Fu Lai

Changzhou is a lot smaller than Nanjing, but also closer to Shanghai. Still, prices there are about the same as Nanjing. You can find better prices for everything in cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Getting away from city center is the first method of saving. I'm still considering whether or not to stay in China. There is no question that it's cheaper to live in China, but the intangible costs of that choice are what make deciding for me so difficult. When it comes to healthcare, you would be better off going to Vegas and betting on the tables. There are expensive Western hospitals, but only in Shanghai and Beijing. Then, comes the matters of pollution, government corruption, communication, and isolation. Most of us who are over 40 may be able to learn a little Chinese, but realistically, it's a language to learn when you are young. Most expats do not speak Chinese well enough to have a conversation. So, you will always be dependent on someone to help you with banking and other negotiations. You can get by without it, but I would not recommend that. So, that's the tradeoff. You just have to look to your own heart whether or not it's worth it. You can survive at least twice as long at the same lifestyle when compared to the cost of living in the USA. I have noticed how far China has come in as far as people speaking English. It happens all the tiem when I am out and the clerks are speaking to me in Chinese and I say in English that I don't speak it... and some Chinese person I never met steps forward and and helps me by translating. Almost daily this happens. The kids are being taught English starting at a young age so now there are semi-fluent English speakers all over. So eager to help too. At my bank, ICBC, they have an English speaker to deal with us ex-pats. Also I am lucky because in my family are Chinese doctors, lawyers, police and govt officials. I am starting Mandarin classes so I will earnestly try to learn it as much as I can.

I have a contract job at a University and we live fine in their provided house but it is not on campus. No watching or monitoring etc. Y4650 is plenty to live well on if you don't pay rent. I pay utilities but not rent. Like I said my girl and I live good on a Y4000 budget.

I had a monthly household expense budget of $2400 in the USA, here in China it is Y4000 ($640) and I live much more luxuriously here...

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/attachement/jpg/site1/20130114/0013729e4771125d930626.jpg http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/attachement/jpg/site1/20130114/0013729e4771125d930f29.jpg

When I am in Xiamen I will be in the water

I was wondering why the normal winter cold I always have was worse this year... now I have purchased a pack of N95 masks

Thanks Mike, Good info I have also passed on to my girl!

who in the NYC spends only $144 a month on utilities? I paid much more than that.

I will definitely look for the knives. THANK YOU!

I pledge Y100 to keep this board afloat!

maybe in 8-10 years we will start traveling for year-long stints in other countries teaching... Africa, Eastern Europe, South America maybe...

incredible, Chinese culture is not the same as the USA!

The guy, who the Chinese repeatedly called eccentric seems so good to me.

Yeah, also the jerks from America are not really the USA's fault. But what an arrogant and self-righteous bunch they are.

Here in Wuhan until further notice. PM me. BTW, I know you are an ex-pat here in China

I enjoy being a academic so I looked: "The phrase "Quemoy and Matsu" became part of U.S. political language in the 1960 U.S. presidential election. During the debates, both candidates, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, pledged to use U.S. forces if necessary to protect Taiwan from invasion by China, the mainland, which the U.S. did not at that time recognize as a legitimate government. But the two candidates had different opinions about whether to use U.S. forces to protect the ROC's forward positions, Quemoy and Matsu, as well. In fact, Senator Kennedy stated that these islands - as little as 5½ miles off the coast of China and as much as 106 miles from Taiwan - were strategically indefensible and were not essential to the defense of Taiwan. On the contrary, Vice President Nixon maintained that, since Quemoy and Matsu were in the "area of freedom," they should not be surrendered to the Communists as a matter of "principle."" My Chinese friends here told me that Xiamen was so small before but when a war with Taiwan was considered we built up Xiamen.

What is here seems to work fine. Just giving my 2 cents. There are some great innovations that have come out in the past few years, outside of IPB and PHPbb that are quite nice. Actually they are remarkable.

Really? zhen de, all 3 parts. wanna-be, because my heart is home when we are there. March, because it is as soon as my wife can get off work, and she says it is not safe for the marriage for a foreign devil to be alone in china. 180 days, because after that I have to pay China taxes. pay Chinese taxes? I don't get that part but all the rest... yep.

Really?

ai curumba!

Come on in, the water's fine!

would be great to see them all post here it is a different perspective on China

http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20130110/108722.shtml

post please