Job Discussion Forums

[Kurochan]

[stil]

[yamahuh]

[JDYoung]

If you're a fiction reader as I am, bring a supply of novels and ship some to your new address at the same time so you'll have new ones when the supply you brought runs out. Arrange for someone at home to periodically replenish your supply by surface mail. My sister sends me boxes at preset times as surface mail can take 8 weeks plus.

You can find most other things in larger cities or at least workable substitutes even if you can't get your preferred brand. The only fiction you're likely to find are the same old classics you had to study in school.

BRING BOOKS!!!

Those of you who are movie freaks, ignore this post.

[Ariadne]

I really enjoyed my year in China, but there were some items I wished I had taken with me. Even if things like deoderant are available it can take months to find out where all the stores are and how to get there.

Take reference materials. I had my dictionary but I often wished I had an atlas. Take a big map of China printed in English. It's also nice to have a big map of your home country. Put together a dandy picture file and take it with you. You will need a basic grammar book.

Your laptop will be your connection to home and the internet is an excellent source for teaching materials and ideas.

Clothes dryers are not common in China, so pack accordingly.

Others have said it but I'll repeat, take along lots of over the counter medicines like Tylenol, pepto, Tums, antibacterial first aid cream, and cold meds. Have your doctor write prescriptions for a few courses of antibiotics and take the meds with you. Look elsewhere on this forum for info regarding antibiotics in China. If you take prescription medicines be sure to take along all you need. You cannot be sure that the real thing will be available in China.

Bring as many books as you can and get together with the other teachers to start a laowai lending library.

Have a great time!

.

[Don McChesney]

It's all about attitude.
Some people come to China with the 'What if' scenario.."What if I get sick, or have a bad school, or can't buy x y z' etc. ie I know things can and probably will go wrong somewhere.
Others have the "I'm going to have a great time, and if things go wrong, I can deal with them" approach.
I read on many posts, bring Tylenol, antibiotics, over the counter medicines, etc, and you can't buy this or that favourite brand of thing over here. Well just remember you are coming as a Foreign Expert, a teacher, a bit of an actor, an expert in body language and communications.
Every pharmacist has Panadol, or paracetamol, in four or five different styles, antibiotics are cheap here, no home doctor can tell you what you will need if you do require A/B's anyway.

Mime it!! Painkillers? Into the pharmacy, look unhappy, hold your head, go oooh, oooh, they will laugh, and up comes the headache cure. Usually if you turn it over, the active ingredient is in English. Paracetamol 500 mgm. Tylenol, Dymadon, Febridol, Panamax, Panadol, Paralgin, all the same.
Sore throat, cough, play act a bit, hold throat, same story.
Antibiotics. Use with caution, but as you get to know the pharmacy, things work out. See a doctor in the local hospital, you pay more for the same A/Bs than the street shop, but first dose is OK. Save the packet, go streetwise next time.
Shopping. Do the same. Lots of fun, the shop people love it, get to talk, smile, they soon know you. Take a small phrase book if you are very shy, but hey, you are supposed to be a teacher.
I speak very little Chinese, and don't need to!! They understand what you are after. Most things in shops you can see and pick up and don't need to know it's name anyway. I tell my students, if I go into a shop, I want to buy something, and the shopkeeper wants to sell something. We meet half way before we even begin.
It's all about attitude, positive, friendly approaches work so well in China.
If they don't want to play, go elsewhere.

[jeffinflorida]

[mavazah]

The item that I have found almost impossible to track down is depilatory wax. Plenty of depilatory cream (still relatively expensive by chinese living costs) but hunting, searching and yes even some advanced miming has only turned up one small jar of wax (imported from Italy and I am still in recovery about how much I paid for it). My hunting expedition included Beijing where I was sure I would find such an item. I did finally locate it in a small shop off Wangfujing but it was a mission. Obviously I now use it sparingly, only waxing bits that show, thank god for the winter coming (never thought I'd say that) as the only bits of me likely to be showing will be almost negligible. As other people have said, enjoy your journey and I am sure you will love China its the most amazing experience.

[jeffinflorida]

Get a vasectomy before you come.

It will help you to keep from getting trapped into marraige.

[cj750]

A medical dictionary that translates illness into chinese so you can communicate what is the problem ...and get the drugz you need from the local Pharm...I found one in an old book store in Seattle and it has been used dozens of time by FT going to the local or buying OTC

[tw]

I recommend bringing a few CD's worth of your favourite music in MP3 format. Listening to my MP3's while reading posts on Dave's, preparing lessons, and relaxing in the afternoon before going to my next class have so far helped killed boredom and loneliness, and keep my sanity intact.

[jeffinflorida]

Why bring cd's ? They are cheap here and you can always download MP3s from www.Bearshare.com

[tw]

[SimonM]

[SimonM]