When I was planning for my gap year a few years ago I was determined to go somewhere as different from the UK as possible – so picked China to go and teach. And while Beijing had McDonalds and Starbucks and Subway, I was definitely right that it was going to feel ‘foreign’!
In fact, I was so right that I ended up with a little bit of culture shock… So, with lots of people heading off to China soon on i-to-i’s teaching internships, I thought I’d put together a little list of hints to make sure you’re not as badly prepared as I was!
1. Remember the loo roll, ditch your inhibitions!
Now, I’m not suggesting that you pack a jumbo pack of Andrex in your suitcase, but whatever you do, make sure you remember to take loo roll with you whenever you go anywhere in China – generally toilets out and about (even in a lot of bars and restaurants) will not have loo roll. It may sound like a pretty mundane thing to worry about, but it makes a big difference! It’s also worth getting used to squat loos and (deep breaths please) not having doors, or sometimes even partitions, on cubicles. Don’t worry, after the initial shock you will get over it. Just remember, you’re the only one who’s embarrassed!
2. Learn the hand signals for numbers
Haggling is a way of life in China – you will come to know and love it! To help in this sport (and in general shopping) you’ll need to know your numbers. Knowing how to say them is not much cop though, because if you’re anything like me, you won’t pronounce them right (Chinese pronunciation is like solving complex quadratic equations – you either get it or you don’t. Sadly, I didn’t). Never fear, because you can learn the hand signals for them, which is much easier for all involved.
3. Don’t eat in restaurants with pictures of the food on the menu
I reckon this is a universal rule of thumb for travelling generally, but is especially true of China. Restaurants with menus made up of pictures of their food (especially if they’re in tourist trap areas) are generally designed for fleecing foreigners with dodgy dishes. If you’re teaching, ask a colleague if they’d like to go out to dinner and ask them to order some dishes they think you’d like – then ask them to write down the names of the dishes you enjoy in Chinese in a notebook. Do this with a few people and not only will you get to know some of the people you’re working with, you’ll also have the workings of a good menu reader going on – when you go to a restaurant point to what you fancy in your notebook and odds on the chef will be able to rustle it up for you. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous you can just point to a few random things on the menu. Worked for me!
4. Don’t be alarmed if people stop you in the street and chat to you
I got very unnerved when I first arrived in Beijing, as lots of people used to stop me in the street and chat to me in English – the conversation was usually exactly the same and involved the person in question asking for my phone number afterwards. This confused me for a few weeks, as none of the people I gave my number to ever called – until it turned out that this was an exercise English teachers often set their students – a little mission to chat to English people and get their phone numbers as proof. As I was living in a university I was a common target! So, chat to people if they strike up a conversation – they’re not trying to pick you up (most of the time anyway!)
5. Learn how to write Chinese characters
There’s no need to become a master at calligraphy, but it’s worth learning how to copy Chinese characters. It makes things much easier when you’re asking for directions, getting a cab or buying train tickets to show someone a piece of paper with where you’re trying to get to written on it – solves pronunciation problems (see point 3) and also makes it much easier for the person in question to gesticulate where you should be going or draw a little map if you’ve got a pen.
6. Don’t worry about the staring
No, you haven’t got something in your teeth – don’t panic! While staring is considered rude in Britain and the US, people in China don’t have such hang-ups. So, as something of a novelty, especially if you’re staying in a rural area that doesn’t have many Western visitors, you will find yourself the subject of quite a bit of attention! Try not to let it bother you – it’s not meant maliciously so just smile…
7. Never turn down an invitation
If one thing shocked me about China compared to the UK is how open and friendly everyone is – you’ll find lots of people wanting to take you out for meals, show you their city and generally make you feel as welcome as possible. I suppose this goes for everywhere in the world, but never turn down an invitation – I had an awesome time with everyone I met in Beijing – going shopping, eating out, being shown round different places in the city, and even ending up as a guest at a wedding. I can imagine if I’d turned down any of these invitations I would have had much less fun over there.
Hope that helps - any questions drop me a comment and I'll do my best to help! Also if anyone else has any China tips feel free to post them below!
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I'd like to add.... When using the non-western toilets, it's wise to wear closed toe shoes. I learned that lesson the hard (and gross) way!
