Job Discussion Forums

Jaime1 · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 66

I currently live in Korea and it is well so-so. I have some questions(well a lot) for you guys living in China. Here goes:

How much can you save a month realistically?

Is Internet fast there? How fast do you download at?

Is it easy to sign up for internet? What do you need? (ARC card, passport copy? Social Security card copy?) What are some good internet service providers?

Are you happy with your job and your boss?

Can you do side jobs or do part time jobs on the weekends even if you don't speak Chinese?

Do people there discriminate against Americans (or Westerners)?

Do employers typically secure an apartment for you? Do you like it? Does it come with washer, dryer and a stove and oven?

How hard is it to find things in China that are available in the U.S. (Like spices, food, electronics, English books, etc.)

What are some pros and cons to living in China?

Is it much harder to get into teaching in China than it is to Korea?

Is it easy to transfer from Korea to China? What documents do I need? (work visa, diploma, resume, transcript?)

Are you happy living in Japan overall? Why or why not?

What are some must bring items for China?

How much are transportation costs? (bus, cab, subway)

What are some misconceptions you had about China before you arrived?

How does China look architecturally and aesthetically? (I live in Korea and it looks like a giant ghetto - well I mean ugly at least)

Do merchants cheat you with your money?

Where can you save the most money? (Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, other cities?)

Which major city is the most fun?

What is the general cost of living in China?

How is China's attitude about themselves? Do they think they are the greatest countries in Asia. South Korea certainly seems that way.

Thanks

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

have you looked through the archives on this forum (off-topic and job related) yet? except for #12, most of the questions you've asked have been answered here many times over and the answers can be found easily, just invest some time in looking around.

good luck sir.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

If you think Korean bosses are bad / dishonest wait to you come here.

Money about a third of what you make in Korea.

Living here is good for food and labour related things.

If you are smart then you will come here for a holiday.

11:59 · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 4:26 am Post subject: Re: To people living in China

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

You have a lot of questions, which is good. Many regular here have seen them asked a hundred times over and some are perhaps are exhausted answering them over and over - which is perfectly understandable.

There is a free guide that answers pretty much all of your questions located at:

http://www.middlekingdomlife.com

Take a look at that and them feel free to ask any questions that haven't been answered. Doing your research before you come here is a good thing.

Cheers,

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

From only my point of view:

Q: How much can you save a month realistically?

A: A few hundred US$

Q: Is Internet fast there? How fast do you download at?

A: Slow. Very slow. Depending where you are or what source, good luck even downloading things.

Q: Is it easy to sign up for internet? What do you need? (ARC card, passport copy? Social Security card copy?) What are some good internet service providers?

A: It's not easy, no. Also remember, this is nationalist socialist China, with lots of red tape.

Q: Are you happy with your job and your boss?

A: No.

Q: Can you do side jobs or do part time jobs on the weekends even if you don't speak Chinese?

A: Hard to acquire without being known.

Q: Do people there discriminate against Americans (or Westerners)?

A: Some will treat you like gold, others like doo-doo.

Q: Do employers typically secure an apartment for you? Do you like it? Does it come with washer, dryer and a stove and oven?

A: By law, they must secure a home. Washer/Dryer...stove/oven? Dreamland...

Q: How hard is it to find things in China that are available in the U.S. (Like spices, food, electronics, English books, etc.)

A: Hard, depending where you are.

Q: What are some pros and cons to living in China?

A: I can't think of any pro's anymore. China is not even cheap any longer.

Q: Is it much harder to get into teaching in China than it is to Korea?

A: No, it's easier, during non-Olympic times anyways.

Q: Is it easy to transfer from Korea to China? What documents do I need? (work visa, diploma, resume, transcript?)

A: Different schools have different requests.

Q: Are you happy living in Japan overall? Why or why not?

A: This is China, not Japan.

Q: What are some must bring items for China?

A: Deodorant, books, tampons for girls, rubber spatulas, tylenol

Q: How much are transportation costs? (bus, cab, subway)

A: Depends on city.

Q: What are some misconceptions you had about China before you arrived?

A: The people would be polite nice Asians, like Japanese.

Q: How does China look architecturally and aesthetically? (I live in Korea and it looks like a giant ghetto - well I mean ugly at least)

A: Imagine Korea, but poorer and dirtier.

Q: Do merchants cheat you with your money?

A: Yes, if they can get away with it.

Q: Where can you save the most money? (Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, other cities?)

A: Smaller places, cheaper but smaller salary. Larger places, higher salary but more expensive.

Q: Which major city is the most fun?

A: I don't know, I haven't been to all the cities. I'd say Hong Kong.

Q: What is the general cost of living in China?

A: I spend about 700-900 dollars a month, but I spend like a fish and have an expensive wife to maintain.

Q: How is China's attitude about themselves? Do they think they are the greatest countries in Asia. South Korea certainly seems that way.

A: Nationalistic. Yes. Imagine Korea X 10.

Surfdude18 · Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 651 Location: China

How much can you save a month realistically?

