#expats in china

[twinklecupcake]

It's almost father's day what did Chenguang and Mei prepare for Red Son

Chenguang hears about Father's Day thanks to some tourists and one of her daycare classmates having a US father.

When Red Son picks her up that day, Chenguang is in a panic, blurting out that they have to give him presents and she almost forgot to. He has to explain to her that she doesn't have to do that, and that it's okay, they don't really do Father's Day. And besides which, she honors him every day, just being herself and existing.

Which does make her happy, but she still goes to Mei later and asks if they can still do something for him.

Mei and Chenguang end up working together to make dinner (calling Pigsy and MK to help) and Chenguang draws him a picture.

[infjinthecity]

Teaching At A Chinese Public School

So I work at a relatively prestigious Chinese public school. Without completely doxing myself, some of the most powerful and wealthiest people in the country sent their kids to my school, so I understand that when I talk about my experiences teaching in China, I’m definitely coming from a place of privilege. Not all the schools are like this, and not all the schools have this caliber of kids, but there are some things about my experience here that is universal across the board.

For example, in high school (years 10 – 12) the kids live at the school. Even at less prestigious public schools, this remains true. Parents can opt out and keep their kids at home if they want to, but most don’t. It seems to serve a dual purpose: the kids are scheduled into classes from 7.30am until 9.00pm at night, therefore maxing out on their learning time, and the parents are free to work as much as possible, ensuring the productivity of the country. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet. The kids seem to like and accept it enough and don’t complain about it at all, but maybe that’s just because it’s the expected norm in the country. I will say this: of my students who don’t live in the dorms, and I do have a couple, those particular students tend to have more personality than their counterparts.

Another universal is that school in China is utterly cut-throat and competitive. When it comes to actually enrolling in a high school, all students are required to sit an entrance exam. Your score on that exam determines the kind of high school that you can go to, or whether you can go at all. Obviously, the score to get into my public school is exceptionally high, so I have some of the smartest kids in China walking around my campus. But for kids that don’t do so well on the high school entrance exam, their future is pretty much determined for them at a young age. Kids who don’t do well on those exams end up going to schools that take them out of the running to sit the Gaokao (which is the college entrance exam) and there isn’t a chance for them in the future to go to university. One of my students told me a story this week that his 15-year-old cousin didn’t pass the high school entrance exam at all. When I asked what he’s doing now, my student said that he ran away from home, stole his parent’s car, and is off not attending any school because he couldn’t get into one. He’s basically running around the country getting himself into mess. So yeah folks, that kind of stuff does happen in China too.

I work at the international center at my school. There are a few thousand kids that attend my school, and about 400 of them go to our center. We’re kind of like a school within the school. Our classes are all in English, and our students are all attending university abroad, unlike the other kids they share the dorms with, who are all sitting the Gaokao and will be competing for the elite positions at universities in China. This is another huge decision that kids and families make from an early age. If a student opts into the international center, they immediately take themselves out of the running to sit the Gaokao. That means, despite the fact that they’re Chinese nationals, they cannot go to university in China. And once that decision is made, as soon as high school starts for them, they cannot undo that decision. However, if a student starts on the path of the Gaokao exam, but changes their mind half way through high school, they can then opt into the international center and switch curriculums. They just can’t do it the other way around. So, my kids are all going to university overseas, and some of them will go to the most prestigious universities overseas as well. I currently have a student sitting in my year 10 class that is Oxford bound. Oxford takes only one Chinese international student a year, apparently. Just one from the whole country, and she’s suposedly in the running so we’re all rallying around her to make sure she has the most competitive edge possible.

Obviously, the families that I’m working with have money. You have to, in order to be able to go through the international system. Sending your kid abroad to study is extremely expensive so that means that the kids I’m working with are definitely among the very privileged in the country. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if your parents don’t have loads of cash, then your only option is to go through the Chinese system, take the Gaokao and stay in China. Which is also a good option. China’s university system has come leaps and bounds and now, apparently, seven of the top ten science programs in the world are here in China. The only problem is, the Gaokao exam is so incredibly difficult and competitive that it’s making the kids mentally ill. China’s youth suicide rate is pretty shocking at the moment and it’s because of this exam the pressure put on the kids.

