Job Discussion Forums

micheal jezersek · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:11 pm Post subject: What do you bring?

How much stuff and what should I bring Question

when first starting out in the great wide world Smile

I am thinking of going to china,Taiwan. Very Happy

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

What season? How long? What size city? Such things matter. Otherwise, with such a broad question, you're likely to get broad and/or smart-assy responses.

d

tedkarma · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:34 pm Post subject:

Though I don't necessarily follow my own advice, I would suggest that you bring the minimum possible. A good reference book (or two at most), minimal clothing (unless you are unusually large or small), and a bottle of good quality vitamins.

If you persist in living overseas dependence on stuff from home only becomes a hassle - as you hump your stuff around the world and pester family and friends to send you things you can't find where you are. So, it works best to adapt to the local products. You will quickly become adept at locating what you need by networking with your fellow foreigners.

Not always practical advice - but as a general rule - reasonable.

micheal jezersek · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:03 pm Post subject:

Ok thank you Tedkaram. As for denis I am thinking of going to China because I do not have any degrees and I want to pay off some debts. Any suggestions on where to go for good wages?
Beyond that I am going to china that is it I will be taking a Tesl course in july and they have a private list of employers that you can get hired from,
they recommend that you sign a contract before you go, good? bad? thoughts? Keepin mind that I have no money for the plane ticket overthere and I have no real money to speak of. Crying or Very sad

micheal jezersek · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:11 pm Post subject:

What about a computer I have a desktop computer bring. Question

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Find out the weather conditions for the first two seasons that you will arrive, and pack for them. Box the next two seasons and have someone ship it to you 4-6 weeks before they start. How much clothing you pack will depend on your own sizes and what is available in China. Here in Japan, certain things are hard to come by, so I suggest asking in advance.

Post on the China forum to see what major items you SHOULD bring, be they vitamins or deodorant or whatever.

Do NOT bring a desktop computer. Geez, you're going to be overloaded as it is with a suitcase and carry-on with clothing. If anything, bring a laptop computer, but make sure you can meet the electrical requirements first.

Don't forget to bring photos of friends and family, an address book, and a few international phone cards to get you started.

hesterprynne · Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 386

What sizes do you wear in shoes and socks and clothes? You may want to bring enough to wear if you are not built like a short, thin Chinese man with small feet. You can get a good price on a computer here if you bring enough money. My life is so much better now that I have a computer and a printer in my house, with speakers and DSL. Didn't really need it for work when I first got here, but I am a lot busier now. This topic has been addressed many times on this site so people may have tired of answering it. Search for it.

micheal jezersek · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:02 am Post subject:

I am sorry for reposting this topic I just recently learned that there is more then one page to the generneral forum more like....um..... 50 That was a little overwheling next time I will look more extensively before I post something Smile

But thank you all for the great input
anyways. Smile

WYSIWYG · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:12 pm Post subject:

Psycho.Matt · Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 9 Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang

I brought:

- a brand new laptop (didn't need it);
- lots of new clothes (which I could have got here at 1/5 the price);
- lots of subject books (which I found in the uni library);
- a brand new digital camera (which I could have brought here at 1/5 the price).

My advice: bring as little as you need. Most stuff is available here and is quite cheap.

SimonM · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1835 Location: Toronto, Ontario

I'm bringing a few different outfits so I have something to wear while I track down local clothiers, several pairs of socks, boots and shoes (I don't want to trust Chinese shoe stores to having too many size 13s, they are hard enough to find in Canada). I am also bringing hygene products (like toothbrush and toothpaste and deoderant) and some personal effects that I'd rather not leave behind.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

If you want to bring along a computer, there are two sensible choices...

1 - invest in a laptop computer. copy any important data onto it, and use it as a desktop replacement. The disadvantage is that a desktop will always be cheaper than the equivalent laptop, and if things go wrong, they are much harder and more expensive to repair, as you cant just replace bits with off-the-shelf components. The advantage is of course that you can take it almost anywhere.

Note that many airlines these days insist that a laptop counts as your one piece of hand luggage, unless you have it stowed in cargo (not recomended).

2 - copy all your important data onto some portable medium (floppy disks, CDRs, DVDRs, web based data storage service, external HDD, zip/jazz drive, etc). Buy a new or 2nd hand desktop computer when you arrive. If you dont already have a laptop computer, this will be teh cheaper solution. However, up to the point where you are no longer living out of a suitcase, it makes moving house a lot more expensive. Plus you cant take it into schools for impromptu multimedia lessons etc.

Shipping desktop computers is NOT a sensible thing to do. Unless your computer was bought last week (WHY?), it will not be state of the art, and the shipping costs might even exceed its actual value, if you care at all about how the shipping company handles it. I would never trust a computer or a musical instrument to a shipping company.

cujobytes · Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 3:50 am Post subject: >

SimonM · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1835 Location: Toronto, Ontario

I'm not coming to pay off debts back home but I do have to maintain them while I am away. If I wait until my student loan is paid off I may never get the chance to leave.

I'm not getting any younger, I'm 26, and from what I heard a lot of the entry level positions are seeking under-thirties. I'll be making enough money, I looked into that, I just want to make sure I can get it home.