4 MUST TRY CHINA BEERS

If you are a beer drinker then you are in luck, China has a wide variety of both local and Western Beers. I have managed to try a few Local ones and there are four that have gained my liking. In the following post I will discuss these beers and list them in order of my preference.

Tsingtao

Tsingtao is brewed by Tsingtao Brewery Co and is one of Chinas’ most popular (if not the most) beers. Tsingtao is produced in Qingdao (Tsingtao is a transliteration Qingdao) and is identifiable by its logo which displays the Zhan Qiao pier (a famous pier on Qingdao's southern shore).

Tsingtao is a well-hopped pilsner with an alcohol content of 4.7% and is its brewery’s best selling beer. Originally all Tsingtao Beers were brewed using spring water from the Laoshan Spring and this contributed to its characteristic taste. However in current days only those Tsingtao beers brewed by the Qingdao branch of its brewery are brewed using spring water.

Originally Tsingtao was brewed using only water, barely and hops. In modern days however rice is being used as a way to cut costs.

Tiger Beer

Even though Tiger Beer is not a Chinese produced beer it is still very popular amongst the large expat community in China.  Tiger beer is produced in Singapore and has an Alcohol content of 5%. The beer was launched in 1932 and is sold in 60 countries worldwide.

The taste of this pale larger is so good that it won gold at the 2011 World Quality Selections  and it sells so well that it’s been rated as one of Singapore’s top 10 most valuable brands.

Harbin

Harbin is another one of China’s most popular beers and when tasting it, it is no wonder why 1 million tons of it is sold annually. This pale larger was first produced in 1900 and it’s named after the city in which it was produced (i.e. Harbin)

Harbin is brewed from European and Chinese “Qindao Dahua” hops, two-row malt, and German yeast. It has an alcohol content of 4% and is China’s oldest beer.

Harbin is also one of the official partners of the NBA

Snow 

Snow is another beer that one must try when in China. It is brewed by CR Snow and has an alcohol content ranging between 2.8% and 5% (I am still to find any Snow stronger than 2.8% but I have been told they exist).

As of 2008 Snow has been labeld the best selling beer in the world and sell an outrages 100 million hectoliters a year. Snow was first produced in 1993 and since then its brewery has released a large variety of snow beers.

In 2013 Chinese drinkers drank an unbelievable 10.3 Billion litre of this rapidly selling larger.

4 MUST HAVE APPS IN CHINA

Living in China is no easy task, but luckily there are some apps that will make everyday life a lot easier. In the following blog post I will discuss 4 mobile phone apps that will simplify life in China.

WeChat

In China Blackberry Messenger and Whatsapp are almost completely unheard of. If you want to chat then Wechat is the way to go. Created by the Chinese Mobile Application giant TenCent Wechat is the most popular social network in China.

If Whatsapp and Facebook had a child their offspring would be WeChat! It shares Whatsapps’ voice note, and messaging features and Facebooks’ wall feature (known to WeChat users as moments). Furthermore it also has a VoIP feature similar to that of Skype

In China one does not have a choice but to download this nifty little application. Simply put if you can’t beat them join them

To Download WeChat Click Here.

PM 2.5 Detector

China is well known for its high levels of Air pollution and if you are planning to stay in china for a long period of time I recommend getting a PM 2.5 Detector.  This type of app allows you to check the PM 2.5 index (i.e. the level of air pollution) at any time.

At the time of writing I sadly do not have an app that serves this function, but I am on the lookout and will update this post shortly.

P.S. if you know of an app for this please feel free to comment!

Taobao

Taobao is the ebay/amazon of china and allows you to buy almost any product imaginable. Owned by Alibaba it is the most popular e-commerce website in china and it allows you to buy anything from corn to parts for your car.

Prices are normally cheaper than most in real life shops and it’s a must have for any person living in China

Download the app Here

Learn Chinese

Living in China and not being able to speak the language is a mammoth task. Luckily the Learn Chinese app is available to make your life a lot (and I mean a lot) easier! This useful little app provides you with a massive list of words and phrases that will come in to use almost every day.

Whether you want to learn Chinese or simply want a little help getting your message across  Learn Chinese is a must have app.

Download Learn Chinese here: Apple Android

STUFF I WISH I WAS TOLD BEFORE COMING TO CHINA

China is a weird, and wonderful place and thus far I am enjoying every second of it. But sometimes I wish someone would have told me about some of the weird things I would be seeing on a regular basis (and with regular I mean every day). So being the nice guy that I am I decided to create this list of weird things to prepare yourself for when coming to China.

