Weddings in the Chinese countryside are expensive, and not just for the couple who is getting married. Recently, I had the unique opportunity to attend a wedding in China, and as a close friend of both families, I was expected to give a red envelope (hongbao 红包) to the blissful couple. And not just once. [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Living in China’
Please Do Not Be Lonely on Christmas in China
Posted by Jean Chesterton on December 23rd, 2008
Dear Friends,
I am on Christmas vacation this week but I wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. For those of you who are not going home for the holidays, Christmas week can be a little bit lonely but it doesn’t have to be. These days, you can buy a Christmas tree for next [...]
Why Do People Stare at Me in China?
Posted by Jean Chesterton on October 21st, 2008
Dear Jean,
I am really happy these days because after just a few weeks in China I think I have managed to defeat culture shock and adapt myself to the culture. I even tried some snake the other day and I have to say it was quite delicious. However, there is still one thing that bothers me about living here. [...]
What if I Get in Trouble While I am in China?
Posted by Robert Vance on October 7th, 2008
Dear Jean,
Next week I am leaving for China. I signed a year contract back in July so I have had plenty of time to prepare for my big journey. I think that I have everything in order but there is something that has been nagging me lately. Maybe it’s because I saw the movie Babel [...]
My English Student Junior
Posted by Robert Vance on September 2nd, 2008
His name is Junior. He does not look remarkable; he is short with glasses and sports a buzz haircut. His lunch, which he carries to school every day is also unremarkable. It usually consists of mostly rice and vegetables which a little meat scattered here and there. Junior is one of my adult English students [...]
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 »Is There Deodorant in China?
Posted by Jean Chesterton on August 19th, 2008
Ask Jean about Chinais a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.
Dear Jean,
I am planning on moving to China for a year in September to help my company open up [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Sharon Stone and Chinese Hotels Dominate the Weekly China Roundup
Posted by Robert Vance on June 1st, 2008
The Weekly China Roundup from Sino News on TeachAbroadChina.com
– My article on Sex and Dating in China has received a lot of attention this week on the web. While the post was meant to encourage foreigners about treating relationships with ‘kid gloves’ in China, some have criticized the post for focusing too much on foreign men dating Chinese [...]
