I worked there for 5 years. If you are a married couple (with or without kids), the housing stipend will cover you living in the couple compounds near the school that are affordable--there are a number of compounds near the school, but many of them are outside of the price range. Capital Paradise, Dragon Bay, Gahoud, and Modern House are all within teacher stipend ranges, with Capital being the most popular with families with kids.

Single teachers generally prefer to live downtown and the areas they tend to choose to live in are the areas that are pricier because of the bars, restaurants, etc. Some single teachers have had some difficulties finding housing within the given stipend and many of them do pay a bit out of pocket to live in those popular areas. Starting next year, ISB will be paying a lump sum for housing and airfare, so there will be more flexibility in how teachers can use those funds, which should help.

The air quality is HORRENDOUS and there is just no getting around it. High quality air filters are a must in your home. ISB monitors air quality in the school constantly and has very good air filters to maintain good air quality in all areas of the building. Last year they opened two $10 million domes that allow children to have recess in there during poor air quality days, as well as use them for sports and PE classes. Those facilities (including the weight rooms) are available to the community after hours. It helps in terms of getting the kids access to being physically active, but it does wear on you over time. I would say that ISB has taken a very big issue very seriously and has been proactive in trying to make the best situation for its students.

Our house in Beijing is between 225-250 square meters. We run a purifier/humidifier in the main living room, and 3 of the bedrooms (the bedrooms are kept doors shut at night). We really need 2 more, given the size of our house, to adequately clean the air. If you had a 2 bedroom apartment, you'd want 1 in each bedroom where someone was sleeping and 1 for sure in the main living area.

My comment about construction is really moot now. When we first arrived 5 years ago, I think having very tight windows may have made a difference, but the pollution has gotten so much worse that I don't think that makes a significant difference any more (and maybe it never did). Our walls turn gray from the dirt in the air. You need VERY GOOD QUALITY air purifiers and humidifiers here.

We are really lucky because our school has massive air handlers and the air quality is tested constantly. Rooms near open doors were given purifiers this year until the school can renovate the air cleaning system even further to make sure the air is really clean. Knowing that my kids and me are in a clean air environment during the school day and in the evenings/night keeps me sane.

For what it's worth, we had trouble getting any resopnse from them as well, and I think we're strong candidates. That being said, we have good friends who have been there for 3 years and really like it. They came from one of the elite schools in Asia and chose to go back to Africa. They said that their start-up costs were a lot higher than they had anticipated, things in SA are expensive (it's a LONG ways from anywere). But they have LOVED the weather, the outdoors lifestyle, and attitudes and spirit of life there. I think the school has a fair share of local SA citizens that work there. Crime is always an issue, but they said the location of the school is such that they haven't worried about crime, although they do exercise caution. Africa is not for everyone, even developed SA.

Beijing is strange, to be sure--I know people (and children) who have come with resp. problems and been fine, and others who have come healthy and been very bothered by the air.

If you are taking a job, you should ask what, if anything, your school does to manage the air quality. We have huge air handlers at our school and the air quality is monitored constantly and it's very very good. It's harder to keep it as good at home because windows leak, etc. but then you have to figure that if you're serious about it, you need to stay indoors a lot. People purchase air filters to wear, they're about $100 for biking to and from the store/work or running. It's definitely a challenge.

In Beijing you can buy Blue Air, Alen, and the top-end IQ as well as a Chinese brand called Yadu. As for reasonable, any that are tough enough to manage the pollution here are pricey...the IQs can run up to $1000 USD per unit. If you are single in an apartment you can probably get by with one. We live in a compound house with 3 bedrooms and we have 3, but we really should have at least 4. Beijing is very very dry--it really wears on your skin and cracks your wood furniture so humidifiers are a must as well. Many machines are both cleaners and humidifiers. We have been running Yadu combo machines 2 hours a day for 5 years. They've held up well, but in the past couple years we've had to change the filters and have them cleaned a couple times a year.

I wouldn't bring them from the States, you can find them anywhere here and since we're 220 you'd need converters to use an imported one. They are essential, though.