Not so fun fact: the windows at our school don’t open more than a handspan wide. When I asked why, I was told it’s a preventative measure to stop the kids from jumping. Which – my god. It’s a lot to take in.

As I sent all my kids home from the dorms yesterday and waved them into Golden week (a national holiday to celebrate the unification of the People’s Republic of China) they all told me their parents have scheduled them into private tutoring sessions all week, so they wont be resting and they won’t be playing video games or having fun. They’ll be doing school away from school. I hope they at least get to eat some great food, sleep in their own rooms and in their own beds, and get doted on by their parents. They work so hard and they deserve it.

Till next time, peace.

[hauntedhikingsociety]

there's no word that can enrage me like "expat". you're an immigrant shut the fuck up

[lisagiaandrews]

Moving to Shanghai - Ultimate Guide for 2023

If you can cross off 'moving to Shanghai' from your to-do list, then you have made a perfect decision. Whether you are a student or come to Shanghai for work, you will fall in love with this city. For those who plan to temporarily stay in Shanghai, we have various useful information and important things to do upon your arrival.

About Shanghai

Shanghai has approximately 20 million residents and is the largest city in China. Among all major cities in China, Shanghai has the highest quality of life.

Cost of living

When considering moving to Shanghai, one thing you should pay attention to is that the Cost of living in Shanghai may be relatively high. But we will discuss this in detail later, as well as another small drawback of Shanghai, which is finding affordable apartments.

Diversification

Shanghai is a vibrant and multicultural city, with many residents being expats. Many international companies have their headquarters in China located in Shanghai. This means there are many high paying jobs, which makes moving to Shanghai very attractive for many people.

Where to live in Shanghai

If you're wondering "Where do expats live in Shanghai?" Here are some popular communities: The Former French Concession is a great place for young people, single people or families. The neighborhood is tree-lined and has many shops, bars and restaurants. Jing 'an District - a very interesting neighborhood, similar to the former French Concession. Pudong New District - another great neighborhood. It is newer, has more modern and spacious apartments and is especially popular with families.

Nightlife

There are cool bars and many parks everywhere here. Shanghai has cultural and entertainment facilities, many museums, and various indoor and outdoor activities.

Get help

With our help, your new life in Shanghai will have the best start. With our help and first-hand information, you will soon settle down in Shanghai and fully enjoy this unique city.

A new beginning in life

If you are considering moving and living in Shanghai, or if you have already made a decision, you will definitely have a wonderful time in Shanghai.

[sashasemin28]

the thing about UK politics for me is that. like.

okay for context, i very rarely care about other countries politics not out of malice or ignorance but a third secret option, but i am more aware of uk politics than say moroccan politics because there have been three different occasions where i have almost moved to the UK. also colonalism but eh. so theyre like more of a thought experiment than anything else which is a pretty fucked up way to view politics but that's not really the point.

so the point is that i knew the UK and specifically England was going down a worryingly fascist tinged path guided mostly by xenophobia and racism. but it's very different to know that in theory and then fucking see the prime minister LITERALLY be like, one of my political goals is making it so that if you are here illegally you have no human rights. like. what the fuck. how the fuck did that happen. what the fuck!!

okay to be clear because i am neurodivergent and need to say this here so i can literally sleep easy. having a broad overview of the world and how it works and also like, most countries in the world politics and actively engaging in ways to be like and i know this is kind of a cliche thing to say a global citizen and offer allyship to people in different countries?? really fucking important! i really believe in that! kind of very different from what i mean here which is mostly about specific bills and policy and shit and history and social trends.

