What is Guangzhou like to live in?

Hi,
I have just signed up to this website and seen this post straight away. You must be going through English International right? It sounds very similar to what i am going to be doing..fact and figures etc.
I am leaving for Guangzhou in February and i'm also trying to find out as much as possible about the city, etc.
I don't speak any Mandarin or Cantonese, however i went on a website called UK Tutors and managed to find a Tutor who is from Guangzhou but is living very close to me, she is going to teach me Mandarin however will also learn me the basics of Cantonese, just to help incase i come across someone who can't understand Mandarin.

Hope to hear from you, Karly.

Im English and I've been in Guangzhou for nearly 4 months now. I stumbled across this other night and decided to reply.

Guangzhou is pretty westernized to be honest. I found the initial culture shock didn't last too long. I speak fuck all Chinese, only few words in Mandarin, and no Cantonese. I manage however, although certain things are difficult.

As a city GZ is very big, congested, polluted, and not exactly beautiful. Although like many big cities, it does have things to offer. If you like living in a big city, you may like GZ. Like any big city it can feel exciting. The metro and buses can be pretty hellish with people shove past you all the time. (the concept of manners is very different here) People spit all the time, even on the metro and in restaurants (sometimes).

I've been working at an adult teaching company in GZ. I'm not particularly happy there, and I don't think they are a good school/company. I'm an inexperienced teacher, but I get very little support, and the training was a joke. One thing to remember is everyone in China nowadays is out to make a few bob, often with rather unscrupulous methods. This doesn't that all English schools are like this, but be careful when choosing somewhere to work (if that luxury is available to you). Make sure you research the school/job well before taking the plunge. I have to say longusername, taking 50% off your salary for 4 months does not sound good.

On downside of GZ is the number of middle aged western sex pats (these people are all over Asia) many of which are teachers. These are some of the creepiest, most obnoxious individuals I've ever met. They often look down on younger westerners (particularly males) and love to brag about how good they are at teaching, and how so many women love them. The truth is they are losers in their own country, they come to China, wave a few hundred Yuan in the face of some girl, get their dick sucked, and they think they are some bigshot. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is the truth.

Although I might sound pessimistic in many ways, I regret nothing and I do enjoy living here. I've met plenty of decent people both westerners and Chinese. Outside of work I have a good time.

All the best!

taking Mandarin, is a language that all people understand in china,don't matter where in china,people can understand.
speaking Mandarin will make it less disrespectful seen to me, most people in north part china don't speak Cantonese, but all school teach use Mandarin.so Mandarin be the way to go.[in my opinion]

I have studied Mandarin at university and find as an AUssie that it is very practicle and very logical, whereas in ENglish it's relative new compared to Chinese. I have met many CHinese here who are from Canton and ALL speak Mandrin plus their own language be it Guangdong Hua or otherwise. Learn mandarin as its the Offical Language and everyone in China has to use it to communicate. Cantonese is similar to Vietnamese, in tones and they even share many words.

GO to CHina expecting CHINESE don't go if you are expecting Western values, ideologies, democracy etc! Things like lining up, pushing shoving, don't be too direct, I get critised for being too blunt but that's AUssie culture. Be accepting of the way of the Chinese, but that's why we're going right? I WANT to leanr to see things differently.

ON your job side of things, why not just go through a proper CELTA course in the UK and then apply for work in CHina? THat way you're covered financially and guaranteed a proper job. They shouldn't be deducting wages. Personally, I would look at continued work in UK while studying the TEFL or CELTA or even the Grad DIp Ed, in ESL FIRST before going, because when your in GZ or whereever your covered educational wise and who knows maybe you'll be staying there for many years to come? I hope i do! But I'm taking my two year old with me, so he's going to be TRIlingual and for Aussies that's amazing! Really we're so isolated here......

chesterfielddan wrote:

Im English and I've been in Guangzhou for nearly 4 months now. I stumbled across this other night and decided to reply.

Guangzhou is pretty westernized to be honest. I found the initial culture shock didn't last too long. I speak fuck all Chinese, only few words in Mandarin, and no Cantonese. I manage however, although certain things are difficult.

As a city GZ is very big, congested, polluted, and not exactly beautiful. Although like many big cities, it does have things to offer. If you like living in a big city, you may like GZ. Like any big city it can feel exciting. The metro and buses can be pretty hellish with people shove past you all the time. (the concept of manners is very different here) People spit all the time, even on the metro and in restaurants (sometimes).

I've been working at an adult teaching company in GZ. I'm not particularly happy there, and I don't think they are a good school/company. I'm an inexperienced teacher, but I get very little support, and the training was a joke. One thing to remember is everyone in China nowadays is out to make a few bob, often with rather unscrupulous methods. This doesn't that all English schools are like this, but be careful when choosing somewhere to work (if that luxury is available to you). Make sure you research the school/job well before taking the plunge. I have to say longusername, taking 50% off your salary for 4 months does not sound good.

