Hey all,
I'm going to be teaching in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. Any experiences there? Thoughts on the city? Advice would be appreciated.
--------------------------
The actual school will be Sino-Canadian Nanchang No. 2 High School. Anyone have any experience or stories from there, too?
This is the Chinese website for the school: http://www.jxncez.cn/Index.shtml
This is an old ad for ESL teachers (although I'll be teaching NS curriculum, not English): http://www.cathayteacher.com/index.php?post_id=11641
Thanks for your input!
Nanchang
Response
Nanchang is a small city oasis in the middle of nowhere. It looks big, and probably is by non-Chinese standards but its a very provincial city. Its a popular stop on the backpacker trail as it tends to be on the way to where ever you are going. It does have a small expat community mostly ESOL teachers will form your social base. Its the kind of city that you can get a Coke easily but you will spend days (weekends) tracking down some kind or form of western convenience. You will either live in an apartment community, which is a group of independent property owners that build in a common community and share management (maintenance) and amenities (store, club room, playground, athletic courts, pool, etc.) or an independent apartment. A complex given your IS would likely be better, as residential apartments for Chinese ISs tend to be utilitarian. Apartments in China tend to be generous in size and furnishings for foreigners. Its common for a one person apartment to actually have two rooms including a bath, living area, dining area and kitchen (a 1SLDK). Your apartment will have appliances, furniture, entertainment electronics, so at most you will have to buy is some kitchenware (though there may be this in your apartment, the knives wont cut anything) and very likely linens (sheets, pillows, towels). Attached to your kitchen, there will be a little balcony or patio where the propane gas tanks are or your gas line is, this will also be where washing machine is (assuming you have one) its very unlikely you will have a dryer (VERY unlikely) and you hang your clothes to dry on your balcony. Back by the gas there will also be a box mounted on the wall about the size of a large first aid kit this is the water heater, It will break. There isnt a large water heater that keeps hot water continuously available (too much energy and expensive), instead this little box heats 1-3 liters of water to a VERY hot temperature (close to boiling) it then mixes it with the tap to get the right temperature. Its pretty fast, but many Chinese install the type with a switch that turn the unit on and off, meaning it can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes (about 5 minutes per L) for there to be actual hot water available. Your kitchen wont have an oven, you will have 1-2 gas burners (stove tops) a microwave (about 700W) a sink, a drying rack, a small cold box refrigerator. The cold box may have a small compartment that holds ice trays right next to the condenser unit, but these cold boxes are not ice boxes, they are not designed for commercial long term storage of food. Many Chinese insist on fresh food, so they will shop at the market daily or every other day, and thats what the cold box is designed for, keeping your drinks cool and your produce crisp, but nothing left int here will last very long. It gets cool but not really cold. You will also find it to be small about 2-3 cubic meters. You wont have a dish washer, but there will be two things you dont usually find in a kitchen. One is a vacuum flask for drinking water, which is the kind of water cooler you find in an office. There are different models some have only one tap, and some have internal components to both heat and chill the water (so you can make tea from it without a pot, or ice chilled water), some have built in filters, and you cn get different brands of water very similar to bottled water such as spring water, distilled water, purified water, and imported water. The cost of the water bottles varies but if you get a local brand and nothing fancy its about 20RMB, and either your IS or your management office can place an order for you. Delivery is typically the same day if made before 1:00pm. Its important to never do anything with the tap water at the sink other than cleaning dishes, you could technically boil it, but why bother. Which brings us to the second appliance in the kitchen which if you are a science teacher you will recognize as the same type of cabinet that safety goggles would be placed in to UV sanitize them, and thats what this does. You wash and dry your dishware and flatware and then place them in here for 10-30 minutes to sanitize them by UV light. If you are VERY lucky you may have a dishwasher. Your bedroom will likely have a full size bed or larger, though it may likely be a European style, meaning the box spring is nothing more than a box (no coils, etc), and the mattress is likely to be foam (not memory foam). You dont find fitted sheets (and when you do they are expensive, you use a second flay sheet and tuck it under the mattress at the ends. You can of course spend huge amounts of money on high end bedding. You will also have various bureau drawers and armoires. You may or may not have a closet, likely you wont, and if you dont there will be a movable clothing bar to hang clothes on. Some owners are sensitive to foreign needs of a closet and will wall in a small area int he corner of the bedroom as a closet. Your bedroom may or may not have a television. Air Conditioning is not Central, but is provided through wall units in each room. They are typically the long Mitsubishi type models, that use a remote control. I advise taking a photo of your television, A/C remotes, and washing machine then printing them out and having the IS secretary or someone in the apartment office translate them for you on the print outs.
