First impressions of autumn semester’s courses
I have now sat on each course of mine atleast once and have some general idea what all the courses are going to be about and how the teachers are. Based on that I decided to make quick “first week review” of my courses this semester at Sun Yat-Sen University. Like many of you remember, I’m studying Chinese as a Foreign Language undergraduate degree and my specialization is Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Compulsory courses 中文报刊阅读 This course will help with our newspaper reading and we use a textbook called 报刊阅读教程. I know that this course will be boring, challenging and headaching for me, my vocabulary isn’t where it…
Us Stingy Foreigners
What do Chinese people “know” about us foreigners. First, foreigners have money. Second, foreigners are stingy! Not always true, but that is the image my Chinese boyfriend and many other Chinese have of us foreigners. Chinese generosity means the one who invites is the one who pays the bill. The birthday girl or boy will treat others to dinner. A guy will pay for his girlfriend. Everyone knows this rule in China, being generous gives you face. Being stingy makes you lose it. And us foreigners then? We go Dutch! Or AA制 like they say it in China. Every time I go to eat with someone my boyfriend will ask…
Getting ready for a new semester at the Sun Yat-Sen University
Registration Registration to the Sun Yat-Sen University is not Hell’s Kitchen, but Hell’s Registration! It’s badly organized and people don’t know how to line up. When I got to the office at 7.30AM there were already 20+ students waiting. Door opened at 8.30AM and I was ready at noon, right before the staff’s lunch break. Of course I still have to go to the Entry and Exit Administration Division of Guangzhou PSB to apply for a year’s residence permit, but luckily that’s the same procedure every time. So now I have gotten rid of my money, paid the tuition fees for the year, it’s time to wait for next week…
Overview of US Expatriate Tax Requirements Living in China
Guest post by I.J. Zemelman, EA. Tax Operations Director at Taxes for Expats. Bottom Line: File Your Taxes Every Year As a US expatriate working overseas you must file your US federal taxes annually just as you would if you were living in the United States. Why? Because your total world income determines your tax liability – not simply the income you receive in the states. As an American expatriate, though, you have more tax saving options than those with a stateside residence. Such provisions include: The foreign earned income exclusion, which allows you to exclude up to $92,900 of foreign earned income from your US taxes, The foreign tax…