Smoking in Public

Coming from South Africa (a country where smoking laws are enforced to some extent) I was quite shocked the first time I was in a shop (an Adidas Shop of all places) and saw a customer light up a cigarette. I turned to my friend and asked “wait is this normal?” and his response was that you can smoke virtually anywhere in China (even when there is a no-smoking sign).
Over the last few months his response has been reinforced and I have come to realise that you can literally smoke in 90% of all public places.  So if you are a non-smoker be prepared for this!!!

Drinking in Public

Something else that took me by surprise is the fact that drinking in public is legal in China.  At first I just could not do it and every time I tried I found myself looking over my shoulder for the police. Funny enough the other day an American friend came to visit me, and he also couldn't believe it and refused to carry his beer in public.
I asked some of the Chinese people that I know and they told me that drinking in public is commonly accepted provided you are over the age of 18.

Being Stared at

As a foreigner in China one thing you will have to get used to is being stared at. At first it was annoying, everywhere I went people would stop and stare at me as if I was a celebrity.  A few weeks later though it hit me that the people staring at me may have never seen a foreigner before and I know that if I was in their shoes I would probably do the same.
I recently developed a tactic to combat the staring, I simply start staring back at the person and they become so embarrassed that they stop within seconds.

Public potty training

Something else I see on a regular basis that takes some time getting used to is public potty training. Almost all toddlers have slits in their pants, and when nature calls they simply squat and relieve themselves wherever they may be. This may seem disgusting at first but eventually you don’t even notice it (just be sure not to step in it!)

Public Toilets

When it comes to public toilets in China there are two things you have to know: Number one carry your own toilet paper (99% of the time it is not provided) and number two be prepared to squat. Most public toilets in China are squatters, which literally means that you have to squat over a hole and do your business.

Being Ripped off 

One thing to be on the lookout for is being ripped off by Chinese shops and taxies.  When buying stuff you will sometimes find that the shop owner/staff will try inflate the price simply because you are a foreigner (which makes your rich! I wish this was the case). Taxi drivers may “forget” to turn on their meter and charge a huge amount for a trip that was meant to cost you 15 Yuan. It’s best to be alert and show these crooks that you are not some silly foreigner.

Being Called Handsome

If you were even remotely attractive back home you will find yourself being called handsome by both men and woman. It’s so strange that simply because you are a foreigner you receive extra points (i.e. if you were a six back home you will be an eight in China).

Being called fat.

I may not be the skinniest guy around but when I was called fat for the first time I was like WTF! I didn't know how to react so I just laughed it off. Later on I discussed this with the Chinese staff, and they explained to me that being called fat in china is not an insult but rather an observation. In other words being called fat has no negative connotations in China.

COST OF LIVING IN CHINA

The cost of living in china is one of the reasons I chose to come teach here. In most cases you can live quite a lavish life whiles earning an average salary.  Sadly though when taking the money back home in most cases it won’t be worth much. Luckily for South Africans (like me) whatever we take home is basically doubled and as such provides us with a nice opportunity to save for the future.

For the exchange rate check out: CoinMill

As an ESL teacher some of the most common expenses you could find yourself faced with are:

Housing and Utilities

In most cases ESL teachers do not have to pay rent, as this is covered by their school. The only thing the teacher will have to pay for is his/her utility bills (water and lights), Internet Connection, Cable TV and in the colder provinces central heating.

These expenses are roughly:

1. Utility bills: 200¥-350¥ Per month (in some cases schools pay for this fee as well)
2. Internet Connection: 900¥-1100¥ Per Year (Foreigners have to pay once off for their internet connection)
3. Cable TV: 900¥-1100¥ Per Year (Foreigners have to pay once off for their Cable connection)

Food and Drinks

The costs of food and drinks can vary depending on your preferences. If you prefer eating western food (i.e. western takeout and western themed restaurants) you will be spending a considerably large amount of your income on it. Here are some examples of how much you could expect to be spending:

• Average takeout meal ( Mc Donald’s, Burgher King, etc): 25¥-30¥
• Meal at Western themed restaurant: 50¥-150¥

The second choice that you will have when it comes to food is of course eating at Chinese restaurants. Here you would be spending about 10¥-25 ¥ per meal and the food is normally quite good. The only problem I have experienced is that the menus are often in Chinese without any pictures.