Your living room will have a sofa, chairs, tables and a television. You dont see audio/stereo systems much anymore. If you are fortunate your IS and the property owner will have the apartment wired for ADSL (internet) and if not you can typically have this done though the cost can be expensive since you have to pay for the entire years of service at the time of installation (about $250USD), depending on the speed. Television programing will get you some local channels, none of which you will be able to understand, though you may get one English channel. Your property may provide a satellite package and options which they will discuss when you when you move in (When you move in you typically have 4 decisions to make and discuss: Water, Internet, Satellite and Telephone). The typical "foreigner" package is a handful of channels out of Hong Kong that will include BBC and then some western channels that play old seasons of western prime time programing, sometimes you can get HBO. Some properties have very well developed programing, because they have legal systems, but most of the time it s a pirated system and equipment, and your paying the property owner to spit and share what is essentially one programing feed. That leaves telephone, meaning a land line, which no one uses, and is often offered because it is very expensive, and some owners will quote a price for a new or discounted installation even if the line is already there, and all someone does is connect a box or throw a switch. Everybody uses mobile phones.
Mobile phone service in China is basically prepaid. You go to a Kiosk typically in a shopping center and buy a SIM card for about 50-100 RMB that gets you the SIM card a phone number and some starter time. The agent will install your SIM card, activate it and then call herself, and then using the caller ID save the number in your phone. After that you buy prepaid scratch cards with values from 10-100RMB scratch of the silver area, call the number on the back of the phone (there is an English option int he instructions) and tap int he code, a few moments later the value is added to the card. Calls and SMS (texts) cost about .1-.3RMB./min/txt. You can also get data service now where you buy a bucket of data in 100/500MB increments and add it much like any other phone card. As a foreigner you cant really get a contract plan, what you can do is set up automatic billing to a credit card that refills your account when it reaches a certain threshold. This can get very expensive, since there is no "unlimited" anything, most Chinese are diligent about turning off mobile data when WiFi is available. There are essentially two types of mobile service plans. One you pay for every minute and text sent and received but can be used while roaming. The other type you pay for calls and texts sent, but incoming texts and calls are free (not billed against your balance) but only can be used locally. I recommend the local free incoming type plans (there is actually a version where the first minute only of the incoming call is free and a version where the whole incoming call is free). You can get a variety of handsets in China, Huawei is a very popular local brand, or you can use an unlocked GSM phone from home. Many kiosks will "cut" a SIM card to fit an iPhone. You can also buy various IDD long distance cards and you can use IP Mobile phone to make cheaper long distance calls. Most ITs use Skype or another IP communication service. You will also find a lot of internet cafes. Some of them look a lot like Starbucks with a computer room and some of them are just a room with a few rows of computers (much like a school computer lab). Many Chinese do not have in home internet outside of their phones (mobile computing) so when they want to use a computer they either go to a school (such as a university) or they use an internet cafe. Costs vary depending on the quality of the hardware.
Electrical current in China is 220V meaning you will need a converter for US appliances if they arent dual voltage (such as a laptop). Most outlets use the flat two prong type, though China does have a flat 3 prong "Y" type of plug as well.
Your IS will arrange for a passbook banking account at a local bank. Either your salary will be deposited into this account or you will get an envelope of cash. Its called a passbook account because it comes with a small bankbook about the size of your passport. When you make a transaction at the bank you fill out the transaction slip and hand it to the teller with your passport and passbook. They will record the transaction and balance by machine. This is your statement, you will not get monthly statement mailed to you. You can also go in and have your passbook updated with your ATM transactions when you want. When your passbook is full you get a new one. Your account will also come with an ATM bank card, which you can use at ATM machines (cost is 2 RMB per currency transaction) or at POS terminals in various stores. Your bank may offer you a V/MC credit card as well.
Get used to using cash. In western regions credit and debit cards are the preferred form of currency, in China its still cash, and many businesses do not have card readers for credit cards or ATM terminals.
Transportation is very economical at about 1-2RMB per ride by bus, there is a new light rail being built and the first line should open this year. In addition taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap at about 6 RMB for the first 2 km and 2 RMB/km after. You IS is likely to also provide a daily shuttle between the IS and your apartment community. If you find a driver you like you can get their mobile number and have essentially an on demand car service, just SMS them your location for a pickup. Buying a bike is also an option and bikes are widely available for purchase.
I would not drive in China, sorry I dont have the stones for that. Chinese tend to have two speed "go" and "no go". Traffic signals and signs are more suggestions than regulations, and as a foreigner any accident is going to be your fault. Learn early how to cross the street in China its less about traffic signals and going with the flow which requires establishing eye contact with drivers and communicating intent. I would advise just following others for your first couple of weeks, until you get the hang of it.
