Limitless Laowai — Expat Life, Business Strategy, Personal Development Cultural Adjustment in China | Learn Chinese

It's not always easy to be on the tenancy side of a rental deal in China. Oftentimes, foreigners and their landlords feel differently about the other's share of responsibility. In this episode, relo expert, Adam McWhirter shares what you should and shouldn't ask of your landlord before and after you sign on the dotted line. Whether you're working with a management company to help or navigating this complicated relationship alone, this episode has great tips for tenancy management. // Connect with Adam at [email protected]. // A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.com.

Most Chinese learners fly right by the basics of greetings and introduction but they’re important to master. If you don’t know the difference between 你贵姓 and 你叫什么名字 or if you’ve never heard those phrases before, this show is for you. Also, if you think there’s a proper way to say ‘good afternoon’ or ‘good evening’ in Chinese, tune in and you may be surprised. // A special thanks to this show's sponsor Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

Hello 你好
How are you? 你好吗？
I’m great, you? 很好，你呢？
Long time no see 好久不见
What’s your last name? 你贵姓?
My last name is…我姓…
What’s your name? 你叫什么名字？
My name is… 我叫…
Where are you from? 你是哪国人？
Where are you from? 你是哪国家的(人)?
I’m from… 我是… 人。
Good morning. 早上好
Goodbye 再见／拜拜

If your students or children are into the performing arts at any level, then this interview is for you. I spoke with Carol Quinn, a mom in Shenzhen and enthusiastic supporter of the Beauville Arts program in Hong Kong. In this spotlight interview, you'll hear details on the week-long program itself, the transformation the kids go through to put on a professional performance in just six days and which type of child would really thrive in the Beauville environment. Enjoy the show! // Connect with Carol by phone 15818522145 or on Wechat. Find more online at  www.beauvillearts.com.hk and connect with the Project Director, Dicky Tong on Wechat at TongDicky. // A special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

Inevitably, life in China as an expat changes you. No matter which stage of the expat journey you're in, this heart-felt interview with Ruth Stevenson will speak to you. If you're brand new and still reeling from the shock of the move, her recount of the first few months may hit home. Conversely you may be feeling well-adjusted to life abroad or even closing out your time here, yet hearing Ruth's story of her first China expat experience, her repatriation home to the US, and adjusting to her second time in China will undoubtedly help you reflect on your time as a China expat and how you've changed. // For more, check out www.limitlesslaowai.com/ruthstevenson and connect with Ruth on wechat search R. Stevenson. // A special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Concordia International School Shanghai. Learn more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

This week we talk about two important things. The first is a month-long calendar of awesome, free events designed to help you be physically, mentally and emotionally well while living in Shanghai. And secondly, we remember an expat mama who passed away this week on Monday, April 4, 2016. / / Connect with Ally by email at [email protected]. A special thanks to this episode's sponsor Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

Have you ever heard the term Hybrid-Chinese? Ally hadn't until she met Jill Tang, the founder of CareerXFactor, a job search platform for returning Chinese. According to Jill the Hybrid-Chinese, are Chinese who were born and grew up in China and then went overseas for education or work for a long enough that to completely change their way of thinking, their values and even culture. It sounds a lot like what expats experience when they move to China and then go home and discover that not only has their home changed, people have moved on, but also they've changed as well. What is the competitive advantage of these returning Hybrid-Chinese? And what are their shortcomings? How does local HR treat this subset of Chinese? Tune in to find out. / / Connect with Jill at www.careerxfactor.com or by email at [email protected]. A special thanks to this episode's sponsor Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

Learn the art of stress-free living. I mean, really, who doesn't need that! In this show, my guest Cyrille Jegu teaches us the Getting Things Done method of being meaningfully engaged with whatever you do. GTD Founder, David Allen, says "Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them" so get your pen and paper ready because Cyrille take a deep dive, and I mean deep, into how we need to capture, clarify, organize, reflect and engage every bit of info that comes our way. // For more, check out www.limitlesslaowai.com/gtd. Connect with Cyrille by email at [email protected]. And a special thanks to this episode's sponsors Concordia International School Shanghai and China Business Cast. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org and www.chinabusinesscast.com.

The International Professional Women?s Society, or IPWS, has worked for the past 24 years to create a platform tailoring training, mentoring, and events to the specific needs of professional women in an international. If that's you, then stick around to hear how IPWS can serve you, how you can get involved, and why you should. / / Learn more on IPWS' website http://epwsasia.org/. A special thanks to this show's sponsor Concordia International School Shanghai. Discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

In this show you'll get a real quick update on Lili's son Wang Tao, installment 3, if you will, and then we're going to spotlight Pete and what he does when he's not interviewing guests for LimitlessLaowai. Pete's background is really diverse and he has so much to offer both at the individual level and for corporations. What exactly? Stick around to find out! Connect with Ally at [email protected] and Pete at [email protected].

Episode sponsor: Concordia International School Shanghai; discover more at www.concordiashanghai.org.

Chicago-native, Mike Murillo, spent his early career as a life coach and event coordinator for a children’s charity in the US. Seeking more adventure and wanting to fulfill his desire to learn about a new culture, he moved to Shenzhen, China and became an international teacher at an English First training school. If you're considering making a move to China as a training-center teacher like Mike, tune into this show to catch a candid day-in-the-life snapshot of someone who has come before you. You'll hear the benefits of Shenzhen’s proximity to Hong Kong; a quick list of some things you may want to bring from home; insight into unusual start-up costs after moving to China; and some advice for successful apartment hunting.

For Show Notes on this episode and more, visit www.limitlesslaowai.com/mikemurillo. Have more questions? Connect with Mike at [email protected].