Honey:

rosemummy:

My own experience is that, apart from Delta, it's cheaper if you book the domestic flights separately. If you're planning to go only to Orlando, just get the cheapest air ticket to any US city and take a domestic flight from there.

If you choose this option, make sure you have more than a few hours to catch the connecting flight for any unforseen delays. Moreoever, you may/will have to collect your baggages, check in & check out again, move from one terminal to another. So do make enough allowance for these.

Yes, unfortunately. But I guess if the price difference is substantial, it's worth the trouble.

tankee:

if I am not wrong, US domestic flights charges extra for each check-in bags. But if you fly the same airline for both international & domestic legs, you are considered international transit passenger and entitled to same check-in bags weight limit for domestic as per international. furthermore, your check-in bags will be transfered from the domestic flight to the international flight directly, no need to collect, clear security and check-in again.

Yes - US$25 per bag. But still worth it. In those cases I checked, it can cost more than double the fare if I include the domestic flights. In 1 case, the difference is between about S$2k and S$7k+. If you want to book the domestic flights together, only US airlines offer fares comparable to when you book the domestic flights separately.

verykiasu2010:

2ppaamm:

I think it depends. One of my best friends stay just about 25 minutes away from us here in Australia, but I still come with my daughter. I'd rather do the mothering myself when she is so young. Nevertheless, my friend is of great help whenever I need back-up, like babysitting and contacts. Also when I have to travel back for a week or even a month. Short term is good with a good friend. But to leave the child here long term with someone else is something I wouldn't do. But that's just me, again. Super kiasu in this aspect. Motherhood is too important to miss out in exchange for anything else.

I know what you mean, but then the younger one is only sec 1 in SG and not ready to move .... so may be I got to do more visiting, or purposely route my biz trips via NZ if my DD eventually goes there

It's really about juggling the needs of everyone in the family, and what works best taken as a whole. Even if your younger one is prepared to go, you may have to be prepared to retire in order to stay there.

If she comes back during all the school vacations, and you visit once or twice in between, you probably won't be apart for more than 2 or 3 months each time. I think that's not too bad. For my daughter in the US, it's about 4+ months, which is pretty manageable for a child above 16 and in college.

verykiasu2010:

jtoh:

Very difficult to route biz trips via NZ - it's so out of the way.

it is okay, can fly Air NZ from Auckland to LAX, 2x daily flights

:salute: You'll probably end up spending double the time to get to LA. You need a really nice employer to allow you to spend your time doing that, plus spending some time there.

2ppaamm:

I think it depends. One of my best friends stay just about 25 minutes away from us here in Australia, but I still come with my daughter. I'd rather do the mothering myself when she is so young. Nevertheless, my friend is of great help whenever I need back-up, like babysitting and contacts. Also when I have to travel back for a week or even a month. Short term is good with a good friend. But to leave the child here long term with someone else is something I wouldn't do. But that's just me, again. Super kiasu in this aspect. Motherhood is too important to miss out in exchange for anything else.

Hi 2ppaamm

Good to hear from you. I thought you were heading to the US since you talked about your daughter doing SAT and at this time of the year, it's just before the Fall semester begins in US. I thought in Australia, classes usually start in Feb?

Anyway, yes, it really depends. I suppose parents should just go with their gut feel and what's most comfortable for the family. Actually, Australia is pretty near and most of my friends' children who are there come back a couple of times every year. The family can visit in between. You won't be apart for all that long.

All the best to you and your children in Australia.

My own experience is that, apart from Delta, it’s cheaper if you book the domestic flights separately. If you’re planning to go only to Orlando, just get the cheapest air ticket to any US city and take a domestic flight from there.

verykiasu2010:

rosemummy:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]15 y/o okay lah......I also contemplating ....., not 15, but 16, after O level

Best time to do so is after O level. Can go straight to college / university in US or after 1 year in a foundation programme in Australia. Compared to going after A levels, the child will be 1 to 2 years ahead in Australia, and about 2 years ahead in US.

Oh yes, I just remembered 1 of my friend's daughter went straight to university in NZ after completing her O levels. She applied using her prelims and started before the release of her O level results. If I remember correctly, she was doing Business in Univeristy of Auckland, probably the best university in NZ.

