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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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 Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Have you actually been offered 10 K per month ? |
No, but I think I can earn 10K a month. |
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General Franco
Joined: 29 Dec 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| thefuzz wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| -1 RMB for a pack of smokes! That is 15�!!!. |
Hahaha...yeah...try smoking them and see what happens to your lungs.
Yes, take his prices with a grain of salt...this coming from someone who lives on 600 RMB per month (or so he claims)...I spend that much for one dinner at a good place in Shenzhen (where I live) and Hong Kong with drinks and excellent food.
150 RMB for a meal at the best restaurant? Yeah, made with old vegetables, old meat and recycled oil from the gutter.
I truly wish you would tell us finally which city has such low prices...I would want to visit and check it out for myself...but since you're not telling, the place might not exist at all... |
Most of the small cities in China that I have visited or worked in have such low prices. Shenzhen is not representative in any way. And there is nothing necessarily wrong with the quality of cheap food.
150 RMB will buy a magnificent meal in some parts of China. |
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norwalkesl
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 366
Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:55 am Post subject: |
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[quote="General Franco"]
| thefuzz wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| -1 RMB for a pack of smokes! That is 15�!!!. |
Hahaha...yeah...try smoking them and see what happens to your lungs.
Yes, take his prices with a grain of salt...this coming from someone who lives on 600 RMB per month (or so he claims)...I spend that much for one dinner at a good place in Shenzhen (where I live) and Hong Kong with drinks and excellent food.
150 RMB for a meal at the best restaurant? Yeah, made with old vegetables, old meat and recycled oil from the gutter.
I truly wish you would tell us finally which city has such low prices...I would want to visit and check it out for myself...but since you're not telling, the place might not exist at all... |
The restaurant is in the best hotel in this small rural city, 30 km from a medium sized city and 300 km from a big city, and 500 km from the largest cities in China, it has 16 nice private rooms with a sink and sheltered service area for the dedicated waitress to clean, bus tables, wash dishes, prep food as it is delivered from the kitchen, etc. 10 courses for 4 of us was 150 RMB. When I went to the nearest Big City prices were as you and others have posted. 100 RMB for tea, 300 RMB for a nice meal.
I must ask, why do you assume that your version of Reality is all that is possible? Is it not possible that you do not know everything about China and that some small cities are cheaper than where you live?
Shenzhen is one of the largest cities on the planet. Do you know that prices in such cities (NYC, HK, Tokyo, London,...) are much much higher than elsewhere? You ARE aware of this, yes? That big, well known, world class cities are very expensive?
The range of cigarette prices are 1Y to 11Y, about 6-8 varieties starting at 1Y and going up in increments. I do not smoke so I cannot tell you what they "taste" like, but smoking any cigs are bad for ones health so what do I care if 1Y smokes hurt ones lungs more than $7 USD pack of Marlboro Lights? |
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hankemhigh
Joined: 24 Dec 2009
Posts: 86
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| One exception would, possibly, be those unis which happen to have "joint partnership" arrangements with US/UK/Aust unis, where you would be expected to work much harder than elsewhere on account of the foreign institution's degree programme requirements |
I have accepted a position much like the above described slot and the work is limited to 18 hrs and no requirement for office duty.
My total estimated cost for the month comes in around 4500rmb. This is a base line and not all inclusive. A purchase of a coat or a DvD player has not be included in the estimation but basic nights out, shared meals, lunch, dinner and so forth are included in this base line cost. |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:14 am Post subject: |
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| norwalkesl wrote: |
| thefuzz wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| -1 RMB for a pack of smokes! That is 15�!!!. |
Hahaha...yeah...try smoking them and see what happens to your lungs.
Yes, take his prices with a grain of salt...this coming from someone who lives on 600 RMB per month (or so he claims)...I spend that much for one dinner at a good place in Shenzhen (where I live) and Hong Kong with drinks and excellent food.
