Job Discussion Forums

[MikeMick]

I think the only people who arent happy are the handfull of miserable gits u see posting Crap on here everyday haha

[WYSIWYG]

People are more likely to make a post if they're unhappy about something. Human nature I guess.

[jeffinflorida]

[jwbhomer]

WYSIWYG must have used "git" to separate the Americans from the others
It would be interesting to know how many of those who vote "NO" are Americans.

Edit: Yes, my mistake. It was MikeMick who used the word, not WYSIWYG. I agree with both of them.

[WYSIWYG]

I don't recall usin' the word "git".

At any rate, I'm quite happy living here in China...well...mostly. I have my bad days, but don't we all?

My point with the above post is that I believe the majority of FTs are pretty happy in China, but you'd never guess it by reading some of the threads here.

[MikeMick]

[WYSIWYG]

Git


1. A completely ignorant, childish person with no manners.
2. A person who feels justified in their callow behaviour.
3. A pubescent kid who thinks it's totally cool to act like a moron on the internet, only because no one can actually reach through the screen and punch their lights out.

www.urbandictionary.com ! Best source on the 'net for figuring out that seemingly endless supply of Brit slang.

[Laoshi1950]

I guess I fall into that 'silent majority' group who do not regularly complain on this board. Teaching and living in China is not easy or convenient. It can be frustrating, exhausting and confronting at times, and I've experienced a number of seemingly 'bizarre' things. However, teaching in China does have its rewards, and its satisfactions. I guess that if it didn't, I would not have stayed in China for the past six years. I will be returning to China in 3 weeks time to begin my seventh year.

[voodikon]

i think it's hard to answer this so simply, as other posters have said. i go back and forth, but i think i'd do that anywhere. who is happy all the time? in general i think i'd usually say i'm overall content here, but sometimes certain things come up--and these could be issues that could happen anywhere, like self-doubts, etc., or they could be china-specific issues, like visa hassles--and when too many of them all coincide, like i'm experiencing right now, then i feel deeply depressed for long periods of time, and without the social network that i would have in my hometown, it's difficult to extract myself from such a frame of mind. and being in this state for a long period of time generally serves to drive deeper the questions and wondering whether or not i should be here, where i've got to pay a lot of money to enroll in classes i don't want to go to or have a job that i probably won't be enthused about doing in order to have a visa to stay here, have a very small circle of friends i'm truly close to (because the others are so temporary), no prospective dates, and generally feel like i'm forcing something by being here. but i know that returning to the states wouldn't be easy and could very well be less enjoyable than this, so i'm torn. i'd obviously have very different perspectives on a lot of these issues if i were at a different place in my life though.

[kev7161]

From a Joan Rivers stand up show I saw years ago:

"My husband and I have been married for 20 years. We're happy. We're not HAPPY. HAPPY is when you first get married and you run around the bedroom saying 'Catch me! Catch me!' We still play 'catch me-catch me', but now it's like:

She: Catch me. Catch me.
He: Can I catch you tomorrow?
She: Sure, I'll know in advance. I'll shave my legs. "

[kungfucowboy83]

yep quite happy, but being happy has more to do with who you are rather than where you are.

[mandu]

Iam happy some days and some days Im not happy.
life here has become routine,get up go to work go home.just like being in my own counrty.

[diana83709]

We had a great time in China for 2 years. I think our daughter (14 when we first arrived, now 16) enjoyed it too. The drawback: NO foreign language schools in our city. Therefore, her education was not what we had hoped, even with homeschooling. Atleast she was able to experience the culture and make friends.
We are having a great time here in the USA. We will not return to China as we had planned.
For those of you still there, enjoy life and embrace your experience, whether it is good or bad.
Best wishes to all! Diana, James and Lexi

[flutterbayou]

I'm a little late in adding to this thread, but so what....

I first came to China in 1999 and stayed for 8 weeks, promising never to return.

Two years later I found myself in Dalian, one of the most charming towns on the coast. What I liked about Dalian is, well, just about everything: the shoreline, the great food, the general cleanliness of the city and the floral parks stocked with doves flying freely and peacocks nesting in the trees overhead. Nice spas and swimming areas are affordable and kept in good condition. Convenient shopping and good working conditions made it even better. That was in 2001, and I still keep in touch with my former students.

I ended up in Changchun for three more years, and wasn't sure I'd go for it in the beginning, but the Northeast is wonderful, despite cold winters. Over the past five years, Changchun has developed into a lovely town of internationals, where you can go dancing, enjoy fine dining, and meet many, many interesting people, and get involved with the city's expansion. In Changchun I played extra in films at the local studio and even hosted my own radio program. Just plain fun!

I ended up returning to the States for a refresher and then, after trying out a few other countries, came back to China again, and this time hit one of the two major markers: Shanghai. SH is one lively place full of bookstores, great shopping, churches (yes, true), and best of all, quite a sophisticated group of learners.

Sure, the pay in China is lower than if one worked in the Middle East, but job satisfaction under the most appropriate contractual agreements makes up for it. Here the students are fun, mostly respecting, and interested in moving forward with their lives. Shanghai is special these ways.

My closing thought is that if you really want to move to China, look for opportunities with joint venture groups; that is, foreign educational institutes working in cooperation with local government universities.

Forget the corporate training orgs (rapid meltdown rate), the lcommercial anguage schools, and the smaller provincial universities, where hours can either be long or too few, and housing, sub-standard. The complaints you see at this site probably come from teachers who are stuck at a bad language school, or working for an under-developed university system that can't afford to make overtime pay lucrative for teachers who are willing to work more than 16 hours a week.

Good luck in your decision.

[arioch36]

Happy? Well in China they say "happy every day!" no matter how miserable they are.

I find existing in China difficult, challenging and worthwhile; and often frustrating. The biggest frustration is when you see unwise actions that will lead to bad results, but there is no way to "change" them. Makes you want to pull your hair out. To survive you have to adapt, a man's gotta know his limitations. there are so many things that need changing!
Just now, helping the wife wash dishes. Every Chinese I know hates the way kitchens are designed, and all but the shortest understand the kitchen counters are too low, but they still don't change the design! Hate this country! Last night, some students and friends over, living here was great

In America I would just be concerned about whether I can pay off my new jet ski, or whether watching 20 hours of college football on the weekend is okay if I still make it to church on Sunday. In CHina, I can spend a couple of hours working with a home for disabled that would save the lives of disabled children who would be otherwise discarded, a couple more hours meeting with students who are totally unprepepared to control the life around them.
It helps that the most exciting thing on tv is the endless snooker (billiard) matches on CCTV5. great motivation to do something more wothwhile, like come to dave's and whine about my life So I feel More satisfied with my life except for the times I get distracted by the cruel stupidity often shown here by leaders and others

Long vacations 4 months if I want