Group), there are houses (and house shirts), and the portal is called My DragonNet. I teach 42 6th graders this year with a partner named Bev. She teaches math and science while I teach language art and social studies. Together we're known as the "Core" classes. I teach two sections of 20 students and I see each section for 2 hours every day. During that time, I'm supposed to work on both Language Arts and Social Studies. I'm still not sure how I'm going to divide the time, but I'm sure it will work itself out. A more regular schedule resumes on Monday, and I hope to get into a routine quickly.

Lunch at HKIS is pretty good. Faculty are welcome to bring a lunch or buy food in the cafeteria. The food is pretty kid friendly, so I like what I've had and it's cheap ($2.50 per lunch).

Of course, there are countless idiosyncrasies that I still need to adapt to. I'm hoping I can adapt quickly because it's stressful not knowing how to fire on all cylinders. I'm still feeling a bit out of place, but now that the kids are back I'm hoping to settle into a routine.

There's plenty more to come...

The Last Day of Summer

It's the evening before the first day of school at HKIS, and my head has spinning. The past week has been full of emotions, and I thought it prudent to purge my brain before the chaos of class begins tomorrow.

Needless to say, I've spent a lot of time in faculty meetings over the past 6 days. There has been an incomprehensible amount of information flowing out of HKIS which is both a blessing and a curse. I'm glad that the school is working so hard to keep all of us informed, but to be perfectly honest, it's all incredibly overwhelming.

Last Wednesday, the entire HKIS faculty (both new and returning members of the staff) gathered for a convocation and brunch. What I thought would be a nice event turned into a panic-inducing episode. There are more than 250 faculty at staff at HKIS, and it seemed that everyone knew somebody; except for me. I rarely felt so isolated and alone. It reminded me how far away I am from the familiar surroundings of St. Louis and Chaminade. I became so overwhelmed, in fact, that I broke down in tears and called my good friend in St. Louis to express my anguish. He and his wife listened intently and offered comforting words, but I still spent the rest of the day in a state of anxious regret. As the day went on, I spiraled out of control and sent a desperate e-mail to my closest friends expressing my desire to come home. Wednesday, August 7 was a rough day; probably the worst I've had since my arrival in Hong Kong. I was only hours away from packing my bags and heading to the airport.

Thursday and Friday were a bit better. I had a chance to meet with my middle school colleagues, and I felt like I was gaining traction on school related matters. The homesickness persisted, however, and I made an appointment with a local doctor to discuss my feelings. She was a good listener and reminded me that such drastic transitions simply take time. (That's everyone's advice). Friday was another day of progress and I had another good discussion with one of the school counselors. He had a way of breaking down my fears into manageable tasks, and he's agreed to help me work through these issues.

I tried to keep myself distracted throughout the weekend. One of my favorite tasks was planning a winter ski trip with my dad to Jackson Hole, WY. For hours on Saturday, I simply got lost in the bliss of thinking about the American West; that kept me happy.  Sunday was a terrible day because I had no plan. Again, I was close to flying out of HK and putting an end to my misery. I'm simply getting tired of being stressed and tired.

Yesterday (Monday), reinforcements arrived! My brother arrived in Hong Kong to offer some moral support and help me sort out some issues. I can't adequately express how comforting it is to have some family nearby. I am still not convinced that I belong in Hong Kong, but at least we can share some ideas and conversations about where I go from here. It's really too bad that I've had to move 7,000 miles away to grow closer to my family.

At school, I still feel overwhelmed. There's simply too much stuff I don't know. I don't understand the class webpage, the online grade book, my curriculum, lesson plans, where to get supplies, etc. Usually, the first day of school is the highlight of my year. At Chaminade, I knew the 7th & 8th graders and I felt comfortable. At HKIS, I still feel very alone and I'm terrified!

I hope the kids bring me some solace. I need it. I'm still not convinced that this was a wise move, but I've got friends and family determined to help me persevere. We'll just have to wait and see where it all goes.

Tomorrow may be the first day of school and the first day of something new...

Welcome to HKIS!

Tai Tam Harbour (The View from my Room)

I've nearly finished my first week of work at Hong Kong International School. Sure, it's been a week chock full of faculty meetings and information overload, but it's nice to begin a routine and get back on a school campus.

HKIS Middle School

As many of you know, I've had my ups and downs with this transition (yesterday was a particularly difficult day). Today was a good day, however. For the first time in a while, I felt like I was gaining traction and beginning to get a handle on school things. I located my classroom (great view), arranged the furniture, found the supply closet, learned how to make copies, and met with my 6th grade teammates who are going to help me develop lessons and curriculum over the next few days. 

