I believe this is one of the best English learning institutes in Hong Kong. As a matter of that, I…read moredid work there few years ago and I hope I do not sound biased. Learning a foreign language is not easy. It takes so much effort and determination. Though as locals, we start learning English since Kindergarten, for some it still poses a huge challenge for most people here in Hong Kong. Places like this give you a second chance and to remind you that it is never too late to learn. Local schools here rely heavily on teaching the terminologies and grammar items like Gerunds and Infinitives, it seems to have missed the most crucial part - communication. One may be very good at writing and reading in English and yet they cannot utter an English sentence without stuttering. However, what impresses me the most is that the approach this place takes focuses heavily on listening and speaking. Instead of giving you a text to read, it first shows you a clip so that you have to rely on your listening skills; later on learning how to read the new vocabularies; and then you can finally see how the word looks like. It also has quite a few activities (social clubs they call) for you to enjoy yourself while practicing English with your friends and teachers. It strives to create a relaxing and care-free environment so that you can feel free to speak in English with confidence instead of embarrassment. Even though I now no longer work there, I have to say that their pedagogy and ideology are very well-thought. Together with your motivation and determination, mastering English is not really that difficult.

Having the prime location in Sai Kung, I guarantee HKUST is the best scenic university in Hong…read moreKong. I know a lot of people come all the way to our campus just to enjoy the view and we attract a lot of passionate photographers to do photo shoots here. Yes, I am proud. Why should I not be? One of the best buildings on campus is our huge library, featuring five floors with reading areas and learning commons. What's so special about our library? Well, we have a massive amount of learning materials and the learning common is open 24 hours. So, students can stay there all day, all night. Most importantly, the best part of the library has to be its breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding sea. It's no doubt that students get pretty stressed during finals and you can see them working really hard in the library all the time. However, the view from the library just makes everything better. Just take a look at the beautiful sea or even catch the sunset before you die in piles of books and you will suddenly feel good again. I am already missing the library...

My dear dear Alma Mater!!!!…read more I have to say I am who I am today largely because of it. I spent all 7 years in KGV and most friends I have now in Hong Kong, I have either met then, or through people I met there. When I was studying, I really took it for granted, but looking back, it's a great school. Arguably one of the best in Hong Kong I think. I mean, come on! we have a big ass field, basketball courts, tennis courts, pool. Our facilities are one of the top and without the huge price tag or stress. (I'm not sure how DBS boys study so hard AND have time for extra curricular to make use of the facilities?) There were many fun activities throughout the year including dance shows, music competitions, battle of the bands, spring fair, etc. But I think KGV really teaches you (and not just the teachers, but the students) to be humble and well-rounded. We're well off but we're not snooty and know the value of money, even the super rich ones! Also many students come out in all disciplinarians. Many in finance, doctors, law, art, fashion, music, teaching. It's really a wide variety and many didn't get it through connections either =p. Students graduate going to top universities whether it's in UK, US, Oz, Canada, HK, etc. I believe KGV also has a very high average IB score now too! I've had many good and bad times in KGV, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Although once I have kids, I would probably just pick the school most convenient to us, but I will try my very best to put them in an ESF school. The teachers are great too. Many of us are still facebook friends, although I don't really see them anymore. Speaking of which, I should really plan a visit back to school =) *** Tips: Just send your kids here Favourities: Facilities, people, teachers, heritage/traditions Meh: None I can think of right now! When I got scolded I guess? Last words: I would go back if I could!

The HKU is a public research university, which is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong…read more There are so many stairs here and there surrounding the campus, and expect hiking from spot to spot, and currently ongoing construction has made it less convenient.

Warning: it's apparently a review with very biased views as this is my alma mater…read more All these things are some of the best, if not THE best, in Hong Kong education: 1. Although the Hong Kong education system as a whole has been criticized as spoon-fed education, HKU is one of the better places actually requiring critical thinking. (For god's sake, some of the other universities here in town still take attendance at glass to make sure everyone's presence.) 2. Its network of people due to its longest history of establishment in Hong Kong. You can't work in any major companies in Hong Kong without meeting at least some alumni. I'm being realistic here, but the connections may help you in a way you don't even realize. 3. Fairly consistent quality in terms of teachers, students and other supports, across all curricula. But these things happening these days too.. ah well, I have noticed them, but since I've since graduated, I don't really care anymore: 1. For exchange students, there's a strong trend skewing towards Mainland Chinese students. I have no problem with Chinese students, but the diversity of different nationalities is what makes exchange program works. It may be politically correct, but it doesn't help the University. 2. It's not really a campus, it's just a "collection of buildings" in the city. It gets worse after they expended the campus further west. You don't really feel like you are studying in a proper campus, like CUHK or HKUST. Ah well, I didn't really mind when I started, after all, I chose the other factors listed above over a nicer campus, but it seems like now something is missed that I never had a real campus life.

I studied "Russian for Beginners" at the RLC's Wanchai site for around 8 months before visiting my…read morefather, who lives in Moscow. I found the Russian Language Center in Hong Kong after a quick Google search, and didn't know what to expect. After only the first month, I was surprised by how quickly my Russian language skills were developing! Dima - or Dmitry - was my teacher, a native Russian speaker who held the twice-weekly lessons in excellent English. He still holds the beginner and intermediate classes at Sheung Wan today. As I was working, I would attend night classes from 7pm to 8.30pm, Mondays and Thursdays. The group was fairly mixed, with around 5 people of a few different ethnicities. I liked how my course was very well suited to my beginner status, and Dima is an excellent teacher, keeping the classes informative, fun, and interactive. All you need to bring with you is a notebook and pen, and they provide you with the Russian textbook that comes with a CD with MP3 recordings of certain exercises. Learning Russian was quite difficult, but the classes were so well-structured that I noticed my speaking and writing improving after only a few months. The best part was that Dima would send 'follow-up' emails after every lesson, informing us of what was written on the whiteboard, extra notes, links, MP3 recordings, documents, and reminders for homework. It was important to get the homework done otherwise you'd feel a little left behind, as the course does move quite swiftly from introduction to quite challenging grammar. For anyone wanting to learn Russian, I would definitely recommend the RLC.

