Job Discussion Forums

[vikuk]

When the honeymoon-period finally runs-out - the stark realities of the job of China FT - can be rather depressing. Suddenly all that incompetence, rudeness, exploitation and social/cultural alienation can start to take over from the pleasures and adventure of working in China. Suddenly enjoying China starts to become hard-work for those who decide they're going to stay � and just working as an FT is usually not enough.
Some of the warnings, you get from the old-china-hands, aint meant to be bitter - they just try to show how this job sometimes affects the FT the longer they try and stick it out

[PattyFlipper]

^ Wise words indeed, and after a while one needs to carefully examine one's motives for remaining in the Celestial Kingdom, before perhaps deciding that discretion is the better part of valour. Knowing when it is time to leave (whether that is after two months or twenty years) should be an essential component of the survival kit carried by any expatriate or sojourner. Your mental hygiene depends on it.

[Teatime of Soul]

FATHER: "Son, every person is a mountain where two tigers fight a battle. One tiger is full of envy, bitterness, laziness, and hate. The other tiger is selfless, compassionate, ambitious, and full of love."

SON: "Tell me father, which tiger wins?"

FATHER: "The one you feed."

[vikuk]

[theincredibleegg]

@Pattyflipper & Vikuk

You certainly have to be sure of yourself as a teacher in order to keep your mental health intact. I worked with a guy who had many years of experience from his home country; work experience from Thailand and being an IELTS-examinator. He hit the wall. I kept going for half this semester, then i hit the wall aswell. Eventhough I can explain all the reasons for my situation, it still fucks with my head. I wish i had more work experience from home to rely on, because this is seriously damaging my mental health.

I still don't get how people manage to work here for years and years. Do you have some kind of special trick or did you just stop caring about your jobs?

I have a few weeks left of my contract. After that, im moving to work for a British management for one year. Then im going home.

Finally, I hope you guys are doing well and manage to stick in there until it's over.

[vikuk]

I survive by having turned my back on education and concentrating on the things that give me the greatest pleasure in China - my wife, travel and bird watching - I now make a living in an area that brings me joy rather than constant irritations that can quickly turn into pain. But the way new fresh bodies are brought into the China EFL mill still pains me - after all it can't be right that the main qualification for most jobs here is the ability to say yes to a deal where one is treated as a mindless commodity that's shunted around from classroom to classroom until it breaks

By the way there are also some great employers out here - you might not get rich out of them, but they treat you with a great deal more respect and understanding. I have a pretty good idea that the poster Teatime of Soul could be one of the good tigers

[eddy-cool]

[quote

You certainly have to be sure of yourself as a teacher in order to keep your mental health intact.

I still don't get how people manage to work here for years and years. Do you have some kind of special trick or did you just stop caring about your jobs?
[/quote]

You certainly have to be 'sure of yourself' in ANY capacity and in any milieu, work place and country, don't you think so?

I wouldn't apply for a job for which I felt I wasn't suitably prepared; I cannot imagine myself selling jewellery even though both jewellers and teachers make a living by speaking to people.

There is no 'special trick' in surviving here and keeping one's sanity; if you can do the job you can do it virtually anywhere. You have to minimally adapt to different locales and situations but basically teaching is teaching anywhere.

[vikuk]

[Teatime of Soul]

In the west, we too often define ourselves by what we o (or sadly in some cases, by what we own).

I used to know a respected professional who answered the "What do you do?" question as such, "I'm a husband to a great wife who gave me two terrific kids. I also enjoy carpentry. Oh, and I do accounting to pay the bills". He owned the accounting firm actually.

I think, akin to what the earlier poster wrote, the focus on what gives you pleasure notion is a formula for sanity and balance.

Back in the west, a lot of people are working for a boss or employer they are at odds with. They may get paid on time, but they get forty hours a week of mental abuse and stress too.

I don't recommend tolerating every form of abuse, but I do think having perspective and a focus on what you are centered on will help carry you through the rough patches.

I see a big difference between being bitter versus healthy venting about common frustrations.

[theincredibleegg]

[theincredibleegg]