If NZ, I would park my daughter at one of my best friends' family with 4 girls, in Auckland.[/quote]Yes, that's a great idea. I think my friend's daughter stayed with her cousin while there. The best arrangement is when you have a close friend or relative living in the vicinity of the school your child is attending, and can either take her in or help to keep a look out for her.

verykiasu2010:

or anyone tried the subway in NYC ? or taken those trains in the major American cities ... (too many to name them) ?

When I was living in San Francisco, I paid US$45 a month for my transport within the city. I can take muni, BART, street car, cable car and buses. There're usually several ways to get from 1 place to another, all using the fast pass which cost US$45 a month.

In the less busy cities, public transport is not much of an issue to most people because it's cheap to drive around on your own. No issue with car price / COE or traffic congestion.

Actually, I also have very pleasant experience taking public transport in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong. I would rank Singapore above Shanghai, KL, Bangkok and Jakarta but below the other countries I've mentioned.

verykiasu2010:

Oppsgal:

Are Japan, Australia and Hongkong not considered developed?


Why didn't see much of \"FT\" taking over their jobs?

OZ has lots of Asians, HK has lots of Angmos and Chinese from M'sia & SG (I used to have an office in HK)......Japan, yes, no 'FT' but cost of living also very high, and they also have the Americans there (USAF & US Army)......lol

Actually, there're quite a lot of FT, especially Americans, in the financial industry in Japan. Interestingly, I know of an American CEO in a Japanese bank. Can't remember if it was Shinsei or Aozora, but the 2 had since merged. And I've dealt with Australians working in Japanese banks in Tokyo. Nomura has quite a lot of FTs too.

But having said all that, everywhere you go, their own nationals are given priority, be it in jobs or education (except in cases when they need full fee paying foreigners). You can't be just as good or marginally better than them, you have to be a lot better to get an opportunity. This is the case even in US. Singapore seems to be the only exception.

verykiasu2010:

Edureach:

It's between coporate investment banking, private banking or trading.


Among the above, investment banking seems the least likely as any experience he has acquired is mainly thru internship. As for private banking, he needs to show evidence of his ability to secure high nett worth customers and sound knowledge of financial markets. In essence, his net working,superior salesmanship and marketing skills coupled with his track record in trading of equities and derivatives. The last one, trading, he needs to hve a proven track record in trading of various financial instruments ie equities, commodities, futures, forex etc. All in all, he surely posses an indept knowledge of how financial market works and his ability to position his employer to take advantage of the market votality to generate huge profits. His employer must surely be convinced of his potential inorder to be placed on the front line. This type of opportunities are rarely given to local grads without proven track record not to mention a fresh grad.

So is likely btw private banking or trading.

those jobs won't have starting pay of $20k per month lah ....$0.25 million a year is not possible for untested candidate.....a couple of years later is possible

Agreed. I would presume that the $20k is the basic monthly pay since we're talking about a fresh graduate who just started working and wouldn't have qualified for any bonus yet. At $20k a month, the person would typically hold at least a VP or Director title, and heading a team or desk with a good network in the industry. I doubt any freash graduate could qualify for such a position in investment banking. Even MBAs from top business schools don't get such opportunity, unless they have relevant experience prior to that.

Trading is highly unlikely - fresh graduates can have trading experience and some track records, but it's not likely for them to have traded with large amounts that banks' trading desks typically trade in. It'll be highly unusual for a bank to take a risk with a fresh graduate and pay them $20K a month to do so.

Private banking is a possibility, if the candidate comes from a family with good network amongst ultra high networth customers. Most private banks only pay such salaries if you can bring in AUM of at least several tens of millions. Not many fresh graduates who have not worked in private banking elsewhere can do so. Children from some families may.

Private equity may be a possibility, but unlikely. Unless the person already have a deal that he's able to bring to the table immediately upon starting work, not many private equity firm is prepared to pay such high fixed salary.

An RM doing sales can take home $20k a month, including commission in an exceptionally good month. So maybe the $20k is for a sales job with commission, rather than a basic monthly salary.