Having no plans initially to move to China, American expat Heather has found that living there (for two years now) is both an educational and enjoyable experience. She and her husband stay in the small city of Linyi, where they are involved in the aviation industry. An experienced expat, Heather tells us about her life in China: the cost of living there, learning to speak the language, interactions with the locals.

Heather Wright

-Where were you born?
I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, but I grew up in Colorado, Texas and Kuwait. I have also lived in Costa Rica, Spain and Canada.

-In which country and city are you living now?
Linyi, China, a small city (for China) on the northeast coast in the province of Shandong

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I'm here with my husband, who is from Spain.

-How long have you been living in China?
I've just celebrated my two-year China anniversary - one year in Linyi, and one year in Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province.

-What is your age?
31

-When did you come up with the idea of living in China?
Two years ago my husband and I were living in Toronto, Canada. We loved it, and we knew we could probably live the rest of our lives there. But, when we met, we decided we should see as much of the world as possible. My husband was looking for work in the aviation field, and one day he saw an advertisement for a flight school in China. Within four weeks of reading the advert, we were on a plane. Choosing China was completely random. I had never considered China as a place I wanted to live, but I was excited nonetheless.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
The company took care of everything. We had to go to the Chinese embassy and file some forms, but it was very simple. It is my understanding that once in China at our first company, they did secure our work visas under less than legal circumstances, but at our second company, everything seemed straightforward and we had no issues.

There is a big demand for flight instructors in China, with at least 3 schools hiring, so getting the working permit is not difficult.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
The company we are working for provided an excellent expat insurance plan at no cost. Due to the nature of the business, flight training, it is important that the flight instructors have high-quality insurance. We usually go to a medical clinic in Beijing (SOS) or Shanghai (Global Health Care) for routine care, and sometimes we go to the local hospital for small things.

-How do you make your living in China? Do you have any type of income generated?
We have worked for two flight schools in China. At the first, my husband found the job over the Internet before coming to China. I was hired after we arrived. At the second, we found out about the job through a friend. Currently, I am an ESL and ground instructor (teaching basic flight theory) and my husband is chief flight instructor. My income is equal to that of an ESL teacher at a Chinese university, although I work 40 hours per week instead of 20. My husband's income is on standard with the US and European flight schools. Aviation is a growing field in China, but it is still rife with challenges since there is very little flight training and general aviation here.

-Do you speak Chinese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
It is absolutely important for expats to speak the local language, in this case Mandarin. Unfortunately, my Mandarin skills are shamefully poor. I speak survival Mandarin, which I think is enough to get by, but not enough to really get to know people. We have local Chinese friends who speak English rather well and their friendship has helped us to understand culture and customs, but not enough for my liking. I would love to be able to have a conversation with the lady who sells me my fruits and vegetables on the sidewalk outside of my apartment.

I try to be respectful of local customs and culture. There are few things I don't understand and probably never will, but other things I have embraced, like drinking hot water.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Home for me is wherever my luggage happens to be, so I don't really get homesick. I've moved so much in my life that I am very used to being far away. I stay in touch with family via email, but of course I miss being there for special holidays and birthdays.

Eating out with friends has become one of our biggest recreational activities, but we also enjoy bike riding in the countryside and weekend outings to nearby lakes and mountains. My husband is into flying kites - really big ones meant for kite-surfing and kite-skiing. We might buy a car soon, so that will expand our traveling possibilities.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I definitely have no long term plan, other than to see more of the world. I will continue my online graduate study in librarianship (and my status as a professional student) for another year. We are uncertain of how long we will continue to live in China. Could be until our contract ends or could be another year or two...

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
Our company has provided an apartment for us and the other expat workers. We share an eight-bedroom, two-floor apartment that sounds way more glamorous than it actually is. Yearly rent is $1,065. A two-bedroom apartment here could cost somewhere between $15 to $200 per month, depending on location, quality and furnishings.

-What is the cost of living in China?
Linyi is a small, fairly out of the way city. It is incredibly cheap, much cheaper than Beijing or Shanghai. Sometimes I spend 12 US cents for dinner. I buy fruits and vegetables off the sidewalks and pay about $2 for several days worth. If I go to a moderately priced restaurant, a meal for two will cost about $5.

-What do you think about the Chinese?
The locals in Linyi are very curious about foreigners, because there are very few here. As in most places, they stare a lot, but it doesn't usually bother me. I find most everyone to be friendly. Many times strangers will approach us to help with language issues and to practice their English. Occasionally, you will come across someone who doesn't like foreigners, but that has not been the norm for me. We live on the outskirts of the city and most of our neighbors have never seen a foreigner before, so we get a lot of attention.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in China?
I have good and bad China days. On the good days, I love everything. I have many more good than bad days.

Even on the bad days, what I love about China most is the street life, especially in the evening. I love that everyone is out of their houses, dancing in the square, banging drums or watching a movie on the sidewalk. I also love the street food and open air markets. The food is incredible.

I really dislike some of the business practices, including the corruption and so-called harmony fees. Teaching can be difficult because the students are so accustomed to rote learning, and I'd like to see more critical thinking skills and creativity in the classroom. The pollution is overwhelming in some areas. I really hate to see the drastic gap between the haves and have nots increasing. I am puzzled why warm beer is so popular.

Living in China is challenging, and that is why I like it. Every day I am confronted with new experiences and new emotions. There is nothing boring about that.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in China?
Go with an open mind. Keep that open mind once here. Try to stay away from the really negative expats, the ones who are miserable here and only complain. Try to make local friends and stay positive. Get out and explore as much as possible. You never know what fascinating things you will find around the corner or down that alley...

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about China?
I used to read a lot of China blogs when I first came, like Peking Duck, Sinosplice, and many blogs mentioned in other interviews. Then, I started armchair traveling via expat blogs and now I read expat blogs from all over the world. I will, however, give plugs to some China blogs written by girls, because we seem to be so few...

Peer-See - Written by an American couple living in Qingdao. They just had a baby.
Violet Eclipse - American in Beijing teaching English. She likes video games.
Aussie in the Orient - The name says it all!
Elizabeth in China - American studying Mandarin in Kunming. She's got some great posts about purchasing birth control in Kunming pharmacies.

I'm always looking for more China blogs with a female perspective, so let me know if there are others I should read!

My blog, On the Fringe, is an observational blog about life here, my travels and some comments on aviation in China.