At HKIS, I am part of a teaching team. There are actually five 6th grade Language Arts / Social Studies teachers. Like Chaminade, HKIS has five houses and each house has its own teachers. It's worth mentioning that HKIS is quite a bit bigger than Chaminade. There are nearly 2,600 kids in the school (Pre-K - 12) and just over 200 in the 6th grade. I'll only have 40 of them; I won't get to know the other 160. That's a bit odd to me, but it's a change I'll get used to I suppose.

I've attached a few photos of the campus. It's a dramatic setting; carved into a lush hillside on the south side of Hong Kong Island. My classroom has a panoramic view of Tai Tam Harbour and the surrounding hills. I'm not all that keen on beaches (I'm more of a mountain person), but I can't complain about the view. I don't know how much work will get done with all of us staring out the window all the time. 

Classroom 303

The first day of School at HKIS is Wednesday, August 14. Summer is coming to an end quickly and before I know it fall will be here. Of course, fall in Hong Kong means temps in the 70s-80s instead of the 90s (and a drop in humidity).

The kids arrive next week. I'm sure I'll have plenty of first impressions to share. Until then, I'll just enjoy the view...

Homesick

The past week has been a very difficult one for me. Homesickness has hit me hard (much harder than I ever imagined), and it's gotten so bad that it is causing me to question my decision to come to Hong Kong.

There's no place like home...

I had no idea how difficult it would be to start a new life from scratch. To be homeless, own nothing, and navigate the bureaucracy of a foreign country is overwhelming and stressful. Add to that a longing for loved ones and familiarity of the United States, and it's easy to get lost in a depressing downward spiral. The latest pangs have been related to my housing decision. I chose the beach house 15 minutes from school instead of the flashy new condo 35 minutes away. Before I left for Hong Kong, I told myself I wanted something "built yesterday," but I didn't listen to myself. I chose location over amenities, and I wish I had listened to my gut. At least 14 months from now I can make a move to a new high rise.

Luckily, I have my family and some new friends who refuse to let me fail at this endeavor. I talk to my family in St. Louis at least twice a day and even though they keep telling me the same things over and over again (and they're probably tired of doing it), it's incredibly comforting to just vent my feeling and hear their voices. They assure me that these feelings will pass, and I will return to the quite pleasant reality of trying a new adventure in Hong Kong. I'm lucky, too, to have met some great new friends (fellow new HKIS teachers) who keep me busy and help me through the transition. We do all kinds of things together: trips to IKEA, dinner out, pizza and a movie in a hotel room, etc. Sometimes, simply having company and staying busy is the best defense against homesickness. Thank you Lindsey, Katy, Danielle and Paige!

Homesickness, too, brings into sharp focus the blessings of my "past life." The past eleven years at Chaminade (and in St. Louis) are some of the most precious of my life. My thoughts often turn to the familiar routines, and friendly faces, and the comfort of "home." It makes me sad to think that the familiar routines of CCP will be starting up soon without me.  My family, too, means more to me now than ever before. When they were 10 miles away, I was often too busy to make the trip to see them in person. Now that 7,000 miles separate us, I long for their company like never before.

This clearly isn't the happiest of times for me, but I am rational enough to know that these feelings will pass and my experience will be everything I hoped for. What's more, as much as I want these feelings to pass as quickly as possible, I also do not want to forget this stage of my transition. Two years from now or ten years from now when I make my next transition, I want to remind myself that change can be difficult and should not be entered into lightly.

I have no regrets. I will get past this. Hong Kong and HKIS will be one of the most glorious chapters of my life, but it's going to take some hard work to get there.

Whoever said anything worth doing is difficult sure was a genius.

Culture Shock & High Tea

I've spent five days in my new city. It has been quite a week. I've done a lot, but there's so much more to do.

The flight over was LONG (15:30) and arrived two hours late. It was 11:45 p.m. before I arrived at my hotel on Friday night. On Saturday morning my "orientation coordinator," Tammy, took me (and four others) to apply for identity cards, establish bank accounts, and set up cell phones. That was a mad dash around the city, but we got it all done in about 6 hours.

High Tea @ The Peninsula Hong Kong

On Sunday, I took time out from "becoming and expat" to enjoy afternoon tea at the infamous Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon. It's one of the grand traditions left over from 150 years of British rule.