Markets are pretty easy, there are lots of convenience stores that sell all kinds of things from paying bills to pharmacies. Its easier to buy a stamp and envelope from the conbini then going to the post office. The meat department will have VERY fresh food, while you can get your choice of meat cuts you will find a big wading pool with customers using little baskets to fish out live shrimp. You will also find tanks with fish, turtles, eels, clams (Albion) which is often served in place of beef fillett at dinner parties, as well as on high end dining menus. You will also not find large bulk sizes of many products. Many people take a bus, or a bike or a taxi, so small portable sizes of items are more commonly available, such as tissue paper (toilet) will often be available in only single rolls or 4 packs. Another option is delivery, its not uncommon to talk with the manager and arrange for delivery of a large quantity of items (Alibaba and Amazon are also options). You do not find coupons or shopping memberships, instead various manufactures will set up displays attended by some young pretty girl with discounted products, and stores will advertise special prices all the time.
You can find just about anything in China, so while their are lots of options there is little variety within a particular product. If you are brand or label loyal, it is very likely there will only be a few options, and most of them will be local brands. You will likely only find one internationaly recognized brand of things such as shampoo and shaving cream for example on the shelves.
It is appropriate to bargain with street vendors and shops, but not "markets" where there are fixed prices. A lot of goods are available at specialty shops, that specialize in one or only a few type of products. So while you can buy towels at a market store (there is a Walmart) there is a towel linen shop somewhere that sells just towels at very low prices.
It is a very good idea to build a relationship with the local hotels and their are about 5 international hotels in Nanchang. They are a wealth of information and services. Need your favorite cereal a hotel is likely to have it or can get it. Need to send an international fax hotel can make it happen. Need directions or a reservation, a referral or recommendation, no problem. Hotels provide lots of convenience with English speakers.
Your IS probably has a local clinic for minor ailments (or they may have an onsite nurse/health center) and a hospital for major medical problems. You will pay for your care and treatment and then apply for reimbursement, you will hopefully get some of it back. ISs are loath to advance any type of payment for medical care especially at the hospital since the probability of you returning home means the IS is going to have to pay the bill. It is important to otherwise take care of yourself. Your contract says (its standard) that if you are absent for more than 30 days your contract is cancelled. Medication is much less controlled in China and pharmacists can diagnose and treat many minor maladays such as the cold etc and prescribe antibiotics, etc. The cost of these consultations and medication is very very cheap. Narcotics and abusable medications are the ones you need a doctors prescription for and they are often dispensed at the hospital and the tendency is that all westerners are drug addicts and to give you the weakest pain medication to treat your condition. medical care is very good in China, if it is very clinical and technical. You need to be specific and detailed, understand that title inflation is very common in China. A doctor is likely really a nurse (just as the Assistant Manager is just customer service, everyone is an assistant manager).
Packing:
1) Medical: You dont know when your health insurance is going to kick in, when youll have a chance to see a doctor, and a lot of other factors. Generally medication is MUCH cheaper out of the states. Have your prescriptions written in their chemical/empirical formulation (Tylenol is not Acetaminophen its Paracetamol). Have your doctor write a letter listing all your medications, dosages, and what you take them for. Have your doctor stamp it with their department of health stamp. Have your optometrist do the same for your glasses/contact lens. If you use contacts research in advance whats available. Some of the newer lenses arent available yet in many places. Having that little white prescription slip, just isnt the same. Some places require a medical examination and blood work for a visa/work permit. Talk with your school about this in advance, some schools will want you to have it done in advance some schools will take you to a clinic when you arrive. Understand that many Asian countries will not admit you if you have HIV or TB (thats the reason for the blood work and chest x-ray). You might want to have a physical before you leave and a letter about any chronic or current medical conditions you have. Im on the fence about vaccinations. Im vaccinated against everything practically, but unless your teaching out in a very rural or undeveloped area (such as a jungle) about the only thing id really recommend is hep a and hep b. If your traveling to Africa you HAVE to have a yellow fever vaccination, even if the area isnt endemic now, you dont know how it will change.
2) Documentation: Bring AND have uploaded a copy of your contract, work permit, airline itinerary, passport, drivers license (including international driving permit/IDP). You should also have copies of your kids birth certificates and your marriage certificate (as well as their passports and other documents).
