Posted by
Babette
20 yrs ago
We have been offered a job in the US (where we lived before coming here) and now we are torn: should we stay or should we go? We want to leave the pollution, but this part of the world is beginning to grow on us. We do have young children so that is a concern too.
Advice?
Thanks!
Please support our advertisers:
qvong
20 yrs ago
1. Depends on how long have you been here and where your heart calls home.
2. How good is the job offer in the U.S. where ever it is, is it where you want to live and how it will affect your family.
3. My look out since I have young children myself, it's a great experience for them here and I feel safer in all aspects here with them than I would back in the U.S.
I'd say sit and weigh out all your options. You definately don't want to move to the US and regret leaving HK. It's a tough decision but if the U.S. is your home, you can always go back at any time so you may as well embrace this experience while you can and see all you can unless the job offer is too good to pass up.
Good Luck!!
Please support our advertisers:
Dear Rossbear, qvong,
You both make some excellent points. It's very helpful, and I'm going to discuss these with my husband.
Unfortunately, we really have to decide right away because this all came up suddenly. We have been here less than 2 years so in many ways we feel it has not been long enough, but if we stay, it will also be a new position, and it will require staying in HK quite awhile.
There are pros and cons to both staying and leaving-and the job in the US is in an area we are unfamiliar with, as well. It is hard to know which position/place will be better financially and for the family because they are both new and with different factors. The cost of living of the US city we're considering is about half that of HK.
It is also difficult to think of giving up all the great cultural experiences we have as an expat family but it would also be nice to have the stability of owning a home again and not worrying about rents increasing monthly as they do here.
Please support our advertisers:
qvong
20 yrs ago
Tinkerbella makes a good point. I would definately take into account the new tax law and how it will affect you financially as it is retroactive for 2006..that right there can make the decision for you.
Sounds as though whether you leave or stay something new is going to be in affect..New place old job or new job and current place. In my opinion it's easier to change your job if you are not happy with it versus picking up the whole family and moving if you are not happy where you are living or dealing with the fact of not liking where you live.
You've got a tough decision ahead of you but you and your husband have got to make the decision based on what you think is going to be best overall for your family.
Please support our advertisers:
There are two ways to decide.
1) Do a "point score" for various items.... salary, schools, tax rates, safety, etc. This is ultimately meaningless, as it depends how you weight each category; and that is entirely arbitrary. (For example, how do you weigh 40% higher pay against an 80% decrease in personal safety? - Everyone would call that differently.)
2. Do it the completely emotional way.... Shut your eyes and ask yourself:
"Do I really want to live in HK or the US?"
My wife and I do [2] every year (HK/UK). Neither of us has ever hesitated, even for a second - regardless of whether we happened to have excellent jobs, terrible jobs or no jobs at that moment. The moment we hesitate and say "not sure", we'll know it's time to go back to the UK.
Please support our advertisers:
I really appreciate these thoughtful responses and I am very impressed with all you've given us to think about and factor in...
It is a very complicated thing, because we must weigh the expat package and HK cost of living against the US one, among other factors. For US citizens, Taxes are the same either place, and we are tax equalized, so we are not affected by the new law.
We definitely agree that our children have benefitted from amazing opportunities here; they are both still in primary school. We also agree that (with the exception of the pollution!) it is a safer overall environment for children-at least regarding crime and drugs etc.
We have pretty much decided that we will try to stay if and only if, we can have a cost of living similar to that of the US city we are considering. (Therefore we need a substantially higher salary/package!) So we shall see!
Thank you so much...your advice really hits home for me.
Please support our advertisers:
Babette,
These posts offer you very good opinions, inputs and ideas. But the final decision has to be yours (your family's). Every move has its merits and demerits. Where will you be happy, where will you enjoy the money that you make, where will you have people around you who care, whwre will you get a society that does not treat you 'differently', Where do you belong, where does your heart belong, where does your mind belong ???. To put it plainly, where do you want to die. (the only definite thing in life that nobody thinks about and treats it with horror).Tax, pollution, lifestyle, opportunities are all relative and momentary. I am here on my job but would certainly return to my country, my people, my society as soon as it is possible - the place where I would like to die.
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail