Job Discussion Forums

[hopscotch]

Talked with this university about ESL classes, has anyone any experience with Heze?

[rioux]

Bump.

[Kelownian]

Heze is a smaller and poorer city in the south of Shandong Province. Its claim to fame is the peony. They have a wonderful annual peony festival in the spring, and a huge exhibition grounds for viewing hundreds of varieties of peonies. If you're a history/military buff, the area also saw conflict during the Japanese occupation/civil war. Foreigners are rare in Zibo but I think the people are as friendly and forthright as Shandong people generally are. If you want the glamour and Western amenities of the big cities, Heze wouldn't be so great for you. If you want the 'real China,' I'd definitely give it a try.

[Non Sequitur]

I found Shandong (well Qingdao at least) pretty good. But QD is the second city and with the German background fairly confident and outgoing. The 2008 Olympic sailing probably helped.
My students (vocational) were pretty much all small town Shandong and I found them straightforward and hardworking.

[james s]

Shandong qingdao is where you want to be.

[Non Sequitur]

Where did you work in QD?
NS