Job Discussion Forums

[Indiana Jones]

Dalian. Qingdao. Jinan. Beijing. Xian. Dalian. Qingdao. Jinan. Beijing. Xian.

I can't decide where to go! Maybe too much research is making me indecisive, and I should trust my original impulse to plonk myself down in the middle of Beijing and take it from there (que sera sera). Stop thinking so much and just do it like a Nike commercial. I want to make the best of my first time living and working in China, so I ask you all to share your vast experience and wisdom. Instead of asking what each city is like, you'll be able to give me better advice if I tell you about myself and my expectations and hopes and fears for my first China experience.

I'm a 31 year old bachelor currently existing in Melbourne, Australia. I have a Diploma in Professional Writing & Editing -- yes, I'd love to be a published author one day. I have a children's series I'm working on, mostly Japanese inspired (a main character is a ghost cat named Moshi Moshi). My grand project is a UFO/alternative-archaeology thriller set in China, the heroine a Chinese archaeologist. Since I'm too old and degree-less to work in Japan, China is my next option, and it's an opportunity I intend to take with enthusiasm. My main fear is finding myself in a town or area with little or no arts community. I'm interested in film, literature and arts -- the traditional stuff is great, but I'm more intrigued by the future, where Chinese artists (multimedia and fine) and illustrators and comic writers and novelists are going. Does China have a manga scene for example? I'd love to develop one if the answer is no, I have another series of books for older kids called Wuxia Girl, which I hesitantly call Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Ancient China (it'll be more like a teenage version of Michelle Yeoh from Crouching Tiger). I want to be within access to like-minded Chinese. To whom I teach english doesn't bother me, it's life outside work that concerns me. I'd hate to be in a town surrounded by people who only talk business or politics, with no one I can talk to about my fiction writing and other interests. I want to be involved in China's art culture and contribute to it. Teaching english will be a very convenient opportunity for me to travel and experience China, no more no less. But who knows, I might find I love teaching and continue with it. I've taught a few classes (children's fiction writing) when the teacher was away sick, and found I really enjoyed teaching. I hope to teach in the evenings and weekends, possibly do some extra tutoring work on the side, and then spend my spare time exploring, sitting in cafes, bars and parks writing my novels, and socialising with like-minded Chinese and foreigners.

So that's about it. Xian was my very first choice, for its history, but it might be too far from Beijing and the northeast for my tastes. I plan on travelling to Japan every now and then (my best mate lives there), so I started looking at Dalian and Qingdao. I've heard both good and bad things about Dalian, so I don't know who to trust. One person says it's a cosmopolitan city with a brilliant nightlife and international style, another person says it's dull and boring with nothing to do at night and people who only talk business. Who to believe? So I can't trust these kinds of city reviews. I've looked at Shandong Province and I love the wilderness parks, but I don't know if the cities of Jinan, Linyi and Qingdao offer the city-life I also crave. When I'm in the country I miss the city, and when I'm in the city I miss the country.

Another thing I have to consider is my health. I easily get sinus problems from too much pollution, smoke, dust etc. This is another reason why I looked at Dalian and Qingdao, for these cities are rare in China for having decent air quality. Chongqing, Wuhan and other industrial cities are out of the question, I'd be sick from sinusitus within a week. I could always wear a mask ...

Perhaps I'll just go to Beijing, make some contacts and move around if I hear of something more suitable. Let Fate roll her dice, Que Sera Sera. This may be the best option. However, if you think you know the best place for me, please reply to this post and let me know. Post any kind of advice! I'm open to suggestions. I have six months to get organised, and there's no better time to start preparing than now.

Cheers,

Rick

[Roger]

So, the vast array of choices makes you "undecisive"?
And, do I know "manga"? Outlandish, or is it: artistic English?

You have good intentions; let's pray to the powers-that-be that you get safely ensconced in a plush artistic milieu AND THAT YOU CAN MAKE MONEY to survive here.
The arts don't exactly flourish in the Proletarian Republic of China. The most-widely known Chinese writers, painters, dramatists live in exile; Zhang Yimou was at first ignored in his home country until his "Farewell to a Concubine" lifted an international prize.

On the other hand, the working conditions are almost perfectly suited for a hobby writer such as you and myself. There isn't too much work, yet you can survive fairly decently. I doubt, however, that your integration here will prove to be highly inspirational. In fact, you will probably be the first who discovers that money is the most recurrent topic both in conversations as in your own mental privacy.
Lastly, if pollution is a hindrance, hardly any Chinese city fits the bill. Not even Dalian.
As for the locales you are choosing from, I suggest you not ask us to point you because you are going to make a very subjective decision, and our choices would be just that too.
But, if it is of any help, my suggestion is: do go to Peking.
This is not only because you will have job offers there, plus a thrilling mix of architectural modernism and antiquity as well; the major reason, in my opinion, would be that the nation's arts thrive the most in Peking. There even is rumoured to be a fringe group living in an abandoned factory. Foreign tourists definitely generate some market forces that enable painters and such-likes to survive. And there are plenty of publishers too.

[boxcarwilly]

I have been living in Dalian for the past several months and like it just fine. I agree with those who say that Dalian is a newer city and that it lacks the historical charm of Qingdao. Went exploring Qingdao over the Spring Festival and quite enjoyed myself. Also liked Yentai. I find Dalian very easy to get around in but think that daily travel around Qingdao might be more difficult. Dalian is a good city for those who want a clean and more Western environment while the ancient culture of Qingdao might suit the more reflective of us. Due to it's location, one of the big drawbacks of Dalian is that it's more difficult to easily travel by train. The closest big city is Shenyang and it is 4 hours by train. I have been there several times. My experience in China is new but I have been teaching and exploring for years. I find the biggest obstacle here is the difference in language and in my new-to-China opinion it's very importnat to learn basic Chinese as most Chinese either don't know or won't use their English. Don't worry about making mistakes because it's unavoidable - gather your evidence, trust your heart and take your best shot. After exploring for a while you can find a place that feels right to you and right work, right friends and right circumstances will follow.

[Indiana Jones]

Roger,

I'm naive, but not unrealistic.

I'm not expecting an intellectual arts scene like New York City or Prague -- in fact that's not what I want. I just like to write adventure stories, thrillers and kids' books. I'd be even more isolated if I lived in an exclusively artistic commune like Greenwich Village in New York City! I guess I didn't express what I meant by arts very clearly. I'm not sure how well-received my kind of art is in China. I guess there's one way to find out eh?

You're right, teaching english is almost perfectly suited for a hobby writer, which is what makes it so attractive. I get to travel, experience a country I've always wanted to visit, etc etc.

Beijing/Peking seems to be the city I want, offering the old and the new, with plenty of options of all shapes and sizes. I can check out the rest of the country from Beijing and if somewhere tickles my fancy, I can always try and get work there.

Thanks for the reply mate. Now all I have to do is find a job ... [/i]

[Indiana Jones]

Boxcarwilly, you are absolutely right when you say that if you trust your heart and take your best shot, the rest -- friends, work, etc -- usually works itself out. I've learnt one thing in life and that is the more you dwell on something happening somewhere, the less likely it is to happen. I've met my closest friends through making decisions that felt mostly right at the time and I didn't try to control the outcomes, I just allowed circumstances to occur at their own pace. When I get to China, I'll be surprised no matter what I expect anyway.

I'll aim for Beijing, and I might just hit Dalian instead.

If you understand, things are just as they are. If you don't understand, things are just as they are. -- Zen saying. [/i]

[Madmaxola]

Dalian is not boring, it's a nice city-

Average China air quality- very very very very bad
Average Dalian air quality- very very very bad

Have fun!