coming to zhuhai

Depends where you are coming from? Just stay with people you know then you are fine. It's tourist city so alot of stuff to do. Even the red light kind.

Make sure your contract with Jinan is super clear. Several teachers have had some problems with the Jinan University administration.
Zhuhai is a safe relaxing city... I am sure you will enjoy yourself here.
JJ

well thats some strange advice to get you started tbard. ok, its a real safe city, lovely climate, helpful expat community [ right here] . check out bar street, ryans bar, old chinese junk,jewel of india restaurant, dynamic pizza, macau, hk, doumen, the local islands by ferrys in xiangzhou [ we have 146 islands], ciao island and village,pu tuo temple, gongbei underground shopping centre and walking street. hot springs. ok, for night two check in here for some more hints. its a great little city and safer than anyplace ive been to.hygiene in local restaurants can be a real issue if your fussy,dont drink the water, buy western staples [milk, cheese etc. ] at jusco at wan zai sha , or slightly less convincingly at carrefour. look the other way during the locals confronting little expectoration rituals [look it up], be prepared for some high volume cell phone conversations right in your earhole, and your set for a lovely time. oh yes , the local non-red light ladies are stunningly beautiful,so hang on to your cash and smile sweetly.cheers

sorry jj, your advice is not strange, you jumped me before i could post.do i still get 2 points for this post ?

It's one of the better cities in China for a foreigner to visit for all of the above reasons, including the first post. The weather never changes in a hurry and at that time it will be warm turning hot and very humid. No need to pack any woollies.

Great "normal" food can be found at expat sites, although some can be more expensive than they should be. We have 2 great Indian restaurants as well and some good pizza can be found. The "local" food is cheap and generally very good but none the less make sure you pack your Delhi / Bali belly tablets and stick to bottled water. Always have a packet of tissues in your back pocket.

You can find everything from dancing on the street, rollerskating, parks to stroll through and fly kites and shopping till you drop through to nightlife. The choice is yours. My personal choice is to walk the streets and just soak it up. There is so much to see that you will never experience at home.

The main shopping areas are open till 10pm, and there is always something open till about 2am. If you go home without a "hairwash" and foot massage, you haven't been to Zhuhai.

If you don't know any Chinese, start learning NOW as having some basics will make life so much easier and more enjoyable.

There are many other similar posts - take a browse through some history and brush up on the pearls of wisdom from our recently defarted "doc".

thanks to all, reading through all the posts on this site has been very helpfull, i expect even more so when i arrive, the very specific advice i have found nowhere else

any tips on expats dressing, formal/informal? what presnts shall we bring for our chinese hosts and collegues?

TBARD...just check this site regularly, and one more thing...make sure you are insured...Taxis are mad as are the other drivers ! good luck.

Yes, if you are a back seat driver, just close your eyes. Traffic signs and lights are for suggestions only.

Lighten up guys, it's fun to take a taxi ride here. It's like legalised dodgems, and just as much fun.

The weather will dictate your dress code. Today wasn't warm, but it was a humid as hell (about 96% and not raining). The floor was damp, the glass coffee table glass was clouded and the floor outside the lift was wet. Another 8 more months like it to come before it dried up again.

Zhuhai is a great city!

I called Zhuhai home for six years and there is no other city I would recommend in China. Quite a decent place all around. Learning basic Chinese is a MUST (though my former boss has lived in China for 25 YEARS and speaks not one peep. Go figure.)

Hey there tbard. Follow JJ's advice about the contract, but make sure you get it in English and Chinese. See if you can get it translated by a Chinese person before you come. Often times contracts in English don't match up, and the Chinese contract is basically the only legal one should any conflicts arise (which is not too likely).

Regardless, you may find yourself being "forced" to do things that are not in the contract. Not all of this can be bad though. For example, you will likely be treated to a large meal at least one restaurant; which can be quite fun if you don't mind a two to three hour dinner session. Also, be prepared to have cigarettes offered to you every time you blink an eye and your beer glass will be filled after every sip (I personally don't mind that). Watch out for "bai jiu", (Chinese rice wine), and "gan bei", (Cheers, or bottoms up), literally "dry glass". That's when things can get out of hand. Shall I say, "Jeckle and Hyde" syndrome.

About attire; for a man, you may initially want to present yourself with dress shoes, dress pants, and a button-shirt (long or short sleeved) and tie. For a woman; a nice blouse, slacks (or dress skirt). After that you can chuck the tie and loosen a few buttons. During the hot summer months; not only expats, but locals as well, will wear shorts and T-shirts (the weather precedes formality). During orientation at the school, take a look at what your colleagues are wearing and go from there. During your leisure time, just wear what's comfortable for you. Pack lightly; most summertime clothes are cheap and can be found everywhere.

Gifts; this is not an easy one as so many things are made in China these days. Also, you have to be careful about who you give gifts to in front of other people. One that doesn't recieve a gift may "lose face". Whatever, this is one thing I find petty, but just to let you know. I personally bring postage stamps (new or used), old coins, and other things exclusive to my country. I usually go down to the flea market and pick up a bunch of hand-made items; shark tooth (or other pendant) necklaces are always a hit with younger students. Basically, anything culturally exclusive from your country is the way to go.