If your planing on driving in your new country you might need an IDP. They are only good for a year, but Ive heard people get and pay for 2 of them and just have them dated for subsequent years. That said if your REALLY going to drive you need to get a local license at some point, try to AVOID giving them your USA drivers license as in some countries they find their way on the black market. Your passport is the most important document, and you should register with the nearest embassy/consulate in your area when you arrive. Avoid walking around with your passport, yes you can be asked for it anytime, but the only time you really HAVE to have it is when your going to the bank, checking into a hotel, going to the consulate and registering at the police/immigration office. The rest of the time carry a photo copy of the ID page and your visa page. If you ever get stopped and asked why you dont have the original tell them your very sorry, and you didnt know, but loosing your passport is a time consuming and expensive process, you have to replace the passport AND the visa. Once you get a PR/or alien registration card, carry that with you. Lastly have copies of important banking, including credit card numbers and checking account and routing (ISBN and SWIFT) numbers if you have bills back home to pay or plan on doing a wire transfer.
3) Personal care: So basically unless your really brand loyal to a certain product (shampoo, shaving cream, makeup, razor blade) you can most likely find a local available brand. If your happy with any shampoo for instance you will be fine. When you start getting picky thats when you have problems. Most stores will have one (maybe 2) international brands and unless you understand the language you will recognize them from their packaging. These tend to be the most expensive as well. Some things are just not available (if you use a new razor, you might not be able to find the blade refills), in which case you have to consider the cost of ordering them online or having someone back home send them to you, or switching. Its very impractical except for small things that have a long reuse time to bring enough of something for a whole year (things like soap, shampoo, mouthwash, etc). Ive had several ethnic coworkers who were very unhappy they couldnt get certain hair care products.
Personally, the two things i have trouble with finding are antiperspirant and contact lenses. I use to have a problem finding rubbing alchohol, but then i just bought a bottle of 180 proof grain alchohol and problem solved.
Woman have it harder, guys need like a dozen things tops woman seem to amass a never ending number of bath/beauty stuff (i had a teacher this year who couldnt find a ped egg, (i dont know what that is), but took her months to stop complaining about it). If you HAVE to have proactive or some other very specific bathroom thing, you need to find out if its available and then decide if its important enough to you to order and ship overseas. Lastly, if you ever need to find something the airport may have a shop that carries your specific item, and also try asking or checking at one of the international hotels in your area. Sometimes the concierge can direct you to a supplier, or you may find that a shop in the surrounding area has it. You may also be surprised what you can buy from a hotel directly. I had the hardest time finding frosted flakes and was at a hotel brunch once that had frosted flakes, and then talked to the restaurant manager who was happy to sell me boxes of it (though it was expensive).
On a side note hotels are AMAZING resources. Need to send an international fax, no problem. Need something translated, they can do that. Want to go for a swim, ask about a daily facility pass. Want a bottle of Moscatto, the wine steward can take care of you. Need a haircut with someone who understand English, they probably have a salon, and if they dont have it, they can tell you where to find it. Want to find a certain place, walk up to a hotels front desk and say your sorry but your trying to get to such and such place and they will write the name of the place down on the back of a business card in the local language then write the name of the place in English on the front and show the card to a cab driver.
4) Clothes: It should be no surprise, that you should find out the weather on your region and plan according, (you will not need a lot of sweaters in Singapore, but you will need a light jacket, sweater or wrap. Outside Singapore is hot and humid but INSIDE the air-con is set at 65-70). Some places have wet seasons where everyday you need an umbrella, dont bring one but buy one there. Check or ask about your schools dress code, some schools are fine with casual dress (khakis and shirt), some expect business attire (shirt/tie/jacket). As far as wardrobe stick with one or at max two themes. Blacks and neutrals work well for me., these type of overall themes are easy to adapt with accessories (Its easier to bring one black suit, and 5 ties, then 5 black suits and one tie). Woman have the hardest time with this because they have "outfits" that are composed of individual pieces that dont work with anything else in their wardrobe. Thats a lot of space for one days cloths. I think everyone should have one stunning piece and thats it. Understand that you may or may not have a washer and dryer. You will likely have access to a washer, but in a number of countries they dont use have dryer, you line dry your cloths. As such you should bring clothes that are machine washable, and anti wrinkle or no iron. Plan your wardrobe for longevity. There is little use in bringing 20 pairs of socks, socks are cheap and easy to find. Same thing with button down shirts and other "basics".
The only two things that are must haves are large sized shoes (above a 10) and large cupped bras (above a B) are next to impossible to find in a lot of asian countries. if your loyal (or your kids) are to "American" brand anything like A&F, Aeropostale, Hollister, etc, those brands are not likely to be available locally, or at very high (almost couture) prices.
