Enfly is like a dirty fly to be killed. Become a mass murderer, avoid them and allow them to go bankrupt!

Don't fuckin go there with them

I'd rather be in Bangers!

https://youtu.be/RKXWt85siUw

A no-brainer imo! I think food is the spice of life. China comes out top.

Besides, if you're back home and homeless without med insurance, you're a mug. I'd advise you to commit a rather serious crime and confess, to get you banged up in a low-security jail.

Become a burden of the state. The food there will be better than soup kitchen fayre and you will have fellow inmates to mix with. Also free med.

The way I'd go if I were deported from China.

We have had some very disrespected posters working illegally in China and sleeping rough in the parks and relying on the church for food. In fact one of them went cap in hand to another poster in Beijing for help and he wasn't called Turnoi.

Going to a soup-kitchen in case of need is not a crime. Further, it may help desperate people survive and to take steps to get out of their economical misery if they can make it.

Being poor and being treated like that is always humiliating. Those who believe it could never happen to them may be utterly wrong - economical crises that may come and go could hit them sooner than they might think.

I guess some posters on this forum really did go to soup kitchens, and they told Turnoi this. Guess they were desperate to cling onto some fib that I may actually have something in common with them. I really don't care if they did or didn't. I would take offense all the same if someone said I was a multi-millionaire with 10 phd's or some nonsense like that. I did not grow up homeless and I did not grow up wealthy. People lie about you to further their personal agendas, nothing more.

I can't think of what's worse: to be trapped in China teaching ESL or relying on visiting soup kitchens.

Both scenarios really fuckin" suck!

A no-brainer imo! I think food is the spice of life. China comes out top.

Besides, if you're back home and homeless without med insurance, you're a mug. I'd advise you to commit a rather serious crime and confess, to get you banged up in a low-security jail.

Become a burden of the state. The food there will be better than soup kitchen fayre and you will have fellow inmates to mix with. Also free med.

The way I'd go if I were deported from China.

I can't think of what's worse: to be trapped in China teaching ESL or relying on visiting soup kitchens.

Both scenarios really fuckin" suck!

Turnoi is indeed an odd cup of tea at times. He did some good things in the past but he needs to give religion away and stop being an education snob.

It is often true that as men get older they have nothing to do with their time.

I'll adnit that I am even bored sometimes and I'm not even 50.

I told my brother in law that having kids is a waste of time and money, he agreed with the money part but he said at least kids give men ( and women ) something to do.

A lot of stress though, marry and have a kid just because of stupid society expectations and to fill in time.

I spoke with the Turnoi poster over the phone personally back in 2012, of which I mentioned how losers in the West who would be homeless and visiting soup kitchens go to places like china to work as teachers in the ESL industry.

Nowt wrong with that, those folks had shown initiative!

Of course, many statesiders had lost their homes as a result of the sub prime housing mortgage debacle by 2012.

Chinese grub must be far superior to soup kitchen fayre.

Turnoi was indeed a blabbermouth!

It is an urban myth propagated by old GW's on this forum. The poster in question never visited soup kitchens or lived in a basement.

Only the losers stuck in China still teaching English make up such nonsense.

I think I've given some good advice over the years on here but so have some others. I am a bit of a mixed bag, some people think I am ultra-conservative, I am in some ways, but I'm also pro-gay ( and ) lesbian marriage ( why the hell they want to marry I don't know but if so they can go for it ) I'm pro-prostitution, I support abortion, I'm anti-marriage and anti long term relationships.

So I'm not exactly a Christian conservative, lol! I think what I wrote in that last post is good advice. Others can add their ideas, hope to hear from them.

Somebody ought to collect your posts and publish them as a memoir of sorts one day. I would pay to read it. Very useful all around!

Great post.

To be honest, I CAN make do on about 1500 to 2000 for food and do try out a lot of different places. But that's just the food, not my whole life and doesn't account for times where I have to splurge for business purposes, treating friends, colleagues etc. I rarely ever keep costs that low for a whole month though.

Getting to know the waimai apps can save you a lot of money, but I must point out that the local market conditions are quite competitive where I live or usually travel, there's plenty of reputable chains etc. Travel to a not so great city and you'll find that a lot of the smaller restaurants are just total crap. To do what I do, you do need to be able to read a bit of Chinese (and most importantly read customer reviews well), take risks, and have a few local friends/acquaintances. Most foreign teachers won't be able to do that.

Tip 2 is a very important one; you'll also need it for when you want to book that table for 8 or 9. Not that you can do that with just foreign teacher friends as they're usually unreliable, flaky bastards that are stoned half of the time and will also be reluctant to chip in their fair share because they're cheapskates as well.

