Bavarian
- 2011-05-09
You have to build up good relationships with other FT's in China, then, if needs must you always have a spare room to occupy in an emergency and probably somebody to put the word in for you for another job.
Are you even REMOTELY serious, rely on other broke, drunk, drugged FT's in China...I'd make my own way rather than rely on others...
You are not in the UK, but China...don't expect friends when you need them, laowai or Chinese, not against you, just saying...
And I don't post except for two ids, but you also have 2...ecky thump, young tom in hunan!
asd
- 2011-05-09
The best piece of advice to the original poster of this topic would be to go to a major city (or nearby), work at a University and go home after 1 or 2 years.
Don't waste too much of your life in China earning a terrible salary. Enjoy China for what it has but don't make yourself dependant on living there because of age, salary, personality etc because it can become a nasty trap with no way out if all your support systems at home cease.
Many things have been said here by many different people, and I believe everyone who posted said something quite significant. China is fascinating on one hand and extremely unegalitarian and xenophobic on the other, I believe. This does not detract from having good enriching experiences in the country but you need to be aware of its dark side because at some point we are all affected by that, some more so than others, for a myriad of different reasons. If you really want to go to China, you should go, and it's even better that you are armed with a good knowledge base form seasoned veterens before you get there!
Apollyon
- 2011-05-09
I'm sure you're right I've just been lucky. In eleven years all the FT's I've worked with have been great- except one maybe I loaned 2000 RMB and he disappeared. Never mind, I musn't let that make me bitter- most people are honest and I ignored those instincts you mentioned.
Apollyon
- 2011-05-09
See if you think it is an adventure when you have been cheated and left for homeless, for now, I will stick to my nice flat and salary, thanks v much
You have to build up good relationships with other FT's in China, then, if needs must you always have a spare room to occupy in an emergency and probably somebody to put the word in for you for another job. I have Australian, Canadian, English, Scottish, American friends all over China- saves on hotel bills as well.
Humping the streets, no-fixed-abode, must be murder for you with alternative poster-heads dangling from your already heavy rucksack.
Don't become a prisoner of your own bad experiences and be too afraid to leave that cosy flat.
Dragonized
- 2011-05-09
I do agree that we shouldn't over generalize the foreign teachers. There are good ones across the board. I have made misjudgements with some of the blokes just as everyone who is human has. I have had arguments and disagreements with people, but I try to not let stuff like that get to me on seeing the individuals truthfully for who they are.
With that being said, you will still run into many incompetent, stupid types who only care about themselves, maybe because that's what they came to china for in the first place. Many foreigners come here to preserve the narrow minded outlook in life that their ego has given them, and they wish to project this outlook into their experience with working in china. I don't think there is a shortage of these hapless individuals unfortunately. We all just need to work on keeping our distance from people for whom we feel uncomfortable dealing with. Trusting your instincts is something to rely on.
Apollyon
- 2011-05-08
I said straight away, he's innocent cos he looks and sounds too normal.
Made a mistake in my last post, I meant to say "I said straight away, he's innocent cos he looks and sounds too abnormal"
I don't mind a few mistakes but with this one you might be left wondering what I'm on about.
Apollyon
- 2011-05-08
I have to agree wholeheartedly with everything Dragonized said about foreigners in China. After the experience I had at 2 different Uni's, my best mate was a Chinese student and a non-teacher fellow countryman. The other teachers (with one exception) were all very difficult to get along with and had various issues that affected their personalities. (But don't we all right? it's called being human).
My experience underlines the 'diverse nature' of foreigners in China I suspect. Being relatively quiet, friendly and easy going and a non-drinker, didn't make it any easier to find good foreign friends. Location played a big part too because 2nd and 3rd tier cities have so few foreign teachers to make friends with to choose from in the first place.
Having said all that (not to mention the crap salary) I'm nutty enough to do it all over again. There was something surreal about the whole experience. Action adventure and excitement spring to mind! Just watch out for the low moods however, 'cos they WILL hit you.
When i first arrived in China years ago, I avoided other FT's, not because there was anything wrong with them but I'd decided to get the language under my belt first, so, instead of going out with the blokes i would study hard. However, since then I think I've been most fortunate after reading other posters experiences with fellow FT's- nearly all the FT's I've worked with and have bumped into have been far more interesting than the folks at home.. and nicer to boot. Some of them have been odd-balls but as you suggest we all have our strange ways.