5) Electronics: Bring your laptop, tablet, etc. Make sure you brink the adapter and a plug convertor. Be wary of other computer devices, most of them will need transformers and things like hard drives could easily short or overload. Things like hard drives, scanners, printers, are affordable and readily available. Of course if you need the hard drive because of the data, then you need it.
Smart phones are a maybe, if you have a GSM phone and can get it unlocked then bring it. If your on Verizon, or Sprint or other CDMA carrier, know that most of the rest of the world uses GSM, and your phone isnt likely to work. Maybe if you have a high end SLR camera, and wont settle for a phone camera bring that (but thats a lot of bulk). Aside from that the only other thing id recommend are an electric razor (if its dual power). Hairdryers and other small electronics are generally inexpensive cheap.
DVD's are a maybe, on one hand you can watch them on your laptop, and there isnt likely to be a lot of English language or American programing. Everywhere Ive gone there has been only a couple channels. That said region 1 DVD (USA) probably wonk work in a foreign DVD player, and an American DVD player (NTSC) is not going to support a foreign video standards. In many Asian countries DVDs can be DIRT cheap, like $.25-$.50 each (yeah they are counterfeit), but thats the way it is.
Your living room will have a sofa, chairs, tables and a television. You dont see audio/stereo systems much anymore. If you are fortunate your IS and the property owner will have the apartment wired for ADSL (internet) and if not you can typically have this done though the cost can be expensive since you have to pay for the entire years of service at the time of installation (about $250USD), depending on the speed. Television programing will get you some local channels, none of which you will be able to understand, though you may get one English channel. Your property may provide a satellite package and options which they will discuss when you when you move in (When you move in you typically have 4 decisions to make and discuss: Water, Internet, Satellite and Telephone). The typical "foreigner" package is a handful of channels out of Hong Kong that will include BBC and then some western channels that play old seasons of western prime time programing, sometimes you can get HBO. Some properties have very well developed programing, because they have legal systems, but most of the time it s a pirated system and equipment, and your paying the property owner to spit and share what is essentially one programing feed. That leaves telephone, meaning a land line, which no one uses, and is often offered because it is very expensive, and some owners will quote a price for a new or discounted installation even if the line is already there, and all someone does is connect a box or throw a switch. Everybody uses mobile phones.
Mobile phone service in China is basically prepaid. You go to a Kiosk typically in a shopping center and buy a SIM card for about 50-100 RMB that gets you the SIM card a phone number and some starter time. The agent will install your SIM card, activate it and then call herself, and then using the caller ID save the number in your phone. After that you buy prepaid scratch cards with values from 10-100RMB scratch of the silver area, call the number on the back of the phone (there is an English option int he instructions) and tap int he code, a few moments later the value is added to the card. Calls and SMS (texts) cost about .1-.3RMB./min/txt. You can also get data service now where you buy a bucket of data in 100/500MB increments and add it much like any other phone card. As a foreigner you cant really get a contract plan, what you can do is set up automatic billing to a credit card that refills your account when it reaches a certain threshold. This can get very expensive, since there is no "unlimited" anything, most Chinese are diligent about turning off mobile data when WiFi is available. There are essentially two types of mobile service plans. One you pay for every minute and text sent and received but can be used while roaming. The other type you pay for calls and texts sent, but incoming texts and calls are free (not billed against your balance) but only can be used locally. I recommend the local free incoming type plans (there is actually a version where the first minute only of the incoming call is free and a version where the whole incoming call is free). You can get a variety of handsets in China, Huawei is a very popular local brand, or you can use an unlocked GSM phone from home. Many kiosks will "cut" a SIM card to fit an iPhone. You can also buy various IDD long distance cards and you can use IP Mobile phone to make cheaper long distance calls. Most ITs use Skype or another IP communication service. You will also find a lot of internet cafes. Some of them look a lot like Starbucks with a computer room and some of them are just a room with a few rows of computers (much like a school computer lab). Many Chinese do not have in home internet outside of their phones (mobile computing) so when they want to use a computer they either go to a school (such as a university) or they use an internet cafe. Costs vary depending on the quality of the hardware.
Electrical current in China is 220V meaning you will need a converter for US appliances if they arent dual voltage (such as a laptop). Most outlets use the flat two prong type, though China does have a flat 3 prong "Y" type of plug as well.
Your IS will arrange for a passbook banking account at a local bank. Either your salary will be deposited into this account or you will get an envelope of cash. Its called a passbook account because it comes with a small bankbook about the size of your passport. When you make a transaction at the bank you fill out the transaction slip and hand it to the teller with your passport and passbook. They will record the transaction and balance by machine. This is your statement, you will not get monthly statement mailed to you. You can also go in and have your passbook updated with your ATM transactions when you want. When your passbook is full you get a new one. Your account will also come with an ATM bank card, which you can use at ATM machines (cost is 2 RMB per currency transaction) or at POS terminals in various stores. Your bank may offer you a V/MC credit card as well.
