I would recommend living in the suburbs over trying to be closer to town. It's cheaper and you'll have a higher quality of life; suburban Tokyo is full of parks and green spaces, great little restaurants, mom and pop stores and best of all, no crowds. You'll get around by bike and your local train station will connect you to the JR (major train lines) within 20-30 minutes.

Tokyo is an unbelievable city. If you live in the suburbs, getting to downtown centres like Shibuya or Roppongi can take 60 minutes or more. But you don't NEED to go all the way downtown to have a great day shopping, eating out or enjoying nightlife. There are so many neighbourhoods, each with its own unique character. You will find a go-to "spot" that's close enough for weeknights or lazy weekends but without having to drag yourself all the way downtown.

I heard of one IT who made a policy of not looking for a job until the last minute, every time he moved on. He waited until June or July, when schools get really desperate. When I heard this story he was teaching at an enviable tier 1 school in China.

Never underestimate the fear of starting a new school year and being a teacher short!

I would guess the VPN was installed on the wifi router itself. That way all devices connected to the wifi are covered by the VPN.

You can do this with your home wifi - apparently it's not that complicated although I have yet to try it with my own connection.

In general, from my experience, having certification in a Western country (UK/Canada/USA/Australia/NZ/) will pretty much remove any technical barriers between you and a job. You will be able to get an employment visa easily and a school will be reassured by your certified status that you are competent to the task of teaching.

If you do not have certification from a Western country, from a school's perspective there are a few elements to consider:

1) Immigration requirements.

Many countries have minimal requirements to award an employment visa for teachers. It might be a higher degree such as a Bachelor or two years' prior teaching experience. If your qualifications will enable you to get an employment visa in that country, that's a great start.

2) Ministry of Education/government requirements.

Usually reflected in the general visa requirements but sometimes there are variations. For example, a public or government-run school versus a private school.

2) The school's discretion.

Many, if not most schools, have discretion in hiring as long as they know they can satisfy immigration requirements for the person in question. If they have faith in you and your abilities and they know they can get you a visa, you will find yourself with a job offer.

In other words, you may be able to get away with not being certified in a Western country.

Personally I am a trained librarian who is not a certified teacher, but who is employed as a teacher and on a teaching contract (and I consider myself to be a teacher). Most schools are happy with my teaching abilities based on interview, references and the PD I have done. However, there have been one or two instances where schools were either 'suspicious' of me for not being Western-certified OR they just could not offer me a teaching contract for reason (1) or (2) above.

At the end of the day it is very difficult to become certified in a western country if you do not live there permanently or have family connections and/or do not have a money tree in the backyard!

Mikecrony, I believe PMs are not available. Ask on the members only forum, I can provide some pay scale info.

One kid, three trailing spouses. ;)

Korea is super fun! I recommend it. It's much cheaper than the other two but just as developed. Convenient place to live with great infrastructure. Very little English, but HR should take care of the important stuff. Seoul is really fun. Koreans love to eat, drink, sing karaoke, go hiking in the mountains -- all great fun for us ITs too ;)

Too bad you didn't have this dilemma before heading to Bangkok ... you could have had a few days in Phuket!

I have not been in your position but if you do attend it might seem like you are looking to take a second option! If your new school finds out they might not be impressed.

Anyone else have an insight?

On that budget you could definitely live in Stanley or Repulse Bay. I have colleagues with kids who live there and it is a popular place for expat families...

I just can't speak to what the outdoor areas would be like that your kids would have access to. I just don't have the knowledge :/

Hope you will find someone to advise...

Well... I feel like we are all in the same boat...

Try finding what a Westerner would accept as 'family' housing on HK island for under $35,000/month... The OP mentioned outdoor spaces for kids to play in ... in central areas of HK and Kowloon that is essentially non-existent, don't you think? You need to go to Discovery Bay to find that at a reasonable cost.

Any HKers with kids, feel free to weigh in.... :)

I noticed that as well and found it quite surprising considering NIST's reputation.

I live in HK also at a top school and my opinion is slightly different to that of the previous poster. The truth is housing is a struggle in Hong Kong.

Properties are terrible value for money. Apartments are rarely updated, as landlords have little incentive to invest as they know they will have tenants thanks to high demand. Properties are very small. Take a look at http://www.squarefoot.com.hk for examples.

Another issue is that landlords increase rent capriciously. Colleagues have told me of being forced to move every two years thanks to this practice.

My school's housing allowance is one of the highest in Hong Kong but paying over is the rule. It would be normal for a single teacher living in central areas of HK Island to fork out USD300-1000 a month out of pocket.

(And the ESF schools, one of the largest employers, only offer a minimal housing stipend)

Families looking for space are forced into outlying areas such as Discovery Bay. This makes for longer commutes, and depending on the location of your school and whether or not they provide free bussing (many don't), commuting can be a significant expense, especially if you are reliant on taxis.

Finally most schools will not give you much help looking for housing, so be prepared for a time consuming and expensive house hunt when you arrive. Agencies generally charge one month's rent in commission.

I love living in Hong Kong but housing is one of the big downsides to living here. The lack of support from the school and the start-up costs for housing can make HK a stressful transition during the first few weeks and the uncertainty continues every time your lease comes up for renewal.

I lived in Seoul for two years and it would be my pick of the four. Dynamic modern city, clean, safe, high standards of medical care, great food, interesting and fun culture, great travel in Asia... love it.

Elevate, I think you are right. This is what it says on their website:

"Personal interviews are required and are generally conducted at international recruitment fair locations. This year we will probably attend the following recruitment fairs:

Search Associates: Bangkok, London"

Cheers!!