Guest ShaQuaNew Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 A few of you have asked that I provide some reflections about my life since moving to China. The following are some of my experiences since moving to China to live and work. The MoveConsidering a move is challenging for all of us. I was no exception, but when you consider moving to a new country to live and work, a whole new set of doubts, challenges, and factors enter into the equation. Why Move I have been working in the field of Technical Communication for over 25-years. Even with that experience, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find a good paying job. For the last 15-years, the vast majority of positions in my field had changed from permanent positions, to consulting work. While consulting work can pay more than many full-time positions, you will rarely if ever be offered any kind of benefits or health insurance. Most consulting positions last only a few months, which creates an on-going cycle with finding a job. I therefore began seeking work in other cities, then other states. My personal experience is that most positions will not consider you a viable candidate until you actually move to the city. After chasing jobs the last seven years or so, I decided to take a look at opportunities overseas. In March of 2008, I noticed a job posting in Nanjing, China for which I was an excellent candidate. I replied to the posting with a comprehensive cover letter and a copy of my resume. To my surprise, within about two-hours I received a reply via email asking me if I would be willing to telephone conference. I said, "sure, you bet." The conference was set up for the next day, with two senior officials in the department, who were located in Taiwan. They called promptly at the scheduled time, and we talked for about 1-1/2 hours. They said they would like to schedule another conference with six other members, which would conclude with an interview with the department director. All went well. They were happy, and asked how much time I would need to prepare for a move to China. I asked their suggestions, and they replied that they liked to move as quickly as possible. I requested about ten weeks, to which they agreed. The offer included full moving expenses and one-way tickets to China. The company additionally agreed to take care of all the costs and arrangements in getting my Work Visa and Work permit. Everything seemed peachy, and was. The TransitionAs you would expect, there were many doubts about moving to China as we had only two years before received green cards for my wife and daughter. How would that situation pan out when it came time to renew? I just decided at that time to cross that bridge when the time came, as the offer was just too good to pass up. We began selling everything; two cars, household furniture, clothing, tools, and so on. We had garage sales that lasted for about six weeks, until virtually everything was gone. We kept the most important stuff, and packed and shipped 30-large boxes to Nanjing. The company paid the fee for this, which came to about $2700.00 After arriving in Nanjing, I was nervous and excited. We decided to take two weeks to visit Lan's family before I officially started work. It was great to meet everyone, as I had not met them before. Lan had also arranged for a reunion in Taiyuen (Shanxi province) with her college classmates. What a blast it was meeting them, as all were so kind and welcoming to our move. My company provided a four-star hotel for 30-days, while we looked for an apartment. I recall that Lan and Sarah were quite disappointed, and mind you I am saying quite disappointed with Nanjing upon arriving. Our lives were out of place and out of joint from the normalcy we had been experiencing in the US. Despite these doubts and challenges, we were pretty much committed to being here, and met the challenge head on. I'm happy to say that both Lan and Sarah have adjusted to life in Nanjing, and both have said many times that they love the town and life here. The JobLet me just say, that almost from day one, the job has been a challenge. Virtually all of these challenges stem from the differences between our languages and culture. While many people in my company speak English, much of what is said is missed in conversation. It can be very frustrating to ask the same question repeatedly, and get vague responses back. I have come to learn that many responses are cultural in nature, and not due to a lack of understanding. Still, when you are having computer connectivity problems, residency issues, general questions, you really would like to have a clear answer. All I can say to that is that patience is required or you won't make it. The PeopleI have been fortunate to be working with a very strong company on the international market. They are stable and one of the top companies in the world in their field. Team building is important at my company. It's not really the sort of team building that you see in the US, what with climbing ropes, and groups getting squishy with each other for a day. Work life and personal life in China often intermingle. We work together, play together, and travel together. I have now attended more than ten team building events, as my department provides service for the entire company. Each department head has extended hands in friendship and made sure I was invited to these events. They have welcomed me bringing my wife along also, who has been ever so helpful in providing translation, cultural, and communication between me and my co-workers. Some of the events we have attended together: 1. Dinners (lots)2. Paintball3. Fishing4. Hiking5. Jeep rides6. Buddhist temple7. New Years (American) celebration8. Bowling9. ATV riding10. Boating ..and the list goes on... Most of the workers are young, with an average age of less the 30-years. All are very welcoming and supportive, but a bit nervous to talk at first. As you get to know them, most want to be stronger in the English and ask if I would help. Of course I say for a trade that they teach me Chinese and culture. Several weeks ago, my supervisor in California asked me to think about creating a class for our engineers and employees. I created a presentation and called it: "Communicating in Technical English." The response to the announcement of the class was overwhelming. More than sixty employees registered for the class, which I presented yesterday. Perhaps I'll talk more about that experience another time. But for now, I wish everyone a wonderful spring festival, and a happy and prosperous new year. This will be my second spring festival in China. Link to comment
JimS. Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Thanks for posting about your move, enjoyed it very much. Can't wait to read about the classes you are doing...bet it'll be a hoot Link to comment
warpedbored Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Great post Jesse. Very informative for those thinking of moving to China. Link to comment
Guest Rob & Jin Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 thanks for sharing your story. Link to comment
Smitty Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 I really hope that you might consider posting regularly about your live in China. Thanks! Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 The following is a link to our photo album; let's see if it works on this site: My Webpage Link to comment
Guest Rob & Jin Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Her golf swing is way better than yours Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Her golf swing is way better than yours That's for sure! Link to comment
Guest Rob & Jin Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 seriously, great photos. makes me miss China especially how they all seem to keep their apts the same Link to comment
rogerluli Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Very interesting Jesse...It seems to me that $2700 for 30 large boxes is a good deal....There is a thread in the Communications, Travel, etc forum about moving a household to China...If you could add anything I'm sure they would appreciate it... Link to comment
Joanne Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Due to my recent busy schedule (partly due to my viewing the 30 episode TV series which is shown on Jiangsu TV right now), I haven't get into Candle for quite a while. It is nice to see your summary of life in China, and knowing that all three of your are doing well. Please pass my greetings to Lan. Happy Spring Festival! Link to comment
rogerluli Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Due to my recent busy schedule (partly due to my viewing the 30 episode TV series which is shown on Jiangsu TV right now), I haven't get into Candle for quite a while. It is nice to see your summary of life in China, and knowing that all three of your are doing well. Please pass my greetings to Lan. Happy Spring Festival! My wife loves those long Chinese TV series...But really Joanne are they better than Candle??? Link to comment
NewDay2006 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Great thread. Thanks for sharing. Very awesome pictures... your wife is beautiful... you, well... I wouldn't say handsome ... ok, you're not bad either... I promise to try to be nicer in 2009. I imagine your Chinese is improving much more. I'm glad to see everyone is doing ok. Best wishes and good luck in the future. Link to comment
Joanne Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 (edited) ...But really Joanne are they better than Candle??? Only that it is my newest addiction. - let's get back to the topic. Edited January 20, 2009 by Joanne (see edit history) Link to comment
amberjack1234 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Thank you for your story Jesse it was great. Thank you for all of the pictures. Pictures are worth a 1000 words you know. Please continue. Larry Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now