Well first of all Gunawan, hope you had a Chun Jie Kuai le (Happy Chinese New Year) and I mean that ....To your letter, that was a review written by me about your school, IEC to inform other teachers who might be considering taking up a teaching position there. I am the not the one advertising a position on a website , giving potential teachers the impression that is all fine there with their promised work visa, accommodation, etc. We are not talking about a little paint job and a few bedsheets here. We are talking about honesty, not deceiving teachers just to attract them there with a YES MAN attitude.

Facts: the house had been broken into and foreign teachers personal property, cash, etc. were stolen; leaks in teachers bedrooms with electronic equipment getting damaged, you sending me a fake airplane ticket to show to immigration on arrival, something which you only informed me about a few days before my departure to Indonesia. Sorry but hearing all that from teachers was more than enough to stress any new teacher out. You had my paperwork and commitment to the job nearly 3 months in advance, more than enough time to prepare the necessary documents and have my visa waiting for me shortly after arrival.

You knew that I was particularly interested in resuming my interest in Chinese Medicine as well as teaching and would you not as an effective D.O.S. have considered it a better idea to put me in the schools other house in a neighbourhood where there were predominantly more Chinese living in then the one I was put in. What was written by me is not just my vague impression of the situation there but a general summarization from what all the other teachers there at Medan informed me about on a regular basis in the short time I was there. Never have I in all my years of teaching heard such negative things said about a school and its management by other teachers who are actually working there.

Listening to all this negativity during my first 3 weeks there created a certain amount of anxiety and stress in me which to to be honest resulted in me not dealing with matters very effectively and professionally with Yen Sri (school branch manager). Anyway I immediately apologised to her with respect to that matter. But like I had mentioned in a previous email to you, I found HER to be one of the the rudiest Chinese woman I have ever encountered and worked with in any school. She was the person, as advised by you to talk to, about any problems that I or the other teachers in the house had. I had asked her about these collective problems politely on 3/4 previous occaisions and that afternoon, our confrontation was due to her rudely turning her back on me.

Again, these problems were not about a bit of paint on the walls or a few bedsheets but were in relation to a number of problems that all the teachers in the house had with regard to this accommodation. Basically this was a major topic of conversation most evenings and I just wanted the problems solved as it was creating a very negative feeling in the house. Like I had also mentioned in my email to you, there was a lot of negative talking behind your back, Tony's back and other teachers backs by some of the teachers at your school and of course I would not have expected to get off myself that lightly.

With regards to me and your information, please get your facts straight. I have never ever said to any student that I have ever taught or their parents the words 'Feck off' or anything like that. I might on occaision have had a difference of opinion with a colleague or school in the past, name one teacher who hasn't and I will give you a million rupia. I have always tried to form a good relationship with not only the schools that I have worked in but also with my teaching colleagues. That house in Jemadi was one of the dirtiest houses I have ever walked into. Probably unknowing to you, but I helped the new cleaner at Jemadi to clean everything in that house from top to bottom during my first few days there. I did this to create a fresh start and good atmosphere between the other teachers there. Never asked for thanks and never really got appreciation for that from my room mates.

I also often tried to encourage them to collectively get the internet into the house and work creatively on ideas for lessons and the school. Whatever misunderstanding that happened between me and Mr. B was a little exaggerated and was mainly caused by me consuming some local Indonesian Moonshine with the security guards that previous night. I normally don't drink Spirits and in fact didn't realize how strong it was. That problem could have easily been talked out and smoothed over face to face the next morning with Mr B. Also I never grabbed a mic. at a karoke bar and said ' I am hear to take over the Indonesian government'. Now that is one of the funniest things that I have ever heard. I have been known to be a bit of a joker on a social night out but come on and pull the other leg. One of the nicest things about living in the neighbourhood at Jemadi was hearing Muslims praying a number of times a day especially at 4 am in the morning. I found that whole experience very spiritual and I totally respect Muslims and what they believe in and to say that I was simulating them at prayer is also a complete exaggeration and not true.

Likewise with the reference to me being in a newspaper in China actually concerns a Siberian Huskey dog I owned, a corrupt Chinese policeman and a freelance jounalist trying to make a few bucks on a false story and overall general paranoia around the time of the SARS epidemic. I know exactly where you heard that from and like all these references you have made about me except one are completely unfounded and exaggerated. Of course one positive story that you didn't hear about me was that in my free time I used to teach some of the not so well off children in the neighbourhood at Jemadi just for fun and the friendship of their families. If I was to believe every story that I heard there from the other teachers, I would then believe that current and past teachers have taken illegal drugs [edited], visited prostitutes [edited] at Karoke bars and taken them back to the house at Jemadi, that another one of your teachers is gay and blah blah blah about what they have to say about you and Tony.

Sorry but that whole sitaution there felt like a messed up American soap opera. I dont care what other unhappy teachers want to say about their colleagues and employers. I like to work in a school as part of a team, work with positive people and not be deceived by management just to get me over to a country asap. I had looked foward to a fruitful and rewarding experience at IEC both with you, Tony and all the staff there. Like I already mentioned I made one error with regard to how I dealt with Jensri and have already explained my reasons why. I shouldn't have listened or have had to listen to other teachers and their negative impressions of the whole situation and allowed myself to get so stressed out but thats something you as a D.O.S should try and stamp out, as its not good for your school or a good impression to give any new teachers who might be thinking of working there.

Finally, I have forgotten about the whole situation that happened there, maybe just the wrong place at the wrong time or just sharing the wrong house with the wrong people. I was a little disappointed when I wrote that review but I am happily working in another school, don't have anymore sleepless nights about my house getting broken into and my laptop and personal possessions being stolen..(hehehe). I have deleted the original thread of this original review, if you delete yours, I will delete this one, as I think its time to put this story to bed and wish both of us success for the future. You and your team Newcaste surely will receive that this year.