John Wrote:

Building the new accommodation for overseas teachers there is a classic example of no thought / consultation or understanding of what overseas teachers want, when this was planned. I suspect this college will have difficulties getting the required amount of overseas teachers in the future.

I absolutely agree with all of the above! I really can't see the logic in locating the building there. Perhaps the reasons are for mian zi, but it is essentially foreign student lodging and not a typical FT's apartment. I can even surmise the foreign students aren't too chuffed with the location either, as it does leave you stranded, so to speak.

Which leads me to the weather! As you said the long walk to the campus gate is no fun when it's raining, I'd imagine even less so in the icy winter that descends on Jiangxi. And it does get rather windy in Nanchang in winter as well, not a very pleasant winter climate at all. So you are essentially forced to trek a long way in uncomfortable weather to the gate, or otherwise it becomes very cabin fever-ish and you have to be a person who likes staying inside or cope being left to your own devices.

To concede somewhat, there is one expat bar (escape) on a more upscale street in Nanchang, but it's a mission to get there from hong gu tang, which is the real reason I think those unis find it hard to recruit FT's.

Cheers,
Alan