150 RMB for a meal at the best restaurant? Yeah, made with old vegetables, old meat and recycled oil from the gutter.
I truly wish you would tell us finally which city has such low prices...I would want to visit and check it out for myself...but since you're not telling, the place might not exist at all... |
I must ask, why do you assume that your version of Reality is all that is possible? Is it not possible that you do not know everything about China and that some small cities are cheaper than where you live? |
have to say i agree with you norwalk. once you get settled into a place and find out the best deals in your area, it becomes very easy to live on less.
i live in one of those out of the way inexpensive chinese cities and while i don't live on 600 per month as you do, i only spend slightly more... ~ 900/month. i get great meat/rice/veg meals at a restaurant right outside the school gate for 8-10 per (i'm there about 15 times per month), i eat a lot of toast and juice for breakfast, and for lunch - salads, soups and sandwiches are cheap and easy to make. no smoking and little alcohol and my money stays in the bank.
i do go over my budget from time to time however since i can easily blow 500-700 on a weekend trip but most of that is bus and accommodation. but most of my travel is limited to the winter and summer holidays anyway.
and i wont be telling where i live either, for the same reason i wouldn't use my real name on this forum. |
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norwalkesl
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 366
Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| The Ever-changing Cleric wrote: |
I do go over my budget from time to time however since i can easily blow 500-700 on a weekend trip but most of that is bus and accommodation. but most of my travel is limited to the winter and summer holidays anyway.
and i wont be telling where i live either, for the same reason i wouldn't use my real name on this forum. |
Your situation is much like mine. When I go outside my 600/mo limit it is when I travel, 60Y cab rides, train fare, 200Y hotel rooms, etc. I only travel once a month, and of course for the long Spring Festival upcoming.
Like you I wont be telling where I live either, for the same reason I wouldn't use my real name on this forum.
This and the other thread are most educating. Now I know that salaries increase a little but not enough to compensate for the differing cost of living from a small rural city like mine and Beijing, Schenzen and other large world class Chinese cities. If I get a job in a larger city I will definitely make certain my salary is commensurate with the much higher costs. 600RMB for a decent but not most expensive restaurant? That is how much rents are in this town!
Clearly the higher cost in the cities where others live and their salary gap is the cause for most of the disagreement on this topic. |
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mat chen
Joined: 01 Nov 2009
Posts: 494
Location: xiangtan hunan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| I you can supplement your income by posting absurdities about how cheap it is to live in China. |
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LanGuTou
Joined: 23 Mar 2009
Posts: 621
Location: Shandong
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:11 am Post subject: |
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| norwalkesl wrote: |
| ["]Clearly the higher cost in the cities where others live and their salary gap is the cause for most of the disagreement on this topic. |
That and the differing circumstances that we find ourselves living in!
I don't disagree with you one iota that a FT can get by in China on 600 rmb per month when housing and accommodation is paid for. But that represents a "hand to mouth" existence.
If you are in the same situation as me whereby wanting a family in China, buying a house to support my family, getting married and hopefully having a child, a FT salary in a Chinese university is wholly insufficient. I have done it for a number of years while I have remained a single guy in China but, this last year for me has become intolerable as I try to make ends meet.
NorwalkESL, I have been pushed to distraction by the financial strain that I am under at the moment being on a low salary. What has irritated me more than anything is starting new threads related to the old chestnut as though you feel a necessity to impose your view on others.
I am currently trying day and night to end my time as a FT in China because I feel a strong sense of responsibilty towards my fiancee and her family. Being a FT in China is low hours and low pressure but that manifests itself in a low salary. I know that I cannot have a long term future living this way.
To make matters worse, despite endless hours of CV/resume manipulation and devious cover up to eliminate ESL from my career history, my university is now doing its upmost to ensure that I abide by my current contract. They know my personal circumstances because I have tried to negotiate my way out of the situation. I have been offered lucrative posts outside of teaching that will allow me to support my family. Technically, although the reference letter is of no use to me, I still need the release letter to make the transition of changing RP smooth. It is a very complex situation that may end up requiring lawyers and guanxi.
The pressure and frustration of the situation is intense!
Last edited by LanGuTou on Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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thefuzz
Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 271
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:49 am Post subject: |
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| norwalkesl wrote: |
| Like you I wont be telling where I live either, for the same reason I wouldn't use my real name on this forum. |
Do you live in such a small town that even uttering its name would drive us all there and, since you're probably the only white face in town, we would ultimately meet? Get real, OK, I have no reason to seek you out, I would just like to know (out of curiosity) where such a town exists. Giving your name on a forum like this is one thing, but dropping a name of a town is another.
Anyway, back to topic: I agree, I could live on 600 RMB, but that would be from paycheck to paycheck. I want to buy an apartment, a car and send my kids to good schools...is that so wrong to want these things? An, no, I'm not twenty-something anymore. |
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norwalkesl
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 366
Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| LanGuTou wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| ["]Clearly the higher cost in the cities where others live and their salary gap is the cause for most of the disagreement on this topic. |
That and the differing circumstances that we find ourselves living in!
