i am an american who is married to an indian woman.

we are seriously considering moving to kunming so i thought i would write a few people connected to the place and ask a few basic questions.

i am a qualified teacher (two m.a.'s and most of a ph.d. as well as loads of teaching experience) who is also a writer and a personal trainer.

my wife is a television producer (documentaries and news content) who speaks perfect english, hindi, and bengali.

do you think she would have good employment prospects in kunming?

in what fields?

she is willing to work in most any field so we are wondering if there is a good chance to get work if i come to kunming to teach.

i also wondered if there is any market for personal trainers cum healthy lifestyle counselours in kunming.

thanks!

To put it bluntly.

You will get work easily as a teacher but pay will be low. You may get a few expats for the other stuff.

Your wife will find it harder, even as a teacher. Unless she does some independent film making, and I think that even that is controlled by the govt.

thanks dazzer.

is there any work in kunming in hospitality or tourism, perhaps in the hotels? or even in restaurants? she is a fantastic cook and also used to be an anchor on television, so she is very presentable.

thanks again!

There is some hotel work. But until there is more international business men from Indian sub continent staying in hotels options are limited.

One possibility idea is to search for the Indian/Bangladeshi etc. consulates in China to see if they are in Kunming. This may help you identify any opportunities and where the locations (if any) for such activity are in Kunming.

i sure do know kunming's in need of a good curry restaurant! if you could procure some start-up cash (better, meet rich chinese people willing to throw their money at anything) and do it right, kunming would really appreciate it!!

thanks.

she is an amazing cook!

i was also wondering if there is any need in the tourism or hospitality industries. she speaks lovely english so i wondered if there is any way she can teach as well...

There is at least one Indian restaurant here in Kunming. Chef may be a possibility.

Teaching may be difficult. Most Chinese parents want a white face, most employers will follow this demand. Three are some employers who do employ non whites, but most are at the bad end of the employer market and may offer no work visa.

I will PM you, check your mail box.

Being an amazing cook doesn't make you a chef, or a restaurant manager for that matter. Ask the scores of businesses that have perished within the year, or are struggling to get some patronage who turn out extremely dissatisfied because the place is in disrepair, the staff uninterested, the food made with ingredients that have been lying around and the menu reduced to half because the volume doesn't support it any more.

Don't let that put you off - a good curry restaurant will be popular - but be warned that it's not a walk in the park to set up a hospitality business anywhere, let alone in China.

The real question is whether you want to give up all the perks that come with your qualifications (news anchor, PhD) to teach uninterested high-school (or worse, kindergarten) kids or to cook curries for a record-low wage in Kunming. Add in the pestering visa rules and daily annoyances, and my conclusion would be that you'd have to be very flexible and interested in the things that Kunming has to offer: great climate, learning Chinese, good outdoor options, seeing China develop ... Or you're not going to cut it beyond drinking in expat bars for a year or so.

Given your qualifications and living costs in Kunming, your wife should not have to work. If she does wish so, I recommend setting up part time internet based consulting work in your current country prior to landing in Kunming. As has been pointed out, her options are severely limited once in Kunming.

I have an MA, TESOL, am a certified American high school teacher, and have over a decade of teaching experience. But often, schools do not care about any of that in Kunming: they just want a white face, and will pay you peanuts. However, there are exceptions. PM me and I can maybe offer some advice on which places to apply to.