Have your own place

[Sixerfan]

Does anyone have their own apartment? Is it possible to do this if you work for a state school? I've been told that it cannot be done, but I have my suspicions. Does anybody know?

[Raoul Duke]

Like everything else in this godforsaken country, it's negotiable. It's extremely difficult in most schools. Most state schools largely have their hands tied when it comes to compensation. But the right resume and the right pitch to the right school at the right time...who knows?

If you can tolerate roomies, some state teachers share a place out of their own pockets. Hard to rent a place on a state salary by yourself...

There are a number of JV programs springing up...bastard children of Chinese and foreign (usually Australian) unis. They offer better pay and off-campus housing, usually, but are even dodgier than the Chinese unis alone. If that's possible.

[woza17]

I have never had to share an apartment. In my experience the government schools give the best accommodation to offset the low pay I think. I am with a "dodgy" sino-aussie college. I have a huge shabby apartment and wouldn't have it any other way it give me a good excuse not to clean up

[Jollyjunklass]

Hmm,
This is the first I have heard of this, I wonder why no one mentions this. It's kind of a big thing. The school, that wants to interview me, says that you will have a roommate, but this is the first time I have read this. It says under certain circumstances they can change this.

What if they hate smoking. I don't want a roommate, you have to work with them all day and then come home to them? This could be problematic. Does any one else feel this? What would be a good excuse to use for not wanting a roommate, without sounding to blunt.

What if they just aren't your type of person, then what? Haven't you guys run into any problems with this.

[Lotus Eater]

I have never had to share so haven't been faced with the problem. All of the single Chinese teachers share - no matter how old they are! Some of them start out sharing in the dorm buildings with the students and have to use the public student washrooms. They pretty rapidly move out into their own apartments!

Single Chinese teachers with teachers accommodation on campus are still sharing bedrooms - at one stage one of my colleagues had 2 others in the one room - said they couldn't turn around without discussion. He is happier now - only one other person he is with.

If you are stuck with sharing, my understanding is that at the very least you will have your own bedroom and share the other rooms.

You can't use anything medical as an excuse not to share - given that you are convincing them that you are healthy enough to come to China, not liking smoking in a land of smokers won't work.

Age could be a good reason. But there are plenty of other schools - negotiate negotiate negotiate - if they really want you, they should come to the party.

[Lager]

Sixerfan: I take it you mean you want a place removed from the state school---off campus.
I see your point. I got rather tired of always being on campus-waking up guards late at night and all the rest. On the other hand the College flats I had were first rate. And having people in was never an issue.

Also with 8 a.m. classes being off campus might be a hassle. As Raoul says though if you want to pay for a place yourself I guess you could.

Millana: I simply won't take shared housing and in fact I am blunt about it. I was about to take a job south of Shanghai when I realized it was with a roommate. (Too bad - it was a nice deal.) Anyway I e-mailed and said I cannot do it. I said something about my keeping funny hours and being used to living alone. They didn't come back with any counter-offer. Maybe just as well----almost every job in Asia is private housing so what is up? I'd almost call it a warning bell.

[woza17]

Asolutely Lager, there is no way I would share and just say I don't share. Millana no share is obvious to us and if the school reads their How to look after a FT manual it clearly states that foreigners are a strange lot and like their own space and to be alone .
Thsi may not be the right place but I have just come back from a job interview with Talenty education. They are offering 75RMB an hour to teach rugrats 10 lessons a day .
My recruiter also said that a middle school in Shenyang id interested in me and they offer 5000 a month, free apartment and airfares 16 hours a week holidays. He didn't have too much detail.
I am wondering if I should approach middle schools here myself and try and get a deal.
Does anyone know anything about Shenyang?

Cheers Woza

[con's fly is open]

Some of the teachers here hail from Shenyang. They say it's big, sophisticated and has tons of foreigners. But they say it's dirty (and Dashiqiao ain't exactly daisy fresh). And, being much farther inland, the winters are Canada-cold.

I visited Dalian in the winter and it was a windy -15C That, I think, is unusual for Dalian... right?

[Lager]

So no-one going to argue in favor of shared housing?

I think it MIGHT be OK if you didn't also work with the people.

Shenyang? I had a rather fun 2 days there but don't know if I would go to live. I did meet teachers (in a bar of course) who loved it and said there was tons of extra work if you want that. The people seemed to be really sweet -not phony but really nice--maybe a Manchurian thing.

Pollution is as reported---I could barely see anything when the train was leaving.

[con's fly is open]

I can't endorse shared housing. Sure, it's less lonely, not to mention cheaper; but the aggravation factor is not worth it. Back home I've have a grand total of over 30 different roommates, and differences in schedule, sociability, CLEANLINESS, party habits, TV preferences, music preferences, etc....
I can't decide which is worse: putting up with other people's habits, or watching them put up with mine.
The perfect balance between roommates and isolation is neighbours: if you have folks you know in the same building, you can phone over... and they can say "naw, another time." Sociable, but with licked dorrs between youse.

[Newbs]

This is confession time here guys.

Back home in Australia my partner and I don't actually live together. We live about one and a half km apart. Hell, her house is so close to mine that I can run around there when I'm going for a run. Seems close to the ideal situation for us, we can be together when we want to be and can be apart when we need the space. It's been like that for over 5 years, except for the time that I've spent over here in the middle kingdom.

