DoS
- 2004-07-04
Rick,
The salary compared to the outside world in China is lower, but compared the cost of living here it can be very high. I would say a 'normal' wage would be about 5,000RMB month, though lower and higher salaries are available of course. When I first came here I was on 3000/month, but I managed to save 1000 of that even though I bought a lot of items, including a computer, DVD player lots of clothes and ate out in restaurants nearly every night.
Compared to the US, for example though, you won't save that much of course. Here I save about US$500 a month, and I am on a much better salary. Of course, I still have my girlfriend who is at uni, so I have paid her fees there, bought an electric bike (pretty neat people by the way!), several mobile phones, digital camera, much beer and all the rest. Plus I still eat out most nights!
People come here mostly to experience China. Perhaps if you want to save big money Korea is better, don't know, never been there, but you can certainly live well here on a 'normal' salary.
> hi there, tough situation. Your principles are admirable.
> I'm saving roughly 1,500 US dollars a month in Korea. Is there enough
> pay in China to set some money aside for emergency-situations like
> this one? Your post is bad news for those planning to teach in China.
> Scary....low salaries. Mainly for repatriation after completition of
> work./ Sorry, no better answer, try contacting local papers. Works in
> korea.
> Rick
Solomon Konneh
- 2004-07-03
Will refusing to do the video be a breach of contract? The contract is terms specified within, unless it's stated that you've to do anything your employer asks, I think the video would be something like extra work which you get paid for and is voluntary, if that's the case, then you don't have to do any video. You can talk to your local public security bureau (PSB) about your options; they normally resolve problems between teachers and their schools. Sometimes this maybe time consuming, if you don't have the time or the cash to wait, then just do the video and start backpacking before it's too late.
Best wishes
Solomon in China
J.D.
- 2004-07-03
I thank you all for your advice. I will pass on my green work visa card to a friend, and defend my end about not breaking the contract by refusing the video. I will post again in a few days once I know for sure if this will happen or not. Thanks again for your moral support.
Bob
- 2004-07-03
> Xiamen,
> "You can't handle the truth!"
> Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men
> Rick, happily in Korea
Haven't we heard that before? More original, "The truth will set him free."
J.D. your turn to sing...heres your chance.
Rick in Korea
- 2004-07-03
Xiamen,
"You can't handle the truth!"
Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men
Rick, happily in Korea
> Rick,
> Please don't rush to conclusions that salaries in China are:
> Scary....low
> J.D. sounds like a good man. Probably he sent most of his salary
> during contract to his family in Canada. I hope other teachers
> interested in China don't take this case as benchmark. Shame on
> school for hiring a Bulgarian (with lower level of English I assume)
> and try to sell a Canadian.
> Xiamen
Xiamen
- 2004-07-03
> hi there, tough situation. Your principles are admirable.
> I'm saving roughly 1,500 US dollars a month in Korea. Is there enough
> pay in China to set some money aside for emergency-situations like
> this one? Your post is bad news for those planning to teach in China.
> Scary....low salaries. Mainly for repatriation after completition of
> work./ Sorry, no better answer, try contacting local papers. Works in
> korea.
> Rick
Rick,
Please don't rush to conclusions that salaries in China are: Scary....low
J.D. sounds like a good man. Probably he sent most of his salary during contract to his family in Canada. I hope other teachers interested in China don't take this case as benchmark. Shame on school for hiring a Bulgarian (with lower level of English I assume) and try to sell a Canadian.
Xiamen
Rick in Korea
- 2004-07-03
hi there, tough situation. Your principles are admirable.
I'm saving roughly 1,500 US dollars a month in Korea. Is there enough pay in China to set some money aside for emergency-situations like this one? Your post is bad news for those planning to teach in China. Scary....low salaries. Mainly for repatriation after completition of work./ Sorry, no better answer, try contacting local papers. Works in korea.
Rick
> To those who can offer me advice, my situation might get a little out
> of hand in a couple days, and I need to know if there any options I
> have before I go in for a meeting on July 5th. My boss asked me to
> help him make a video of me teaching so he could show people he still
> had a Canadian teacher teaching at his school when in fact the day he
> asked me (June 30th) it was my last day. There is now a Bulgarian
> teacher working at the school to take my job, but the fact that he's
> Bulgarian is being concealed from the parents whose kids are
> attending the kindergarten. I didn't want to participate in someone's
> lie, so I said no to the video for moral reasons. He has turned his
> back on me, and when I go to the school on July 5th to collect the
> remainder of the money he owes me contractually I have the impression
> he is going to with hold the money from me by saying my refusal was
> in breach of the contract. I am in Harbin city, and have already
> received a plane ticket back to Canada for the 21st of July, but it
> leaves from Beijing. If I don't get the last of the money I would get
> for working, I not only don't have enough to live on for the rest of
> the month, but also to get to Beijing to make my flight. I have
> already made arrangements with friends to assure that I get to
> Beijing for the flight, so I'm writing to see if there is anyone out
> there who can offer any advice pertaining to my situation. Are there
> any cards that I have that I possibly do not know about? Any help on
> this would be appreciated. Contact me at my email address asap. Thank
> you for your time.
To those who can offer me advice, my situation might get a little out of hand in a couple days, and I need to know if there any options I have before I go in for a meeting on July 5th. My boss asked me to help him make a video of me teaching so he could show people he still had a Canadian teacher teaching at his school when in fact the day he asked me (June 30th) it was my last day. There is now a Bulgarian teacher working at the school to take my job, but the fact that he's Bulgarian is being concealed from the parents whose kids are attending the kindergarten. I didn't want to participate in someone's lie, so I said no to the video for moral reasons. He has turned his back on me, and when I go to the school on July 5th to collect the remainder of the money he owes me contractually I have the impression he is going to with hold the money from me by saying my refusal was in breach of the contract. I am in Harbin city, and have already received a plane ticket back to Canada for the 21st of July, but it leaves from Beijing. If I don't get the last of the money I would get for working, I not only don't have enough to live on for the rest of the month, but also to get to Beijing to make my flight. I have already made arrangements with friends to assure that I get to Beijing for the flight, so I'm writing to see if there is anyone out there who can offer any advice pertaining to my situation. Are there any cards that I have that I possibly do not know about? Any help on this would be appreciated. Contact me at my email address asap. Thank you for your time.