Would further training have helped this guy – I doubt it.

To be honest, I don't think they see the point of training for the "wai jiao". They know we will leave that job, and eventually China one day.

A recent case in point here. The local government of the prefecture in Zhejiang I am in recently donated organic food as a pre qing ming festival gift for all the senior teachers. All this came from the local government and NOT the schools coffers. My school was so tight as not to even offer me so much as one box of milk or small bag of rice. Why? Because in their eyes, this is from the local branch of the party, therefore not for foreign teachers, was something like the arrogant and tight lipped reply from one of the english teachers.

Personally, I don't care I like to buy my imported milk from Shanghai lianhua supermarket, and prefer thai/basmati rice over short grained chinese rice....but still, if we are excluded from the receipt of donated gifts like this, how deep does the rabbit hole really go?

Happy holidays all, 3 mid week days off!!!