In my previous school I was placed on a committee to choose my replacement. We contacted the references of the top 6 candidates and interviewed just one candidate. So I would say you have made some sort of initial cut. Of course each school is different.

In my school we have a number of staff with non-teaching spouses and school age children. I think our school likes to have a mix as teachers with children in the school displays to the parents our commitment to the life of the school. I think if the OP is not too specific or fussy about location, they would find a school that is a good fit for them.

Did SAS pay if you renewed ?

Wish my school did this!! :)

Wow, I ask for a humorous anecdote and get abuse from a nitwit. It's scary that you are in the career of teaching. You are a sad excuse for a human being.

Hi all...... anyone experiencing culture shock in a new locale??? I'd love to hear some funny/ horror stories!

I had to do this last year for my China work visa. You need to get it from the FBI, their website has all the info you need to do this.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/crimin ... to-the-fbi

Since I don't use em, I didn't write about em. My wife informs me that she can get them at Carrefour and at Lotus supermarkets.

[quote="Pippafrit"]Another question, should I bring my laptop or is it better to get one in China? Also I gather the "great Chinese firewall" is an issue. I've heard of VPD's do I need one, can I get one there? If I have one can I use Facebook, Blog etc? Is it possible to use FaceTime and Skype? Thanks again.[/quote]

You will need a VPN to access some sites. That being said they are easy to get and install. I use astrill and it costs about $75 a year. You can get laptops here, but the cheaper ones will have an operating system in chinese. By the time you pay for english software you would have been better bringing yours from home. A laptop with an english os will be more expensive here than in north america.
I use Facebook, skype with family and youtube etc. with no problems.

As far as personal effects go, everything that you would expect to find in a typical western department store can be found here. If you are particular about specific brands of say, toiletry items, then best bring some from home.
My school is very well resourced, so bringing teaching supplies was not needed, other than making scanned copies of some resources that I knew I would use. Most major airlines have good connections to Shanghai, it kinda depends on where you are flying from. I used Hainan from North America because the baggage allowance was better and the fee for extra bags was lower.
Food safety: Generally the western style supermarkets are safe. It's the local wet markets that can sometimes be sketchy, some of them I won't even enter, but others I go to all the time for meat and veg. For a time we stopped eating chicken, but have now been told by our Ayi that it is safe again. In the US we had the occasional food scare also. High quality goods are more expensive here than in the west. High end electronics, designer label clothing, top quality shoes etc are all imported from the west and so are more costly. The Chinese tend to mass produce lower quality items, so the cheap Chinese stuff you used to buy at walmart is even cheaper here.

Tips:
1. Unless you are single get an Ayi and have her cook for you. This sounds like an expense, but actually will save you money. Plus coming home to a cleaned apartment is awesome.
2. Develop a tolerance for crowds. Shanghai is a busy busy place.
3. Buy a scooter or bike when you get here( they are cheap). The metro is very convenient, but to run errands nothing beats your own set of wheels, plus you'll get oriented to the locale quicker.
4. In your first week, learn where a nearby hospital with a good vip or international section is, chances are you will get sick your first month or so here due to the change in water food or air, and you will want to know in advance where to go for your medical needs.
5. If you have large feet or are a larger person, be prepared for the fact that clothing or shoes will be hard to find. It's possible, just takes more effort.


I live in Pudong, so if you are headed there also, I could give you more info about that. If you are headed to a different area, I prolly wouldnt be much help!!! If you have any other questions fire away!!

At about this time last year I was a US teacher who had just accepted a position at an international school in Shanghai (Pudong). I was given a lot of good advice and tips from people on this forum and I thought I would post to say that if anyone is presently in the same boat I was........ ask away!!

No sorry... they are on the complete opposite end of shanghai from where I am. I havn't heard about them at all.

did you get the job?

tx and jstwatchn what schools ?

In my opinion, you should only accept if the school is getting a z visa for you. It is technically illegal to enter on a tourist visa with the intention of being employed.