[lionheartlr]

Travel Guide to China: Everything You Need to Know

China is a land of contrast and wonder, offering a blend of ancient traditions, modern innovations, and natural beauty. Whether you’re exploring historic landmarks or vibrant cities, this guide will give you an essential overview to prepare for your journey. Brief History of China China’s history stretches over 5,000 years, marked by the rise and fall of dynasties. The most notable early…

[themightydragonblog]

Croissants to Kung Pao: A French Actor’s Journey in China

Pierre Bourdaud, a French actor based in Beijing and previous The Mighty Dragon interviewee joined me recently on the podcast to catch up. I was keen to hear how his career is unfolding in China and how he adapts his acting style to the local culture. Pierre Bourdaud It’s hard to believe two years have passed since we last spoke. In our conversation, Pierre shares his experiences navigating…

[jtoddring]

What The World Needs Most

Great discussion, as always, and a great song. (See the link below, to a podcast interview by one of my top three sources.) Now, maybe a song about sisu, the Finnish word for a courageous strength of spirit. The world needs that now, along with inspiration, vision, strategy, working models of better ways, parallel systems, decoupled from the dying, collapsing Western Empire and Western…

[infjinthecity]

Hi Tumblr, What's Up?

Hello Tumblr! Can you believe I have existed in fandom spaces for this long and have never been on this platform? It seems that Tumblr is fandom’s MVP but I just never made the trek over this way – anyways, I’m here now. If you’re reading this, it’s probably because I told you about it on one of the other social media platforms and you probably at least know that I’ve very recently packed up my life and moved to China! I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to document my experiences here, and although we live in a visual era, I’m just not interested in being in front of a camera. I love to write and want to talk about my journey, so a blog seems like the best fit for me.

So, why China? Despite the fandom spaces that I occupy, my decision to move to China had absolutely nothing to do with Zhang Yixing or Wang Yibo. When people ask me why I made this change, I jokingly tell them it was an act of sheer desperation, but really, although I’ve always been joking when I’ve said that, it’s not too far from the truth. If you’re interested in learning why I moved to China and hearing about my experiences here, I hope you’ll stick around.  

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

If you don’t know, I’m Australian but I have spent the majority of the last 14 years living and teaching in the United States. I worked in Los Angeles for 11 years and then in New York City for another 2 before I packed myself and my cat up and went back to Australia. I left the United States for three main reasons – all of which were related to my job. In no particular order, because they were all as problematic for me as each other, I left because of low teacher pay, egregious student behaviour, and the insanely high workload. In short, I was b u r n e d o u t. A lot of Western countries are experiencing a teacher shortage right now, and America is definitely leading the charge. There is a reason why people are fleeing the profession, and most of them are rooted the same reasons that I left the country.

I went back to Australia naively thinking that work was going to be better there. I grew up there and went to school there, and I completed my teacher training in Australia.  When I went through my university degree and prac assignments in Victoria, the job was definitely not this. So I returned  home with rose-coloured glasses thinking that teaching would be far superior in Australia than the experiences I was having in the United States. Boy, was I ever wrong! While the kids in Australia don’t have guns like they do in the U.S., their attitudes towards education and teachers in general is very reminiscent of what is going on in the U.S, and schools are still places of violence and conflict. I can’t speak for the private system, but all my friends in the public system say the same thing. And honestly, teacher workload in Australia is not lesser than that of the U.S., so I found myself – again - completely stressed out all the time, despite making this huge change that was supposed to better my life. That coupled with the outrageous cost of living in Australia (my god things got really expensive while I was living abroad) prompted a pervasive idea that just would not stop taunting me. The voice inside me kept saying I can’t do this anymore.

And so, it became clear that I had a choice to make: either stop teaching altogether or find somewhere to teach that isn’t going to break me. I did not initially consider China but as I continued to research my options, all roads always lead right here – The People’s Republic of China.

And, to cut a very long story (which I will elaborate on in other posts) short, here I am!

Right Here, Right Now

I’ve been here for 38 days now and it’s been the mother of all whirlwinds, for sure. I had been to China twice before on holidays (one of those holidays was to scope out my city and my school) so it wasn’t like I was coming into the country blind, like so many other foreigners do, but even so, it’s been hard. Very hard. Maybe one of the hardest things I’ve ever done? Probably.