Get used to using cash. In western regions credit and debit cards are the preferred form of currency, in China its still cash, and many businesses do not have card readers for credit cards or ATM terminals.
Transportation is very economical at about 1-2RMB per ride by bus, there is a new light rail being built and the first line should open this year. In addition taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap at about 6 RMB for the first 2 km and 2 RMB/km after. You IS is likely to also provide a daily shuttle between the IS and your apartment community. If you find a driver you like you can get their mobile number and have essentially an on demand car service, just SMS them your location for a pickup. Buying a bike is also an option and bikes are widely available for purchase.
I would not drive in China, sorry I dont have the stones for that. Chinese tend to have two speed "go" and "no go". Traffic signals and signs are more suggestions than regulations, and as a foreigner any accident is going to be your fault. Learn early how to cross the street in China its less about traffic signals and going with the flow which requires establishing eye contact with drivers and communicating intent. I would advise just following others for your first couple of weeks, until you get the hang of it.
Markets are pretty easy, there are lots of convenience stores that sell all kinds of things from paying bills to pharmacies. Its easier to buy a stamp and envelope from the conbini then going to the post office. The meat department will have VERY fresh food, while you can get your choice of meat cuts you will find a big wading pool with customers using little baskets to fish out live shrimp. You will also find tanks with fish, turtles, eels, clams (Albion) which is often served in place of beef fillett at dinner parties, as well as on high end dining menus. You will also not find large bulk sizes of many products. Many people take a bus, or a bike or a taxi, so small portable sizes of items are more commonly available, such as tissue paper (toilet) will often be available in only single rolls or 4 packs. Another option is delivery, its not uncommon to talk with the manager and arrange for delivery of a large quantity of items (Alibaba and Amazon are also options). You do not find coupons or shopping memberships, instead various manufactures will set up displays attended by some young pretty girl with discounted products, and stores will advertise special prices all the time.
You can find just about anything in China, so while their are lots of options there is little variety within a particular product. If you are brand or label loyal, it is very likely there will only be a few options, and most of them will be local brands. You will likely only find one internationaly recognized brand of things such as shampoo and shaving cream for example on the shelves.
It is appropriate to bargain with street vendors and shops, but not "markets" where there are fixed prices. A lot of goods are available at specialty shops, that specialize in one or only a few type of products. So while you can buy towels at a market store (there is a Walmart) there is a towel linen shop somewhere that sells just towels at very low prices.
It is a very good idea to build a relationship with the local hotels and their are about 5 international hotels in Nanchang. They are a wealth of information and services. Need your favorite cereal a hotel is likely to have it or can get it. Need to send an international fax hotel can make it happen. Need directions or a reservation, a referral or recommendation, no problem. Hotels provide lots of convenience with English speakers.
Your IS probably has a local clinic for minor ailments (or they may have an onsite nurse/health center) and a hospital for major medical problems. You will pay for your care and treatment and then apply for reimbursement, you will hopefully get some of it back. ISs are loath to advance any type of payment for medical care especially at the hospital since the probability of you returning home means the IS is going to have to pay the bill. It is important to otherwise take care of yourself. Your contract says (its standard) that if you are absent for more than 30 days your contract is cancelled. Medication is much less controlled in China and pharmacists can diagnose and treat many minor maladays such as the cold etc and prescribe antibiotics, etc. The cost of these consultations and medication is very very cheap. Narcotics and abusable medications are the ones you need a doctors prescription for and they are often dispensed at the hospital and the tendency is that all westerners are drug addicts and to give you the weakest pain medication to treat your condition. medical care is very good in China, if it is very clinical and technical. You need to be specific and detailed, understand that title inflation is very common in China. A doctor is likely really a nurse (just as the Assistant Manager is just customer service, everyone is an assistant manager).
Packing:
1) Medical: You dont know when your health insurance is going to kick in, when youll have a chance to see a doctor, and a lot of other factors. Generally medication is MUCH cheaper out of the states. Have your prescriptions written in their chemical/empirical formulation (Tylenol is not Acetaminophen its Paracetamol). Have your doctor write a letter listing all your medications, dosages, and what you take them for. Have your doctor stamp it with their department of health stamp. Have your optometrist do the same for your glasses/contact lens. If you use contacts research in advance whats available. Some of the newer lenses arent available yet in many places. Having that little white prescription slip, just isnt the same. Some places require a medical examination and blood work for a visa/work permit. Talk with your school about this in advance, some schools will want you to have it done in advance some schools will take you to a clinic when you arrive. Understand that many Asian countries will not admit you if you have HIV or TB (thats the reason for the blood work and chest x-ray). You might want to have a physical before you leave and a letter about any chronic or current medical conditions you have. Im on the fence about vaccinations. Im vaccinated against everything practically, but unless your teaching out in a very rural or undeveloped area (such as a jungle) about the only thing id really recommend is hep a and hep b. If your traveling to Africa you HAVE to have a yellow fever vaccination, even if the area isnt endemic now, you dont know how it will change.
