|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
marrsy
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 18
Location: Boston
|
 Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:18 am Post subject: is this really enough money? |
 |
|
They offers I get in China all seem to be RMB 4000 - or 500 american -
is this really enough to live on - and I like to go out and travel as much as possible
I've pasted in what they offered me
RMB4000
Free accommodation (fully furnished one or 2 bed apartment with A/C, TV, computer, internet access, etc)
International Airfare reimbursement of RMB6000 after completing a 10 month teaching contract.
Accident Insurance |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Shan-Shan
Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 1074
Location: electric pastures
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I like to go out and travel as much as possible |
If you are coming to "teach and travel", why not first go to a country which offers higher average wages, like Korea, and then come to China to travel. Your "won" will go further than your RMB. Besides, while in China for the 10 months you will supposedly be going to class to instruct students. This leaves very little time for travelling before your contract is up. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jammish
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 1704
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Shan shan is right. China is not really the place to come to travel. Most of your holidays are in the Chinese national holidays, when every man and his dog are travelling and it's a real nightmare doing anything. Connections between China and other asian countries are also bad, and expensive. plus you'll find that your visa runs out about 10 days after the end of your contract. Better to go to korea, save a load, and then travel around China and SE Asia. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jammish wrote: |
| Shan shan is right. China is not really the place to come to travel. Most of your holidays are in the Chinese national holidays, when every man and his dog are travelling and it's a real nightmare doing anything. Connections between China and other asian countries are also bad, and expensive. plus you'll find that your visa runs out about 10 days after the end of your contract. Better to go to korea, save a load, and then travel around China and SE Asia. |
i have to disagree with the above. worked in korea and taiwan before coming to china. if you're interested in "travelling as much as possible" you'll earn more money in those countries, but you will have far less time and opportunity for travel there than you will in china.
the typical esl job in korea is at a hagwon. very limited holidays (1-2 weeks, in addition to public holidays) and usually at the discretion of the school. now this (1-2 weeks) is more paid time off than you'll get in china, but you will also be working a minimum of 30 hours per week. taiwan is similar. most jobs are in private language schools that will give you 25-30 (or more) hours per week.
china, in my opinion, IS the place for travel in your free time, since many public school jobs give esl teachers a relatively light schedule (i work 12 hours per week and have 4.5 consecutive days free EVERY week). however, the money isnt as good as other countries. but short trips to nearby cities in china arent expensive. in less than half a days drive, i can be in xiamen, shenzhen, hong kong, guangzhou, among other places. not too bad for someone who might want to get out on the weekends.
i suspect shan shan may have been saying, go to korea to work, save some money, then if and when you come to china with a much lower salary, you'll have plenty of money from your previous job to fund your travels in china during your time off. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
danswayne
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 237
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 7:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 7969 wrote: |
| i suspect shan shan may have been saying, go to korea to work, save some money, then if and when you come to china with a much lower salary, you'll have plenty of money from your previous job to fund your travels in china during your time off. |
If you are coming to "teach and travel", why not first go to a country which offers higher average wages, like Korea, and then come to China to travel.
Don't see anything about working in China at all anywhere in his statement.   |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dajiang
Joined: 13 May 2004
Posts: 663
Location: Guilin!
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
just go for short term teaching gigs here and there in private language colleges. month here, couple there, no sweat. Try Yangshuo, lots to do there, and they take anyone there. Plus its a really nice place to just hang out in for a while. You wont make much money, but you got to make a choice somewhere, travelling or working.
otherwise, check out a region youd like to see, with enough places to go like Sichuan, Guangxi or Yunnan. Get work somewhere there for say 16 hours a week, and try to get 3 or even 4 days off (preferably fridays or mondays off). then you got a nice long weekend every week. good times.
dunno about korea or japan btw. but this way you can enjoy yourself in China.
Dajiang |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
no_exit
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 565
Location: Kunming
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
That salary is, technically, enough to live on in some places, although "enough to live on" is completely relative. There are Chinese people in my city who make about 500RMB a month, and still manage not to starve to death, and even afford (with a lot of saving) the occasional luxury like a cell phone or an MP3 player. Would you want to live like them? Of course you wouldn't, but it is *possible.*
As for travelling, I have to agree with the others. You won't have enough time to travel extensively as a teacher in China. If travelling is really important to you, then you can choose a city that is near a lot of interesting places that you can visit during long weekends, but that's about it. Big trips are out for the most part. National holidays aren't a good time to visit popular destinations, although if you're content with exploring some backwater that no Chinese people want to go to, then you can still have a good holiday. It seems like lots of people have this idea about teaching and travelling in China, but it simply isn't that realistic, even less so on 4000RMB a month. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
prof
Joined: 25 Jun 2004
Posts: 741
Location: Boston/China
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| It's enough money to live like a serf. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Leon Purvis
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 420
Location: Nowhere Near Beijing
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| prof wrote: |
| It's enough money to live like a serf. |
If one is a legend in his own mind as prof is, then 5,000 RMB per month is not enough.
