Job Discussion Forums

vitruvius

Hello!

I've heard Suzhou is nice. I'm all excited about going there. But I just found out that the full address of the school I am thinking of signing a contract with is not really located at 100 Xiangcheng Road, Suzhou. Rather, it is located at No. 100 Xin Suyu Rd, Xiangcheng DISTRICT, Suzhou.

I hate it when the schools don't tell you that they are in some crappy econ./chem./tech./whatever development zone.

The school is Suzhou International Foreign Language School. Does anyone in Suzhou know if this is way outside of the city? Does anyone know where the Xiangcheng Dist is? I wish they had a mapquest.com for China. On my map of Suzhou that I have, I don't see where the Xiangcheng District is located.

Help help help! please...... Razz

Thank you,

Katie

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Why not tell the school to email you a copy of the city map with the district circled on the map?

Gray000 · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 183 Location: A better place

If it's XIN cheng, then it's not technically in the city but (depending on where in xincheng you are) it 's probably not that far away. Xiang Cheng I dunno.

If you'd like to live in the city and would like to entertain a job offer, PM me. Students going overseas. Housing is a generous subsidy, so you could live wherever.

Gray000 · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 183 Location: A better place

Oh whoops - sorry - I know the school. SIFLS. lol that's way out of town and I work with two people who bailed on that place. Do a search for it on this board.

vitruvius · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:24 am Post subject:

You've got to be kidding me. Every time I think I get a decent school lined up, I hear something like this.

What's the problem with SIFLS?

Ai ya zao gao!!!!!!!

-Katie

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

For a map of the area in which

Suzhou International Foreign Language School

is located, you could ask the Suzhou Public Security Bureau to help you out.

http://www.hoteltravel.com/china/suzhou/maps.htm

http://www.muztagh.com/map-of-china/map-suzhou.htm

http://www.linktrip.com/watertowns/suzhou/sz_map.htm

http://www.araratcc.vic.edu.au/users/AEF/page3.htm

http://www.us-chinaedexchange.org/SIFLS.htm

http://www.glennsmart.btinternet.co.uk/suzhou.html

I've heard that Fengxian and Haimen are scenic spots, but when it comes to living and working at one of the schools there you may have to learn to tolerate the Chinese way of doing things, which often includes some kind of ...

vitruvius · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:41 am Post subject:

Susie,

Thank you for finding all of those fantastic websites! I appreciate you helping me find out more about this school/area.

It looks like SIFLS is definitely outside Suzhou. The last link you listed (btinternet.co.uk) gave me the info I was looking for- "An industrial type town called Lo Mu is within a few minutes walk of the school. In the other direction is the city of Suzhou; modern and busy and a destination point for many tourists. A typical taxi fare from the school into Suzhou is about �2.50. At 5.30pm in the evenings there are free buses which take the Chinese teachers from the school into the city."

I give up. It looks like I'm destined to spend a year in an "industrial type town"- oh yes, my favorite kind of town. nothing beats that.

Anyway, maybe the school isn't all that bad. I was just hoping to not have to commute to get into the city.

Thanks again! -katie

jibbs · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 452

Very old thread I know.

Have been hired by this school. Read some scary stuff on other esl site.

Any new input ?

flyingscotsman · Joined: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 339 Location: Suzhou, China

What are you teaching there?

Do you like it?

I pass by there frequently and it is a little far outside the city.

wailing_imam · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 580 Location: Malaya

I did a stint at this school for my Singaporean employers. It's a ten minute taxi ride to town, or a twenty minute bus ride. Loads of buses pass by the school. I had a great time in Suzhou, bar far and away myfav city in China. The school was ok, interesting experience for me, though as I was working for an overseas employer, my salary, hours, duties differed from the other efl teachers there.

wailing_imam · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 580 Location: Malaya

I did a stint at this school for my Singaporean employers. It's a ten minute taxi ride to town, or a twenty minute bus ride. Loads of buses pass by the school. I had a great time in Suzhou, bar far and away myfav city in China. The school was ok, interesting experience for me, though as I was working for an overseas employer, my salary, hours, duties differed from the other efl teachers there.

jibbs · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 452

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Look, I don't have any advice about this school - - have never worked for them. However, just as you should be cautious about any job you take, you should also be equally wary about so-called "reviews" on those other websites. There are a couple out there that will slam most any school or organization because they get some sort of perverse glee out of it, not really concerned about the truth of a "review". Another site loves to call that school "SIFLS" (as in syphilis - - get it?) and then chortle about its cleverness. My advice is to study the contract carefully, ask them pointed questions if they are still around to respond (holiday season don't you know) and then make up your mind. I'm guessing you'll work through June and then have a summer holiday maybe? Four, five months isn't too awful long to work at a place if you've made the wrong choice and Suzhou itself is not too bad of a place to be.

flyingscotsman · Joined: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 339 Location: Suzhou, China

jibbs · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 452

Cool, thanks for replies Kev and Scot. Kev makes a good point. Some people will slam a place for whatever reason. My previous job was good though I didn't like the city. Before taking that job, I posted about it. Some guy sent a PM telling me stuff that simply wasn't true. Guess he just made it up. Weird, but that's the internet for ya, hard to get reliable info sometimes. I don't have any contacts for teachers there now or recently there, which is a good thing to have for sure.