Job Discussion Forums

[SimonM]

I'm leaving soon and trying to convince my school that looking for a replacement would be a good idea. However it doesn't stop me from a) trying to find a replacement and b) making sure any such replacement is informed about what it's like living in Shanxi.

So without further adieu:

Advantages:

1) History - In Shanxi you can see objects ranging through China's much touted five thousand years of civilization both at the Taiyuan Provincial Museum (possibly the best archaeological museum in China) and in many out-of-the way sites. Shanxi also boasts the most complete ancient town in China, Pingyao.

2) Easy to get jobs - No struggling with a thousand other applicants. Nobody WANTS to work here so really you can waltz into a job.

3) Low cost of living - compared to the rest of China it doesn't cost that much to live here. Of course this ties together with two of the problems with Shanxi, which I will get to presently.

4) Warm people - Once you get to know them the people of Shanxi are mostly the salt of the earth. They are quick to befriend, generally helpful, welcoming and generous.

Disadvantages:

1) Low Salaries - 5000 RMB is the top. You will only make more by doing side work and if you don't live in Taiyuan or Datong there won't be a hell of a lot of side work for you to do.

2) Nothing to do - Unless looking at yet another saccred mountain or yet another recently refurbished ancient historical site really turns your crank you will run out of stuff to do in Shanxi. Most of the province is farms and mines and you really have to make your own fun. Many of the medium sized cities do not even have a cinema or a disco, two China standard go-to forms of entertainment.

3) Coal Belt - Bring your gas mask. The most polluted (officially populated) city on the earth, Linfen, is in Shanxi and much of the province isn't a heck of a lot better.

4) Peasants - Also related to the mines and farm. Spitting, gawping, public urination, public defecation, drunken twerps who breathe halitosis in your face as they ask you questions in strongly accented local dialect after sitting down across from you at an outdoor food stall, poor personal hygene, Shanxi has about all the bad habits of the uneducated masses that Foreign Teachers love to complain about.

[7969]

aside from the disadvantages, it sounds like a great place.

[therock]

Anyone considering working and living in Shanxi must be aware of two important points.

1. Shanxi is one of the most polluted areas in China. So if you have any respiratory problems........stay away.

2. Shanxi is very isolated, it's not anywhere near a city/area that has western amenities. Great place if you don't want to see foreigner after foreigner walking down the street, also great if you want to learn Mandarin. However expect stares, people yelling hello from across the street and generally nothing to do in your free time.