I don’t speak the language very well, despite all the lessons I’ve been taking. Man, nothing tests your skills like absolute immersion and being surrounded by people who don’t speak a lick of your native language. I’m an articulate, educated person and here I’m reduced to a blubbering mess who stumbles and fumbles over sentence fragments, and fragments of fragments! The language is going to take time. A lot of time.

I’ve had many low points, and there were a few days a couple of weeks ago when I was legitimately considering throwing in the towel and going home. But, I am still here, so obviously I didn’t do that. And I’m glad I didn’t because it’s getting easier and all the things I love about China are starting to overshadow all the hard things that make me feel like living here is impossible.

My cat is arriving from Australia on October 11 so we’re here for the longer haul after that. I can’t take him back to Australia from China (I’ll make a post about that later) so we either stay till he dies, or we exit and live in another country for a year before returning home. Don’t worry, I have an exit strategy planned if I need it, I just don’t want to need it, if you get me.

I’ll be blogging about teaching here, my fandom experiences (of which, I’ve already been lucky enough to have some of), travel, and general thoughts and insights on what it’s like to live in China as a foreigner.

I hope you stick around because this place is crazy and I’ve got so much to tell you all. If you’ve got questions, I’m happy to answer them. I'm new to this Tumblr thing so be kind and patient with me while I work it all out!

Till next time, peace.

[centrepiecefurnishing]

Why Move to Singapore?

Refreshes and modernizes the look of your furniture, aligning it with contemporary design trends and your evolving style preferences.

Getting ahead in Life by starting small. 1. Economic Opportunities: Robust Economy: Singapore has a strong and stable economy, known for its business-friendly environment, strategic location, and low tax rates. Job Market: The city-state offers a wealth of job opportunities across various sectors, including finance, technology, biomedical sciences, and logistics. 2. Quality of Life: Safety:…

[therealtorasia]

How Much does Furniture and Home Decor Cost in Asia [in 2024]

The furniture and decor market is experiencing a significant boom. The economic slowdown, consumer expectations and changing lifestyle preferences is making brands innovate and offering new trends in 2024 and beyond for their customers. Amidst these changing dynamics, a new concept has gained traction: “affordable luxury” allowing furniture and home decor brands to create trendy products with a…

[blondebeardtheparent]

Captain’s Log

Star date 2024.02.14

Day 7

Today was not so good. I did not sleep well last night. I’ve got a nasty phlegm-cough thing going on that kept me up well past midnight. My morning started with a cheerful little face popping into the room holding a worksheet.

“Where are my phone-time worksheets?”

*Groan* “What time is it?”

“Worksheets?”

“On the piano.”

Fumble fumble, shuffle shuffle. “Worksheets?”

“On. The. PIANO!”

“Oh. Found it.”

From there, the morning just got weirder. The boys are excited because they got some new Minecraft mods with their New Years money, but the effect is that they are focusing their energy on phone time while neglecting their actual work.

After waking up so early, Isaac was a full twenty minutes late starting his class work. He dragged so badly with his journal that he got yelled at and warned that he would lose phone time. I need to think about this and come up with a solution.

Another drawback was that Simon was done with everything when it was journal time, so he amused himself by distracting his brother. I’m all for getting an early start, but if your early start actually results in a net loss of time, I’m not okay.

…

Simon just looked at me and snapped, “How much longer?”

I stopped the class and had a serious meeting with them warning them that if their early start to earn phone time results in this kind of attitude, they will lose it for the day. I understand the frustration of having a new game but not being able to play it, but work is work and play is play. Work hard first, play hard later.

[metamatar]

When electronics manufacturing took off in China in the 1980s, rural women who had just begun moving to the cities made up the majority of the factory workforce. They didn’t have many other options. Managers at companies like Foxconn preferred to hire women because they believed them to be more obedient [...]

Hiring a young, female workforce in India comes with its own requirements — which include reassuring doting parents about the safety of their daughters. The company offers workers free food, lodging, and buses to ensure a safe commute at all hours of the day. On days off, women who live in Foxconn hostels have a 6 p.m. curfew; permission is required to spend the night elsewhere. “[If] they go out and not return by a specific time, their parents would be informed,” a former Foxconn HR manager told Rest of World. “[That’s how] they offer trust to their parents.”