I am making 6,000 RMB per month at a public college in the east, have a very nice apartment with all utilities (except propane) paid. If I do my own cooking, and keep my DVD acquisition to under 10 per week, I can EASILY put 5,000 RMB a month in the bank. However, if i eat out at the better local restaurants twice per week, then I can put away 4500 RMB with no sweat.
If you live in prof's imaginary penthouse, you'll need AT LEAST 20,000 RMB per month and have a good excuse for making less. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| otherwise, check out a region youd like to see, with enough places to go like Sichuan, Guangxi or Yunnan. Get work somewhere there for say 16 hours a week, and try to get 3 or even 4 days off (preferably fridays or mondays off). then you got a nice long weekend every week. good times |
make sure you realise those so called good-times can also involve a lot of stress - travelling here aint quite as easy as you may think. Finding the right bus station (in the bigger cities it can take you an hour or more just to get there) - finding the correct bus/train - not getting ripped off on ticket prices - the sheer distance many journeys entail - the often sluggish pace of transport here - the normality of bad road conditions/ accidents - finding a hotel that doesn't rip you off - realising that most promoted tourist-spots are a hell of a milliard screaming sightseers and all the industry that follows them (burn your lonely planet) - the list could continue. For real traveling (not nipping off to the neighbouring city type thing) - when using public transport, give a day each for outward and return journey - and give yourself at least another day to recover before you hit a chinese classroom!!! Good times involved with a teaching week/travelling weekend combo - sure for the strong  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
prof
Joined: 25 Jun 2004
Posts: 741
Location: Boston/China
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 1:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Leon Purvis wrote: |
| prof wrote: |
| It's enough money to live like a serf. |
If one is a legend in his own mind as prof is, then 5,000 RMB per month is not enough.
I am making 6,000 RMB per month at a public college in the east, have a very nice apartment with all utilities (except propane) paid. If I do my own cooking, and keep my DVD acquisition to under 10 per week, I can EASILY put 5,000 RMB a month in the bank. However, if i eat out at the better local restaurants twice per week, then I can put away 4500 RMB with no sweat.
If you live in prof's imaginary penthouse, you'll need AT LEAST 20,000 RMB per month and have a good excuse for making less. |
The jealousy on here is amazing.
Eat at local restaurants. People IN China know what that means.
And keep saving on the DVDs at US$1/each.
You'll end up living like a serf. To the OP, ask for Leon's personal information and come on that salary.
And if you find Leon has given you misinformation, make him responsible for it.
What if you need to fly back home for an emergency? Where does that 10,000 come from on such a poverty wage? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| prof wrote: |
| What if you need to fly back home for an emergency? Where does that 10,000 come from on such a poverty wage? |
its always wise to come here with some cash on hand or to maintain some savings in the bank for such an emergency. thats common sense and applies to everyone, not just those of us in china. too bad most people dont save for that rainy day..... we see their stories here from time to time. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="vikdk"]
| Quote: |
| are a hell of a milliard screaming sightseers |
A little translation help: "milliard" probably is Danish for "billion". Not sure but guessing can sometimes put you on the right track. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: is this really enough money? |
|
|
| marrsy wrote: |
They offers I get in China all seem to be RMB 4000 - or 500 american -
is this really enough to live on - and I like to go out and travel as much as possible
I've pasted in what they offered me
RMB4000
|
You may not know this but the Chinese don't think they need to fatten resident laowais that only put in an academic term or a year of teaching in China. The local economy treats folks that make more than 2000 yuan a month as better-off; the minimum pay is 2500 for FTs...and whether you believe it or not there are a number of foreigners working for that little (though not me).
If you choose your location wisely 4000 will take you quite a bit on China's roads and railways. Say, you live in Xi'an or Nanning, you can spend nearly every weekend exploring historic and scenic spots. If you live in a metropolis, well, you will be tempted to spend too much of your income on booze and western amenities though it's up to you whether you actually give in to these temptations.
4000 is neither good nor bad; it's about average. COuld be a lot better, yes, but you will never be in as dire an economic strait as a Chinese teacher. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DistantRelative
Joined: 19 Oct 2004
Posts: 367
Location: Shaanxi/Xian
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
OP depending on where you are, you absolutely can live real decent and still squirrel away a nice chunk of your 4000 Rmb salary which will allow you to do a bit of traveling as time and conditions allow, and it's not always only high season that you get time off. I'm getting a full nine days starting this weekend due to the fact that my students will be taking mid-terms all next week. I could easily travel if I chose to.
Also keep in mind the 4000 you mention is only your contract wage. In time, if you are like many of us you can always find extra work to supplement your income. I get all the extra work I want without even having to look for it. Not trying to sound arrogant, but people seek me out, and I'm constantly entertaining offers. Some I take, some I don't (just accepted an offer from the Tourism Board that's going to pay me a couple K for a weekends work  . I'm sure many posters here can relay experiences that mirror mine.
All that being said, other than for the purpose of getting your foot in the door, I don't endorse taking 4000 Rmb jobs, continues to set a bad precedent. I think most of us are worth more than that.
Hope the information helps.
Zhuhao,
Shawn |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
