I actually read this thread before I came to China and after speaking with Mr. Hogg I still decided to come here. After 8 months of teaching here I feel confident that I comment on the university. As far as the disputed airfare I looked at the standard contract again and it never says that they would pay the airfare immediately upon arrival. Actually if you think about it logically, if they reimbursed your airfare as soon as you got here what would keep you from just leaving and going some where else. They pay the money at the end of your contract as a matter of good business.

Now about the medical expense, I had the unfortunate experience of hearing a rather audible pop of my ankle while I was practicing Kung Fu. I didn’t think much of it when it happened, it just hurt like hell for a little then the pain subsided enough for me to ride my motorcycle back.. Well the next day my ankle was swelled to twice its normal size and it was a very interesting color. I went to the clinic on campus and they said I would need an x-ray. So I called the liaison for the foreign teachers “Fiona” and told her and she said she would call a car for me and we would go to the hospital. So when all was said and done it was just a bad sprain. It cost me absolutely nothing for the hospital trip or the medicine they gave me. Not to mention it just happen to be Fiona’s birthday and she had no hesitation in taking me to the hospital.

The staff here is very caring and responsible. I have been recruited to the English department’s basketball team, even though I’m not that great (guess being 6ft does have an advantage over the average 5’7’’ Chinese here ha ha ). I bought a motorcycle while I’ve been here and Bob used his connections and his own name to get me a license and a number plate for it. To me this goes well beyond what the contract requires and shows the atmosphere here.

I’m sorry you had a bad experience here, and I never met you so I can not comment on your character, but to me this university has been a wonderful experience. To show how good the university is two teachers this year have already resigned for another year that in its self says allot. As for myself I would sign for another year but I don’t like to stay in one place to long, but it was a tough decision to go to another school. I just hope the next school is as good as it is here.

Any questions or comments send me an email or check my blog at www.seanjourney.blogspot.com