My experience in China so far

i was writing to a friend who soon will be coming to china. here's the good stuff..

money: i brought only 1000yuan/150$cdn here, i could have used a bit more. you can probably bring 2000yuan/300$cdn and that would be more than fine. this is good for a month. when converting, i always think 100yuan=15$cdn or 20yuan = 3$cdn.
monthly local salary: local teachers make about 1000yuan a month, depending on their degree. make sure, as outlined in the contract, you just don't talk about what you make. "i can't talk about it," is what i say. i've been asked by a student and a local teacher.
toiletries: things like toothpaste, shampoo, and soap is much cheaper here than at home, so you should only have to bring one of everything to start off with.
food: food here is very, very cheap. for groceries, you need at least 400yuan/60$cdn a month, you can bring more than that if you want. the other day, i got a good meal/2 snacks for 2yuan/30cents at an outdoor market. new foods are always exciting. veggies are very cheap. you can get a good meal for two for about 20 yuan/3$cdn. junk food costs more (as oppose to in Canada), but who need junk anyway. you'll eat healthy here. people generally buy groceries for the meal the day of. i went to eat at a local teacher's house and she made noodles right before my eyes. that is, noodles from scratch.. mixed it, pounded it, then cut it. oh yes. and no tipping at restaurants. the ordering process is interesting. you shall see.
people love their veggies here. not so big on meat as we are in north america. you will try new things.
snacks: gum and candy is real cheap in china. the only snack item i would say you would miss is chocolate. the chocolate tastes very different. luckily, my mom made be bring some chocolate bars. they are still in my coffee table for a rainy day. lots of cookies and other snacks. you can spend all day in the supermarket or shopping centre. there is an abundant number of everything (except English books).
milk: milk in china is very different. it is very sweet here. they do not have yoghurt, but they have what we call "yop" in canada. a watery yogurt which is fantastic.
dictionary: bring a dictionary and perhaps a phrase book. i bought one from toronto, but it was missing some words that i was interested in finding. you can find lots of english-chinese dictionaries here, probably for much cheaper anyway.
chinese phrasebook: a friend gave me this. it was quite useful. "chinese phrases for dummies." it does not have any chinese characters in it. it is written using our english sounds, so it is easier for english speakers to use. it is also good, because it helps you learn the basics in the chinese language. i'm slowly learning and learning quite well. it is very good to learn numbers, and greetings.. and! "boo dong" = i don't understand.
bookstores: english books in bookstores are expensive. the english section is also limited, especially in my city (my city is similar size to ottawa).
bargain: when you go anywhere in china, it is best to go with a local speaker. they will help you bargain. you can bargain practically anywhere, but you can't bargain in some "supermarkets." supermarkets are like walmarts, they sell everything. if you do not bargain, you will spend perhaps 3 to 4 times too much.
tissue/napkins/kleenex: sometimes, public washrooms do not have toilet paper. it is good to carry a personal size tissue packets. warning: public washrooms can be very smelly.
location cards for getting around in the city/town: by taxi. you can carry cards with locations you'd like to go to in the city. you can ask your work supervisor about writing locations for you. i know one person who uses these cards. all he needs is a card for school, and one for bank. it is good to write down your contact numbers just in case you get lost, too. oh yes, in my city, the taxi fare is 4yuan/60 cents. if we go more than 2 kilometres, it will rise, by .10yuan. uh.. that is almost 2 cents. taxi is cheap.
the city bus: me and another foreign english teacher took a bus ride around the city just to explore, 1yuan/15 cents. that was really fun.
electrical outlets: the outlets here are different. although they are different, if you bring something that is made in china, it usually should fit. my camera plug works, but my haircurler plug doesn't.
keeping your money: i think the best way is keep your money in your front pockets. my fellow foreign teacher, she has a fanny pack (something around your waist) under her baggy shirt. people do carry purses, but i think it's really hazardous. a fellow local teacher had it snatched before. i also have a large over the shoulder bag that i wear across my body.
luggage: i can tell you now, that you will buy many things to bring home. i will at the end of my trip. do not pack full/overload two big suitcases. you will buy things to bring home.
