Diletante, congratulations and good luck! I think you’ll probably have a great time there. If you’re there a full year, you’ll meet your goals of learning about another culture and picking up enough Chinese to converse with the locals.
Ditto what The Punkyova said about the water. Everything! Only drink bottled; and don’t consume the tap water through unnoticed means – brushing your teeth, opening your mouth in the shower, washing vegetables, washing dishes, etc.
Also, prepare to have your pockets picked. Non-violent theft is very, very prevalent. You’re not going to get mugged at gunpoint; but you will get your pocket picked on the bus, your bike stolen even when locked to a guardrail, and anything left unattended or not locked down will disappear.
I would suggest as a counter measure to pick-pocketing that you leave you wallet with your drivers licence, credit cards, and all the other difficult-to-replace items at home (you’re apartment in China, that is). You won’t need them for daily living there. You won’t even need to carry your passport with you once you get settled in. What will work for identification is to make a photocopy of your passport identification page (trim it down to size), and carry that in a cheap little wallet that you don’t mind if you lose. Then if it gets stolen, you just buy another wallet, make another photocopy, and your back in business with a minimum of fuss. The photocopy ID will even work in banks for cashing checks.
There are very few times that you’ll need the actual passport. One will be when your destination school applies to get you a work permit. Another will be if you ever visit one the several US Consulates or Embassies. (Once you get to China, visit the US Embassy and register your presence. Tell them how long you’ll be in China, where you will be working, how they can get hold of you if necessary.) (The Embassy or consulate is also where you’ll go to get a replacement passport if somehow your original gets lost or stolen.)
Another thing is to brace yourself to be overcharged whenever you buy anything. It is standard business practice to charge foreigners more than the locals. Don’t take this personally; it’s nothing against you. It’s just the accepted practice. Once you’re able to talk to the merchant in Chinese, you’ll get a better price than if you only use English and gestures; but you’ll still pay a bit more than a local would. One way around this is to have a Chinese friend buy things for you. If you use this method, you can’t be present when your friend makes the purchase. Because if the merchant sees you standing nearby waiting to take the product from your friend, then your friend won’t get a good price either; they’ll be charged almost as much as you. Just count on this happening for the entire time you’re there, and shrug it off.
A big problem you will need to be aware of, but won’t be able to do much about, is that you WILL experience culture shock. This will happen sometime during your first month or so there. It can manifest itself in many different ways. But, unfortunately, when you’re in it, you will not be objective enough to recognize it. You’re friends will begin telling you that you’re acting improper in a certain regard (whatever it is), but you are going to be unwilling to accept their advice. Just do the best you can to trust your friends, don’t make any momentous decisions, and know that in a few weeks you’ll be in a clearer state of mind and will be able to see what your friends have been trying to tell you.
One common way that culture shock will manifest itself is to develop a strong attachment to a member of the opposite sex. You might even think of getting married. Stifle this impulse if at all possible. If you still feel the same a few months later, fine. But don’t make such a heavy commitment as a result of culture shock or homesickness. Another way it may manifest itself is that you may begin disliking everything about China – the people, the food, the customs, etc. Again, just tolerate it a little while longer and the feeling will pass. There are many other things that you may feel besides these, but they vary from person to person.
There are many aspects about the Chinese culture that are going to be different than what you’re used to. Just remember, you’re not in America; you’re in THEIR country. It will be important that you not take the attitude that “the American way” is the “best” way. Our way is best for us, but their way is best for them.
The Chinese have a concept that we don’t use much in America, and that is “saving face”. It is extremely important that the other person be able to keep his respect and dignity in the eyes of others. Therefore, they do not often enter into direct conflicts. If they have a disagreement with you, they may first try to discuss the matter with you in roundabout terms. If that doesn’t work, they will explain their problem to a friend and the friend will approach you and try to mediate. They will go to great lengths to avoid a head-on confrontation. This may at times be frustrating to you. You may feel, “If you want to tell me something, just come out and say it to my face”. No. They won’t do that. It’s not their way. Remember, you have to adapt to their way, not them to yours.
The Chinese also use the word “Yes” differently than we do. There are two big ways in which their use differs from ours. First, if you make a request of an individual, their response will always be “yes”, even if they really mean “no”. This is related to the saving face mentioned earlier. It can lead to misunderstandings and situations where you think everyone around you is a liar. But you need to be alert to cues they’re giving that let you know what they really mean; cues like tone of voice, hesitation, gestures, body language, etc.
A second big difference in the use of “yes” is in response to a negative question. This is something that will take you all year to get used to. If you ask a question in a negative form, then when you are expecting a “yes”, you’ll get a “no”, and vice versa. For example, if you ask, “Didn’t you do your homework?” An American student who didn’t do it would say, “No, (I didn’t do it).” A Chinese student who didn’t do it would say, “Yes, (you are correct that I didn’t do it).” The American is addressing the subject of your question – was the homework done; the Chinese is addressing the correctness of your question – am I correct in assuming that you didn’t do the homework.
Another custom that you should know is that they are big on giving gifts. These are signs of respect and indicate that they value the relationship between you and them. But there will be an expectation of something in return; perhaps not a present, but at least a good relationship. While it is impolite to refuse a gift, it will bring a need for reciprocation of some kind. Beware of a student who knows he is failing your class who brings a gift near the end of the term; he will expect you to then pass him. In that case, it is best to find some way to not accept the gift. But when doing so remember the “all important rule” about saving face. If you refuse his gift bruskly, you will have insulted him. You will need to find a way to turn down the gift such that the person walks away still feeling good.
There are many, many more things to tell. But that will be a big part of your fun there – learning all about the differences between East and West. By the end of your year, you will feel that their culture is the exact opposite of ours in more respects than can be counted.
Again, good luck. You’re starting an adventure that you’ll never forget.
(Sorry about the book-length reply.)