[...] the Tamil Nadu government sent a strong signal welcoming Foxconn and other manufacturers: Authorities approved new regulations that would increase workdays from eight to 12 hours. This meant that Foxconn and other electronics factories would be able to reduce the number of shifts needed to keep their production line running from three to two, just like in China. [...] Political parties aligned with the government called the bill “anti-labor” and, during the vote, walked out of the legislative assembly. After the bill passed, trade unions in the state announced a series of actions including a demonstration on motorbikes, civil disobedience campaigns, and protests in front of the ruling party’s local headquarters. The government shelved its new rule within four days.

Indian Foxconn workers told Rest of World that eight hours under intense pressure is already hard to bear. “I’ll die if it’s 12 hours of work,” said Padmini, the assembly line worker.

For the expatriate workers, the slower pace of the factory floors in India is its own shock to the system. A Taiwanese manager at a different iPhone supplier in the Chennai area told Rest of World that India’s 8-hour shifts and industry-standard tea breaks were a drag on production. “You have barely settled in on your seat, and the next break comes,” the manager lamented.

In China, Foxconn relies on lax enforcement of the country’s labor law — which limits workdays to eight hours and caps overtime — as well as lucrative bonuses to get employees to work 11 hours a day during production peaks [...] five Chinese and Taiwanese workers said they were surprised to discover that their Indian colleagues refused to work overtime. Some attributed it to a weak sense of responsibility; others to what they perceived as Indian people’s low material desire. “They are easily content,” an engineer deployed from Zhengzhou said. “They can’t handle even a bit more pressure. But if we don’t give them pressure, then we won’t be able to get everything right and move production here in a short time.” [...] At the same time, the expat staff enjoy the Indian work culture of tea breaks, chatting with colleagues, and going home on time. They recognize they are helping the company spread a Chinese work culture that they know can be unhealthy. [...]

On the assembly line, Foxconn’s targets were tough to reach, workers said. Jaishree, 21, joined the iPhone shop floor in 2022 as a recent graduate with a degree in mathematics. (With India’s high level of unemployment, Foxconn’s assembly line has plenty of women with advanced degrees, including MBAs.) [...] “At the start, during my eight-hour shift, I did about 300 [screws]. Now, I do 750,” she said. “We have to finish within time, otherwise they will scold us.” [...]

Mealtimes are an issue, too. In December 2021, thousands of Indian Foxconn employees protested after some 250 colleagues contracted food poisoning. In response, the company changed food contractors, and increased its monthly base salary from 14,000 rupees to 18,000 rupees ($168 to $216) — double the minimum wage prescribed by the Tamil Nadu labor department for unskilled workers. [...]

Working conditions take a physical toll. Padmini has experienced hair loss because she has to wear a skull cap and work in air-conditioned spaces, she said. “Neck pain is the worst, since we are constantly bending down and working.” She has irregular periods, which she attributes to the air conditioning and the late shifts. “[Among] girls with me on the production line, some six girls have this problem,” Padmini said. Workers said they regularly see colleagues become unwell. “The day before yesterday, a girl fainted and they took her to the hospital,” [...] Padmini, at 26, believes she is close to the age where the company might consider her too old. “They used to hire women up to age 30, now they hire only up to 28,” she said.

[gentil-minou]

Gentians on Doorways

Written for the @mdzsrbb and inspired by the beautiful artwork made by @wrecklwj !

“How were you and my mother…acquainted?” “Acquaintances? She was my best friend!" ~ After a decade of living abroad, Lan Zhan returns to China to sort through his mother's affairs after her death. There, he meets Wei Ying, his mother’s friend who she'd commissioned to illustrate a book of nursery rhymes. But Lan Zhan is out of his depth in a land that was once his home. After all, there's no step-by-step guide for when your mother dies.