Take note of that when you buy a bottle of whisky/vodka in a club; there's always some foreign cheapskate guy that wants to drink with you, yet will always disappear before paying anything, or not be around when people are chucking in their 100 rmb or whatever. Not that I mind buying the odd drink for the younger, less well paid lads if I end up dragging them from one place to somewhere a bit more pricey, but I do expect people to try to pay their way and some of them just take the piss at times.

As for the straight laced ones... Don't always judge a book by its cover. Some guys are just always in work mode or even have to be representative of a company's image. Get to know them and you may find that they aren't so bad. Some are just married and have their wives over here (poor bastards...).

Mind you, if you are just an English teacher and are constantly posting pictures on WeChat telling the world how you love your job, that the kids are so adorable etc... Chances are that you're just a loser. Loosen up and enjoy your beers and women, rather than always pretending to enjoy your job, lol. Or at least change your privacy settings, post your work pics to the bosses to keep them sweet, but block them from seeing you getting hammered and singing football songs in the street at 5 am when you're supposed to be in for work at 9 am.

Socialising... When it involves baijiu or singing at KTVs I wouldn't consider it healthy, but it is good to get out and about. I'm a bit more indulgent when it comes to beer and will only drink the imported good stuff when that's available; I do have a weakness for those Belgian 10% bad boys. Mind you, my Chinese colleagues normally get absolutely smashed after just two or three of those, so it's a good way to send the boring buggers to bed early.

As for Asian people in education... It can be good to know a uni professor or two, but they will be involved in corruption at some point or another. Not that I'm really close friends with any, mind. They're good for intelligent conversation (and often in English), can be politically rebellious when out of sight, can also help you find good employees etc. Although 'good employee' can often mean 'my cousin' or 'good at sucking dick' etc. They also usually know a high ranking party member or two, but yeah... Corrupt c**ts. Ideally you won't ever need introducing to those people.

Those Asian women that teach English? (actually same with French and other languages). Unless they're Filipino, they've most likely entered that profession solely because they crave foreign dick ('Foreign language' unis are a constant fuckfest for the teachers). They're the Asian equivalent of a mudshark, the most trashy, no-loyal women that one could possibly imagine. I'd rather just shag the fat American birds, at least they're more appreciative.

If you use mobile payments, get a separate bank card and only stick about 1k rmb pocket money on it at a time. If you get hacked or get your phone stolen, it will minimise your losses; bank staff can be useless with that kind of thing at times, even if you've got the gold/VIP cards etc.

Exactly right. Why would someone want to try and live on 1500 rmb a month? Certainly eating cheap and crappy Chinese restaurant and supermarket food is not good for one's health.

One reason I left China is because of the toxic air and crappy, tainted, contaminated food supply. Many people also do not know that much of China's water supply is contaminated by all of sort of toxins leaching out of landfills. Now when you think about that it's quite disgusting and makes you feel sick.

Waste management and disposal in China is nothing like the regulation and standards applied in many Australian or Canadian cities.

I know other places in Asia are also polluted but there are strategies to deal with it.

1) Live in an area near the ocean where there is a regular fairly strong sea breeze. I try to hang out in the Beach Rd/2nd Road area in Pattaya not just because I feel comfortable there but because the area from Soi 7 to Soi 13 has clean air thanks to the strong sea breeze. I go to a place called "Windy Bar" near the foreshore, no prizes for guessing how it got that name.

2) Get to know bar and cafe and restaurant owners in your area. If they use high quality produce and have clean kitchens you should frequent those places. Many places that are genuine will let you check their kitchen hygiene on a regular basis.

3) Mix with ex-pats who have a good sense of humor and like to have a good time. Avoid boring straight-laced individuals who think they are morally superior to others ( several posters on this board fall into this category )

Never marry a local woman or have a long term GF if you are an Asian ex-pat ( especially not in China, probably not even in Thailand ) This will also shorten a Western man's life. You did not move to Asia to be in a monogamous relationship FFS! Variety is the spice of life. Bang different women on a fairly regular basis. It's good for health. A GF? No more than two months max.

4) Contrary to popular belief, drinking beer with your buddies/mates on a regular basis is not bad for health. Socializing is good for health.

Now there is plenty of beer with no preservatives and very low fat content/carbs. Having five or six of these beers each day is not harmful. A bottle of ( high quality ) red wine three times a week is also good.

5) A no-brainer this one: Keep away from Asian people involved in education. People involved in Asia's "education industry" are low lives and the scum of the earth as we well know.

Keep away from Asian women who are teachers if you are an ex-pat, even more so if they have a kid. RUN!

6) The local prostitutes/bar girls always know where the good ( clean, healthy ) street food is. The Soi 7 girls in Pattaya taught me this. Become friendly with hookers, you'll learn a hell of a lot more from them than from any "regular" gals.

