Answers of the Day
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Nov 09,2012
If you have the patience needed, you can do it, as I am doing it, with an L tourist visa, and no need to marry anyone. And patience is needed because Chinese officials will not grant you a first visa good for two years, and 180 days stay each time you enter. Normally they will start you with a maybe one or two entries, maybe 6 months validity, and from 30 to 90 days stay....
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Nov 08,2012
1. Yes, car insurance is required in China.
2. Cost is dependent upon the vehicle to be insured and the driver's record. Just as an example, I pay about 3000 rmb/year for a BYD F0 after 1 year of incident free driving in China. For me, this is more than I would expect to pay in the US for a similarly valued car. But then again I have many more years of incident...
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Nov 07,2012
For years I have used OASISVISACHINA.COM, and always have had excellent results with them. My current visa is for 2 years, multiple entry, 120 days. I was told that on my next try I can get 180 days stay.
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Nov 05,2012
Here you go:
Tai feng=Typhoon
Gongfu= kongfu
Mai ke feng=Mircrophone
Ku=Cool
Sha fa= Sofa
Wei shi ji=Whisky
Bai lan di=Brandy
Ba shi=bus
Ke long=Clone
Dou fu=Tofu
Ao da li ya=Australia
Gao er fu=Golf
Pingpong=Ping pong
Tan ke=tank
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Nov 05,2012
There are a few things you can do if you have sufficient advance warning for your trip.
Before leaving: try moving your body time closer to the new time zone you will be in by advancing or retarding your daily activities by as much as 3 hours for a few days. This will minimize jet lag upon arrival.
during flight: drink body...
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Nov 04,2012
Looking online will give you a good idea about what you can expect in any particular building. But quite often, the online ads are fake or out of date. They are only there to get you to call the realtor.
Rule #1: Never pay your realtor anything. They get paid from the landlord (1 month of your rent is normal), not you.
Real estate...
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Nov 02,2012
Rosetta Stone is a good learning method, but like any kind of learning method for language, you need more than one approach to fully learn a language. Rosetta is one-track minded, in that it teaches you the visual part of learning the language ,but is of very little use to learn the grammar, everyday conversation and putting together your own sentences.
Use Rosetta...
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Nov 01,2012
That's a lot of cash, wouldn't it be easier to wire transfer it to yourself? According to the Air China website it states, "You can bring into China an unlimited amount of foreign currency and Chinese Renminbi (RMB) traveler’s checks, and the unspent portion can be taken out of China."...
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Nov 01,2012
Actually, from the tax forms I filled out over the years, for federal, if you spend less than 30 days in the US within a tax year, you do not have to pay any tax until you go over a cap of about US$85,000. Then you will be required to pay taxes (at the 85K+ tax bracket) on any amount over that cap.
There are some ways you can lessen your tax liability by having a...
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Oct 31,2012
In accordance with Articles 29, 30 and 31 in Rules for Implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Control of Entry and Exit of Foreigners, if a foreigner arrives to China and does not stay in an approved hotel (which will do the registration of address for you), the foreigner has 24 hours if residing in a city, or 72 hours if residing in the countryside. Further, let'...
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Oct 30,2012
China gave me thicker skin which I think is one of the best survival skills anyone in a city could have. Everything is much more challenging here, especially at the very beginning when you don't possess the language skills. I've really learned to battle my way through countless beaurocratic and social obstacles, have stood up for myself and not let myself be scammed or used, have picked up...
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Oct 29,2012
The rote learning is not the disease, it is the symptom. Until the Gaokao, and other exams are changed in style then rote learning will remain. There is enormous pressure on students to get high Gaokao scores and the Gaokao itself requires lots of memorised answers to questions, hence rote learning.
The Gaokao (and other Chinese exams) is the disease, until that is changed rote...
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Oct 26,2012
One good question and one first sensible rely. I had thought about this 4 years past and having carried out some research in Zhangjiagang and surrounding area's with regards to setting up a teacher/tutor assessment center, it did turn out that the local authorities would welcome such a move and would encourage such a center. And approached me in this matter. ...
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Oct 24,2012
Yunnan, Hainan, Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou are areas of oversupply of foreign teachers vs. demand. The competition in these cities for the better jobs is particularly fierce. I would even venture to say that Guangzhou is probably the hardest among the lot, given the weather and relatively relaxed atmosphere of the place.
Nonetheless, there are a few...
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895 . What can be done if a school cheats your pay and doesn't do what they wrote in the work contract?Oct 23,2012
Without a legal residence in China, the People's Courts won't even receive that kind of a lawsuit. IMHO the best advice given above is to simply cut your losses and move on, as quickly as possible. The school-in-question has undoubtedly been up to its nefarious tricks long before you even appeared on the horizon. They probably have bought off everyone they need to buy...
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Oct 23,2012
I raise my kids in a home with 3 languages. Mommy speaks Mandarin, Daddy speaks English and the Grandma & maid speak in Cantonese.
At 4.5 years old they can hold fluent conversations in Mandarin, and basic conversations in English & Cantonese. They understand WAY more than they can speak, but I think that is the same for anyone learning a language....
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Oct 22,2012
I've been attracted to China since I was quite quite young, and I think the reason for this is that they are a people who are generally very quick to smile and share a joke. I also feel i've been shown marvelous hospitality and been made to feel very welcome indeed by the Chinese in general over the past 7 years. Also the girls are hot.
There you go; 1,2,3 admirable...
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Oct 21,2012
Typical pay for a teacher in a Tier 2 or 3 city is between 6-8k RMB. This will also normally include a 1 bedroom or shared apartment near the school. Depending on experience, the school, etc... You may be able to get up to 10k, but that is rare in a city that size.
As for opportunities, all I can say is keep an eye on the classified section of this...
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Oct 17,2012
A country is nicely regarded by China as long as it is not giving China trouble.
There are no high regards I think. It is usually for superficial reasons; for example France being so romantic (because of Paris), Ireland being a beautiful country, Italy for having delicious food, Cuba for cigars (And a communism), and Venuzeula for being a model of effective Socialism....
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Oct 16,2012
Coming to my classroom and being greeted with smiles from my students.
The laugh of the Laoban when greeted at whose shop I frequent.
Seeing people give up their seats for the elderly.
Seeing adults truly playing with their children.
Getting text messages about the changes in the weather from students, and colleagues whenever the temperature goes up or down....
