Oh come on Frank, get with the program!

Some clarifications are in order concerning the inaccuracies of Frank Andrews's response to my review of Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College.

These inaccuracies stem from a great need, it seems, on his part to generalize and make broad sweeping statements about China, demographically, historically, and environmentally , as well as his great need to be ever-vigilant against any negative points expressed by any foreign teacher on this review board, of which my posting is only a very small part and indeed, if Frank Andrews only requirement to putting up with the program in China is a smoke free 2 hour block of time at Starbucks in Suzhou every Sunday afternoon and it brings him satisfaction, fulfillment, and continues his intriguing interest, then far be it for me to infringe upon his experience.

I think, however, its particularly noteworthy of Mr. Andrews posting, whether intentional or not, that he never really addressed the salient points of why I thought Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College wasnt suitable for foreign teachers, and instead he preferred to address the
common and universal aspects, though varied , as he failed to note, and by Mr Andrews focusing on these details, he made some erroneous assumptions.

Mr. Andrews, allow me to clarify in the hopes that you will read it all, and therefore be put at ease because admittedly I will not waste my time or effort responding to you again because I am sure intelligent readers and experienced educators can distinguished what is fact and what is merely a sense of immature outrage on your part, which tends to be your modus operandi to any negative reviews here on this board and I do believe your living a year in Suzhou is a point worth noting but I have bigger points to note, Mr Andrews :

1. Mr. Andrews, Huaibei is NOT a large city in Eastern China; rather, it is a small city, and it certainly is a filthy one at thatvisually and otherwise, and my detailed posting presented that.

In larger cities, as you noted, hygiene and poor sanitation tend to be reduced in certain areas of those large cities, particularly those sections where substantial amounts of foreigners frequent. Suzhou does have it share of pollution but in comparison to Huaibei, it isnt even remotely close.

Huaibei is heavily reliant on coal for power and heat, and is not located in an Special Economic Zone, and has very, very few foreigners and no foreign companies

On the other hand, Suzhou has many well-known international companies and employs many Chinese. Since Suzhou has a substantial foreign population, the behavior of its Chinese citizens isnt even close to those whom reside in Huaibei. Most residents of Suzhou are quite comfortable with foreigners, and those whom aren't, do not demonstrate the obnoxiousness of those Huaibei residents.

2. Mr. Andrews then notes that prejudicial behaviors in China is the same all over.

Yes and no.

The degrees which my wife, an Anhui native, and I experienced in Huaibei were significantly greater, incredibly overt and brazen, and uncivilized than in his city of Suzhou.

3. The historical relevance of the Cultural Revolution cannot be disputed, but there are other factors to consider, lack of education, exposure to differences, a woefully propagandized culture.

I think you make an incredibly naive mistake to think you can paint the whole country with the same brush, and particularly the city of your residence, Suzhou.

How do I know all of this about Suzhou?

Well, Suzhou was the very city my wife and I went to live and work after leaving Huaibei!!!!!!!

Ironic isn't it, Mr. Andrews? Too much of a coincidence, uh?

I mean really you can't be serious? Are you? Maybe you were looking for some fresh bait on your trolling maneuvers through the channel of negative school reviews, and my review happened to grease your hook, but I bet you never thought I went to Suzhou!

Read on (er, I mean if your attention span at this point hasn't gotten disrupted by your strong sense of rushing to judgement):

We found the city of Suzhou significantly better and much different, its residents certainly more civilized, and certainly more open-minded as opposed to what we experienced in Huaibei. Though I will certainly agree with Mr. Andrewss description of encountering some Chinese whom if one is scratching the surface just a bit and the tell-tale signs of a turtle-slow emergence are obvious," are there, but this tends to be true, not necessarily with the Chinese residents of Suzhou, but with those Chinese from other towns and cities in the remoter provinces of China whom work and live in Suzhou.

Mr. Andrews, make no mistake, Huaibei doesnt have an substantial expat crowd like you see there in Suzhou, nor does it have a Southern Cross, or a Pulp Fiction, or a Harrys Bar, or a Papa Johns, or a Carrefour, or or Au Chuan, or many public and private English training centers.

If my review caused any frustration or slight to your views of why foreign teachers should be in China and what role they should play in the Chinese scheme of things, or worse, made it less intriguing for you, it wasnt my purpose to do so.

My posting reflects what happened at Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College, it reflected what to expect living in the city of Huaibei, and it reflected what happened when the assault of September 8th 2005 took place.

We left to go to a much better and much different city, which is the same city where you, Mr Andrews reside.

Anyway, I want future prospective ESL teachers to make an informed decision, and if that one foreigner, disregards my posting as merely going against your agenda of presenting China in such relativistic comparisons, then enjoy that Starbucks coffee while daily perusing, criticizing, judging and responding to foreign teachers school reviews on the ESL Teachers Board, but the later, seems to be your program.

I suggest that next time that you get your facts straight because if you don't, during your negative school review trolling maneuvers, you might hook a shark who is a lot wiser about the waters than you seem to be, and Mr. Andrews a self-righteous, condescending rhetorical tone doesn't make you right.

Consideration of other experiences rather than whole-scale condemnation of the poster and his or her posting is a beginning. Also, it wouldn't hurt to read a posting closer rather than rushing to a reaction and posting

As many Chinese students say, "THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU!"