2) Documentation: Bring AND have uploaded a copy of your contract, work permit, airline itinerary, passport, drivers license (including international driving permit/IDP). You should also have copies of your kids birth certificates and your marriage certificate (as well as their passports and other documents).
If your planing on driving in your new country you might need an IDP. They are only good for a year, but Ive heard people get and pay for 2 of them and just have them dated for subsequent years. That said if your REALLY going to drive you need to get a local license at some point, try to AVOID giving them your USA drivers license as in some countries they find their way on the black market. Your passport is the most important document, and you should register with the nearest embassy/consulate in your area when you arrive. Avoid walking around with your passport, yes you can be asked for it anytime, but the only time you really HAVE to have it is when your going to the bank, checking into a hotel, going to the consulate and registering at the police/immigration office. The rest of the time carry a photo copy of the ID page and your visa page. If you ever get stopped and asked why you dont have the original tell them your very sorry, and you didnt know, but loosing your passport is a time consuming and expensive process, you have to replace the passport AND the visa. Once you get a PR/or alien registration card, carry that with you. Lastly have copies of important banking, including credit card numbers and checking account and routing (ISBN and SWIFT) numbers if you have bills back home to pay or plan on doing a wire transfer.
3) Personal care: So basically unless your really brand loyal to a certain product (shampoo, shaving cream, makeup, razor blade) you can most likely find a local available brand. If your happy with any shampoo for instance you will be fine. When you start getting picky thats when you have problems. Most stores will have one (maybe 2) international brands and unless you understand the language you will recognize them from their packaging. These tend to be the most expensive as well. Some things are just not available (if you use a new razor, you might not be able to find the blade refills), in which case you have to consider the cost of ordering them online or having someone back home send them to you, or switching. Its very impractical except for small things that have a long reuse time to bring enough of something for a whole year (things like soap, shampoo, mouthwash, etc). Ive had several ethnic coworkers who were very unhappy they couldnt get certain hair care products.
Personally, the two things i have trouble with finding are antiperspirant and contact lenses. I use to have a problem finding rubbing alchohol, but then i just bought a bottle of 180 proof grain alchohol and problem solved.
Woman have it harder, guys need like a dozen things tops woman seem to amass a never ending number of bath/beauty stuff (i had a teacher this year who couldnt find a ped egg, (i dont know what that is), but took her months to stop complaining about it). If you HAVE to have proactive or some other very specific bathroom thing, you need to find out if its available and then decide if its important enough to you to order and ship overseas. Lastly, if you ever need to find something the airport may have a shop that carries your specific item, and also try asking or checking at one of the international hotels in your area. Sometimes the concierge can direct you to a supplier, or you may find that a shop in the surrounding area has it. You may also be surprised what you can buy from a hotel directly. I had the hardest time finding frosted flakes and was at a hotel brunch once that had frosted flakes, and then talked to the restaurant manager who was happy to sell me boxes of it (though it was expensive).
On a side note hotels are AMAZING resources. Need to send an international fax, no problem. Need something translated, they can do that. Want to go for a swim, ask about a daily facility pass. Want a bottle of Moscatto, the wine steward can take care of you. Need a haircut with someone who understand English, they probably have a salon, and if they dont have it, they can tell you where to find it. Want to find a certain place, walk up to a hotels front desk and say your sorry but your trying to get to such and such place and they will write the name of the place down on the back of a business card in the local language then write the name of the place in English on the front and show the card to a cab driver.
