Job Discussion Forums

[yamahuh]

We're seriously contemplating a move from Guigang in Guangxi, where we have been for the past 13 months, to Changzhou in Jiangsu province.
It seems to be fairly well located for access to Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, not to mention Wuxi and Tianjin.
We're wondering if there's anybody out there who's been there or taught there and what your impressions were.

Any comments are much appreciated.

[Babala]

I have been living in Changhzou for almost a year now. The city is okay, not too much to see her (except the dinosaur park ). It's a fairly small city, a few foreigners around. There are 2 main supermarkets here, both from Taiwan so there's not too much in the way of western food supplies however Wuxi is just 25 minutes away but train and you can get almost everything there you can get in Shanghai. Changzhou is famous in Jiangsu for it's restaurants so there are lots to choose from but they tend to be a bit on the expensive side compared to other surrounding cities. The location is one of things I like best because you are so near so many other cities. They do have a great pizza place here called the Monkey King, greta pizza and really cheap prices, I think you'll find that most foreigners end up from time to time. The local beer is about the best I have tasted in China and just 2 RMB a bottle (Tien Mu Hu). If you can let me what school you are looking at either here or through PM I can probably refer to you to someone there.

[yamahuh]

Hey there Babala,
Thanks for the reply; the school we are being recommended to by our contact (Julia Zhu) is Changzhou Beijiao middle school.
Even though you say that there isn't much to do there it sounds like there is more than where we are currently, with larger cities and more options nearby. I must admit that the proximity to other cities is a selling feature for us; when we're working we don't tend to do too much but we like to explore on our days off.

I've been trying to get a sense of the size of the city but everywhere I look quotes me a different number; from 350,000 to over a million!! So I'm not sure about that.
What is the air quality like?
I've read that there are a lot of factories there which isn't something that we currently have a lot of. Clean air and blue skies almost daily here, except during the rainy season and winter of course
Speaking of winter; how cold does it get there? We just got our first real blast of winter a couple of days ago and it sucked!!
Damp and cold are a bad combination!

Take care.

[Babala]

Population is about 3.5 million (including all the countryside towns under the same gov't). Winters are cold and damp I think I find it worse because I am from Canada and used to a dry cold and here is definately a wet cold. Few people use their heaters, choosing instead to sit around the house in 12 layers of clothes (beware when visiting friends, not my place though, I like my heat ). Pollution is about average for a city around here, not too bad, not too good. Enjo that blue sky while you have it though, the sky around here usually ranges in shades of grey.

[Spiderman Too]

Judging by the number of incidences I have observed on this forum, I am convinced that there is a secret society with many, many members who are surreptitiously trying to bring about a change in the spelling of definite.

[nolefan]

I spent 5 days visiting Changzhou with a friend interested in buying a restaurant there. I have to admit that i liked the city. Somehow, it seemed almost sophisticated and well laid-out. There is a decent size expat population but quite a few of them are not teachers and they spend their time commuting between work, hotel and shanghai.

There is plan for an Auchan and a CArrefour to open there by summer 2006 plus there is also some talk of moving making it the capital of Jiangsu and turning Nanjing into a Special Economic Zone ( much like what happened to tianjin in Hebei).

I'b move there just to hang out with babala if i had the chance.

[Babala]

Thanks Nolefan! Next time you come, dinner and beer are on me

[amandabarrick]

I have been teaching here in Changzhou for 6 months. Like Babala said it is fairly small, not very clean and not much to see. (Babala forgot to mention the tianning temple and world famous Tianmu lake ) The air quality is not great, but people are nice and everything is close together downtown, crowded but small. Easy to make friends here, but not a big foreign population, I would guess around 300 and less than 100 of them are teachers. The winter is very cold, and it feels colder than it really is. No snow in winter but very damp cold nasty stuff that makes you want to take a vacation to Hainan.

My favorite thing about the city is the location. We have a train station and long-distance bus station both within walking distance from where I live. We are right in between Shanghai and Nanjing, Wuxi and Suzhou are also very close by. I can hop on a train or bus to hundreds of different cities from here. There is even an airport, but I don't know how many cities it actually flies to. Lots of nice parks and a few small shopping centers.
Beijiao Middle School has two branches, one downtown and one in a nearby countryside town half an hour out of downtown. Do you know which one you will be teaching at? Good luck and welcome!

AB

[yamahuh]

I think it'll be the one downtown but I'm not exactly sure, we've yet to confirm anything as we're trying to decide between a couple of different locations. We were also offered a job in Wuxi today but I've a feeling that it would cost more to live there for the extra 500 RMB it offers over the Changzhou location. Plus we're not really big city types, so we're still leaning towards Changzhou or Beihai...

[Babala]

I have lived in both Wuxi and Changzhou. The cost of living in both cities is the same.

[yamahuh]

Settled!!
Changzhou here we come, we just signed the contract on Friday.
Fingers crossed...
Looking forward to meeting you guys

[Babala]

Let me know if you need anything. If you want, PM me and I'll give you my mobile number.

[yamahuh]

Thanks for the offer, we'll be sure to do that closer to the time.
How cold is it there right now BTW?
We've been luxuriating in 20 - 25C temps for the past few weeks but it just got a little chillier over the past couple of days (I'm actually wearing my toque today).
Take care,

[Babala]

It's been pretty damn cold here in the last 3 days. I would guess about 2 - 3 degrees. Bring your woolies with ya when you come.

[yamahuh]

We're from just outside T.O.
We're working in the south of China.
We didn't pack any woolies!!