How to Live in China for a Year
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You may be getting up every morning and wishing there was more to life than going to work, returning home, eating dinner and going to bed. Does your life need a little more adventure? Mine did. I decided my goal was to live in China for a year, to experience something totally different. To be immersed in a new culture. To learn a new language. Within the space of a few months, my life went from ordinary to outrageous!
I spent some time doing my research before presenting this idea to my wife. She is more adventurous than I am; I thought she'd have our bags packed the moment the idea came out of my mouth. Due diligence was in order here!
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Show Me the Money
The first aspect to tackle was the money. Could we afford to be away for a whole year? With our house mortgage and other bills, we needed to find some way of making money in China, or at least break even. Through many evenings of internet searches, I hit on it - we could teach English there! Both my wife and I have college degrees, but no other teaching credentials. We found a program through the Colorado China Council (http://www.asiacouncil.org/) that would send us to China, provide a basic Chinese course, give us a teaching practicum, and find us positions at a university there. Though the salaries are low (though high by Chinese standards), we were offered a place to live where rent and utilities were covered. The salary would cover our living expenses while in China, and our bills in the U.S. could be paid out of our savings for the year. In practice this didn't quite work out. Because I have 3 children that need to be fed (Western food only, thank you very much), clothed, and schooled, I had to add another $1,000 per month into our living expenses beyond our university salaries.
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Catering to the Children
Our two boys, entering 5th and 6th grades, also needed some schooling options. We found a lovely private grade school that would take them, however it was Chinese only. We were all frightened at how they would do adjusting to the language and culture. Our daughter, a 3 year old, would go into a Chinese preschool. Since she is a Chinese adoptee and so outgoing, we were not worried about how she would adjust.
School has been difficult for our boys. We have them cut back to half-days because a whole day of listening to Chinese was just too much for them. In China, the concept of personal boundaries just isn't recognized. Other students stare at them constantly and want to know what they are eating for lunch, what's in their book bag, etc. We now home school them in mathematics, and they'll advance into the next grade when we return to the U.S. Our daughter has had no problems and is picking up the language quickly.
The other problem we have encountered is the food. About 2 months into our stay, our boys decided they no longer liked Chinese food! Lately we have been cooking more western style foods at home, and eating at western restaurants when possible and this has alleviated some of the pressure in that area. They also miss their friends, and they will be ready to go home. However, they are learning so much about a foreign culture here, they know some basic Chinese, and it's an experience they'll remember their whole lives!
Becoming Involved
Our experience has been that teaching English also helped us get involved. We have met other wonderful teachers, both expats and Chinese, and of course we have become involved with all of our wonderful students. Our students are so caring, innocent, hard-working and intelligent, it has been a real joy to be around them. At the time of this writing we are between semesters, and we are both looking forward to seeing our students again.
Life is so different here, that even doing mundane tasks is an experience. Going to the post office, buying groceries, riding the train, eating food from street vendors and even getting a haircut are all adventures for a foreigner to China. Keeping an open mind and a friendly attitude has really helped us see the inside of Chinese life. The Chinese in all of these venues are so helpful - they really do what they can to help us feel as comfortable as possible.
The Household
One of the wonderful aspects of China is the ability to hire an "ayi" for a very reasonable price. "Ayi" is a rough translation for "Auntie" - someone who cooks, cleans, does the laundry and watches the children. Our ayi comes for 20 - 25 hours per week, for about $150 US per month. We chose one deliberately who doesn't speak much English, so we can practice learning Chinese with her. Our apartments are also quite small. The university gave us a 2 bedroom apartment, and a 1 bedroom apartment next door, due to the size of our family. However, none of the kids likes to be alone so we all crowd into the 2 bedroom most of the time. We went from more than 3000 sq. feet at home to 800 sq. feet here. You'd think this would be a problem, but it has really helped to promote family harmony and closeness. Our boys share the same room (and bed!) and have become best friends against the adversity they have faced here.
Setting Expectations
Our best preparatory tool before coming to China was doing lots of research. We read several great books that helped us determine what we could expect to find. Here are a few of the titles:
"Letters to Alice" by Alice Renouf (see www.asiacouncil.org)
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If you are considering an adventure like this, we recommend you read all of these cover to cover!
If you do decide to live in China for a year, it will be an experience you will never forget. It will open up your mind to a new way of thinking, and it will make you appreciate your new life when you return home!
Check out our blog of our daily lives at http://lewisesinchina.blogspot.com
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What a good story - I too have lived and worked (English teacher) in China. You you know about the China Teaching Alliance. Your input would be valuable there.
What a gppd story.Thank you for sharing~Suzhou is a beautiful city.
Thank you for sharing.Hangzhou is one of the best tourist destination in spring~~
Pretty good,China is be beautiful,i am living in SUZHOU now
Thank you for sharing~Suzhou is a beautiful city.
