Job Discussion Forums

[7969]

[william wallace]

nil

[Brian Caulfield]

Heh Kev have you tried making straw dolls . It worked for me I joined a heritage club where we make straw dolls every Saturday and in the afternoon we go tubing in the Qing Quarries . And when I got down in Qingdao I'd go out and count the building cranes . It really picked up my spirits when I could get up to three hundredof those T bars and it got my head up . And when I find myself talking to myself I go to the four corners and screem " Stop Looking at me you slant eyes " I do this for about three hours and then go home for some jasmen tea. I usually get a good sleep in after this . Have you looked into your local neighborhood vigialante group. They are always meeting somewhere to protest the new power station that will be replacing their homes . This will give you exercise also . The police usually chase you with clubs at the end of the get together .
And when I am really down in the dumps there is nothing like a big bowl of noodles and that looks after the rest of the day because I must go home and clean the juice stains of my cloths . And there are those rainy days . What to do ?
You practice writing Chinese characters backward . This always gets a hoot out of your students . And I have also started collecting buttons from the clothes I have bought here . They always come off after you buy them . I have over three hundred now .
Ah I forgot my all time favorite . You go to the English corner completely drunk and answer questions that weren't asked . "I'm from Canada and I like Chinese food " Just speak nonsense because they don't understand .
I hope this helps you out and then you can always read Rodgers threads . You will find yourself looking up words that don't exist in the dictionary.

[Malsol]

[Brian Caulfield]

Mo I am in my I don't know numbered country . Bro it is all the same . You get up in the morning hit the john brush your teeth and go to your gig . Beijing Moscow , Anthens , Sydney, London , Paris , Taipei. They are doing the same . In all these places they are sweating about their job security just like you . They worry about their kids doing well in school .
But you know there are these little extra's even in the blasse and boredom of Macdonald's You can drink a bottomless cup of coffee with a million kids screaming " Wai guo ren " And do you know what I do is scream back " Chung guo ren " and we all have a laugh .
So the kids I teach at the uni have this thing about travelling to another country . And for me it is difficult to explain to them I don't know my own country . I know they will go somewhere and go into cultural shock and try to find other Chinese so they can get back in the comfort zone .
I have not been in my own country for over 15 years . Nothing there, why should I go back ? No familly no house nothing . I am home sick for Korea , Taiwan , Paris , Athens , New York , and the people I know in Wuxi , Beijing and Shanxi .
China has been good to me . I am teaching the best students of my life . Everyday I see something different here . Everyday is exciting , never a dull moment .

[Malsol]

[KarenB]

I know exactly where you're coming from, as probably just about everyone else here does. However, one of the reasons I came here in the first place is to escape the rat race of the States -- rushing to work, working 50 to 60 hour weeks, blah, blah, blah.

However, there IS a big difference between cities in China -- for instance, places like Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing have lots of stuff like malls, western restaurants, other foreigners, etc. that other cities don't have. Here in Hainan we have the beach, surfing, white-water rafting, mountain climbing, etc.

Anyway, for a case of the doldrums, here's some activities that I (or members of my family) do:
1. Visit with students or other teachers (both FT and Chinese)
2. Go mountain climbing
3. Go for a long walk
4. Go white water rafting
5. Go swimming
6. Go surfing
7. Go skateboarding
8. Go bowling
9. Have sex
10. Have a baby
11. Take care of baby
12. Listen to all the old Chinese ladies tell you how to take care of baby
13. Take another part-time job
14. Visit the village of a student
15. Get student's fisherman father to take you for a boatride to a deserted island
16. Visit a temple
17. Read books (buy the 25 cent discards at public library back home, and ship them bookrate to China; or go to Thailand for Spring Break and hit the used bookstores).
18. Jump on a bus and see where it goes
19. Start writing a book (so far, I've written one paragraph)
20. Have students show you how to cook Chinese food
21. Get a pet (currently have 2 cats, 1 salamander, and fish)
22. Get involved in an internet forum like China Daily and spend all your time researching astute information to use in debates
23. Play computer games
24. Get together with other foreigners for potluck dinner
25. Help students prepare for a speech competition
26. Enter the school music competition and play a really hard-rock, head-banging song
27. Join the ladies' dance team
28. Join the school guitar club (knowing guitar isn't a requirement)
29. Join the teacher's basketball team
30. Go to the Saturday night dance at your school
31. Watch the dance programs on TV so you'll know how to dance at the Saturday night dance
32. Take up gardening on your balcony
33. Paint a mural on the wall behind your house
34. Watch Chinese soap operas, and make up English words for the dialog
35. Get together with other foreigners for an entire day of watching Star Trek (or send hubby over there and spend the day doing #36-3
36. Go out and get a massage
37. Go out and get a facial
38. Go out and get your toe nails painted
39. Study Chinese history, then wow everyone with your knowledge
40. Go out for tea with a friend at the local teahouse