I'm not so sure about the criticism steeped on some FT's that they wouldn't be able to get a job in their own countries so have to work in China. This may be true, but it is also possible that this is a sad reflection on their own societies which maintain that if you don't tow the line and act the same as everybody else we'll reject you. Also we have to be careful about decrying others who look and act a bit different. Whenever the police arrest somebody and it's subsequently proven he's committed terrible crimes like mass murders and or child killing they always look deceptively normal. There's been a recent case in England of a strange sounding and looking bloke arrested on suspicion of murder- I said straight away, he's innocent cos he looks and sounds too normal. The police did release him and arrested another chap-a more normal and nice looking bloke he appeared to be to everybody, he was loved by all; however, he has since admitted to killing a woman.(her body was found dumped in the snow on Christmas Day) Book, judge and cover come to mind.
You say you don't drink, well I know a chap who goes to all the FT shindigs and just drinky orange juice- nobody else cares.
We do have to be careful sometimes when we call people strange, it might be that we need to make changes ourselves sometime. I like other FT's around, they are fun.
Bavaria bier
- 2011-05-08
Having said all that (not to mention the crap salary) I'm nutty enough to do it all over again
See if you think it is an adventure when you have been cheated and left for homeless, for now, I will stick to my nice flat and salary, thanks v much!
disenchanted
- 2011-05-08
Well, I am really thinking I should take that advice. I have come to the conclusion after being in China for six years that this country has no future. People only care about money here now, and have no worthwhile goals in their pathetic lives. "Nasty, rude, arrogant Chinese people". You can add " extreme xenophobia" "pathological racism" to that.
What is it with the Chinese and the hatred of foreigners? Women here pretend to be nice, but then you discover their true colours. At least 85 per cent of women here just like foreigners for either money or a visa.
I think foreigners in China should start leaving. We need to stop helping these people ( for low pay ) and giving them money until they can behave in a civilised fashion. If the Chinese want respect in the world they better step it up and start earning it.
Until then China is not worth consideration, even for tourists.
Andy
- 2011-05-08
Just to confirm what you say about foreigners here in China is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. I'd like to recount what has happened to me recently in a county re foreign colleagues. There are three of us here. I'm teaching at the one and only pubic senoir middle school, nothing special academically. The other two foreign teachers are Africans, and we all work for the same recruiter. They teach at a lowly vocational college. One would have thought we could have become friends, but maybe I'm too idealistic! Or perhaps Africans are brought up with bad manners. I am the most recent arrival. Yet, both of my colleagues give me a wide berth, God only knows why, I've always tried to be amiable. Right, there is an age difference - I'm old enough to be their grandfather, almost! But that shouldn't cause problems. So, one of them only arrived at my flat once, when he learned he could get something for nothing. The other one visits unannounced from time to time, cases the joint, leaves after 5 minutes because he's hungry and must go back to his flat to cook, and says he'll visit the next day, if that's alright. I agree, though puzzled. Twice like this, he doesn't appear the following day, and makes no attempt to contact me, despite both of us being online. I do nothing. But the third time the same thing happens. So, I contact him on messenger, and type, " I must have been sleeping when you came". He replies " What do you mean?" When I explain, he says he had 6 classes, and was too tired to come. but he'd have known about his regular teaching load that day in advance. He was buisy cooking, so he said, when I contacted him online. Eventually I got an apology out of him, for what it's worth. Then I said I was hungry and must cook, "see ya".
The three of us are the only foreigners here, unbelievable how foreigners behave towards each other in China! I give up, my faith in human nature has been eroded beyond repair!
asd
- 2011-05-08
I have to agree wholeheartedly with everything Dragonized said about foreigners in China. After the experience I had at 2 different Uni's, my best mate was a Chinese student and a non-teacher fellow countryman. The other teachers (with one exception) were all very difficult to get along with and had various issues that affected their personalities. (But don't we all right? it's called being human).
My experience underlines the 'diverse nature' of foreigners in China I suspect. Being relatively quiet, friendly and easy going and a non-drinker, didn't make it any easier to find good foreign friends. Location played a big part too because 2nd and 3rd tier cities have so few foreign teachers to make friends with to choose from in the first place.