Great article- all very true! I'd add to the firt point that it's also a good idea to carry wet wipes and a little bottle of hand sanitiser with you. There's often no soap or even water in the taps at toilets in less-touristy areas of China.
Hey Sal,
If you're heading out on the China internship I wouldn't worry too much about not being prepared - it's an internship first and foremost, so people aren't going to expect you to be super-teacher from the off! Your TEFL course should (hopefully!) have given you the tools you need, and even though you might feel pretty unprepared at the minute, when you step into a classroom it should all come flooding back. Also, when it comes to resources it's much better to meet your students first and get a feel for their needs and then get resources that'll suit them.
You should certainly get a chance to see a bit of China over the weekends - Keep in touch with the other interns you meet at induction week who are going to be placed in neighbouring areas as you'll be able to visit one another at weekends. And if you're heading out in February you should get May week (which is a week-long national holiday in early may) off for a few more adventures.
Hope that helps - best of luck with the internship and keep us posted with how you get on!
Hi Honor, great advice. I was just wondering how much teaching preparation to do before heading out to China. I am not sure whereabouts I will be placed or what age I will be teaching so don't feel I can do much, but don't want to be unprepared when I get there. Also because we only get weekends off I am wondering if there will be much chance for travelling around China because of the distances involved?! Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Sal
x
Hey Anastasiya,
That's cool you're heading out to China - don't worry too much about the dress code - I'd say smartish jeans (dark blue or black rather than stonewash) and tops are fine. Only tip I'd give is to just avoid flashing too much flesh - so I wouldn't go with anything above the knee (unless you're wearing leggings underneath) or vest tops that show off a lot of clevage. It's fine when you're out of work, but when you're teaching you want your students to respect you rather than be eyeing you up!!
Best of luck with February - make sure you keep us posted with how you get on!
Hi honor!
Thanks very much for the tips, they're really helpful. I'm going to China in Feb and I was just wandering whether the schools are picky about what you wear at all. My info letter said the dress code is smart casual, but that's not very specific. I know I'm probably worried over nothing, but now that the major stuff is sorted you start to worry about the details!
Thanks, Anastasiya
Ha Thank you! Can't wait to get packing!!
At 6ft you should be just about OK, but just in case I reckon you might want to pack what women's magazines call a 'capsule wardrobe', so 2 pairs of jeans; 1 pair of trousers; 1 pair of shorts; 4 shirts; 3 t-shirts; couple of jumpers; and a big coat (oh, and socks & pants of course!) Then you're ready for all weathers, but it's not too much to pack. Generally I'd say you should be fine for t-shirts and tops, but might have problems with trousers being too short.
Thanks Honor! Some great tips.... Was just wondering how hard would it be to buy clothes if you are 6ft and well built?? Its just i am unsure as to how much packing I will have to do! I would like to travel light and buy clothes out there but am unsure if they would have clothes that would fit the common Irish lad!
Thanks Honor, I really appreciate your advice, the nerves are starting to set in now and there's so much still to organise.... aaargh! Sarah
Hey Skent,
I'd say travel as light as possible! If you're going on the internship, it'll be really cold when you arrive, but by the end of the 4 and a half months will be really warm, so your best bet is to take a few clothes with you then buy what you need out there (clothes are really cheap so you should be fine). With teaching resources think whether you can put stuff on a USB stick and then print them out when you get there so you don't have to lug them around. Also, have a double check with your airline about baggage allowances. You shouldn't have much of a problem on trains - as long as you can carry your own bag and it's not too massive there should be somewhere you can put it.
Hope that helps - good luck for Feb and let us know how you get on!
Hi Honor! Great advice. I have a question for you. I'm flying out to China in February and really don't know how much luggage to take, specifically what size cases etc. I've got loads of books and teaching materials I want to take aswell as 'normal' luggage, but I'm mindful that travelling with several suitcases on trains could be highly problematical. Help please?! Thanks. Sarah
Thanks for the advice, very useful for my upcoming trip
Thanks for that! Very handy tips there...
This is a great guide! very well written, I'm planning on going to China in 2010 (already have a job lined up) so I am glad you wrote this!
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