The third option you have is buying groceries and cooking your own food. Now I don’t have anything against this but I have found that eating at Chinese restaurants works out much more affordable than this. Depending on how much you eat your monthly groceries should work out to about 700¥ -1500¥ per month.

Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in China are very cheap. However as with food it depends where you buy these drinks. Some examples of how much you could expect to be paying includes:

• 600ml Soda: 3¥
• 2L Soda: 7¥
• 1.5L bottle of water: 3¥-5¥
• 1L Milk: 13¥
• Large Coffee: 20¥-30¥
• 1L Iced Tea: 5¥
• 330ml Fruit Juice: 3.50¥
• 1L Fruit Juice: 7¥-10¥
• Local 600ml Beer (not at western bar): 5¥-8¥
• Local 500ml Beer (at western bar):20¥-35¥
• Imported 330ml Beer (not at a western bar 20¥-30¥)
• Imported 500ml Beer (at a western bar 50¥-80¥)
• Imported Spirits 750ml: 90¥-300¥
• Local Spirits 750ml: 50¥-150¥
• Ginjo (Chinese Red Spirit) 10¥-30¥ 
• Baijiu (Chinese white spirit): 8-¥-50¥

Transport

Transport in China is very inexpensive and in most cases very efficient. A breakdown of what the various modes of transport would cost you are:

• Taxi (depending on distance travelled) : 8¥-50¥
• Bus (depending on City): 1¥-2¥ to any destination
• Subway: 2¥-4¥ to any destination

Clothing

The prices for clothing and apparel varies quite considerably. Buying from local clothing shops can save you quite a bit of money, but at the same time you may struggle to find your size.

The other option is buying at an international clothing chain such as H&M, Zara, Blue Navy, Etc.  Here it will be a lot easier to find your size, but the prices will be the same if not more expensive than home.

*Note: I have not added prices as they tend to vary from area to area*

Miscellaneous 

Some other general expenses include:

• Cigarettes: 6.50¥-40¥ 
• Sweets: 1¥-20¥
• Gym Membership: 1100¥-3000¥ (per year)
• Haircut: 30¥-50¥
• Foot Massage: 90¥
• Full Body Massage: 110¥-250¥

FINDING AN ESL JOB

Something I get asked often by people back home is how I got my job as an ESL Teacher.  So in the following blog post I will attempt to answer that question by discussing how to obtain a position as an ESL Teacher.

Requirements

Just like with any job application back home there are some requirements that need to be met before one can be considered for a position as an ESL Teacher. Each school will have their own sets of requirements, but there are some which are common for most schools and these include:

• Being a native English Speaker.
• That you are a citizen of one of the following countries: America,   England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada (though since being in China I have met teachers from countries  other than the ones just mentioned).
• Having Completed a Bachelor’s Degree with English being the language of instruction.
• Being 18 years or older (though from what I understand with New Visa laws in China one needs to be at least 24 years of age).
• A TEFL Certificate is recommended and sometimes required.

Finding a Job

Finding a job as an ESL Teacher is in many aspects a simple process (especially when applying in China - mainly because there is a huge demand for teachers at the moment).

There are 3 main ways to find teaching positions and these are:

Looking for them online:

There are many useful website created solely for finding ESL positions. Some of these include:

1.       Dave’s ESL Cafe
2.       tefl.com  
3.       tefl-online
4.       love tefl
5.       tefl-jobs    

Using Recruitment Agencies

This is the way I found my position and I would recommend using one. The reasons for me recommending using one are that not only do many of them offer ongoing support but in most cases they also make sure schools are legitimate before posting their vacancies.

After sending a recruitment agency the required documentation they will schedule a screening interview with you. If they deem you suitable they will send your information off to prospective schools and if the schools are interested they will contact you to set up an interview.
Some of the more recognized recruitment agencies include:

1.       Reach To Teach
2.       Footprints Recruiting
3.       Horizon Recruiting

Direct Application

Many schools advertise their teaching positions online and allows for a person to apply without the need of going through a recruitment agency. The only problem I with this is that you will need to find a good school by yourself and will need to do proper research before signing any contract. If one does not do this you face the risk of landing up in a school where you are abused and over worked.

The End Process

After finding a job and signing your contract the school will send you an invitation letter which is required for you to apply for a VISA. In most cases you will have to apply for a work VISA in your home country. In some cases however schools bring you over on a visitor’s visa and then apply for your work VISA once you have entered the country as doing it this way is a lot quicker.