4) Clothes: It should be no surprise, that you should find out the weather on your region and plan according, (you will not need a lot of sweaters in Singapore, but you will need a light jacket, sweater or wrap. Outside Singapore is hot and humid but INSIDE the air-con is set at 65-70). Some places have wet seasons where everyday you need an umbrella, dont bring one but buy one there. Check or ask about your schools dress code, some schools are fine with casual dress (khakis and shirt), some expect business attire (shirt/tie/jacket). As far as wardrobe stick with one or at max two themes. Blacks and neutrals work well for me., these type of overall themes are easy to adapt with accessories (Its easier to bring one black suit, and 5 ties, then 5 black suits and one tie). Woman have the hardest time with this because they have "outfits" that are composed of individual pieces that dont work with anything else in their wardrobe. Thats a lot of space for one days cloths. I think everyone should have one stunning piece and thats it. Understand that you may or may not have a washer and dryer. You will likely have access to a washer, but in a number of countries they dont use have dryer, you line dry your cloths. As such you should bring clothes that are machine washable, and anti wrinkle or no iron. Plan your wardrobe for longevity. There is little use in bringing 20 pairs of socks, socks are cheap and easy to find. Same thing with button down shirts and other "basics".
The only two things that are must haves are large sized shoes (above a 10) and large cupped bras (above a B) are next to impossible to find in a lot of asian countries. if your loyal (or your kids) are to "American" brand anything like A&F, Aeropostale, Hollister, etc, those brands are not likely to be available locally, or at very high (almost couture) prices.
5) Electronics: Bring your laptop, tablet, etc. Make sure you brink the adapter and a plug convertor. Be wary of other computer devices, most of them will need transformers and things like hard drives could easily short or overload. Things like hard drives, scanners, printers, are affordable and readily available. Of course if you need the hard drive because of the data, then you need it.
Smart phones are a maybe, if you have a GSM phone and can get it unlocked then bring it. If your on Verizon, or Sprint or other CDMA carrier, know that most of the rest of the world uses GSM, and your phone isnt likely to work. Maybe if you have a high end SLR camera, and wont settle for a phone camera bring that (but thats a lot of bulk). Aside from that the only other thing id recommend are an electric razor (if its dual power). Hairdryers and other small electronics are generally inexpensive cheap.
DVD's are a maybe, on one hand you can watch them on your laptop, and there isnt likely to be a lot of English language or American programing. Everywhere Ive gone there has been only a couple channels. That said region 1 DVD (USA) probably wonk work in a foreign DVD player, and an American DVD player (NTSC) is not going to support a foreign video standards. In many Asian countries DVDs can be DIRT cheap, like $.25-$.50 each (yeah they are counterfeit), but thats the way it is.
Re: Nanchang
Thanks Psyguy. I didn't know about the use of hotels. That's neat; I'll keep it in mind.
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grdwdgrrrl
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 6:26 pm
Re: Nanchang
Nanchang is not on any backpacker route. I have had friends that lived their. The working spouse was a project manager for a foreign company. They moved from Shanghai and for the same money found a three story house with a garden. She brought her ayi from Shanghai to help with the transition. As soon as she hired a local ayi, things went down hill. The ayi spit on the floor. Used the toilet water to mop the floor etc, etc. We visited a couple times. It is a third tier Chinese city. It is a #%it hole comparatively speaking. There is a small expat community. The school is relatively new. Very small and cozy. Their daughter went as soon as it opened. Before that they were at a local "international" kindergarten where their daughter drew crowds of curious parents. Foreigners are a curiosity. You may or may not last two years. However, your Chinese will improve.
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
Re: Nanchang
So, one reviewer of Nanchang says it's an "oasis", another says it's a "shithole". I'm guessing the truth lies in the middle: that it's an average city, with all the dirt of other Chinese cities, but also with it's share of beauty (I'm personally hoping the lakes and smaller waterways are somewhat nice). I'm going to see if I can find a supplier so I can buy a canoe or two...
Both reviewers suggest Nanchang has a small expat community. I'm guessing this is in comparison to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing... I worry that it will be a dead town, though. I did find this web community for Nanchang: http://verynanchang.com/
It seems like the main online hub for expats in Nanchang.
Thanks to both reviewers for their input; I'm still hoping for other opinions, too!
Both reviewers suggest Nanchang has a small expat community. I'm guessing this is in comparison to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing... I worry that it will be a dead town, though. I did find this web community for Nanchang: http://verynanchang.com/
It seems like the main online hub for expats in Nanchang.
Thanks to both reviewers for their input; I'm still hoping for other opinions, too!
Reply
@reynard
By oasis I mean shade and water as opposed to sand and heat. It was not my intention to infer that Oasis was some type of paradise or Eden. Its well developed considering it is surrounded by a lot of nothing.
Most of the expats are ESOL teachers and they tend to arrive bank some coin and then head out when their funds are replenished or they have gotten bored.
By oasis I mean shade and water as opposed to sand and heat. It was not my intention to infer that Oasis was some type of paradise or Eden. Its well developed considering it is surrounded by a lot of nothing.
Most of the expats are ESOL teachers and they tend to arrive bank some coin and then head out when their funds are replenished or they have gotten bored.