San Migs
- 2013-01-26
The Chinese way of politicking can be quite roundabout
Well put. You won't even know whose "face" it is you have lost, until there is an opportune moment for them to use the perceived or real loss of "face" against you vindictively.
It is better not to put too much faith in your chinese work colleagues/fellow teachers. You may be sorely disappointed when push comes to shove, they will always gang up on the foreigner. Always.
Dragonized
- 2013-01-26
I'd also hazard a guess that those 2 teachers may have not been putting in their all at the uni (or, shoving the better money in the faces of the uni admin). Otherwise, I would have expected the uni to just have a quiet chat with them...
Most expat teachers I have met (especially ones with addictions) do not put in "their all". I know expats who are married to the "right" person in the educational company or at the local school they're working at and they get away with almost everything and anything. The whole academic culture is one of laziness and apathy or as they say in Chinese, "De guo qie guo"(if it can be passed, let it pass). As for shoving money in the faces of university admins I am sure university admins make a lot more money getting red purses/pockets and receiving bribes from rich parents than these FT's will ever make. I just think it was either a petty backstabbing or a power play to make an example of the two unfortunate ft's for other expats. For all we know a friend/acquaintance of one of these teachers rubbed someone locally the wrong way. The Chinese way of politicking can be quite roundabout.
foxy
- 2013-01-25
Your post is a good one.
I have had experience with Baotou PSB at the end of the 90's. I found them to be very obliging, and much, much kinder than their Hohhot counterparts were subseqeuntly. But things in China can change overnight.
Recently, I ran into a former Western colleague of mine on a local bus here. We had been fellow FTs in Changchun a couple of years ago. small world, isn't it? He's teaching in Hohhot these days, but taught in Baotou before coming here. I think he might well know more about what had happened in Baotou, or, if not, he can probably find out from Baotou as he has Western contacts there.
At this point, I'd say a 10,000 Yuan as a fine for an FT for being caught teaching on the side after having broken his contract by not asking permission first is far too steep a financial penalty. More likely, it would be 5,000 Yuan, which seems to be the official ceiling for various offences. Even that would be ridiculously high, in my opinion.
I'll check the China SAFEA blacklist to see if there's anything there to substantiate this case. There could be. I'll need my wife's help to check it out as my Chinese is bad.
Although 'Johnny' has a very low opinion of Baotou PSB, and I don't blame him for that in the circumstances, I reckon that said office is just a puppet of the Atonomous Region's head office in Hohhot, and as so, will follow what their bosses say, to the letter. As Hohhot's puppet, Baotou PSB shouldn't be berated too harshly.
I dunno how autonomous an Autonomous Region can be in applying or ignoring or indeed amending aspects of the visa regulations that have been issued by the Central Body for Foreign Affairs based in Beijing. I know that Hohhot PSB were one of the last offices that still ignored Beijing by locally replacing an incoming L visa with a Z visa backdated to take effect from the entry date into China - I have a Z visa of that kind in one of my old passports. So, they used to be autonomous in a kind way to Westerners!
I'll post again if and when I have more information with regard to this unfortunate case.
San Migs
- 2013-01-25
Vindictive folks both of local and foreign origins are things any teacher needs to look out for when working in China. Behind every smile you see there could be a veil for something more sinister underneath. Keep that extra thought to yourself sometimes even if you are hanging out with foreigners, you never know if it will get passed around and end up in the wrong person's ears.
This kind of thing is also common in the arabian gulf. I don't have one friend from my time teaching in Oman, even fellow brits who I met many of there. 9 times out of 10, most expat ft's in arabia/asia just cannot be trusted. Hello, good morning, goodbye.....that should be the extent of your dialogue with people like you described. If you let slip ANYTHING which they think they can use against you, they WILL! If you are working part time, keep a lid on it, tell noone, trust noone.
Ultimately it is sad that we have to stoop to the level of these people, but you have to play them at their own game. Smile, be polite, but remain guarded. Don't mix work and pleasure. That said, the chinese people I met outside of work, were lovely. But even then you must be careful of what they want from you.
Thanks for the advice!
Sainthood
- 2013-01-25
My university contracts have always had that stipulation (either, no outside work, or you need to 'ask' if you can). As a guess, theirs said no!
OTOH, really strange that the PSB got involved, with regard to an out of contract work. Working without the right visa, etc I would understand, but working in a place they shouldn't... yeah, sounds like the university got wind of it, and it was they who informed the PSB. I'd also hazard a guess that those 2 teachers may have not been putting in their all at the uni (or, shoving the better money in the faces of the uni admin). Otherwise, I would have expected the uni to just have a quiet chat with them...
Still, strange! I didn't realise Baotou had such an abundance of FT's that they can afford to kick some out! (unless, I suppose, some local English teachers are needing a job....)
Dragonized
- 2013-01-25
I am sorry to hear about this. From what I was told by other teachers if the contract that you sign with any school/company in China does not contain the stipulation that you cannot work elsewhere then so as long as you keep a low profile then it shouldn't be a problem. I wonder what it said on the contracts for those 2 expat teachers.
Being that it was at a public university there may not have been that stipulation that you cannot work elsewhere. I wonder if some jealous colleague caught wind of the extra money they were making and decided to cause trouble at the PSB with some petty exaggerations and lies thrown in for good mix. Vindictive folks both of local and foreign origins are things any teacher needs to look out for when working in China. Behind every smile you see there could be a veil for something more sinister underneath. Keep that extra thought to yourself sometimes even if you are hanging out with foreigners, you never know if it will get passed around and end up in the wrong person's ears.
But for the local government officials to do this is pretty freaking lame.
There is an industrial city called Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Heard a story that 2 foreigners employed by a university there were caught by the PSB teaching elsewhere locally without first having asked for permission to do second jobs. Following on from their deceit:
1) - both fired
2) - both fined 10,000 RMB each
3) - both forced to leave China wiythin 10 days
Beware of Baotou PSB, they are assholes!