Hi there,
I just signed a 1 year TEFL Contract to teach in Suzhou and will be flying in the next 2 weeks from South Africa. My contract is for 7000rmb the first month and 8000rmb every month thereafter, included is a 2 bed apartment as well, paid for by the school. Far as i know i will be staying in the Wuzhong district, altho i know nothing about it, any comments on the area would be much appreciated.
My questions were the following :
Is 7000 - 8000rmb enough to live on in Suzhou ?
Are there the typical Western Shops available in suzhou ?
Will i be able to save some money ? I don't go out much, maybe 1 night a week and i am not a big drinker at all, max 2 or 3 beers a night. Altho in China i may change that habbit, but i still wont drink much.
How is the city life in Suzhou ? I find videos on youtube, but mostly the videos just show off the canals and gardens, nothing on the actual city life or nightlife ...
I can speak a few words in Chinese, not many tho, how is English in general in Suzhou ?
Any additional advice anyone has for me as a first time visitor to China would be much appreciated...