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Wakes & Funerals, Falling In Love, parental loss, Expat Lan Zhan, Artist Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, writing a funeral scene and trying to not make it accidentally horny aka the wangxian curse, just lots of feelings about moving away from your parents, and the fickleness of memories

Lan Zhan & Madam Lan + Wangxian | Complete | 33.7K | Rated T

Preview under the cut

The hallway seems to stretch into infinity, each click of the head teacher’s heels echoing through the vastness of space. A preposterous exaggeration, given that the feet that tread these walls belong primarily to small humans with smaller legs, and such a length would be impractical.

To Lan Zhan, in this moment, it’s the longest hallway in the world.

The head teacher gestures for him to follow her around the corner, as if Lan Zhan was like her young disciples and prone to getting lost in a singular hallway with no intersections. She’s younger than Lan Zhan had expected for a head teacher of an elementary school. She can’t be more than a few years older than him.

"Her classroom is just this way, south facing,” Haung-laoshi rambles, sending him another overly kind, pitying glance. “She loved that room. Lots of natural sunlight."

Lan Zhan nods absently, more out of politeness than true agreement. The light streaming in from the windows that line this hallway grates on his jetlagged state. His head is absent of most thoughts, only the inane recognition that south-facing windows must have meant her classroom would be sweltering and excruciating during a heatwave. Even now, the sun beats down on Lan Zhan, stifling in the late afternoon.

The windows face an inner courtyard. Distantly, Lan Zhan can hear the children laughing and playing, but much of it is drowned out by clicking heels on tiled floor.

He turns his head away from the glaring sun to the interior wall displaying a gallery of crudely drawn blocks and splotches of paint arranged unintelligibly on colored paper. A tiny placard next to each denotes the name of a kindergartener and the vision. Family pets, the playground, a favorite toy, a doting sibling.

A mother, her stick figure arms just out of reach of her stick figure child.

Hastily, Lan Zhan turns back to the endless hallway, where a wooden door seems to grow smaller and smaller as the walls expand outward impossibly so, like the distance is growing wider, not smaller, and clicking heels and laughing children run circles in his pounding head. Everything, from the rhythmic thumping of Lan Zhan’s shoes against tiled floors to the distant ringing in his ears, from the chipped paint along the baseboards to the glaring sunlight arcing overhead, pounds against Lan Zhan’s head like a stampede of charging elephants.

He should be running. Running and running, far and away before the stampede barrels over him leaving his body cracked and bruised in its wake. He shouldn’t be here. He should be anywhere but here.

Then, abruptly, the clicking of the heels ceases when Huang-laoshi stops in front of that wooden door, now a normal size and directly in front of Lan Zhan. A tiny frosted glass window rests above the doorknob in a vertical pane, with leftover pieces of tape missing the accoutrements they once secured.  A row of neatly painted purple flowers blooms through the wood on the bottom of the door, caught in motion as they dance in an unseen wind.

There is no wind to suggest this. He knows simply by looking at the brushstrokes, familiar swirls like the ones that once adorned the wooden doors of his childhood home. He can see it clearly in his mind’s eye, each stroke of a well-worn paintbrush and the subtle sighs of contentment when the artist in question lifted her brush and beamed back at him with pride.

“What do you think, ZhanZhan?”

This far away, the children’s roughhousing fades into the din leaving behind empty space.

Somehow, silence is worse.

“You must be so shocked. It was all so sudden…” Huang-laoshi remarks kindly as she retrieves a crumpled tissue from her pocket and dabs at the corners of her eyes. “I know I already said this, but I am so sorry for your loss.” She lifts a hand as if to pat his shoulder, but Lan Zhan takes a measured step to the side and her hand falls to rest by her side.

Outside, sunshine cascades through flowering trees and leaves speckled shadows dancing in the grass. A breeze slips in through the windows and winds through strands of Lan Zhan’s hair. The subtle scents of a summer on the rise, lying in wait for season’s change.

The breeze does little to soothe his heated skin. “Thank you,” Lan Zhan says politely with little inflection.

Huang-laoshi pauses, waiting for Lan Zhan to continue. But Lan Zhan has little more to say.

Ever since he’d arrived here, everyone seems to think Lan Zhan has something more to say.

What is there to say about his mother dying?

Read more on Ao3