I am posting this because so many others have posted about this person and his huge amount of activity.

I am from Australia, and had a relative working at Quantas, who got me a subsizided fare to Guangxi, China, a few year ago. I had done a lot of volunteer work helping immigrants learn English, and had travelled a lot in Europe, also like the city of Hong Kong, though I was drawn to the beauty and peacefulness of the pictures I saw of Yang Shua, China.

Owen Buckland implying he was a school in Yang Shuo accepted me immediately, before Christmas, and said, "Come right away."

I did not know that he was gathering teachers for the winter holidays, because many teachers split ESL jobs around Christmas or the Chinese Spring Holiday, and are homesick for their mother countries, or just want to travel some more.

So I was very naive, and thought because he was so known in a tiny town, that was a good thing.

Well, I got there, paying my own air fare, my train fare, no money out front from him, though he planned to make a bundle from me, and was given free housing in a not bad house, roomy, and okay, and very interesting. I was told I would have to wait until almost February, over a month, till I started my job there. That really freaked me out, as I needed to work sooner, and thought the job would begin faster.

He implied there would be some part time work, tutoring, so I could buy food.

I did a few days, paid in cash, in a nearby city, for another company, though he was taking a cut of the money, I did not know that at the time. I thought he represented a school there, he represented every place he could get his hands on, and this is the WORST, as an agent he practised a Chinese busuiness little known to us, he took a cut or commission IN PERPETUITY, ie no end to the cut.

For example, if the teacher got 4000 rmb a month, the agent takes an extra 2000 - 4000 rmb on top of that. And the cycle never ends. Ie. You work two years at the school, the agent still takes the cut! They in no way represent you, really almost always the school, the school is the one with the money.

After a while, I wanted to see the school in Yang Shuo, the town I loved so much.

They took me out to a fancy dinner, and I met the school owners. The school was hundreds of miles away! I was told there might be another Western teacher going there, insread of all the new people, Chinese and Western, I was making friends with in Yang Shuo. With so many lies, I was frightened that I would be trapped out in the middle of nowhere.

I did not even know then about the huge cuts he took from our pay.

Leaving the restaurant, where a contract was shown to me, the group surrounded me, as though to pressure me into signing, but no way.

A lady from the school was kindly, and said, "He looks frightened."

I ONLY went to CHhina because of the town of Yang Shuo, its beauty and charm, and because I wanted to be in a serene place, where I could walk around the town, take photos, and get to enjoy small town life.

Others told me, he took his name Buckland, because of BUCK, ie dollar.

If you are a new teacher, this might have some possibilities for you. He did give the house, and was friendly, and it is just that it was scary to have such a different deal done, when you are new to a country. The use of intimidation before signing a quasi legal contract is not the style in Western countries.