blzbub,
ignore wnc and his ilk - these guys could be hired to oil up supermodels on a swimsuit calender shoot and still b!tch & moan about the job.
I have done the SO gig with 3 kids and I can vouch from personal experience that whilst you may have a few "cornflake meatloaf" nights to stretch the budget, it's doable! Not only that, you can enjoy a reasonable quality of life - now that of course, is subjective. You have to realise these "sky is falling" types complaining are the same crew on the flightdeck wearing those ridiculous <Breitling/IWC/Rolex> watches as they pull out their Macbook Pros (why are they always Macs???) to show you photos of their <Ducati/Holiday Villa/3rd wife's latest diamond ring>. (Reminds of a great story about an SO who carries a harcopy photo of a toaster to pull out whenever the crew go into the "my toy is better than your toy" p!ssing contests!!!) Some people just live on a different planet to guys like you & me. (Planet A-Scale?)
There isn't any big money in aviation anymore, and (most) guys know that... but some people simply can't manage their expectations.
Anyway, but to the point! As has been alluded to, the biggest problem is actually getting your child(ren) into school. I enrolled my kids many years ago - before I even got the job!! Luckily they were accepted in time for my HK arrival, but my situation was the exception rather than than norm. Many friends of mine are banging their heads against the wall at the moment trying to get kids in. Simple fact of supply & demand: there are too few schools for too many expat kids. As for ESF schools (which my kids are in) then I think the quality of education is superb.
I eagerly await the flaming now as to why I shouldn't be happy with my lot in life..!
blzbub, feel free to PM me if you want more detailed breakdown of kids/budgets/SO wage in HK. Cheers
