Job Discussion Forums

[smellymelly]

have you ever worked in hainan? did you make enough money to live well and travel?

[killian]

yes, i taught in hainan.

no, the wages were low.

went on a school sponsored trip of the island among two buses of teachers. horrid, horrid trip. so bad that even the chinese teachers for whom this was their one real trip of the year insisted that it be cut short. "mandatory shopping" stops. six, yes SIX blown tires and the thrice daily restaurant riots (tables stealing food from other tables outside their travel groups) got old quick.

but, just jumping on a motorcycle and heading out is always great fun. was a beautiful place.

[nickpellatt]

Ive recently returned to the UK after working in Hainan from Sep 06 - June 08. I dont have much in the way of experience with other parts of China, but I feel that I lived pretty well there.....even although wages are regarded as low.

In the last term, I was earning 4000 pcm, and still managed to travel around Hainan 3 weeks out of 5, and normally pay for my GF to join me.

I never ever cooked at my home, with at least one meal a day being in a nice restaurant, and again, often with my GF.

I spent my last two weekends in Hainan, in a 5* spa resort (again with the GF hehe) and still managed to save some of my wages to bring home.

I was in a slightly remote area, and didnt have access to anything Western and I guess this saves a lot of money. If I was visiting a Pizza Hut weekly, and drinking nice coffee and eating cakes then I probably couldnt have afforded my lifestyle.

I hope to return to Hainan in 2009, but it isnt really the paradise its painted out to be IMO. If I was travelling 6500 miles to visit Sanya for a paradise beach holiday I would be seriously underwhelmed.

There are a whole bunch of youtube videos of Hainan if you are interested in going there and seeing what life was like (for me at least)

Just search my user name, and then should direct you to a number of youtube vids.