There are about 15 new teachers at Hong Kong International School this year. All of us arrived within a few days of each other, and all of us are staying at the same hotel. Thus, I'm quickly meeting some new colleagues. I don't know if all of us will be life-long friends, but it's nice to have a support group and some people to help me through the transition period.

Of course, one of the major tasks was finding a place to live. On Monday, I met with 3 different realtors and saw about 20 apartments all over Hong Kong Island. While many were simply awful (small and dated), one realtor (named Joyce) came through. She showed me two great options. One was a brand new condo on the 36th floor of a skyscraper (30-40 minutes from school) and the other was a big, renovated one-bedroom townhouse on the beach (5-10 minutes from school). After much deliberation, I went with the beach house! I know how important it is to be close to school and it's in a great neighborhood. I'll send pictures as soon as I move in. I hope to get the keys to the place this weekend.

Since I settled on my place and signed the lease, I've been running around with my new colleagues trying to find furniture and household items. We went to an IKEA today, and it was a bit overwhelming. Starting from scratch means buying a lot. I'm just trying to focus on the necessities for now.

My task for the next few days is to get Internet and cable set up at the new place and get utilities transferred into my name. Beyond that, more furniture shopping and house set up is on the agenda. I start orientation next Thursday, so I'd like to get a lot done by then.

I sure miss everyone at home. I wobble back and forth between being excited and being scared. I hope that with a bit more time it will feel more comfortable. Once school starts, and I meet the kids, I think things will start to even out for me.

Until We Meet Again...

Here it is 10 days before my departure, and I've entered a prolonged period of "goodbyes." It's a bittersweet time, really; a time where I feel caught between the sadness of leaving behind so many good friends and feeling excitement for a new adventure.

A Fond Farewell from my 7th Grade All-Stars!

I feel very fortunate to have so many friends, young and old, who are making it a point to get together before the summer ends. From my neighbors to my colleagues to my former students; everyone is making one last effort to say, "Good luck," and it means more to me than they will ever know.

Some of the gatherings are very simple; a BBQ or a beer on the patio or down the street. Some are more elaborate like a lavish Bon Voyage / Retirement party thrown by a group of 6th grade parents. Just last night, and group of my favorite 7th grade students invited me out to dinner to wish me well.

I know that I'm going to meet all kinds of wonderful new people, but I wouldn't be human if I didn't feel sadness for all the people I'm leaving behind.

There are a lot of people to catch up with over the next 10 days; I want to spend as much time as possible with them (and my family, too). It's reassuring to know that St. Louis will always be "home" and I'm not telling them goodbye. I'm simply saying, "See you (much) later" or "Until we meet again..."

The Housing Collapse!

869 Dickson St., Kirkwood, MO

It was all going so well; too well, in fact!

The contract on my house fell last week, and I don't think I have ever been so frustrated, angry, sad, depressed, overwhelmed, etc.  It's a horrible feeling!

Originally, I thought I had the ideal buyers: a young couple with New Orleans roots who had a real love for the house. They agreed to buy all of the furniture with the house, too, making my move to Hong Kong even easier.

One week before closing, however, the buyer lost is job. That's terrible; it really is, and I feel sorry for him and his family. Consequently, he couldn't secure financing and therefore couldn't close on the house on June 27 as originally planned. My agent (who must be the greatest real estate agent in the world) came by to deliver the news on Monday; two days after I returned from Rome.

She explained that I had two options: let the buyers rent for a few months until they could purchase the house or put the house back on the market. She (and others) also suggested that I meet the buyer; get a sense of his character before I consider renting him the house. So I did...

Our meeting only lasted an hour, and while he seemed like a nice guy, down on his luck, he also struck me as a question mark. He was still searching for a job, was looking for an informal lease, didn't have any definite answers about the future, etc. In short, I wasn't comfortable allowing him to live in my house as long as I still owned it. (In fact, I didn't want to be a landlord in any shape or form).

When we broke the lease, the guy became angry and refused to sign the release of contract form until he got some of his earnest money back. With a bit of sympathy, I gave him some of the money back, but I kept my fair share. I had to pay the mortgage while the house went back on the market. I couldn't just be out two months of mortgage payments!

To make a long story short, the house went back on the market on Monday (June 24) and it sparked lots of interest right away. (Again, my agent is wonderful!) Within a week, a buyer made an offer and it's again under contract.

After what happened, I'm a bit hesitant to "count my eggs before they hatch," but I'm happy that someone is showing some serious interest. If all goes according to plan, I'll close at the end of July and finally be free to explore real estate in Hong Kong.