If you are new to HK, or even an old hand, you may want to learn a bit of Chinese. Whether it is…read moreMandarin or Cantonese, I would thoroughly recommend that you call Sasha O, quite frankly the best Chinese teacher in HK, in my humble opinion! What makes Sasha great, is not that she is a better Chinese person than anybody else (she is however very lovely and good natured, and learning with her is easy and stress free), but it is because she teaches you what you need, and want, to know. Sure, teaching kids is very structured, and there are prescribed syllabus requirements, all of which Sasha can teach. However, when it comes to adults, do I really need to know how to say, "This is my friend Richard, he likes to skateboard in the park."? The last time I went skateboarding, the bottom of my trousers were much wider than the tops (OK, only oldies like me will get that!). What is great about classes with Sasha, is that you are flexible to learn what is useful to you. For Mrs L, it's about learning a new language from scratch (and being able to ask for the vegetarian menu). For my friend C, it's about learning business lingo in Mando for trips to the mainland. For me, it is all about going "street" and improving my tones and pronunciation, as I am already a Canto speaker - but just a bit ropey. Sasha specialises in 1-to-1 classes, or small groups (i.e. couples, families). This ensures that her teaching is effective and personalised. Also, as a freelance "gun for hire", her charge out rate is very affordable. As she is based in Lamma, Sasha will travel to your location for classes. I currently learn at work in the IFC. You've come all the way to HK, why not learn a bit of the lingo. You should at least try to learn enough to say "Oi, mate, don't take Garden Road, we'll be here all bleeding day!".

my daughter, 13, is taking lessons from Sasha. She loves her. Sasha is very creative. She is…read moreteaching her both Mandarin and Cantonese. We feel fortunate that we found her.

I'm super happy to write a review of my elementary school. GSIS is where I grew up for the first…read more11 years of my life. Many life long friends, and mentors were made in this school. I will never forget my days here which is why I am very excited to write a review for this school. Obviously I am a little biased since I attended this school. But honestly speaking, it isn't considered one of the best international schools in Hong Kong for nothing. It is now even harder to get in than it was when I attended. It's crazy how the mothers I meet in Hong Kong go through so much to send their kids to the best schools. It's almost like survival of the fittest and who wins mother of the club award is the queen b of their children's school. Super competitive, its crazy! I have nothing but good things to say about GSIS. The teachers are exceptional. Every single teacher I had, pushed me to learn the best I could. All the classes, subjects, and facilities provided by the school were top notch and implemented with the best intentions to provide the best learning environment for the students here. There is an English stream and a German Stream. This means that students who were in the English stream are mainly English students who learned German and classes were taught in English. The German stream students were taught in German and had English classes. I was obviously put in the English stream so I had to take mandatory German classes. After school activities were very vast. Students could learn anything from chess, to ballet, to jazz dancing to tennis. There was a wide spectrum for students to gravitate what interested them and learn whatever they wanted after school. Elementary school was from 7.45 - 12.30 PM and after school activities were offered at 2PM. Many of my friends who continued in secondary school at GSIS ended up graduating from Ivy leagues. That speaks for itself.

We had a great time visiting Baumhaus while visiting family in Hong Kong!…read more If you've got a toddler in a big city, you know it can be a tough and overwhelming environment. We were so grateful for the oasis provided by Baumhaus - it's truly so wonderful to have somewhere to go where your little one can just be themselves in a safe and enriching environment. All of the staff were incredibly kind and sweet with my daughter and our drinks & food at the cafe were delicious. I wish were local so that we could visit more often. 10/10!

I've seen ads for this playgroup around town for a couple months and I finally have attended their…read moreclasses. I wish I had sooner! This center for young children ages 0 - 7, is one of the best musical playgroup centers that I have attended with my son. First, Using the Kindermusick Method, the children are learning complex musical ideas in a easy going way. But, Secondly, what makes them different from other musical centers is that their instructors can REALLY sing, REALLY well. I see that my son and his classmates are more tuned in when they have an instructor that has a beautiful voice. The children are that much more engaged and I myself, as a parent, really appreciate the class. Thirdly, the play area is very nice and well thought out. The jungle-gym reminds me of the Waldorf educational method which promotes an environment with an emphasis on natural materials. This would mean that the gym would lack bright colors like most other playgrounds, but the unique structure is still aesthetically pleasing, very safe, challenging but achievable, and my son loves to play in and out of it. Fourth, they have a cafe area where you can order a cup of coffee and snacks while your child plays or has class. GREAT IDEA. Do they have wifi for your computer? I'm not sure, but I did see some mom's with their laptops out. Secondly, we celebrated my son's birthday with his friends at Baumhaus. We ended up paying about 4400 HKD for 2 hours of time - 1hour was a kindermusick class. (Again, the class: so fun!) We also had 900$ credit to use at the cafe. You are free to bring your own food as well. We brought cakes, cookies, and 2 other small main dishes. I believe that our 2 hours became more like 2.5 hours but I appreciate that they were really patient with us as we wrapped up. I would definitely celebrate here again.