Job Discussion Forums

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Good point.
One of the Joboffer Checklist items is to enquire whether all teaching is on the one campus?
Commute time is seldom paid time in my experience.

cdchristy · Joined: 15 Oct 2016 Posts: 34

NS, perhaps I was not clear. My friend draws a full-time salary from the university that provides his work visa. He simply earns money on the side by working at the Tourism college (with the ok from his FAO). As far as I know, the Tourism college only has one campus in the SE of Taiyuan.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Yeah.
Was really making a wider point.
It's been a good thread and plenty of readership.
I guess I saw a 'teachable moment' to rebut those who disagree with my constant harping 'think package'.
It seems that in the harder to staff areas FAO types allow FTs more latititude on outside work.
Best
NS

Modernist · Joined: 03 Jan 2016 Posts: 72 Location: Routing

teenoso · Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 365 Location: south china

The focus on amenities and social life in Taiyuan is a long way second, imo, to how the employer will treat you. As Modernist says, your fellow FTs in the college, and the expats in the city, may not be friendly at all.

A bad employer can make your life hell. With a new outfit, you can't check with present teachers about how they are being treated, so it really is like a leap of faith.

On the question of the 'z' or 'x' visa, I believe it's now legal to teach on a 'x' study visa, maybe for a limited number of hours, but you would need to sign up (and pay?) for some kind of course ; have you asked the company about this ?
Maybe going there on an initial 6 month study trip (or even for 3 months), with guaranteed teaching hours and pay, is a good way to scout out the situation; but you need back-up funds if things go wrong.

cormac · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 768 Location: Xi'an (XTU)

getbehindthemule · Joined: 15 Oct 2015 Posts: 712 Location: Shanghai

+1
Couldnt agree more with the above. It takes a minimum of a couple of years for a Chinese colleague / person you know to become a real friend. I'm going into my 5th year in China and this would not have happened without:
1. I was lucky enough to find a handful of expats (non-teachers) in my first few months. A couple of these have since become true friends (which is a real rarity in life, let alone in China).
2. I was treated incredibly well in my first job (especially compared to some of the horror stories one reads on here).
3. Having access to western places to meet people to blow off steam. Even if I don't want to go to these places for months, just knowing that they are there is a big plus.
4. In my second year I met my soulmate (the last thing that I wanted was a Chinese GF at the time) which was a really big surprise!

Fair play to people who have the mental strength to live in backwater (excuse the expression) places here. I couldn't do it for more than a year I reckon! I feel now even after being married recently and having way more Chinese friends than before, I'd still find it very tough to live in a place like Taiyuan.

Edit: What Cormac eluded to above about 'expats being in their own bubble'. I find that I avoid certain bars due to this as it can make you feel even more lonely. The same people are often in fact very negative about China also. Lifers stuck here with failed businesses or failed marriages, or here not out of choice!
Beware of these soul destroying people!! Idea

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I found that one genuine Chinese friend is worth 10 expats. Mine was female at an adjacent uni although she was never a formal GF.
We remain friends 14 years later. She is married and in a very successful career and has a school age child. She literally stopped me doing a midnight runner from my first school which was totally horrible.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

As an aside, I'm settling into Yangzhou (Tier 3 or 4 city) and I like it more than Shanghai and Hangzhou (Tier 1 and 2).

It's way more relaxed than both, it's not OTT wealthy so people seem more down to earth, friendly and approachable. There's only ONE foreigner bar (that I've found and been to so far).

And the most amazing thing - cars stop for people to cross at zebra crossings. Wawaweewa!

I think the smaller cities offer things that bigger, more developed cities don't. I found the overall vibe in SH and HZ to be cold and stand-offish, and the vibe in YZ and Xiamen to be friendlier.

Next step - get me some lady loving..

cormac · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 768 Location: Xi'an (XTU)

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

She found me.
About Week 2, I was sitting with a fellow FT in the foodcourt of a local mall crying into our wontons and Jessica leaned over from her booth and said: 'Hi can I talk to you?'
God works in mysterious ways..
If you have an ereader I'll send you the link to my memoir on my whole China exp.

cormac · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 768 Location: Xi'an (XTU)

memoir? Really? How long have you stayed in China?

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

My first gig was in 2004 and my last in 2010. The memoir was published in 2015.

getbehindthemule · Joined: 15 Oct 2015 Posts: 712 Location: Shanghai

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I'm at home in NZ (over Z age) but stay active writing for a major Chinese textbook publisher. I get back on Dave's periodically (probably too often) when I see something of interest. I'm on Skype to former students most weeks, largely getting their thoughts on topics for textbooks.
I largely follow Bud Powell whose thoughts mostly align with mine. He's not active currently - pity.
When I say 'memoir', actually a lot of it is classroom management stuff - marking/assessment and the like.