Major FAQ – China

Room, Food

Who will arrange my accommodation and w hat are they? Are singles rooms available? If I arrive with my friend or girlfriend/boyfriend can we stay together? Will there be other foreign volunteers/teachers at my placement? What are the local cuisines?

Your accommodations will be arranged by the host school in China . Housing varies from school-to-school, but your accommodations, will primarily be on campus. Sometimes, you may need to share apartment with another teacher.

The apartment is Chinese-styled. All accommodations are fully furnished, including tables, chairs, beds (with linen and blankets), office desk, clothes cabinet, TV, refrigerator, and washing machine. Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and living room are all compact inside one apartment.

* Exact information of room/food will be given in the final placement sheet.

Are singles rooms available?

Yes and each teacher will have his/her own private bedroom even in roommate situations.

If I arrive with my friend or girlfriend/boyfriend can we stay together?

Yes, but you need to inform our China in-country Coordinator of this so that he can help prepare accommodations with the school. If you friend/boyfriend/girlfriend just accompanies you, s/he has to pay 50-80 RMB per day to our in-country coordinator.

Will there be other foreign volunteers/teachers at my placement?

This depends on the exact placement and your preference in this issue. Normally you will be placed together with another foreign teacher.

What are the laundry arrangements?

A laundry is rare in most small or even medium size cities, so an automatic/mechanical washing machine is often supplied by the school and located in either the bathroom or kitchen of your apartment. You will be responsible for your laundry.

Can I use appliances if I bring them from my home country?

Yes, you can. However, please notice that in China a 220 volt power supply is used for standard domestic and business purposes. Most h otels generally provide wall sockets in every bathroom for razors and hair dryers, accommodating both straight, two-pin plugs and triangular 3-pin plugs.

What are the local cuisines?

Chinese food is much more diverse than the Chinese restaurants in America . Chinese food includes the dim sum of Canton , dumplings and noodles of North China, spicy food from Szechuan and Hunan , along with many other regional cuisines. Single dish meals at the cafeteria on campus costs as little as RMB 4 (USD $0.50), but in common Chinese restaurants surrounding the schools, meals cost RMB 10 - 20 ($1.25 - $3.00 USD) on a daily basis. Western restaurants are not uncommon in many cities, and will cost between RMB 50 - 100 (USD $6-12) per meal. If you want to prepare your food, groceries are very cheap in China .

Can you supply special diets?

Our partner schools in China provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals but if you require a special diet, you are responsible for your meals.

Is the running tap water safe for drink?

NO. It is suggested you either buy bottled water in the local shop or grocery. Tap water can only be drinkable after boiling.

Will bottle water be provided?

No, but in some cases, schools may provide large jars of water with an electronic water heating/cooling machine. In most cases, you will have to buy this for yourself.

Can I stay with the Chinese host family?

Yes/no. As the traditional Chinese apartments are not very spacious (normally only two bedrooms in most areas) and will be very difficult to accommodate an extra person. However, we will try our best to arrange a short term, home-stay (about one week) upon your initial application.