I don't disagree with you one iota that a FT can get by in China on 600 rmb per month when housing and accommodation is paid for. But that represents a "hand to mouth" existence. |
My point is that my existence is NOT "hand to mouth".
| LanGuTou wrote: |
| What has irritated me more than anything is starting new threads related to the old chestnut as though you feel a necessity to impose your view on others. |
Considering that we are all multi-lingual, well-traveled English teachers, I am at a profound loss to understand how my posting of my experiences, using multiple instances of first-person pronouns, comprises "imposing my view on others".
As I have repeatedly posted, this thread has been immensely enlightening wrt the attitudes of other ESL teachers. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Anyway, back to topic: I agree, I could live on 600 RMB, but that would be from paycheck to paycheck. I want to buy an apartment, a car and send my kids to good schools...is that so wrong to want these things? An, no, I'm not twenty-something anymore. |
This sounds like a paycheck to paycheck existence.
I am guessing that norwalkesl has enough in savings to live for several years without work if need be. |
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LanGuTou
Joined: 23 Mar 2009
Posts: 621
Location: Shandong
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Then NorWalk, I have nothing more to say.
Enjoy your noodles and cheap ciggies and being exploited by leaders who wouldn't dream of living the way that you suggest.
I am sure that, one day after you have had time to settle into life in the Middle Kingdom, you get very little appreciation for your chosen lifestyle. |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:30 am Post subject: |
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| thefuzz wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| Like you I wont be telling where I live either, for the same reason I wouldn't use my real name on this forum. |
Do you live in such a small town that even uttering its name would drive us all there and, since you're probably the only white face in town, we would ultimately meet? Get real, OK, I have no reason to seek you out, I would just like to know (out of curiosity) where such a town exists. Giving your name on a forum like this is one thing, but dropping a name of a town is another. |
in places like the city where i (and maybe norwalk and some others on here) live you may as well be dropping your real name if you list the name of the city. as everyone on here surely knows, there are plenty of smallish cities in china where there's only one college/uni. and since some FAOs have been known to have a look at this forum from time to time, it wouldn't be wise to mention any specifics. too easy to scroll through someone's posting history on here and we know what that can lead to.
back to the topic, there seem to be a lot of dissenters out there who want others to take their word as gospel but disregard outright what others have to say (that's called imposing your views on others). if someone can eat well on 600/mo who am i to argue? more power to 'em. it's not hurting me any.
Last edited by The Ever-changing Cleric on Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:44 am Post subject: |
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| I am sure that, one day after you have had time to settle into life in the Middle Kingdom, you get very little appreciation for your chosen lifestyle. |
I have never heard such a phrase in my life, "get very little appreciation for your chosen lifestyle."
Do you mean he will get little praise from others for his way of life? |
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A'Moo
Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Posts: 1067
Location: a supermarket that sells cheese
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| The Ever-changing Cleric wrote: |
| thefuzz wrote: |
| norwalkesl wrote: |
| Like you I wont be telling where I live either, for the same reason I wouldn't use my real name on this forum. |
Do you live in such a small town that even uttering its name would drive us all there and, since you're probably the only white face in town, we would ultimately meet? Get real, OK, I have no reason to seek you out, I would just like to know (out of curiosity) where such a town exists. Giving your name on a forum like this is one thing, but dropping a name of a town is another. |
in places like the city where i (and maybe norwalk and some others on here) live you may as well be dropping your real name if you list the name of the city. as everyone on here surely knows, there are plenty of smallish cities in china where there's only one college/uni. and since some FAOs have been known to have a look at this forum from time to time, it wouldn't be wise to mention any specifics. too easy to scroll through someone's posting history on here and we know what that can lead to.
back to the topic, there seem to be a lot of dissenters out there who want others to take their word as gospel but disregard outright what others have to say (that's called imposing your views on others). if someone can eat well on 600/mo who am i to argue? more power to 'em. it's not hurting me any. |
Must agree that there is little reason for anyone to list the uni/city in which they currently reside, but if a recent college grad whose parents are well-to-do or lonely, beefy middle aged guy with a few grand in the bank who has no problems eating noodles three times a day, just as long as the "youre so handsome" comments from 17 year old female students keep coming, are willing to come in and take your 6000y a month job and do it for 2500y, then it is hurting you plenty... |
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