I have signed a contract to teach in Shanghai! (Round of applause/gasps of nervousness on my behalf) Now that it’s official, I need to prepare. If you are considering teaching abroad, this post should be helpful for you. If you are reading for enjoyment, this post may be boring for you.
The following are things I am researching prior to departure.
- Visa (you have to have a visa to enter China, this may not be the case for every country)
- Cell phone (should I stick with my current plan in the US? …or get a Chinese SIM card?)
- Immunizations (I don’t wanna get no diseases nor get sick)
- Cancel gym membership/other memberships (you don’t want to pay to not use your memberships)
- Currency (How am I going to get my hands on some yuan?)
- Luggage (First off, I need new luggage. Second off, is there anything specific to living in China that I need to bring from the US?)
- Storage Unit (I’d rather not pay rent to not live in an apartment. I’d also rather not pay rent for a storage unit… however the latter is MUCH cheaper than the former. Shop around for the best price in accordance to how large of a unit you need)
- Car (What in the world am I going to do with this?)
- Pictures/memorabilia to bring to remind myself of those most important to me.
I am also reading books about people who have taught English in China to get their perspectives, along with general books about living in China. I know that it is going to be very different once I am in China, so I am trying to familiarize myself with as much of the expat-in-China lifestyle as I can.
Shanghai (National Geographic)
Abroad-ing 