7) Make sure you have a local luxury taxi driver in your good books if you ever need to make a quick getaway to the nearest international airport. The West sucks now, but your home city can be a safe bolt hole for you if need be.

Electronic credit/debit card theft is rife in Asia and many other places. Do not think your cards are safe just because they are secure in your pocket or hand luggage at an airport or on a plane. They are not. Anyone with a scanner can steal your credit card details and your money as long as they are within 5 matres of you. ( and identity ) in a microsecond. Get "Skim Guard" which blocks malevolent RFID signals and protects your data. I found out about this on TVSN ( Ch 14 ) in Australia. I've got Skim Guard. It also protects E-passports ( passport protector ) and some driver licences that contain a chip.

I remember a post you did from a couple years back where you mentioned some recent divorcee. He was married to a chinese woman and he did an expense sheet calculation where it ended up costing over 300rmb for each hookup with his then-wife.

Talk about being taken to the cleaners.

I increasingly find myself shagging middle-aged divorcees and leftover women types. They're often wealthier, better in bed and will actually spoil you. However, I'm certain that about half of them are still married or just hoping to emigrate, so marriage is never an option.

If you want to have a shit life. When I lived in Nanning I was spending 9000 rmb a month just on food and taxis.

That's 300 rmb a day, which is very easy to spend. A sirloin steak and a few beers, that's 150 rm gone in one hit.

I'd spend 150-230 rmb a day on taxis easily. My uni salary of 8500 a month was gone quickly, but I had free accommodation and electricity.

Add whores and extra alcohol ( spirits ) on to the spending I'd say at least 17,000 a month It's ok if you have alternative income sources.

I know, you can buy a bottle of Johnny Walker and some coke and drink at home, that's a lot cheaper, but I'm not the drink at home type.

Try to live it up on a teachers salary though, you have no hope, unless you want to just eat crappy Chinese street food and buy beer at small local bars.

There was on place I used to go to in Nanning, a noodle shop, near Zhongshan lu, they had Liquan beer for 7 rmb a bottle which is pretty cheap.

Sometimes I would have a week just eating jiaozi and drinking Liquan, that saves one heaps of money, but that was rare for me.

Enfly is a well known shit recruitment organization. They should be avoided by everyone.

You should contact/alert the relevant authorities in Texas and make them aware that this group is putting gullible people at risk of exploitation, immigration detention, fines, and deportation in China. You need a Z visa to work legally in China.

You said Enfly had a stand at a recruiting fair in Austin. If they have an office there the Office of Fair Trading ( or whatever you call call it in the USA ) should close them down.

Good post!

Just for the record, I think 1,500 RMB a month is sufficient to live rather well in many parts of Sichuan if an expat in rent-free accommodation sticks to a reasonably tight personal budget.

I struggle to spend 3000 a month.

International schools pay very good salaries in China and offer free accommodation as a rule. The cost of living is low, relatively speaking, so you can save a lot of money. You've got a great job. Well done!

I saw a documentary a few years ago about a young Brit business analyst married to a former home economics high school teacher, with their 2 toddlers, forsaking London and his 9,000 GBP a MONTH job to live abroad in Mauritius. He gave up the idea to open a wind-surfing business there to take an IT job working just a 40-hour week for 7,000 GBP a MONTH as owning a wind-surfing business wouldn't have made him much money. She couldn't get a job at an international school as she had no TEFL qualifications. She could have done a local TEFL, but would have made only 500 GBP a month instead of 1,500 GBP a month thereafter. Basic free accommodation would have been offered too, but not offered to Mauritian nationals, of course!

They would have quality time together as a family in a tropical paradise living in a rented villa with a swimming pool, and saving 2,000 GBP a month with his wife remaining a housewife. Most importantly, he was able to shed his stressful job in London for a less stressful one that allowed the family to save money, which they couldn't do despite living in a tiny rented flat in London.

Teaching in China, especially at international schools, is oftentimes very lucrative. That's mainly because the cost of living in China is so low, allowing thrifty FTs to save and prosper, not only more highly paid expat business analysts and other non-teaching expat professionals! AND NOT ONLY IN SHANGHAI/BEIJING/GUANGZHOU!

Well, whatever, teaching is China is a shit job anyway. Teaching in China, not a high status occupation by any means, however you seem to think it is.

I accepted a post at an international school in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. I get 18000 a month for 20 classes a week with free apartment. After tax, I'm clearing 16500.

The cost of living is reasonable, I struggle to spend 3000 a month.

8500 a month is not enough these days, especially for a Chinese university FT.

The Chinese should be grateful that any foreigners even want to teach at their universities these days.