Having said all that (not to mention the crap salary) I'm nutty enough to do it all over again. There was something surreal about the whole experience. Action adventure and excitement spring to mind! Just watch out for the low moods however, 'cos they WILL hit you.
Dragonized
- 2011-05-08
I'm merely stating the facts, lady. My low opinion is of the esl situation in china. We're all capable of being good and being bad. But the system and the environment can be the pendulum that swings us to one way or the other.
Why should we be as negative about that country as you are? Your handle says it
all, right?
Your quote here says it all, you feel that my opinion is too general so you decide to act as a spokesman on behalf of china. I'll refrain from being too overt since it's obvious you're uncomfortable with some of the things I've said. Well if you had actually taken a look at my earlier posts you can see that I never outright said to ban china permanently. I even advocated china as a tourist spot. NOW if you come to china and spend money as a tourist wouldn't you be helping the economy? I merely don't want anyone to work in china as a teacher in the shady places which disguise themselves as "schools".
"My handle" is something I carry with care and honesty. If you're too scared to take it that's your problem, not mine.
Beth
- 2011-05-07
Foreigners in china in general can be some of the most jaded groups of individuals. To quote a former colleague of mine they fall under the "misfits, missionaries, mercenaries".
You clearly have a low opinion of foreigners in China. Could it be that you have been to China, and had bad experiences there? How jaded have you become because of experiencing China? Why should we be as negative about that country as you are? Your handle says it all, right?
Crap School Spotter
- 2011-05-07
FREE ADVICE AND TIP OF THE DAY:
AVOID CHINA.
Go teach somewhere else, even Myanmar would be better than China. Bangladesh is nice this time of year as is Sri Lanka.
China offers low wages, nasty, rude, arrogant Chinese people that think they can do anything they want and get away with it, pollution, crowds, high risk, and low-quality living unless you want to pay a premium to enjoy a reasonable quality of life while being paid low wages as you run to the ATM every week for cash to supplement your low wage jobs. You can pay 40-70 RMB for a stick of deodorant that actually works, if and when you can find it.
Beijing and Shanghai are loaded with ass kissing GW slime.
Stay home and teach in your own country and help the poor there. They need it more than China does. The nice thing about Beijing though is that with 1st ring road through 6th ring road, from the air, it makes an easy target for the Stealth bombers. It looks exactly like a bulls eye.
Dragonized
- 2011-05-07
I don't know what your background is so I will say tentatively that from my own experience no matter where you go in china you will be in for a shock, that just comes from being in a foreign country, period. It doesn't really matter where you go, big or small city. If you have the "blue eyes, white face, tall stature" in terms of physical appearance you'll find it easier to be accepted into employment of all types. Although public schools are better at treating their foreign teachers. If you're thinking about bringing in a better education and changing the cultural landscape, you can forget it, ain't gonna happen.
Foreigners in china in general can be some of the most jaded groups of individuals. To quote a former colleague of mine they fall under the "misfits, missionaries, mercenaries". You'll be hard pressed to find consistent friendships which have reciprocal quality. It's always dealing with others' opinions and problems and having them dump their opinions on you while you find it hard to vent and voice any opinions you have unless they are in total agreement with you.
Don't come here unless you have tolerance not only for a different culture (which would mean you have traveled, worked, and stayed in other places) but also patience for the weird types of people back home. Good luck to you!
Dear Readers,
I am planning on moving to China to teach English. Sorry in advance for any incorrect usage of grammar in this post that seems to happen when you least expect it to.
I am wondering which cities in China are the most expatriate/foreigner friendly. Can any readers of this message reply to me with suggestions?
I am looking for cities that have many other foreigners I can interact with; I would like to spend my time off meeting other foreigners so that I can, to the best of my ability, avoid culture shock. Of course, in determining what would be a good choice for me, I would like for aesthetics, modernism, transportation, practicality, and anything else that you would consider important when choosing a city to work and live in, to be taken into consideration. Do you have any suggestions?
Sincerely,
Future Teacher
[Edited by Administrator (admin) Sat, 14 May 2011, 06:12 AM]