The issue is not Colin N. The issue is VS. He is not a bad guy, he just never tells you how it really is - he is the master of spin. I have had 30 minute conversations and been left wondering what he actually said. So if it is not written down, dont believe it.
You must be prepared for the training and flying not to start until other issues get resolved. "Next week" may be repeated to you every week until they get resolved (possibly months, if at all), since this is how he has operated before.
Living in Macau is cheaper than HK since your accomodation can be done for as little as HKD7k per month, up to HK$15k for a nice 2000sq ft appartment with a view (versus over 50k in HK). Local stuff is the same price, but foreign food/dink is cheaper. Virtually no tax on booze!