14,000 ( in Shanghai or Beijing heaps more than that ) minimum for 18 classes a week at a public high school or university. If not, they can stick there
job offers where the sun don't shine.

The initial salary was 8,500 per month for 18 classes at a public high school.

They told me the school would be in the Chengdu area but this would be allocated after the one week induction held at their office in Chengdu city. They organise various times when all the new teachers arrive and deal with it from there. The contract was in the name of Enfly and not a specific school. They pay the salary.

All their correspondence and even the reps at the recruitment fair said a work visa is guaranteed turned out to be a con. They are seriously sketchy. Just avoid. You will thank yourself later. I'm so glad I didn't follow their assurances and trusted my gut instinct and decided not to go with them.

The visa given to me was an X2 visa, not a Z.

I guess that the school Enfly had allocated you has no official permission to hire foreign teachers, direct or via an agent. Hence the failure to get you a proper work visa for there.

Probably the school is a middle school in a small city or a county town. Don't asuume that the cost of living there will be cheaper than in a big city. Big cities in Sichuan are generally much cheaper in terms of the cost of living, between 20 and 30 percent!

Yes, you're right about Enfly being an outfit to avoid.

What do you mean by "If you are a cringer women will pick up on it and show you contempt".

If it means, " Chinese women will ignore you if you are not motivated and don't get a second job",
well I'd say those to avoid such women like the plague.

Women must MAKE THEIR OWN MONEY and men have zero obligation to them!

Well it meant nothing like you chose to take it as meaning. Here it is again:-
No, always moonlight!
One shouldn't become a cringer, startled by your own shadow-

Which means don't be afraid to break the law. 'Fraid you dashed for that record player without reading what I said.

Yup. Additionally, if one plans on tutoring, registering a Foreign-owned educational consultancy (aka training center) requires no liable capital at all these days (used to be RMB 100k), only processing fees. Why risk being deported?

Also, China may have been lax in the past but it has become increasingly more efficient at enforcing labor and other regulations both upon its own citizens and over foreigners as well.

Never moonlight.

You run the risk of deportatarion for tax avoidance if found to be moonlighting without paying tax on your second income.

(Case in point greedy FTs in Hainan employed by the public sector caught teaching and avoiding tax while moonlighting at language mills.)

If you're going to teach on a tourist visa, always freelance. Rent spare rooms rather than taking out rent contracts, be prepared to flee to another city at a moments notice.

You can actually earn more and enjoy freedom that way.

Until you get caught .

I've read a few criticisms in regard of visas once here in China. My own experience has been a good one. Initially I had a 6 month visa to stay in China. Enfly helped me to get another 6 months here, without any problems. In fact, it couldn't have been easier. Clear advice and full support enabled me to complete my application in an afternoon. I was reimbursed payment for the visa almost immediately. The visa office is just around the corner from Enfly HQ too!

is ok employer for Europeans. For us who's from the life university the company is able to
get our visas and rural placement is safe from visa police.

Allow me to translate:

This is not a bad job if you are not a citizen of a Native English speaking country or if you have have never actually graduated college. You must however be white: do not contact us if you are from Africa, India or the Middle East.

Enfly will never provide you with a legal Z visa, but they will give you some kind of visa, perhaps with a different name or a different province on it.

Do not, however, worry about the fact that you are working illegally because you will be teaching somewhere deep in the boonies where even the immigration police refuse to visit.

Be prepared to be flexible about salary, benefits and living accommodations: if you ever complain Enfly will call the authorities and have you fined and deported.

Welcome to China!

Cherrypickers, lackeys, snitches, loose cannons...

I would advise you to stop reading daffy's posts and cut back on your intake of cheese immediately.
You are apparently acquiring his vocabulary and loosing touch with the physical world.

I was hoodwinked by them. I was naieve as most people are when they first come to China,
I arrived on an F visa and they strung the process out as long as they could, when it
came to the time of getting a z visa, they wanted me to go to HK and get a student visa.

A poster on this site recently condemned Turnoi for being a "visa-law lackey".
Breaking the law in your home country is perhaps a daily event for some people. Myself included.
But moving halfway around the world to China to break PRC law is foolish and dangerous. Recruiters are professional liars. Their livelihood is earned by convincing you to break the law. They have a thousand and one lies. "We'll take care of that when you arrive." "It's in YOUR best interest." "We'll pay to send you to Hong Kong." "It's being processed." And on and on and on.

IF YOU LEAVE FOR CHINA TO TEACH ENGLISH WITHOUT A Z VISA ALREADY IN YOUR PASSPORT, YOU HAVE ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME.

did you go out there with them? I'll keep searching but if you could give any more detail that'd be great.

This sounds too good to be true is there anything i'm missing about Enfly should i not go to China with them?