Teach Abroad Blog

Traveling and living abroad can mean different things to all of us. Here’s what living in Shanghai means to me!

Adjusting to a new environment takes some time for your body to adapt to. With your focus on adapting to your new life, you may have neglected your health as well. Keep in mind these tips to prevent catching something during flu season!

1. Kid Germs

It’s no secret that when you’re working with kids, you’re more prone to catching a bug. We all remember our younger selves and the questionable and sticky things we got on our hands and shirts. Keep in mind that this can easily be transferred to you. When you’re teaching kids in a confined classroom, there’s no escape from ‘Kid Germs’. Try your best to limit direct contact with your students and promote healthy hygiene. You’ll be doing yourself a favor and have an additional topic to fill your lesson plan!

2. Hand Sanitizer/Wet Wipes

With any sudden stop on the metro or bus, your hand automatically shoots up to steady yourself. More often than not you will have grabbed onto one of the many poles on the metro car. With more hands touching these poles than the door knob of the busiest bathroom in your office building, you will have been transferred many people’s hand germs. Hand sanitizers and wet wipes fit right into your pocket or bag and get those pesky germs off your hands. These can be a life saver if you commute to work during the week.

3. Stay Clean at Home

Every working adult has their lazy days. Laundry begins to pile up and dishes in the sink are neglected. The longer you haven’t touched your vacuum or washing machine, the more time germs have to build up. Regularly clean your space no matter how tired you are. Walking into a clean space and being able to kick your shoes off is more rewarding than walking into a cockroach infested home (not that we believe you have a cockroach infested home but you get the picture).

4. Healthy Diet

As good as it feels to eat some nachos and wash it down with a beer, there are few benefits to eating junk food. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats have vitamins and antioxidants that help your body attack some of those viruses. Something as simple as a squeeze of lemon in your tea can do wonders.

Lastly, you must be pro-active to prevent getting sick. Don’t wait until you can’t even have a full conversation without coughing every thirty seconds to do something about it. In the long run, it saves time and you’ll feel your best all year round!

                                                                                                                                           By June A

Associate Placement Consultant at Teaching Nomad

About our company: Teaching Nomad is an American owned and operated education recruitment company based in Shanghai, China. Our goal and purpose is to help great teachers find great teaching jobs. Year round, we have hundreds of teaching job vacancies. Whether your goal is to be an ESL teacher or teach in an international school, we have a teaching job for you. You can browse jobs online at www.teachingnomad.com/job-search for the latest job openings. Teaching Nomad is here to make teaching in China easier, so please feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions or inquiries!

Moving abroad can be hard at first, and for most people it’s a big decision. These feelings pass though and from there it’s mostly the best journey of your life. For those who are wondering what it’s like, here’s a few feelings you may experience when you get to China, and perhaps what you’re worrying about before you’ve decided to make the move!

• This is so new!

Upon arrival, it’s totally normal to feel a little out of your depth. It’s a new place that you probably haven’t been to before. It looks, smells and feels different and most of all its big! A few weeks in though and you feel totally at home and may even prefer it to your home town.

• How am I going to get around?

Will I be able to use public transport and taxis? Well, the metro is super easy to use and really inexpensive, as are taxis.  Public transport is maybe a little easier once you know where you’re going especially if your ability to voice your destination in a taxi is not quite up to scratch yet. If these aren’t an option, you could bike! Simply download an App and you’re good to go! It’s also a great way to get your bearings and see things at your own pace.

• I don’t know anyone!

Don’t worry, everyone is in the same boat! First of all, get WeChat and you’re set! There are hundreds of meet up groups you might want to join filled with people that share similar interests, along with groups of people who are employed in the same field as you. Shanghai has a huge expat community so when you’re feeling lonely in your first few weeks, stick with it and watch your network grow.

• I don’t speak Chinese how will I communicate with anyone?

Don’t panic! The majority of expats that move to China don’t speak Chinese. In Shanghai in particular, it is pretty easy to get by without speaking the language and if you have a few of the basics, it will be even easier. In some ways it means you can get really stuck in with the culture especially when it comes to food. Although, you will want to learn Mandarin when living in such an amazing City so don’t hesitate to find a teacher and get started. It will be one of the best things you do!

Along with the above, you will feel an abundance of other exciting things too so embark on your new journey and be ready for the adventure!

                                                                                                                                          By Jayne

Associate Placement Consultant at Teaching Nomad

About our company: Teaching Nomad is an American owned and operated education recruitment company based in Shanghai, China. Our goal and purpose is to help great teachers find great teaching jobs. Year round, we have hundreds of teaching job vacancies. Whether your goal is to be an ESL teacher or teach in an international school, we have a teaching job for you. You can browse jobs online at www.teachingnomad.com/job-search for the latest job openings. Teaching Nomad is here to make teaching in China easier, so please feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions or inquiries!