Job Discussion Forums

[deedee]

a teaching contract explained that the foreign teacher is to respect china`s moral customs. does anyone know what this means?

[cujobytes]

Nope, nobody, including the Chinese. It's one of those clauses that's WIDE open to interpretation, so watch youself.

[Sinobear]

Actually, it's the longest outstanding typo in contract history. It's supposed to read, "...respect China's morale customs."

The full clause:

You will respect China's morale customs - you must smile while receiving the dirty end of the stick while an unsmiling, smug, inept, incompetent, peasant in a $3 suit takes you for a ride (but not in his Mercedes). You will accept unrealistic, unfair terms because anyone should feel guilty about taking a job for 4K RMB a month when the average street cleaner makes 200 RMB a month (before dodging taxes). You will be happy, content, and maintain a "can-do" attitude despite the fact that we despise you and will let you know it whenever you don't do what exactly what we want you to do, whether or not we ever tell you what it is we want.

Deedee, I've seen your posts before and I'm convinced that you're a Chinese national, hoping to tie this in with your "deseases" thread.
Don't go there. Some of us are smart enough to teach in China, respect ourselves and others - regardless of race, creed, or colour. Can you say the same?

[Norman Bethune]

[tofuman]

Deleted

[malcoml]

This women ringing you in the middle of the night business is something unreal insn't it. Only in China. I read something about a guy who had to pull his hotel phone out of the wall because he couldn't get a full nights sleep. This stuff dosen't even happen in Thailand or Brazil.

[rwillmsen]

It means you can't let them know what people outside China think about Tibet, Taiwan or Tiananmen Square.

I get round this 'Three Taboos' policy by avoiding all words beginning with T, just in case.

[Brian Caulfield]

It means stay away from their women

[rickinbeijing]

The real Norman Bethune was a Commie but a fine doctor. The Pretender should be awarded the Scriblerus Club (of Swift and Pope fame) Medal of Honor for biting satire. Ouch!

The moral clause is a catch-all vaguery unlike the legally specific "moral turpitude" clause in American teachers' contracts. In essence, it means whatever the waiban or other local authority wants it to mean. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

As a women, you can carry on with any man you choose to, although you might be held to a double standard in terms of how much respect you are accorded outside the classroom.

Also, don't hurt "the hearts of the Chinese people" by discussing sensitive issues such as the intelligence of the CCP, Taiwan, Falun Gong, Tibet, Tiananmen, the alarming rise in HIV due to promiscuity, etc.

[Long ai gu]

Do what you want til they tell you that you can't. If you walk this life in fear of authority you have never lived, you are but a slave to cowardice.