Do Not Expect Anything to be Easy ... Other Lessons Learned Whilst Living in China!

Major kudos for trying!!! 

Nothing is easy if you are not a Chinese citizen. Time to practice patience and kindness!

1. Learn to speak and understand Putonghua ASAP (common language/Mandarin). Daily life will become much easier!  If you DO speak Putonghua, but are NOT a Chinese citizen, things are bureaucratic, but MUCH easier (similar to living as an expat in any other foreign country)!
2. Cross-country train travel is outrageously... inexpensive! Business Class on the Bullet Train is lit! Fast, comfy, and cheap! For example, when I traveled from Chengdu to Xi'an for Xmas (a 3.5 hour trip), tickets started around $39 for Second Class seats (anything below First Class is unpleasant in my opinion). Instead, why not share a compartment with only 4 other people, experience full service food and non-alcoholic beverages (no alcohol, but you can BYOB), and be able to recline fully and sleep in a pod seat for $78 more?!! Yes! For $117USD Business Class is the best way to travel by train! The seating classes are transposed: "Business Class" is the highest-rated accommodation, with First Class falling into second-place. In Fiirst Class the cars are filled with regular seats that semi-recline, with 2-3 seats on either side of the aisle and 20 or so rows of seating per car.  Biz Class has tall windows to view spectacular mountain and village scenes as the train whips by in excess of 200km per hour! My 4-hour trip (8 hours round trip) to Guiyang totalled only $243. Depending on the city to which you are traveling, flying takes the same amount of time and often costs more -- with an exponential increase in airport hassles! You just can't beat the relaxed vibe of train travel combined with comfort, incredible views, low-stress arrival and departure procedures, and inexpensive tickets!  Even with a long trip to Shanghai, which is 11.5 hours by bullet train from Chengdu, Biz Class is more comfortable and easier than an airport trip -- if you have the time! And what a stellar way to see the country!  One way prices from CTU to SHN per class: $138 for Second class (you cannot pay me to take Second or Third Class ever again!), $225 for First Class, and Business Class costs $431. Yeah, pricey, but again, those mountain views!  Compare that to a flight from Chengdu to Shanghai starting at $128 for 3 hours. Personally, I'd still rather take the train when my trip allows the time; I've found train travel in China to be a pleasant experience while flying can be a cumbersome trial of patience.
3. The food in Sichuan tastes delish, but it is frequently drowned in oil. Even when requesting less or no oil -- well, good luck with that! Much of the oil is often recycled - meaning used over and over again, especially with street food. Learn to cook! I did experience oil-laden food in other provinces where I traveled, such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Beijing, and Tibetan areas, (my favorite food in China is Tibetan). Furthermore, it is difficult to find truly vegetarian dishes unless you are at a specifically designated "Vegetarian Restaurant", although this may not be the case in larger cities with a high population of foriegners such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. Hong Kong is truly cosmopolitan in their variety of food options.
4. It can me extremely difficult (read: time-consuming) to transfer your Chinese Yuan back home (this applies to US citizens). The process of transfering money from Chinese banks to your home bank is a painful, miserably difficult, multi-step process that quite literally takes 2-4 hours. Please refer to my money transfer post. Again, this particular process is specific to Citic Bank in Chengdu. I've heard it's easier in larger cities and with other banks.   
5. The air quality is horrible in cities! You'll never take breathing clean air for granted again. Especially during winter-time, all cities have AQI readings above 200 every single day. I've noticed that all people -- both nationals and foreigners -- are constantly sick with respiratory illnesses. Myself, I have been sick almost every month except July and August of last year (2018), and March of this year.  Unfortunately, the torn rib cartilage in my chest still causes a lot of pain; this from the 2-month-long bout of Acute Bronchitis that caused 24-hour spasmodic coughing which resulted in the cartilage between my ribs being ripped away during  the continuous coughing fits I endured all day, all night. It is important to note that the Chinese government is actively addressing air quality and pollution in China, so it steadily improves each year!
6. 99% of the people in China are wonderful, just like the people in every other country of the world! (excluding the USA). This includes the majority Han as well as all the other ethnic groups that inhabit the Chinese Mainland. The people of China are very helpful and kind. Of course, taxi drivers in all countries occupy their own niche of horribleness for some reason: in every single country I have visited, many of the taxi drivers (as always, there are exceptions!), are the opposite of wonderful. In all of my travels across the Mainland, I've found that people in smaller towns and villages to be the most friendly and helpful. The same applies to my experiences in other countries (this time I can include the USA). 
