"Just thinking actually, we are days away from Christmas, so any day now Yuming will be paying that fateful visit to their prized teachers to inform them that the 4 weeks Winter holiday that they advertise is actually going to be 2 months and that they do not have any substantial work to offer them during this period."

A jolly good point. Some of my friends who teach in Chinese universities have already stopped teaching until next term. Needless to say they'll get their full pay and flat paid for-why would one settle for a contract short of that??

Over the last week these friends have been wined and dined by their deans and leaders as a way of thank you and to encourage good relationships-why would one wish to work for an outfit with an attitude that falls short of this normal friendly consideration? I can't see Yuming FT's getting so much as a cold dumpling- Helen and cronies will be quite happy to see them picking up dog-ends in the gutter, and still expect them to be on tap in two or three months time. Well she could be right as her FT's will be too broke to saunter off to Thailand for a nice long break. Yuming bumf makes me laugh "you are free to travel during holidays" free to pick up dogends maybe.

I have a suggestion for Yuming FT's at this stage-collect your pay, sod off, find another job, especially if they just have you on F visa.