The Teach Abroad China Alliance (TACA) is already up and running! We have members from all over China and the world who are coming together to share their ideas about teaching. Join this free support group for foreign teachers in China by signing up below. This support group is available by membership only. See you on [...]
Archive for the ‘Living in China’ Category
This Is China: A Video Pictorial
Posted by Robert Vance on October 27th, 2008
We want to thank our viewers who sent us photos to use in this beautiful video pictorial. China is truly a beautiful and sometimes strange place for those who have are not familiar with her ancient and rich culture. Enjoy this video and think about coming to China in the future.
A Video on How to Make Chinese Dumplings
Posted by Robert Vance on September 18th, 2008
There are many kinds of Chinese dumplings that you can make. In this video, we are making crab and mushroom dumplings but you can choose to make any kind of dumplings you want. Whatever you choose, you will definitely need Dumpling Covers which is ’Jiaozi Pi Er’ in Chinese Pinyin or ’饺子皮儿’ in Chinese characters.
You will also need: Meat, [...]
The Paradoxical Land of China
Posted by Robert Vance on August 27th, 2008
Recently, I was invited to be a guest author on the website TransitionsAbroad.com, an online magazine that provides helpful and timely information about living and traveling abroad. This month, the well known and award winning website featured a webzine on Asia which includes an article that I wrote entitled This is China, Living Abroad in a [...]
Posted in Living in China 
Tags: China, China information, china travel, chinese history, lhasa, Living in China, Study Chinese, Tibet, travel in China 
No Comments »Bargaining in China to Avoid the Foreign Discount
Posted by Robert Vance on August 8th, 2008
During my early days in China, I often fell victim to what other ex-pats in China have called the “foreigner discount.” Whether buying fruit, pens, taxi rides, or dogs from the pet market, I frequently discovered later that I had paid 5 or sometimes even 10 times more than a local would have paid. This [...]
My Experience at a Chinese Hospital
Posted by Robert Vance on July 21st, 2008
The ceiling above my outstretched body was just a blur as my stretcher was rushed down a long dark corridor. “Get out of the way! Move it!.” I am guessing that is what my Chinese attendants were yelling as they rolled me towards a large operating room on the other end of the hospital. For [...]
Packing for your Trip to China
Posted by Robert Vance on July 3rd, 2008
After you have signed your first contract to teach ESL in China, you have to start thinking about what you are going to bring with you to China. Packing for your trip to China may seem overwhelming especially when you know that you will be living in China for at least a year. So what [...]
Who Should Pay for Dinner in China?
Posted by Robert Vance on June 16th, 2008
I do not remember paying for anything during my first month of teaching in China. Whether I was eating dinner, playing badminton, singing at KTV, or watching a movie at the local theater, one of my Chinese friends would always ‘pick up the tab.’ If I started to pull money out of my wallet, my [...]
Posted in Living in China Tags: chinese culture, Chinese Customs, KTV, live in China, Play Badminton, teach English in China 1 Comment »Dating and Sex in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 25th, 2008
“Two American men were deported for sleeping with too many girls,” a foreign friend reported to me sometime ago. “They gave a number of girls hope about marriage and traveling to America and the girls willingly gave themselves to the guys.” My friend was a teacher in a small town in Central China were news [...]
Money Tips for Expats Living in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 8th, 2008
“How much money should I take with me to China?” is a common question that I receive when I am working with prospective teachers. Of course, the answer to this question really depends on the person. People who are high maintenance, like to party, and go on buying sprees are naturally going to spend the most money in [...]