A couple of years ago I read an article in a Sunday supplement about how this was becoming quite common nowadays. I was rapt. For the first time in my life I was at the forefront of a social change, not dragging my heels way down the back.

[Mr Nobody]

I have always lived soemthing like that. This whole living with the girlie is going to be new. I am sure I will like it, but I need a spare room. Sometimes I am a solitary man. Best leave me alone when that happens, but people always want to "cheer me up". GRRRRRRR

[George61]

I wrote a post on this a couple of days back, but it disappeared into thin air. I would not accept a job offer with shared accommodation! ...Been dere, done dat! OK when you are young and wandering the world, but I live here, and I want to live MY way! Not share it with some young sprog, backpacker...or even another DOM.

[Mr Nobody]

No way sharing thingie

[Jollyjunklass]

Well, I'm glad to hear that guys, I didn't even want to admit that I didn't want a roommate. Thought some people might think , what's her problem. But, truth be told, I couldn't stand to have a roommate. I like my own space, especially when you have to deal with people all day long. I mean I like people and all, but I can see a roommate getting on my nerves real quick. And then I can imagine walking around with major resentment because I don't have the nerve to tell them what I really think. I think expecting someone to share a room with a complete stranger is kind of asking for a lot. I can see a ton of problems arising because of it. And, because your in a different country that you don't know much about, your stuck.

I wonder how people cope with this. Your right George, if you were young and in that University party mode, it might not be so bad. As you get older though you like to do things your way, and you sure don't feel like having to put up with anyone else's stuff. Plus, I think as you get older you become more comfortable having your own space.

With loneliness, like you say Con, there are neighbours and even they can get on my nerves at times, especially the dropping by unannounced thing. Here, I don't feel like answering my door, unless I have invited someone and I'm prepared for company. So, I think the roommate thing will, definitely be out of the question.

[Wolf]

I had to share accomodation with co-workers on my first job. Blech. I lucked out and they were mostly okay, but still it was inconvenient in the extreme, especially on top of the stresses of fitting into a new life.

Plus, roomates are the Laowai version of Russian roulette, you could end up with a real basket case for a roomate.

China's not so poor that they can't offer you single accomodation (although it is something of a perk by local standards.) It could very well save your sanity.

[contemporary dog]

sixerfan said:

Does anyone have their own apartment? Is it possible to do this if you work for a state school? I've been told that it cannot be done, but I have my suspicions. Does anybody know?

Some of my colleagues live off campus and the school pays them a bit extra.

I'm quite happy with the apartment provided on campus so I've never bothered, though.

[con's fly is open]

Howdy Dog! I'm Con, and I talk too much.
How long have you been in China? I lived in my school last year, upstairs from the office and right down the hall from my classroom. I was a babe in the Chinese woods, so it was convenient, safe and cozy... but towards the end it became stifling. Plus without a long walk to work I gained major weight.

[Ruth]

Not sure what is meant by 'own' apartment. My husband and I have our own apartment, in that we don't live with anyone else. But a landlord owns it and the school pays the rent.

As others have said above, sharing with a stranger would not be for me. I believe there are enough jobs out there where you can have your own space, that you don't need to take one where a roommate is mandatory.

If you mean 'own' apartment, as in find your own and pay for it yourself, I can't speak to that situation. I did meet a guy in Beijing who was given a monthly housing bonus. He found his own flat and pays less per month than his housing bonus, so extra income for him. Could work the other way though. I like not having to deal with rent/utilities/etc.

[Wolf]

By "own" apartment I meant "private accomodation shared only by spouse when said spouse behaves and absolutely under no circumstances any co-workers."

[woza17]

Con's accommodation sucks but he is too polite to say that, being Canadian, so being Aussie I will have to do it for him. No Sunday morning sleepins there.

Cheers Woza

[con's fly is open]

woza17 said:

Con's accommodation sucks but he is too polite to say that, being Canadian, so being Aussie I will have to do it for him. No Sunday morning sleepins there.

Cheers Woza

(Sigh) True; if I stick around, I'll have to get my own place.

But to be fair, the Sunday morning part is due to the fact that we teach throughout Saturday and Sunday. Monday morning you can hear a pin drop. If you think to yourself "No weekends? Then I can't go out on the town when it's happening!", you haven't seen Dashiqiao.

[Babala]

I would never take another job where I had to live on campus. I did it for my first 2 years in China but never again!! There are so many jobs out there that offer off-campus housing. Why even bother trying to make an arrangement with a school that has on-campus housing. I would stick to schools that have the off-campus housing to start with.

[Jollyjunklass]

Okay, in need of an explanation here. I am assuming that on campus, could mean your own private apartment, but on the campus grounds. I have been offered such a place. I know what is wrong with the roommate deal, however, I have not heard the complaints about on campus living, as opposed, to off campus. Can someone fill me in here. What are it's drawbacks.

[Wolf]

On campus living means that you can't easily escape students, if they happen to bother you.

Also gates tend to be locked early in the evenings, and getting back home late can be a problem.

Also some people might find living near thousands of students a bit nosier than they had bargained for. My personal "favorite" were the massive strings of fireworks set off outside my appartment. Not just during new year or graduation, but whenever the urge to blow off a finger or two presented itself. They were set off near my building in order to be further away from the dorms. You see, not everyone loves noise and their neighbors would rightly complain if the fireworks were set off elsewhere.

And you're more at the beck and call of your employer; I guess.

The advantages being that it's free (usually), and a bit more hassle free (relatively.)