7. The customs, workplace behavior, and attitudes of Chinese are mind-blowingly different from those of Westerners (this should not be a surprise). Please note: these comments reflect my personal work experience at one particular school. Confucian ideology still impacts behavior and attitudes: unquestioning adherence to policy, loyalty, deference to authority, and bureacracy inhibiting creative or independent thinking. At times, those differences are difficult to deal with, especially in the workplace. It is customary in China to refrain from saying "No" directly, even when the answer is "No". In addition, "directness" is a quality that is not appreciated!  There are traditions and mannerisms that are polar opposite to U.S. western ways of being at work and in social situations. I found groupthink pervaded the mindset, contraposed by the fervor of individuality which is paramount in the west (excluding American politics). In the USA, the ideology of individuality manifests as selfishness and "me first", whereas in Asian cultures, the individuals care about others as a rule, and the well-being of society as a whole. Unfortunately, groupthink has become the byword in American politics. Back to China: bureaucracy is preeminent in nearly all areas of business and commercial/service; it's even worse than you find in the Caribbean! Take note: this is another aspect that the government is actively working to fix (bureaucracy and corruption).
8. For expats, living in Chengdu offers a great quality of life and many bonuses -- excluding air quality -- I could never afford back home, such as daily car service; frequent food delivery; inexpensive material goods; online shopping at affordable prices; organic, locally grown produce (not sold at Whole Foods rape prices either!); high quality, affordable health care; fast and modern public transportation, and more! 
9. The dark side of living in a major Chinese metropolis like Chengdu, includes:  poisoned air, undrinkable water, overpopulation, general pollution, noise pollution, light pollution, and ugly blocks of concrete cell-like apartment-living with few green spaces, and filthy local hospitals*. This is particular to Chengdu--Shanghai and other cities are upgraded or built with numerous parks, modern skylines, and unique residential areas, but China is over-populated so aspects that accompany that fact cannot be avoided. Again, the government is actively and quickly addressing air pollution, green spaces, poverty, and more! *There are newer, modern hospitals and clinics to be found. These were not covered by my school's medical insurance, so I visited "international" clinics and hospitals paid for my care myself. It was much more expensive than "local" care; however, the costs still totalled thousands less than I would have paid for the same care in the for-profit U.S. system.
10. Recycling is pretty much non-existent, or so it seems. I watch drivers throwing trash from their car, pedestrians tossing waste as they walk down the street, etc.  It's useless to put recyclable items in the proper bins because most locals do not, and so there is food and garbage in the recycle bins and plastic in the trash bins. Rumours circulate about  the companies that pick up the recycling: do they actually recycle it, or just add it to the floating isle of trash in the Yellow Sea? There are, however, recycling companies and once again, efforts of the government to create change through mandates and education. Foriegners are active in this area. The pollution stems from lack of knowledge, not intention.
11. Don't use drinking or eating to cope with the daily stresses of living in China -- the stress will not lessen necessarily, so find positive coping mechanisms!  Buy a treadmill or stationary bike to use indoors when the pollution is awful (gyms always keep their windows open); engage in a mindfulness or meditation practice to learn breathing skills that will help with negative reactions to stress; try yoga, Qi Gong, or Taiji to maintain and improve health; exercise regularly and eat moderately; make friends and engage socially -- most importantly, build local Chinese friendships to learn about Chinese culture and a different way of life from your own -- to gain new perspectives; and learn Mandarin (at least a little).
12. China has some of the most beautiful mountain areas I have ever experienced. Without any "No Trespassing" signs -- anywhere!! -- you can follow the yak trails or make your own! Some of the "yak trails" should be designated "Yak Trials" because they are steep, narrow, and dangerous -- but fun!! I could join a Tibetan nomad community and live off the grid if I wished. There still exist areas so remote  that you can "stay lost", off Big Brother's radar, and live happily in nature.  I am still trying to garner the courage to do just that! 
13. TEA!!! Chinese Tea ("cha") is incredible, and even more so when you experience the Chinese Tea Ceremony (I believe that description was created by foriegners, for the"ceremony" is simply how Chinese drink tea! The tea is fresh and grown locally; it comes in so many varieties and appellations it is similar to vinotech! My personal favorites are red cliff, hongcha (red tea) and green jasmine. Just as in the world of wine, in the world of Chinese tea, your tastes will develop and mature until you enjoy white tea and Puer--world famous from Yunnan province. Some bricks of Puer sell for hundreds or more! The process of cleaning, steeping, pouring, and drinking tea has its own protocol in China and it is a joy to watch. Tea stores offer tasting sessions (again, "tea ceremony") where you can learn all about the tea and buy many varieties. Watch the caffeine because after a tasting, you will be wired! Tea Houses offer a menu and serene environs where you and your friends can enjoy an afternoon of tea and snacks. I never thought I would spend $100 on a tea cup, but I did! I also purchased a special tea table and glass tea set.  You can have your own "tea ceremony" every day at home, too!
    