I save 10,000 RMB per month, but then I don't live that extravagantly (but do have an ayi) and also do extra classes on top of my normal 11,500 per month salary.

Is Internet fast there? How fast do you download at?

It's piss-poor. I download torrents at 100kps, max.

Is it easy to sign up for internet? What do you need? (ARC card, passport copy? Social Security card copy?) What are some good internet service providers?

GWW says difficult, but it was easy for us. But getting a real connection speed like people have back home is very hard,. i.e. like you probably have in korea where you can download a 700 meg film in 10 minutes.

Are you happy with your job and your boss?

School's great. Job soso. Leaving soon to study to become a 'proper' teacher.

Can you do side jobs or do part time jobs on the weekends even if you don't speak Chinese?

Yes

Do people there discriminate against Americans (or Westerners)?

Seriously, outside of touristy areas, definitely not, generatlly the discrimination is in favour of, rather than against, you.

Do employers typically secure an apartment for you? Do you like it? Does it come with washer, dryer and a stove and oven?

The apartment is great. But as to dishwasher and oven, no. But most Chinese people don't have these things. A typical Chinese kitchen has two hobs, a sink, a microwave. Getting a real oven is a challenge in itself...

How hard is it to find things in China that are available in the U.S. (Like spices, food, electronics, English books, etc.)

Pretty hard.

What are some pros and cons to living in China?

Pros - easy life, good working hours, easy job
Cons - inconvenience, difficult to get stuff

Is it much harder to get into teaching in China than it is to Korea?

I doubt it.

Is it easy to transfer from Korea to China? What documents do I need? (work visa, diploma, resume, transcript?)

PRobably less than korea

Are you happy living in Japan overall? Why or why not?

No. I havn't been there though

What are some must bring items for China?

Marmite, curry powder, real tea.

How much are transportation costs? (bus, cab, subway)

Bus fares around city - 1 RMB. Cab fares round city - 10 RMB- subway - 3/4 RMB

What are some misconceptions you had about China before you arrived?

That it was brutally fascist. It has turned out much more subtle than that.

How does China look architecturally and aesthetically? (I live in Korea and it looks like a giant ghetto - well I mean ugly at least)

Awful.

Do merchants cheat you with your money?

No.

Where can you save the most money? (Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, other cities?)

This really depends on what job you land.

Which major city is the most fun?

I'd say Shanghai - IF you can get the job offer to pay at least 20,000 a month.

What is the general cost of living in China?

Depends where

How is China's attitude about themselves? Do they think they are the greatest countries in Asia. South Korea certainly seems that way.

Yes.

killian · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:17 am Post subject:

i have "done" china, taiwan, korea. just moved back to china after time in korea.

korea is much richer, cleaner and easier to make money. i was at 3.5 mil korean won per month after six months there. i'll never make that much here in china.

the internet is so slow here i read pages(s) from a book waiting for it to load.

have had food poisoning/severely upset stomach 3x in one month here. never had it in korea. worst bout i was hallucinating for two days.

i never thought about it, but healthcare in korea is light years ahead of china. HUGE gap.

big city dalian (my R&R point) is nice but not westernized anywhere close to the standards of busan (or even changwon for that matter).

but...the students here are so much more diligent that it is all worthwhile.

Moon Over Parma · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 819

Jaime1 · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 66

Thanks Teatime of Soul foe that link. I am still in the research stage. And for the Japan slip up - I posted a similar thread to the Japan forum so sorry for the confusion. Anyways thanks everybody.

Eyrick3 · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 161 Location: Beijing, China

Here's an optimistic point of view. I'm very happy here in China.

lapd08 · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 82 Location: New York

Well that is quite a lot of questions and I only have time now to answer a few, as well as ask you one: How the hell did you manage to get a job in Korea? I have been trying since last spring and had to go to China!

Briefly: China (or what I saw of it) is really ugly.
Getting into the country on a legit visa was a snap compared to the hell I just went through with Korea's new regulations (and I did not get the job ).
I worked at a Sino/Canadian college and it was okay. Some problems getting reimbursed for airfare, but I just complained to Canada and that did the trick.
Salaries are very low in China, unless you have MA and work for a foreign concern.

...whoops have to go. will write more later.....

buddy bradley · Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 89 Location: The Beyond

Korea is the worst country I have lived in. There is a reason why they offer so much in the way of benefits, pay, and what-not. Don't forget though that Korea is mad expensive these days, and the food is, for the most part, crap.

Tons of opportunities in China though; I pay 1900RMB a month for a seriously great apartment in a happening area; teach 20 hours a week for 9000RMB a month, and have an 8 hour gig a month doing nothing but monitoring kids write in their workbooks for 150 an hour. Given time (as I've only been here for 5 months), I reckon I can make about 3000 yank bucks a month, after expenses like rent, bills, and STD tests.

2 over lee · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:09 am Post subject:

I admire your honesty buddy

Surfdude18 · Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 651 Location: China