Blog
Should I Teach English in Saudi Arabia?
Teaching Nomad has branched out and as of today we’re recruiting qualified educators for a number of prestigious schools in the Middle East, and we have some particularly exciting opportunities in Saudi Arabia. But just what is there to know about the largest of the Arab states?
The best 5 meals in China for under a dollar
The best and cheapest food you can get in China!
Best travel locations for Chinese New Year
Spring festival will shortly be upon us, and for those of you spending your first Chinese New Year here, expect fireworks….lots of fireworks. Roads will become quieter, shops opening hours will be getting shorter and the metro less congested, as the majority of the Shanghai workers migrate to their home towns for the holidays (across China an estimated 3.6 billion trips will be made). This makes travelling around China an almost unbearable task for teachers and other expats alike, so this time of year provides the perfect opportunity to leave the Mainland and explores the delights of South East Asia, which conveniently sit on China’s doorstep. Should you want to stay in China, climbing these cool Chinese mountains or a short weekend trip to Hong Kong is recommended.
7 Great China Apps for Expats
Before we arrive to a new country like China, off on a new adventure, there are probably many places we want to explore. If you want to avoid the hassle of guide books, maps and dictionary, mobile apps are the best way to explore a city.
Online vs On-site TEFL Courses, A review
Many prospective ESL teachers wonder whether they should sign up for an online or an onsite TEFL. Here is a brief review of the advantage of each.
9 Things Not To Do (That You’ve Probably Already Done) In China
It is the bane of the business traveler in an unfamiliar culture: making a comment or gesture that is meant to be friendly but instead offends or embarrasses the hosts. Happily, such cross-cultural faux pas are no longer deal killers. Globalization has narrowed the cultural divide, and these days the Chinese are experienced enough in dealing with foreigners to shrug off such indiscretions. Even stabbing chopsticks into a bowl of rice and leaving them there (an act of hostility among Chinese because it signifies death) would be laughed off (albeit nervously) by locals. What truly matters is a friendly attitude and a patient manner. Below is a list of 9 things to avoid.
The Nomad’s Guide to Taobao Part 2 – Searching and Checking Out
Now that you have successfully created both your Taobao and Alipay accounts, it’s time to reap the rewards. The first thing you will want to do is search for the item(s) you are after. While you can do this in Chinese and English, I have personally found that learning the correct characters and doing it in Chinese yields far greater results. So, here we go – the perfect opportunity to work on your Chinese. In the beginning if you’re in a pinch, Google Translate will do the trick. Because one can never have too many, I’ve gone ahead and decided to search for a dress. This will bring up pages of results. Scour the options and select the one you think you like – don’t fret, it will open in a tab of its own.
How to Handle Your Hong Kong Visa Run
A ‘visa-run’ to Hong Kong is a trip which many teachers face during their time in China. With the exception of the time spent in the Chinese consulate with the visa application process, these days can prove to be a welcome holiday, and Hong Kong has a lot to offer for travelers on both a tight schedule and a tight budget. Recently I spent 3 days in Hong Kong, but in reality after time spent in the embassy and travelling to and from the airport, I had 1 and a half days of free time, and here is a taste of what I did, and hopefully you can find something which appeals to you for when you next visit…
Five Mind Blowing Facts About China
1. Fortune Cookies are not Chinese Imagine my surprise when I discovered that restaurants in China don’t serve fortune cookies with every meal. Worse, they’re nowhere to be found, and I have yet to meet a waiter who understands exactly what it is that I am looking forr. That’s because fortune cookies originated in California, […]
Teaching Nomad’s Top 5 Education Technology Tools
While the profession of teaching, one person imparting their knowledge on another, has remained fundamentally unchanged for a very long time, the digital revolution is bestowing on teachers some very cool new tools to multiply their efforts and maximize their efficiency. Below Teaching Nomad goes through 5 of our favorite classroom technology tools.
The Ultimate Taobao Guide for Foreigners
Click here for part 2 – Searching and Checking out on Taobao! When I first moved to Shanghai, China to teach ESL, one of the main problems I faced was being able to find the things I needed. Being in a new country and not speaking any Chinese made it difficult to find what I was looking for. Not to mention, some of the things that I was accustomed to buying in America are not available in many stores here. This is even more true of some of the smaller, less international cities in China.
How to get out of the foreigner bubble
Written by our friends at The Dragon Trip When in Rome, do as the Romans do. China may be a far cry from the hometown of wine and pizza, but the saying still applies – if you want to make the most out of being in an exciting new environment, make sure you immerse yourself fully in the local way of life. If you’re already in China, it’s likely that you’ve met two very different types of foreigners; there are the ones who move around the city with ease, can act as your translator whenever you are together, and generally seem to be getting more out of their time in China; and then there are those who very rarely leave their expat-friendly complex, unless they are heading to Element Fresh or Wagas. Without a doubt, any person who can muster up the courage to begin a brand new life in China deserves two gigantic thumbs up, but if you’re finding it a little difficult to fully immerse yourself in this very foreign culture, we may just have a few tips to help you along.