Living accommodations in China are changing fast, so there's a lot of variety. Until the 1990s, most urban housing looked like an apartment building. They're usually drab concrete blocks with balconies that may be glassed in. Chinese people can now own their apartments and many new buildings are being constructed. Now the buildings are often painted bright pink or decorated with Greek/Roman statues. In recent years high-rise apartments have sprung up all over China at an incredible rate. Not only has the availability of housing increased but the living conditions have improved dramatically as well. New apartments are being build with fast internet connections, central heating, electricity and toilets. Seem funny, it wasn't that long ago when houses being built did not have an indoor toilet.
Housing in China
The majority of English schools in China provide their teachers with free housing. Some schools that offer higher starting salaries may exclude housing, be sure to read your contract completely. We highly recommend contracts that include housing for your first job.
Teacher apartments in China are usually either on campus or very close. These apartments will be furnished with basic necessities- a western style bed, some chairs, a table, a bureau, a TV, a fridge, a washing machine and perhaps a VCR and or a computer and a western style toilet. The only places where you will experience traditional ‘squat’ style toilets- basically a porcelain covered hole in the floor- is in the countryside and in some public restrooms (but these are becoming less and less common). I repeat - you will NOT have a squat toilet in your apartment- you will have a normal, western style flush toilet.
Squat Toilet - HELP!
The first squat toilet I came across made me laugh and almost cry. I laughed when I first saw it and I was choked when my pants got wet in an area that made me look really foolish. Here are some tips from my experience.
First, your apartment will not have a squatter. These are really only found in public areas.
Electrical System in China
A great site for information on the world's electronics is http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm and see China.
The two types that are used are type A and type I. Type G is only used in Hong Kong. Both of these are usually located on the same power plug (type A above type I) and run 220v at 50Hz. For those in Australia and New Zealand, the 3 pin system is nearly identical. For European countries, an adaptor will be needed. These are widely available here to suit a huge range of plugs, but it might be advisable to purchase at least 1 before coming so that you can use the electricity straight away.
For those in North America, check if your appliances can take 220v. If not, you may need to purchase a transformer to run your appliance. These are not readily available here.