China-Luxury is the new professional luxury & lifestyle portal which exploring luxury in china.
i am only 23 and have been in and out of china for a while.
finaly decided to move here.... eating chinese food cooked by my chinese partner (5'3 attractive energetic female), eating out and enjoy the female company that being a weston man in china brings (well british weston, american people are disliked by some chinese). i dont do much sight seeing but when famely comes over (white british) its good to take time off. (i teach in a kindergarten) i am from shijaizhaung. the chinese kids are very sweet and the parents love a westoner teaching there children.
i would advise any one who is a good person to leave england while its sinking and start a new life here. only miner down sides.
still wake up every morning, look out over a polluted city and know in my heart, i am the happiest and luckyest man in the world.
i have no education in england, but did a 20 hour TEFL course. and am emloyable, while only earning 4500 rmb (400GBP/600USD ish) per mounth, the adverage wage here is just 1000rmb. add my wage to free accomidation, Suddenly i am the richest i have ever been. love you all
bye bye
mark
mjbowman07@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you for sharing so much useful information!
Hi,
My name is Imelda. I am mexican. I got a job as a Spanish teacher in china. I signed the contract last week. I am going to start next september. Could you give some advices? For example, what I must not say or do.
I am exciting but I am afraid this might be a scam. I found this job in a www.learn4good
You can writte me to cronopia35@yahoo.com.mx
My name is Mahad, Somalian student, I apply university in Yunnan university, I have essential information in China in the aspect of living, food, culture, and the people. Can you please help me.
Mahad
Somalia
At this site you are offered an international flower delivery. You can send flowers to China online. Flowers of China delivery network of florists nationwide offers discount floral arrangements, fresh flower delivery. Your beloved one or your friend will receive the beautiful and fresh flowers on time and with a professional service.
China is beautiful & hard to live there but after you accept there life you can have good times .
wowwww
I know I'm just 14 years old and I live in Amsterdam ( Netherlands ), but I think and I am almoast sure that china is a great country, and I'm looking forward to live there when I get some older.
I am sure I'm going to live there, I just know it.
I don't know why I want to live in china, but there is some thing I feel about chineese people, I think they are realy interesting when you get to know them better and the culture and everything. Btw great story you have writen, now I'm looking even more forward to lie there, many first a year and many for the rest of my live, it would be great to live in the mountains like you see in the movies.
But well, I think I just have to wait till I get older and get my own decides. Great story, realy thank you. Il just put my mail here I don't know why put il put it in :) m_arcok@hotmail.com .
Marco from the Netherlands =)
Mark from England, gee I hope your not teaching English, your written English skills are seriously bad!
Well thanks for that im from mexico and my dad works in the army (the name comes from my mother)he told us that we are going to Nanjing for a year because hes making a curse or something like that well thank you for that =)
Hey do yo uknow a place were theres a ice rink near of nanjing or shanhai ? thank you ill let you my e-mail ivanlalo83@hotmail.com
Thank you for a nice story. We have just moved to China from Finland with my husband for some time, a year or so. Looking forward for the new life here! :)
am wale from nigeria really love to get to know more about china because i really love to be there someday to have my master and also work there too, i will love information to be given to on how to get job and study there too. thankssss my email princewaleraji@gmail.com
hello, i`m nazi from Algeria, i`m living in china for four years, first when coming here to china was verry stresful, hard to comunicate with people ,very few who speaks english, or anyother language .but after learning chinese language , i realy enjoy life here and i realy know that chinese people loves to much westerns .i m in Hangzhou and i think that this is the best city in china verry beautiful,
now i have a baby who was bon here in china and my husbend business is great so maybe we will stay in china for ever and enjoy life,
good luck for every body and just be open minded life is great here
good to fit in
I only like thier culture but I could never live there
i am Nadia from Algeria, 23years old.i have been in China on March for one month . i have seen different cities ,for me WUXI and hangzhou are the best to live in . i have really enjoyed my stay ,everything there is wonderfull and chinese pepole are so kind and helpful. living there would be an amazing experience .
MARK,be white british dosent make you such a great guy,sorry to say but you sound just disgusting,and make me understand why china has to be better than england.
hi, i'm martin from argentina... i think the chinese language it's so beautiful. for the moment i'm waitting for a schoolarship of the goverment: "CHINESE GOVERMENT SCHOOLARSHIP" it's for a hole year. awesome don't you think?
Anyway, if you have something to learn in ?? send me to martincalise@gmail.com
??????????!!!!!!!:p
I am a chinese, yes, actually chinese people is very friendly and gentle, living in china, you can experience a different life from in other countries. If you need other living information,contact me: zjjlbl@ustc.edu.
I am a Chinese family looking to China to study Chinese boarding students?I am the Chinese family
Welcome to China we home free boarding,
Willing to come to China to learn Chinese
To experience the Chinese culture
In addition:
Hire an English standard teacher
To our Chinese schools teaching
Mail: maifanstone@hotmail.com
Hello, Im a 19 year old looking to make my journey into China. Its been my goal for quite some time now, and Im stuck at finding living space and a job upon arrival. Im really unsure about what to do as far as that is concerned, yet I can barely hold myself back from going. Any help would be more than appreciated!!!
EMail: pthompson2991@aol.com
In The Doghouse 4 years ago
So awesome, thank you for sharing.