NationStates Jolt Archive

I wonder if any posters here have lived or spent much time in the PRC.

I ask because Tuesday night I am flying to Guangzhou, to teach English there for a year at a nearby university. I have heard nothing but good things from the few westerners I do know who have been there, and wonder if NSG has any experience with Guangdong, or with China in general.

At any rate, I expect it to be quite an adventure, and to enjoy many fine meals.

"Na shi Ni de shu bao ma?" is about as close as I get, sorry.

OP: " I wonder if any posters here have lived or spent much time in the PRC. "

No, I haven't. But recently, I've found myself curiously interested in men of Asian decent.

Woo hoo - something I can answer.

I lived the past 7 years there though in Beijing not Guangzhou but the nature of my work means I've been all over China and I'm still in HK as it is.

You'll have a great time and, although I normally wouldn't normally encourage this, feel free to TG me for any information you might want.

My cousin has spent the last couple of years in China, also teaching English (mainly to businessmen). He seems to have enjoyed it a hell of a lot, and has many dangerous, sexy stories and adventures.

I live in Hong Kong and have been to Guangzhou. Also Yunnan, Shanghai, Tibet, Shenzhen and Guangdong.
TG me and I might be able to help you out.

In the meantime here's something to help you out, re: Putonghua
Survival Cantonese (http://www.newconceptmandarin.com/support/survCant_AsiaXpat.asp?tcode=YYPGYENW)
Survival Mandarin (http://www.newconceptmandarin.com/support/SurvMand_AsiaXpat.asp)

Woo hoo - something I can answer.

I lived the past 7 years there though in Beijing not Guangzhou but the nature of my work means I've been all over China and I'm still in HK as it is.
Where in HK are you, dare I ask?

My friend recently came back. If your teaching expect to teach huge classes 7 days a week. Foods terrible (cheap though) but he said he had alot of fun teaching and when he did get to see the countries sites it was very interesting.

Oh and Chinese girls are pretty hot sometimes.

Good luck, have fun.

Where in HK are you, dare I ask?

On HK island, I'll TG

On HK island, I'll TG
one back at ya.

I would recommend that you at least try to learn the language. There is nothing more distressfull than being in a foreign nation where few people are able to understand you beyond the most basic sentences. It will also hamper your ability to appriciate and enjoy your experiance there.

Secondly as (I presume) a westerner you might see a few things you can't appreciate or aren't used to. You might think that it is your duty to enlighten these people about the horrors of the Cultural Revolution and how terrible Mao was.

Take a step back, take a deep breath and continue small talking because:

1: Having a historic-political discussion with somebody that is in the process of learning english, well just ain't really worth it or intellectually satisfying.
2: Don't do it unless you want to get a long list returned to you of western atrocities.
3. Talking about politics with strangers is common in China, but only amongst Chinese. They don't like doing it with westerners and when they do they will build up a perfect picture of China which they themselves don't even believe but feel obliged in doing so to defend their countries honour.
4. If you still feel like doing it,fine, it can be quite interresting and rewarding but do it with somebody you know and is at least open for your arguments otherwise you'll just tire yourself needlessly.

Guandong today is much akin, to the booming of Chicago in the begining of the 20th century. It's wild, dynamic and sometimes even downright chaotic and corrupt, but thats in a sense its charm. I've worked in Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Shenzhen. Of those 4 Shenzhen (which is in Guandong) was the most exiting because the fact that China is changing is most visible there.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

As far as the food goes, I expect to enjoy it immensely.

My first priority while I'm there will be to learn Mandarin, as much as I can.

I'm actually going to be just south of Guangzhou, in the city of Jiangmen.


ETA- I have no interest in discussing politics with anyone, much less the Chinese.