Job Discussion Forums

[dialectic]

how much should i bring ---assuming i get a roundtrip in my contract ?

[limits601]

I brought 4000 Yuan with me and it was perfect until my first pay. But sometimes your payday may be late so keep that in mind.

[lagerlout2006]

I'll answer your question but then I'm going to tell a joke. Cool?

If you are at a public school they will pay you for the month on payday. So if the 15th is payday they will pay you for that month on that day. No waiting-in effect you are being paid in advance. Start on Dec 1 -get paid for ALL of Dec on 15th. At a private school it will not be so nice. You will need to work a month and then wait another 2 weeks or so. So if you start Dec 1 you mihght get paid mid January.

Now the joke.

How many psych-grads does it take to change a lightbulb?


none

the bulb does not need to change

stop


full stop

[mike w]

[badtyndale]

First time I came, I brought no money and made a point of stating (in no uncertain terms to the recruiter) that airfare was promised to be paid upon arrival. You can imagine the scene at the airport. Anyway, I eventually got reimbursed a week after arrival and in the interim I got a sub of 500 RMB (which was just about ok). In hindsight, I think I was lucky and I wouldn't recommend you follow my actions (much as my innate beligerence would like to suggest that such a course of action is justified). Thus, I'd say cover your back for the first month.

[Guest]

I am at a Private Boarding School. School starts on the 1st September and we always get paid on the 15th of the Month. We all get a full month's pay two weeks after we start the Semester. When we arrive here however, they ask us if we need any money and we can "borrow" against the firt month's salary if we need to.

School breaks up around the 15th - 20th June. Next year it is the 20th June, but we will all get a full month's salary on the 15th - even those who are leaving on the 20th and not returning.

If you have free accommodation and some meals etc. you can get by with very little money when you arrive, however there are always things you feel you need like maybe a new towel or some kitchen/cleaning things.

I don't really remember back 15 months ago, but I am pretty sure that I did not have much money when I arrived here, only about 1,000 r.m.b. when I finally got here. I had not realised that I would have to fly from Beijing and pay the Air fare, which was $1050 rmb from memory.

[beck's]

You need to have some FU money either in the form of a credit card, cash or traveler's cheques. Never go anywhere in the devoloping world unless you have the money to leave at a moments notice. If you don't have this money then you are trapped and are at the mercy of your employer. For living expenses, I would budget 5000 yuan until your first pay which should arrive thirty days after you start teaching.

[yamahuh]

We brought about 4600 RMB with us (me and my wife). We were here the best part of 6 weeks before we saw our first pay because we arrived October 21st and didn't officially start work until Nov 1st. We did some shopping and went to the office a few times to sit in on classes etc. Nothing major.
After almost 6 weeks we still had 1000 RMB left, and that's after buying groceries for two, eating out two or three times a week, buying beer and wine (regularly, perhaps too regularly) and buying start up crap like dish soap, laundry detergent, dishes and cups. All small things but they add up quickly. Depending on where you're going it's easy to live very cheaply as long as you're prepared to do so.
Having $$'s in your back pocket as FO money is a wise idea as well. When things turn sour a long way from home, they can turn REALLY sour!!

[Giantbudwiser]

Its good to show up with at least 1 or 2000 USD just to be safe