On downside of GZ is the number of middle aged western sex pats (these people are all over Asia) many of which are teachers. These are some of the creepiest, most obnoxious individuals I've ever met. They often look down on younger westerners (particularly males) and love to brag about how good they are at teaching, and how so many women love them. The truth is they are losers in their own country, they come to China, wave a few hundred Yuan in the face of some girl, get their dick sucked, and they think they are some bigshot. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is the truth.

Although I might sound pessimistic in many ways, I regret nothing and I do enjoy living here. I've met plenty of decent people both westerners and Chinese. Outside of work I have a good time.

All the best!

HAHA, that was very funny and informative writing! if i wasnt so lazy ill hang it up on my wall. Thanks, JW

HAHA, Longusername, are you living in guangzhou now?
I really wonder how you think about this city since perhaps you've stayed here for some time.
To me, I would prefer to live at a small town but not big cities, yet I have to stay here for my girlfriend.

Hi there,
I have just joined this site as I have been offered a teaching job in Guangzhou too.  My offer is for Phoenix City International School and it seems like a pretty good deal.  Has anybody heard of the school and can give me some idea of what it would be like to teach there?  I will live on campus, so is it close to the city centre and what is there to do around the area?
Longusername, did you take the plunge and move to Guanzhou?
Thanks for any help!

Hi vickih

Phoenix City International School is in the city of Zengcheng. It is not in the centre of Guangzhou city. But if you live in the campus that will be fine.

the pace of Guangzhou life is very fast.And Guangzhou is one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in China.So if you like big city in China,maybe Guangzhou will be your ideal one.

chesterfielddan wrote:

Im English and I've been in Guangzhou for nearly 4 months now. I stumbled across this other night and decided to reply.

Guangzhou is pretty westernized to be honest. I found the initial culture shock didn't last too long. I speak fuck all Chinese, only few words in Mandarin, and no Cantonese. I manage however, although certain things are difficult.

As a city GZ is very big, congested, polluted, and not exactly beautiful. Although like many big cities, it does have things to offer. If you like living in a big city, you may like GZ. Like any big city it can feel exciting. The metro and buses can be pretty hellish with people shove past you all the time. (the concept of manners is very different here) People spit all the time, even on the metro and in restaurants (sometimes).

I've been working at an adult teaching company in GZ. I'm not particularly happy there, and I don't think they are a good school/company. I'm an inexperienced teacher, but I get very little support, and the training was a joke. One thing to remember is everyone in China nowadays is out to make a few bob, often with rather unscrupulous methods. This doesn't that all English schools are like this, but be careful when choosing somewhere to work (if that luxury is available to you). Make sure you research the school/job well before taking the plunge. I have to say longusername, taking 50% off your salary for 4 months does not sound good.

On downside of GZ is the number of middle aged western sex pats (these people are all over Asia) many of which are teachers. These are some of the creepiest, most obnoxious individuals I've ever met. They often look down on younger westerners (particularly males) and love to brag about how good they are at teaching, and how so many women love them. The truth is they are losers in their own country, they come to China, wave a few hundred Yuan in the face of some girl, get their dick sucked, and they think they are some bigshot. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is the truth.

Although I might sound pessimistic in many ways, I regret nothing and I do enjoy living here. I've met plenty of decent people both westerners and Chinese. Outside of work I have a good time.

All the best!

Yes very true. I agree to most of what you said, almost everything : that Guangzhou is polluted, that its congested, that its not beautiful.

But I don't think, for god sake, its very westernized. There might be a lot of Western Wannabes in Guangzhou, but the city is not very westernized. And neither is it very oriental, in my eyes. Whatever it is, its just not beautiful. And if you have been to Japan, or if you know much of oriental cultures, you know what I mean by not very authentically oriental. Like in many mainland Chinese cities, enough of Chineseness has been shaken off to make it less oriental and yet cosmopolitanism is far from completed. So here's how it is : not as creative as cities in the West and not as disciplined or organized as a city in Japan.

Taxi drivers, especially Cantonese ones, are actually mostly quite rude in their language ! Well you guys don't complain cuz they become mute when you are on-board. But you don't quite want to talk to them if you spoke Cantonese. THEY TALK AS IF THEY WERE QUARRELING.

And look at those ppl driving a BMW or a Maserati on the street. Guangzhou ARRIVISTEs are one of the most [Moderated] you can ever find on this planet earth.

In my eyes, Guangzhou is neither westernized nor easternized. Its just Cantonese. And, no es bonita.

You can find middle class ppl donning LV's, not many of who with taste.

What is hard to find is someone to share my viewpoints and a beer.

Hello dear please communicate with me as i am looking to come and lookfor work there in GZ

Like your attitude and blundness my husband is the same way can skype at address konstantinos pitt or cosmo1829 

Katie johnsian Canadian and Spanish passport holder