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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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 Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:25 am Post subject: |
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The United States can be considered corrupt... corruption is everywhere, poor or rich countries, unfortunately . We obviously have it better in the US and other western countries, but its still there. You gotta watch your back wherever you go... general rule of existence.
I'm going with http://www.chinaprogram.org. They seem solid and provide a very groupish experience, so that tells me right there they are serious. It is also through the Shenzhen public school government so that is another plus I feel. |
Here�s one of Berek's posts on the job he's taking - and one comparing levels of corruption in the States to those found in China.
After reading this gem of a post - and learning of his faith in the so-called Shenzen public school government - I believe Berek would be well advised to ponder the concept of corruption going hand in hand with exploitation. After all the corruption factor will come into play in getting program members their working papers - something he won't have to worry too much about - no its the exploitation that he should think over.
And how will this affect you - well don't go boasting in too many FT bars that you're paying to teach in Shenzhen - especially not to some FT who has just had a hard day's work of negotiating a decent wage. |
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Berek Halfhand
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:39 am Post subject: |
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That's nice vikdk, I think you need to go to bed. This isn't a flame post, I'm asking some legitiment questions about Internet access and my program leaders responses, so if you please would move along so someone with a constructive thought can post here it would be appreciated. It's upsetting to see a post with my legitiment concerns overrun by this  . |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:56 am Post subject: |
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| It's upsetting to see a post with my legitiment concerns overrun by this |
Are you so naive to think that posting about working for a project that undermines the working conditions of other FT's would encourage positive posts  |
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Berek Halfhand
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: |
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If you have a problem you need to resolve it another way, not through bantering my legitimate questions. You have a serious issue dude and need to quit it now. I'm not undermining anyone, I'm seeking help. If you can't handle that then get a counselor or something to resolve your personal problems.
Everyone else here has responded with responsible and respectful posts as would be expected. You are rude and obnoxious and only embarassing yourself. If you have nothing better to do go to bed. |
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Ahchoo
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 606
Location: Earth
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:54 am Post subject: |
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BH, did I read that right?
You're actually going to PAY for the privilage of teaching in Shenzhen, one of the richest cities in China?
The question has to be asked, "Why"?
You do realize that someone will be making money off your efforts don't you?
(Aside from the profit the program organizers make).
It's all about money in China. If you're paying you're getting ripped off, then exploited.
WOW.  |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:58 am Post subject: |
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| vikdk wrote: |
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| I'm paying for it after all, |
remember this guy is paying to work in China |
No he's not. In his original post, he says "I'm going through a program sponsored from the United States that is working for the Shenzhen government and placing us in Public Schools within Shenzhen".
He's willing to pay for the DSL service.
OP, assuming that you are for real and not just another fantasy alias of a past Davester's crazed imagination, you might want to keep in mind that:
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| You will not have DSL or cable access in your housing in Shenzhen. The typical service is dial-up. |
That's plain BS. While I was in Hohhot I had my own DSL service (512KB) and Hohhot is definitely smaller and less developed than Shenzhen is. I can only speculate that the contact either doesn't know what he/she is saying, or that he/she just doesn't want to help you. Dial-up only in China? What a joke!
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There could be cable access at a school computer lab, but it would not be appropriate for you as a faculty member to use those facilities for
computer games. |
Translation: you, as a teacher, should not be seen by students playing computer games in the computer labs. You should act professionally to be proper role model. (Keep in mind China has a LOT of young people addicted to online games)
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| Frankly, you will need to change your attitude or you will not be successful in adapting to life in China, which is, of course, the main reason for going to China. |
I'd been thinking that this person might have misunderstood you because of language barrier. But it seems to me this person is just a %@$*#. Personally, I'd rather have a FT who plays online games a lot in his spare time than having a FT who screw his female students or goes to drunk hungover all the time. BTW, you should know that many young people in China make a living by getting hired by people in the West to play online games for those people, i.e. to increase the hirer's experience level and get them equipped with powerful and rare items.
Having said that. I think you should be also aware that if you pay for your own DSL service and unless you have at least a one-year commitment, you will be paying a huge over-usage fee. Towards the last two or three months of my time in Inner Mongolia, my monthly phone-and-Internet bills were around 300 RMB a couple times from too much serfing of ESL job sites. I have a 59 RMB/month DSL package that gave me 50 free hours, but anything after that was 0.05 RMB/minute. This was with China Railcom and I think that's a standard package all across China because my uncle in Beijing has the exact package.[/quote] |
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in_asia_bill
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 197
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| Berek Halfhand wrote: |
| I'm paying for it after all, they should be obligated to at least tell me how I can pay for access instead of *beep* about the simple request ;P. I'm not going with a program to be preached at like I'm some 16 year old boy who knows nothing of the world. |
Well whether you like it or not you will be preached at like you are some 16 year old boy who knows nothing of the world. After all, who but a 16 year old boy who knows nothing of the world would pay to come to CHina to teach? They are probably rubbing their hands right now just waiting for your arrival. As for the reliable highspeeed 24/7 Internet I would forget it. I am in Shenzhen at the moment and my pad has this facility, but it only connects every other day or so, and often just disconnects itself. I think a lot of the servers are not allowed to connect users to a lot of those silly online kiddy shoot-them-up games. Frequent powercuts do not help. And anyway, what makes you think you will have the time to play stupid games on the web? I have met idiots who have paid to come to teach in China on the program you say you are coming over with and they are worked to the bone, often putting in more than 30 hours of actual lessons hours a week. They have to teach evenings and weekends and their housing is just grotty. You mention that as the program is connected to the Shenzhen public school government it must be legit. LOL! The higher up you go in China the more blatantly corrupt things and people become. How do you think they got there? Just a year or so ago a few people in the government department you refer to got busted for spending the entire primary school annual education budget on whores, lobsters, and XVO cognac in top hotel. They said they had to do it to keep face, to keep up with some Japanese and Korean businessmen who were throwing their money around. So they did it for the good of the country. So good luck with these people.
