Job Discussion Forums

[kungfuman]

[ESL.Professor.Roger]

[kungfuman]

[ESL.Professor.Roger]

[ESL.Professor.Roger]

I'm here in Nanjing, and y'all were right, there wasn't a check waiting.






It was a corporate credit card, to which I've been instructed to charge all start-up costs, inc. the hotel I am in until the apartment I chose today is ready, early next week. We go out tomorrow or maybe the next day to get the SIM for my cell (quad-band, to avoid *that* discussion) and a bus card (stops right in front of the school, and at the end of the block that my place is at). I haven't been to Xuzhou yet, but I hardly think it's going to be a h*llhole given how well I've been treated here.

Did I mention the Dell notebook (except for the screen, mine's better and lighter -- and I have my big LCD for home anyway. It was a nice gesture) and wireless broadband dongle (2GB / mo, paid until next year)?

Thanks to those whose advice was helpful. And thanks to those who weren't so helpful as well -- the reminder that bad behaviour doesn't depend on ethnicity was not something I had forgotten, but the last group made me focus on that fact.


Now, if someone had just mentioned that Chinese mattresses might as well be plywood....

[rogerwilco]

ESL.Professor.Roger,

Thanks for the follow-up, and for letting us know how well you are being treated.
It is nice to hear about the positive experiences.

The hard beds seem to be in every Chinese house and hotel.
I was skeptical about them when I first arrived in China, but my previously aching back has not bothered me at all since my arrival in China.

[ESL.Professor.Roger]

I'll give the bed a fair chance, but at first I thought they'd forgotten the mattress and just had a box springs there.

And oi! My feet! Swelled up during the flight(s) and then all of the walking -- but there's a massage place down and across the street from home ("not 'sexy' massage.." my Chinese TA was quick to reassure me) that I'm probably going to check out later this week.

There's a food market downstairs around the other side of my building, and "safe street food" a couple of blocks over in addition to a bunch of little hole in the wall places to check out if I don't want to cook. A couple of huge department stores (Walmart style, but bigger) a couple of stops down, which is also the location of the local movie house, I'm fourish blocks from the river with what I'm told is a very pretty park...

All in all, as the song goes, "I think I'm going to like it here..."

[7969]

Off to a good start. Glad to hear it. There'll likely be a few problems down the rood, don't fret too much, happens to all of us.

[fred13331]

So you didn't get paid - people tried and tried to tell you 'You will not get paid on August 20th'', and you just wouldn't have it. I am now tempted to tell you to be wary of this credit card, but whats the point? They lied to you, then told you they would pay you a full salary - and they didn't. I am not surprised, but, seems you are not miffed? "Oh, by the way, we are not paying you the month we promised you''.

They should pay for your hotel etc anyway. Most places do. Internet fees = 30 rmb a month, so, thats not exactly compensation for a months salary. Plus 2 of my 3 universities to date have supplied computers. They are not really giving you anything out of the ordinary, but, they are stiffing you the promised months salary.

[ESL.Professor.Roger]

[ecubyrd]

[fred13331]

[twilothunder]

The hard beds (and hard pillows) - I hated them at first, absolutely HATED them.

You get used to them and now when I go back to the UK and sleep on a soft mattress, I get weird back pains the whole day after - just a general discomfort.

Hard beds are supposedly way better for your back, and now I prefer them. Stick with them IMO.

[Miajiayou]