Keep navigating Expat9 for events, bars, restaurants, and such. Most of your recreational time will just unfold spontaneously. Go down to Ryan's for a typical western style pub; most of the folks down there know their way around the nightlife. Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns.

All the best.

Randall

@Earthling:
Weren't you the host of Iron Chef?? ;)

"About attire; for a man, you may initially want to present yourself with dress shoes, dress pants, and a button-shirt (long or short sleeved) and tie"

A TIE?? A TIE?? You're kidding, right? In all my years in Zhuhai I saw about, oh, two (non real estate agent) guys wearing ties.

Tbard, stick to polyester shirts, black rayon trousers (with waist too tight and seat too baggy), a black belt four sizes too big, silver belt buckle, slip-on Crocodile brand shoes, white Playboy socks, faux leather Freebird man-purse and not one but two mobile phone holders and you'll be A-OK. Grow your pinky fingernail out eight feet and let those mole hairs follow gravity and the walking street ladies won't know what hit them. (Oh, don't forget yer suit coat in winter--WITH label on sleeves!)

@canrun:
I never knew you had such a good eye for fasion.

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"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"

Thanks to all again, and again, the very specific advice seems at least at this point to be the most valuable. Any tips on the best phrase book to lug around, any other language tips -- i'm struggling right ow to learn a few words -- the tip about carrying a small notebook seemed to make great sense, what about electronic translators?

What about a cell phone?

Just don't act like a tourist. Many local will try to speak broken English to lure you to buying stuff. Just ignore them. Best tip is travel with the people you know and let them take care of everything. Just learn the word bathroom and the place your are staying at in case you need to take the taxi home. If you are going to shop bring a local with you because most shop you can bargain. If you must shop by yourself then offer 50% as starting price.

Cellphone: If you have unlock GSM phone then begin it to China. Most cellphone sim card are prepay and works with regular GSM phones. Some have monthly due on sim card but usually around 18 yuan. 100 yuan prepay sim card should get you going. There is no need to identification to get cell phone, just cash.

Enjoy your stay.

TBARD

JJ's first comment is probably the most important. Keep on top of the admin at Jinan, they will drag their feet especially with visas. The apartments there are great but you will need to bait the place and use traps (just these sticky pads) lots of critters running around.
Also make sure you have had your hepatitis A vaccination, it is very easy to catch here....Jinan recently had a severe outbreak of 'food poisoning'.

TBARD

JJ's first comment is probably the most important. Keep on top of the admin at Jinan, they will drag their feet especially with visas. The apartments there are great but you will need to bait the place and use traps (just these sticky pads) lots of critters running around.
Also make sure you have had your hepatitis A vaccination, it is very easy to catch here....Jinan recently had a severe outbreak of 'food poisoning'.

jj, i did'nt post the same message twice...what gives? here i was thinking it was down to the ret...other users.

Where do you get hep A vaccination in zhuhai ? They only offer hep B in gonbei hospitals.

Hi tbard, maybe I can help you get started with your Chinese.

Firstly, this is the best English/Mandarin pocket translater I have seen. You can type in entire sentences and get accurate translations in Hanzi (characters), Pinyin (Romanized), and audio (real human voice). The model number is AM101. If you are not satisfied with it, I will buy it off you when you are here.

http://translator.aimhi.com/electronic/cpChinese.html

Also, if you have MSN Messenger or Googletalk, I can give you some basics. I don't speak fluently, but I can teach up to elementary level (we'll just have to work out a schedule). Contact me though my account if you're interested. BTW. I'm not asking for any payments; I enjoy teaching newbie lessons. It would be my pleasure.

Here is a good site - Chinese Pod (newbie lessons).

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/

On Mandarin tones.

http://www.chinese-outpost.com/language/pronunciation/tones-of-mandarin-...

http://www.wku.edu/~shizhen.gao/Chinese101/pinyin/tones.htm

@razorsedge
"Just learn the word bathroom"

totally unnecessary, people piss everywhere here!

I'm here for a good time..not a long time!

I miss you, Zurdo. ;)

Best phrase book is Lonely Planet. Be sure to pick one up before you leave. Just point to the Chinese characters if you're not sure.

Agreed, Chinese pod is great.

Pimsleur is ok, I guess, but the vocabulary is very limited.

i have the am 101 and the lonely planet phrasebook, can say bathroom, whiskey, beer, coffee, thank you, goodbye and kiss. I am 61 with a very long grey pony tail, pierced ear and tatoos, what else do i need, need to know?

Money? cash, credit cards, traveler checks?

my school here in us has sent lots of folks to jinan in zhuhai and they have sent folks here, assume that should smooth things out.

so where do i meet you folks and buy you a beer for all your help?

Ryan's Bar. Its behind the only Josco supermarket in town.
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"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"

OOPS!! I meant "Jusco"
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"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"