BTW, love that bit about being paid to play silly online games - that is some classic trolling. |
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Kurochan
Joined: 01 Mar 2003
Posts: 944
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:21 am Post subject: Re: Imminent Concern: Program Not Accommodating Or Legit Iss |
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| Berek Halfhand wrote: |
| This was between my coordinator and myself (I'm going through a program sponsored from the United States that is working for the Shenzhen government and placing us in Public Schools within Shenzhen). |
And would this be the University of Memphis program? If it is, let them know I'm still waiting for a TEFL certificate that says TEFL somewhere on it.
I don't see why you couldn't get high-speed access by calling up either China Telecom or getting it through China Post (which is supposedly cheaper). I've heard China Tel is like 140 RMB a month. Anyhow, when I was at Shenzhen University, the whole foreign teachers' building had ADSL. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: |
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When Berek talks about paying he's most definitely talking about paying for the "right" to work in Shenzhen - just read another of his posts from another thread -
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The main concern that I have about getting a program like http://www.chinaprogram.org or EF or whatever is that they help take care of you, especially this one that I'm signing up for. Yes, I have to pay... but I dont know how to go over there by myself right now and do it all right, and I dont feel comfortable doing so.
So I'm happy to pay the money for the first year to see how things go... THEN maybe get something else afterwards once I get the lay of the land. It makes sense to me as a guy who appreciates security and comfort and not total unnecessary risk. |
Well Berek, security and being taken care of - I suppose if you're expected to work - you can be pretty sure they'll take care of that part of the program!!!! |
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Lobster
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: |
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Berek, I think one that's coming through loud and clear is that paying to get a job in China is a mild form of madness and is, in a way, setting a bad precedent for other FTs, thus some of the vitriolic responses. It's completely unnecessary, and the attitude of your contact indicates that you will have a rough go of it with that outfit. Simply by perusing on-line postings for a while, I'm certain that you can find a better offer that will link you up with a satisfactory position.
LoTR? I don't know. The copy I got was all in Chinese and I couldn't make any headway with it. You really need to check with the game crew to find out whether you can connect from within China. Internet service can be spotty in some regions, but here it's 160 rmb per month for unlimited use "ADSL". That's in quotation marks because connection speed rarely exceeds 30 mps on a 100 mps-rated connection. Dial-up is always available usinga China Telecom card, but as others have noted, that can quickly empty your pockets. Yes, Counter Strike and World of Warcraft are the big ones here. You can forget about I-net bars. many don't even have DVD payers that would allow you to install your games, and the management wouldn't allow it.
Here's a tip for you. Don't tell your prospective employers you need the connection to play games, even as a game master or beta tester. Online games here are thought of as little more than a tool of the devil and a perfidious influence on China's youth. You really need a solid connection to manage your online investment portfolio as a day trader. Got it?
RED |
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jammish
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 1704
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| I pay 50 RMB a month for my ADSL in Dalian, but it's a very patchy service, with a lot of sites not working (that do work in other parts of China). I would pay an extra 50 to have that sorted out, quite frankly. It's seriously annoying. |
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Ahchoo
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 606
Location: Earth
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:35 am Post subject: |
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Here's an Idea, Send ME the money.
I'll organise everything, including a job where you'll actually get paid, the fastest secure internet connection possible in your own private apartment, meet on arrival at the airport, orientation to the city, survival Chinese lessons and a night on the town including dinner, all the beer you can drink and a chicken (and in a much cooler place to work than Shenzhen).
There you go, can't get a better offer than that.
PM me for details. |
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Lobster
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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I bid a FT position with above-average pay. Private apartment in a nice city with a solid I-net connection. AP meet and greet. A big bottle of baijou and pizza. How to curse in Chinese lessons. Tour of the red-light district. A free bootleg copy of LoTR online! Choose me! Choose me!
RED |
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Berek Halfhand
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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Guys, I appreciate the responses but what I didn't expect was the strong attitude towards me trying to get to China safetly and under someone assisting me. The day I figure out what is wrong with that will be a goodday.
I will apologize ahead of time if I'm somehow mysteriously undermining your current jobs, I really do wish to apologize if that is the case.
Will I consider something else? Of course! You made it quite clear that apparently programs are no good and paying for the services is useless... so what do I do? Tell me that please and maybe I can move forward.
Thanks for the ADSL info! Sounds like either way I won't have a problem. Since I'll be there for almost a year a 1-year contract if thats somewhat of a standard thing, shouldn't be a problem. I'll mention to him about portfolios or something then  . The costs don't sound too bad at all either (unless you do the overage thing... I may be connected 8-10 hours a day). |
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Mister Al
Joined: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 840
Location: In there
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Berek
PM lobster or ahchoo........if they are geniuine take up an offer. If not apply on-line for something else. If you are interested in any ads check the company out thoroughly through this website. Stuff the program and speak with someone at your on-line game company regarding you being able to do what you get paid 'cool money for and if they have access problems from PRC and if so where/which Internet providers.
Tell that program to get knotted now.
Many FT's come over to China not knowing anyone and hoping the job will turn out all right. Often it does. Just make sure you always have some back- up funds for a flight home etc if things don't work out. As I said, if lobster or ahchoo can sort you out, jump at it and come and join the 'party'. (Well it is for some of us). |
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