14. A multitude of services seem "free" when compared to the same in the USA  because they are so inexpensive! The following are monthly costs converted to USD:

• $60 - four hours house-cleaning service, twice monthly
• $8-12 - cell phone service
• $25 - home internet and cable service
• $15-60 - electric bill (highest in winter)
• $5 - gas bill (water heater and stove; I cook daily)
• $45-134 - Didi car service (Chinese version of Uber.) Higher amount results from 4 trips per day: to school in the morning, to/from school for lunch at home, back home in the evening. This equals 4 rides daily at 9RMB per trip (100 yuan = $15USD approx.), 5 days per week = 180RMB = $27USD/week. The most expensive ride is into the city during rush hour, about 23km (15 miles) = $17 round trip.
• $60 or more - meals delivered. Delivery fee ranges from $0.75-1.50 per delivery. This is NOT fast food; it is a full meal from an Indian or Korean restaurant.
• $200 - two visits to my TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Doc and one month's supply of hand-selected, whole-herb, Chinese herbal medicine. My doc is an English-speaking native Aussie who lives in Chengdu.
• $15 - water delivery. The water in China is non-potable everywhere. My apartment came with a water dispenser for a 5-gallon jug. I highly recommend installing water filtration systems for showering and drinking. I've also heard that restaurants and food vendors reuse their oil again and again, so food is cooked/drenched in oxidized (extremely unhealthy) oil from unknown sources. Apparently, the restaurants and street vendors buy oil that has been used, "cleaned", and rebottled to be sold as "new" in grocery stores. Additional rumours include many food items that have undisclosed sources of origin, manufacture, processing, or growing process (pesticide use, organic, etc.) These specifics pertain to Chengdu; I do not have information on other large cities, but I will assume the situation is pervasive, just like the air pollution.
  
• $300 or more - groceries. I purchase a lot of imported food and organics and cook just about every meal at home. See above about trusting the food here. The exception being local "village" markets where I buy produce and fresh tofu and simply hope I am not ingesting too many toxins or pesticides (see above about TCM; one reason I take TCM herbs is to counteract the food, air, and other pollutants I ingest from living in an over-crowded Chines city. These pollutants are ingested in your skin, lungs, and digestive tract and are also ingested emotionally.
• $15-30 - Chinese "blind" massage and TCM cupping sessions. These are hour-long full body TCM healing massages followed by cupping therapy in a local shop.
• $3 - Chinese pedicure, AKA foot scrape. Best ever! This is not a spa-type pedi; there is no polish involved, but your feet will be as soft and new as a newborn's - I am not exaggerating! Followed by a 20-minute herbal foot soak, all dry skin and calluses are scraped off and nails and cuticles are trimmed. The Chinese foot scrap is the best pedicure I have ever received!