mail: my fellow teacher said that mail that she had sent did not get home. i sent mail home a while ago, but, i'm not sure if it got there. i'll have to ask. to go to the post office, ask a local person to go with you. there is special envelopes for international mail. it costs maybe a few dimes cheaper than international postage in Canada.
bank: i'm not sure about the bank, i will be going next week for the first time. i get paid in cash, so i won't open a bank account. however, i need to pay off a credit card bill (airfare) so i have to figure that out.
canadian embassy: make sure you contact the embassy. they should know you're in china. another foreign teacher didn't want to be known his location, so he did not register. to me, i think it's important that canada knows i'm here. http://www.beijing.gc.ca/beijing/en/navmain/consular/registration/index.htm
local teachers and college students: all of the teachers are very nice. some had invited me out shopping, eating at their house, parks.. especially if you are female i think, they will respond very well to you. they are very interested in talking to you. most speak english very well, few have lots of trouble. if your students are old enough, you can encourage them to invite you out. college students are very receptive. and especially if you're female. they take you everywhere, helping you do your own errands, even grocery shopping. one thing, if someone invites you out in china, that person pays. you can insist, of course.. at least try to. oh yes, students will ask you personal questions. it is normal in the culture. if you do not want to answer, just say it's personal. encourage them to ask questions, but of course, tell them that you will tell them if it is personal.
when you are walking with them, female students/teachers may hold your hand. it's sweet, but that's what they do.
utilities: i don't know if it will happen in your city/campus, but my electricity and water has gone out for a few hours a few times. it's really not a big deal. people are very careful about their electricity usage. when they are finished with an appliance, they usually turn it off.. except the fridge, of course.
buildings: i live in school residence. when the heaters are off and the electric heater is on, it may still be cold. the building is made of concrete and doesn't keep heat well.
trips: for my first trip outside of my city, we went to an ancient city called Xi'an. it was incredible. you can check out/see the pictures that i had sent you a while ago. it was quite cheap/inexpensive. cost me 1300yuan/200$cdn for 4 days, hotel and lots and lots of sight seeing. it was very beautiful, despite the air pollution. all 5 of us had a driver for two of the days, it cost us 500yuan/75$cdn total. also, a tour guide offered her services one of those days for 60yuan/9$cdn. it was amazing. we splurged well i think. it is not a lot, at all. right now, i'm saving for beijing in august.
swifter pads/tissue: i think this is important. they probably have it in the supermarket here, and cheaper, too. i brought my own knowing that a new apartment would be dusty. it is constantly dusty here.
chalk from the board: i got sick twice in three weeks until i realized i was inhaling a lot of the chalk in class. in canada, we have dustless chalk. in china, it's everywhere. your hands will be all chalky, and the dryness in your mouth will be the chalk, too. just be careful with the chalk dust. cover your nose and mouth when you are erasing. there are student monitors who are in charge of erasing the board, you can simply ask them.
public security board: within 30 days of your arrival, your school should help you register with the local police of your residence. this must be done if you want to travel out of your city. they mark your passport with something to indicate it.
webcam/internet access: electronics are not necessarily cheap here. it's sort of hard to ask about items when we don't know the language well. luckily, i brought a webcam with me. i should have gotten a microphone, too. i borrowed one from another foreign teacher. it helps a lot, being able to talk to friends and family. phone cards from toronto to beijing is cheap, but chatting on the net is cheaper. i have access at home, so i don't have to go to internet cafe or go to the school.
new hobby: expect to learn a new hobby. hahahaha, this is my interest now. i have a lot of time off. the first time i was away from home and got really bored, i learnt to crochet/knit. now i'm focusing on playing the guitar (i'm buying one from here for 230yuan/34.50$cdn, made in canada!) and cooking. i have a lot of time off! even though, i still go out about 4 times a week with other teachers or students.
nightlife: my city has some nightlife, that i have not discovered much of yet. there are however afternoon and few evening dance clubs. no alcohol. mainly as a physical activity. in my city, there are a lot of hotels and bathhouses. i don't know why. i've been to karaoke at a brazilian bbq resto, which is a slight change from chinese food, of course.