Clothes
Clothes are very cheap to buy in China. Our teachers are required to dress in a professional manner. This does not mean that you need to bring your best suite, T-shirts and Jeans are acceptable as long as they are neat and not ripped. Shorts and muscle (tank tops) are forbidden in the classrooms. Modest sun dresses are allowed, but be conscious about wearing any dresses, sweaters or tops that are low cut and tight. We recommend that you bring the basics
with you and then go shopping once you get here and find out what you still need, after all you will want to travel light. Please use common sense and bear in mind that China is a more conservative country than the country you are from. Teachers hold a high social respect and are expected to behave in a professional manner on all aspects. Also, for girls, if your shoe size is over 38, and for guys, if yours is over 44, you are goin to have a hard time finding fitting shoes in China. So it's wise to bring with you more than a couple of pairs in various styles.
Daily toiletries and cosmetics are also very inexpensive and available in China. Again we recommend travel light and get all you need after you arrive.
Weather tips for dressing in Yangshuo, Guilin:
http://www.yangers.com/Yangshuo_weather.htm
Medical supplies
If you require prescription medication, bring as big a supply as possible with letters from your doctor and other documents supporting what the medication is and why it is needed. We also would like to recommend some medicines for you to bring to China as they will be greatly useful for your western bodies but hard to find in China.
- cold & flu medicine, like Robitussin or Nyquil
- stomach medicine, like Peptol Bismal - or whatever your country has to alleviate stomach aches, gas, nausea, diarrhea, etc. Plan a bottle of this for every 5-6 months of China time
- Diarrhea medicine - this is a MUST. usually pill form is best.
- Sleeping pills if you need them
Other than that, you should be fine. China has most other things, like painkillers, birth control, & such. Keep in mind, Chinese medicine focuses more on treating the body/disease, instead of alleviating the symptoms.
Gifts for students and Chinese friends
Chinese people love receiving gifts from other countries. Small flags, pins, post cards, coins, and inexpensive stamps make excellent gifts and also good rewards for students with outstanding work. Try contact your national heritage office or government representative, they will usually supply you with many of these items free of charge, such as flags, pins and stickers. A map of your country is also a good thing to bring.
Money
You should bring enough money with you for the first month, we suggest around 500 USD. This will get you through the first month as you may not get paid until the end of your first teaching month.
VISA, Mastercard and other international credit card are also acceptable in the Bank of China.
Electrical goods
One thing you need to know is that Power Voltage in China is 220 V and Power Frequency is 50 hertz. This is the same as Europe, but if you are from America or Canada then you may want to consider bringing at least travel power converter to be able to use the electrical items you might bring
from your home countires. You can usually tell what power your eletrical item uses by looking at the input on the power supply box. For example, a laptop power supply will usually list the input as 100-240V. If the power supply lists 120VAC, if you can't find an input rating, or if the electrical item only has a power cord without a box, you will probably need a power converter.
Electric toothbrushes and razors usually require a power converter. |
