Teach Abroad Blog

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and teach abroad in China! One of the things that will be an asset to learn is the art of bargaining. Many of the prices you come across can usually be bargained down whether it’s for groceries, electronics, or even gym memberships. You will come to realize that with a little patience and persuasion you can easily save yourself money. Normally most people today utilize the Internet to find the best prices, online retailers usually can sell items cheaper than local stores while those that like to touch and test the product beforehand use it to find out the lowest local prices.

It goes without saying that Beijing is a must see for anyone visiting, living or teaching in China. Not just because of the names, but because these places really live up to the hype! This trip was very special for me because it wasn’t just Sophia and I going, but also my father, mother and brother from the U.S. were here!

After they arrived we gave them 2 days to get over the jet lag, then we were headed to the new high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing. After the recent tragedy involving one of these high speed trains, some people were questioning their safety. We decided to go for it and I’m really glad we did. Travelling by train definitely has its advantages. First of all you don’t have to arrive 2 hours before the train and wait in long security lines. Once on the train, every seat (even economy) has as much leg room as first class on a plane.

Since our last trip to Hangzhou, Sophia and I had been itching to get out of town and see more of China. On the recommendation of a co-worker, we looked into Huangshan Mountain, also known as Yellow Mountain.   It is a little bit confusing without a guide book and we were having trouble finding much information online.  We weren’t even sure if we should take a train or a bus. Turns out the bus is definitely faster, about 5 hours getting there and 6 coming back (in traffic).  We originally planned to go during the Labor Day holiday weekend, but that turned into our first lesson. If you want to travel during the holidays, buy your tickets in advance! The South railway bus terminal was a madhouse! They literally had soldiers in fatigues keeping people from jumping the lines! We waited over an hour and by the time we got to the ticket window our bus was long gone…we decided to purchase tickets for that following Tuesday to take advantage of Sophia’s days off work.