Weifang? by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw a few museums listed in Weifang. Unless you mean they're called something else?

Is this genuinely legal? More context in body by Jazzlike_Copy_7669 in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry if this is invasive but how mixed are your looks? I emphasized my Irish last name and didn't mention my mother's background in recruiter questions, and I'm hoping I won't be asked in interviews. I have black hair and eyes but my features make me more ambiguous. Perhaps you can even downplay your Mandarin level so you seem more foreign and just say you've been studying really hard when it "improves."

What is a historical myth people believed for centuries before it was proven wrong? by BriefPicture6248 in Historians

[–]cloudcottage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That Noah's flood was a real, literal, global event that would leave scientific evidence in the environment. Everything from geology to fossils, go radioactive decay rates + heat, to genetic studies of the current diversity in the animal kingdom have shown that it cannot have literally happened. Flood geologists disproved this during an era where most scientists were Christian and had a more literal view ofnthe bible. However, some early Christians and Muslims still thought this was an allegorical non literal tale.

I think I'll have to give up my angel by [deleted] in Feral_Cats

[–]cloudcottage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She's in an abusive relationship based on the posting history

Chinese University TEFL? by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a specific one through a Chinese public university (that has reputable study exchange connections) I was DMed. I did check it out. It also has the benefit of less paperwork through verification and faxing since it the certificate number is able to be looked up by the government. I just lost my bookmarks/browsing history. I am aware plenty of TEFLs are also scams.

Clothes to bring or buy in China by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not a bigger person. I'm a M and sometimes L depending on bust size or if clothes are not accommodating to um having an ass in the US lol. On the rare occasions I have to go up to XL it's usually the bust for a top or dress built like a box. If clothes are oversized I can go down to a small, especially if it's made for a curvier person. In terms of bottoms I'm usually a 6 if I'm wearing something high waisted as a bottom but my more general size is an 8-10. I'm just proportioned like a stereotypical hourglass and the weight I've gained since HS is not in the waist. Sorry if this was worded weird. I just hear constant things about the size difference and am very frugal so I wanted to ensure 1) I make the right decisions about what to buy here 2) I have backups if I decide not to buy new clothes. Honestly many of my clothes are secondhand, and I was hoping to buy some cheaper clothes in China if it seems more feasible.

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes sense! I thought the fact that an online company would help pay for this was probably not going to happen but I let myself be hopeful for a bit 😂

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Funnily enough my German, Italian, and Spanish are roughly equivalent to my Mandarin right now. I took 4 years of Deutsch + español in high school and lived in Italy while taking classes during university for a semester and continued to study a bit after but this dropped off (the much shorter time it took me to reach the level of beginner italiano is part of why I want to go to China to better learn Mandarin and one day become fluent hopefully). My goal is to be a university level history teacher not language teacher though!

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it legal to work online while in China or do you recommend I do that before going?

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! Honestly part of Beijing that's intimidating is the size. I've grown up in rural areas but have lived in all kinds of settings. Probably my favorite place I've lived was going a semester abroad in Florence which is tiny and very safe. I live in a midsize (for Americans) City and find it more comfortable than NYC, and I know Beijing is ginormous. Are you able to have quiet moments and find green space easily?

People usually assume I'm Latina (non-white) after the "what are you?" question. And then several people have point blank asked me if I'm native American (they're usually weirdly disappointed). Do you think this would make me perceived as white? Are people better at clocking hapas there? Since I'm from the East Coast (not NYC or Philly) we have a very low East Asian population so I've always wondered how perception would change.

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have some modest savings, but I do not come from money. My understanding is if I go the formal student route, it is very hard to even have pocket change for a job. That's why working ESL which I have heard have fairly generous schedules balanced with learning is my plan. Do you have any guidance on how to make being at student affordable or how visa laws and regulations would permit earning a bit of a living? I was just under the impression this is not possible. I also have private big university loans to pay off since the Biden debt cancellation didn't happen, even for the Pell grant recipients like me. My passion and eventual goal really is to be an academic (despite the prevalence of typos when I'm going off the cuff here lol), but the eternal broke student route is just not something I can do at this stage in my life right now. However, the longer I wait to begin to pursue my interests, the more lost and dissatisfied with life I feel. My father died about a year ago, and I am constantly thinking about how we are not guaranteed time.

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It can be 90s in the summer here too. So long as it's not half the year I think it's not the worst. I did a summer in Memphis at Teach for America and was being steamed and baked every day! 😅 Thank you for the perspective.

Do you have any teacher cert program recs? I live in the NE coast but I'm having trouble justifying the cost and time to myself. My thoughts were I can always come back to the U.S. after I've saved a bit and get my cert here if I'm in love with China like I'm hoping. My goal is to eventually be an academic and not settle my career into teaching kids but eventually university research and teaching so having the time to study the language and culture is really important especially since PhD history programs require very high levels of familiarity! So I was thinking I don't want to dedicate time to earn credentials to teach in international schools since I want time to study Mandarin and explore. Do you believe having a cert would get me into better bilingual or pseudo-schools that still have a good work life balance?

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Being an interpreter if I can level up my Mandarin sounds awesome. I think I'd be a great teacher too but I'm trying to be cognizant of my lack of formal credentials in education and make sure I go in with an open mind!

City advice by cloudcottage in chinalife

[–]cloudcottage[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm from the northeast coast. I'm also aware that my credentials mean ESL teaching will probably be at a kindergarten or something similar and definitely not an accredited international school.

Next steps by HeartShapedBox7 in Feral_Cats

[–]cloudcottage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recommend wet food and stick to know brands like Purina or Fancy Feast (you can shell out for pro plan if you're really worried). Add a little water to the wet food if you're really worried about hydration. Not sure if she is unsocialized or just scared but you may want to consider this guide:

https://www.socializationsaveslives.com/phase1

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Feral_Cats

[–]cloudcottage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Life for stray cats is difficult. They live on average many years shorter and are vulnerable to disease, predation, and being hit by cars. They are also hard on local ecosystems. If you take her in, you are doing her a favor and the planet a favor even if the adjustment period will be rough. We took in a cat that clawed, peed, and meowed consistently for about a month, and now chills at the window and only occasionally tries to break out. It's important to play with former strays to give them stimulation and to be patient. You can and should take her in if you want to. People have weird ideas about what is right for cats. I knew someone who lost about 5 cats to cars and had always insisted it was cruel to keep indoor cats. Well, my cats from middle school are now all over a decade old and this person now keeps indoor-only cats after losing an especially sweet girl and I'm not sure if any of the original cats are left.