China Through the Eyes of a New South African Teacher

I had the opportunity to chat to a fellow teacher who recently arrived in China. He is still finding his feet. He came to China alone but his wife will be joining him soon. This is his story.

As a South African, we have all felt the need to travel and experience life in a different country. We have always thought that the grass might be greener on the other side. However, leaving family, friends and loved ones behind has its own challenges and if you are not mentally prepared for it, the loneliness alone will get you on the first plane back to sunnier shores.

As I’m a married man and had to leave my wife to come to start a new career, the challenges have been greater than the norm. Apart from having to report every move you make to the police and getting up earlier than you normally would, there is also the unmistakeable feeling that you can’t really make friends of the opposite sex as it will only cause a rift and jealousy in your relationship.

Being married does have a positive side, but in hindsight you should never travel to a country alone when married. What does make it simpler in China, for my part, is the fact that I advertise that I am married and not interested in having any extramarital affairs. But this does add to loneliness and yearning for any kind of communication with people.

 The language barrier does cause a lot of problems as I’m unable to read, speak or write Chinese. There are people who do speak English very well, but they are few and far between. With a large population and many years of bringing foreign  English teachers to China, it amazes me that so few people are able to speak English.

Having two households to support can be a strain on your meagre income and the budget seems to shrink tremendously when you shop online. Here in China it’s easy to spend and not keep track of your expenses. Everything looks so easy to do, however, buying something does have its drawbacks as it is made for the local market and everything is in Chinese. Care should be taken when shopping online, watch your budget. Be careful not to trust the sizes according to South Africa measurements, a lesson that I had to learn very quickly. Even though Chinese men seem to be taller and broader than a few years ago, go figure, I am shorter and rounder than most of them, getting the right size is a challenge for the online shopper.

Get someone that can help you to return products, Taobao does have a 7 day no questions asked policy, this will come in handy when buying an incorrect size or product. Know your shoe size when you buy shoes, I had to buy a few shoes here, not being aware that each manufacturer makes shoes according to their size scale and not a standardized shoe size, go figure.

Electronic goods on the other hand should carry a warning that they are only to be used on China mainland and not globally. Looking for Google on any device is impossible. If you do not have a good VPN, it will not work, even then it is not allowed. Transferring data to a new device might seem easy but it will not be useable as everything is blocked. A VPN is illegal in China and many platfroms are blocked, like FaceBook, Google and Twiter.

Overcoming these challenges are important for every new person traveling to China. Be aware that you will not be able to use your phone, or any device as you did back home. Pay attention to the fact that it is for China mainland and not a global product. I must state that once you get to use Alipay and the translation application included in the app, it does become easier to order food or goods, which does have it drawback of overspending.

Sending money home has been so much easier than I first believed. Banking in China is no different from back home, stand in a queue and wait, it does take time to complete all the required documents, but once that is done it is an easy and painless experience. My bank knows me by now and it is easier to do the transactions, just walk in and they know it is the foreigner again sending money home to his wife. My experience in this area has been very good, just know which documents are required and have them prepared well in advance. Getting a tax clearance or tax number does take time and you need to keep it updated.

Buying anything from a store can also be a major obstacle to overcome. When it comes to paying and you do not have Alipay or WeChat, the only other method of paying would be using cash. Very few smaller stores accept cash, so be prepared for funny looks and pulling out a calculator to explain to this foreigner that it costs this much and no, I don’t accept cash with looks and grunts. Some credit cards are accepted at certain places, but I wouldn’t rely on them.

Prepare before coming to China for a change of views and accept that others are different from you. People speak a lot, men and woman spitting in the street and clearing their throats loudly. Being from South Africa that didn’t shock me as much as it should. However, spitting in the elevator or even in the lounge does disgust me no end. Noticing it too late has happened numerous times and the feeling of utter and overwhelming nausea has filled me many times.

Some habits may shock any new traveller and might be too much to bear, leading you to jump on the next flight out might be an option. In saying that, Chinese people are extremely friendly and welcoming, they always try to help and be accommodating to foreigners, their mannerism can seem to be brutish and unfriendly, this is just their way and is to be expected. Do not judge them or you will be sorely disappointed.

China is a beautiful country worth the effort, believe me it is an effort, to come teach here. Pay attention to your contract and make sure of every detail, make sure you download WeChat and Alipay when you get to China and have a Chinese telephone number. Before you come listen to your agent, asking questions is important after all you need to know what you are letting yourself into. Not everything is sunshine and roses, it is difficult, lonely and hard to teach and work in China.  Even so, the experience is something I would not change for all the money in the world.