Job Discussion Forums

[erinyes]

[sheeba]

没问题!

[pandasteak]

whatever the title of this thread, it seems like most people are discussing "ways to cope with occasional frustration brought about by living in China."

Here's mine:
1. learn the language. minimize situations where you're left all mute and helpless in the face of some Sino-adversity. Best defense is a good offense.
2. Make the most of your time. ESL teachers often have a lot of free time. Do something productive with it. Get a hobby, or learn a new skill.
3. Be your own boss. A lot of people have a ton of complaints about poor relationships with Chinese management in ESL schools. Why not minimize your contact with them, by picking up a 15 hour contract with a school (just enough to handle your visa), and fill the rest of your sched with private tutoring. Or be a Chinese language student, and just do all private gigs. Of course if you're a career ESL teacher, this is likely not a good option. Find a university to work at, maybe.
4. Treat yourself. Give yourself a reward from time to time - either a big extravagant meal, or a night or two in a nice hotel.

Anyway, those are just some things that spring to mind...

[Leon Purvis]

I agree with the suggestion that taking up an outside interest is good for your mental health. The frustrations of working here can be overwhelming at times, and if you do not get away from the school environment (or at least the mindset) regularly, it'll eat you up.

At every opportunity I go walking or I ride a bus. I have a point and shoot camera, and I take lots and lots of pictures of the street life.

I avoid the downer FTs as well as the nose-in-the-air types. I spent the entire summer break and did not see or speak to another westerner AT ALL!

Minimize the booze, maximize variety in your diet.

If you can't make yourself happy, go find someone else to make happy.

[hesterprynne]

Since I made so little money in China in 2005, the federal government is willing to give me financial aid to study online from here. I have enrolled at a cheap but reputable community college. They have a nice selection of online courses. Since I went to high school in California, they are waiving non-resident tuition. I will have to pay for books and tuition up front- not cheap anymore- but I will get grants and loans to pay me back and enable me to work less. It was challenging getting book lists early from professors and it was expensive paying for expedited shipping. I am excited. The system is set up to help students who live alone and get money from mommy and daddy and excludes many who have to support themselves. Since the RMB is worth so little, I finally- finally- have a way to use a system whcih is supposed to help people like me. Having something interesting to study which will improve my teaching and mothering makes me feel better, which makes me more pleasant to be around. This will also offer me more options for my future. And, considering the affordability of domestic help, I won't have to stop to do chores or errands when I could be studying or playing with my son. Life is good today!

[7969]

a bicycle is a good idea. i just bought one here (caught a thief trying to steal it the third day i had it though, gotta be careful here), but great for getting around AND getting exercise.

i also do a lot of photography. having a creative hobby like that keeps you going. in fact, i often spend a lot of time just researching places to go in or out of china on the next holiday..... i look at other peoples photos on different websites, and find places that look interesting, then go there to see if i can make a better photo than those that i saw before. once you get really serious about photography, you'll find yourself spending an hour or more just trying to get one very good photo.

if anyone wants some good ideas on interesting places to go on holiday take a look here, or look at some of the things you can find in your local area to take photos of. shooting street life in china can kill a lot of time:

http://www.usefilm.com/photographer/24995.html

7969

[cj750]

hesterprynne
outstanding..you are truely gonna find that your decesion to further your education in this way will be an asset in the future..

I went to college on the GI bill, worked for the Vet. Admin and received Pell Grants to complete my degree..while attending the local college I also worked unloading packages from Simi trucks for UPS...there is a way to finish your education although it is a frustrating and tricky financial venture...later I applied and received a scholarship to a commercial art school (state owned) and after I got my teaching licence and started to work at a local school, I applied and received a grant to go to a state own culinary school...
there are vehicles out there to continue any kind of educational route you may choose..

good luck...

[erinyes]

[The Voice Of Reason]

I find that my DVD habit comfortably numbs me.

[Gregor]

I'm almost sorry (not quite, but almost :-) that I got the DVD player. It's TOO distracting. I really want to practice my hobbies (studying Chinese and playing music).

Really, a lot of the complaints some of us have about living here likely stem from getting bored and feeling as though we're not really doing anything constructive with ourselves. Like we're wasting the time we spend here. The only way not to feel that way is to:
A) Not do that - do something. Learning the language may seem to be a huge undertaking, but forget about making progress. Don't worry about that. Just study and practice what you can say and just do a bit of that every day. You're mostly language teachers - you know full well that you'll make more progress than you think. Just get a book that you can take to work and in your free time, find a Chinese person to help you with whatever page you're on. Do it every day. You'll amaze yourself.
Or get some sort of pasttime. Martial arts is a good one. Learn to play a Chinese musical instrument. Get some exercise. Bicycling is great. Go shopping. Arts and crafts maybe. Blogging is a good suggestion.

Or else, there's option B): Stop caring and allow yourself to waste all the time you want. Just live day to day, go to work, teach your classes and be OK with that.
Either way, you have to make a conscious mental effort. If you hate it here or feel bad or whatever, remember, it's not China's fault or responsibility. It's yours. If you come on here to piss and moan, you're basically just broadcasting the fact that you don't have the sense or creativity to be more content. I'm not criticising. I'm just trying to help by pointing out this perspective.

[TravellingAround]

A lot of the people I met who seemed to really hate the place tended to mostly be the kind of people who moan like bitches wherever they are and whatever they do. This doesn't mean that I'm suggesting a good attitude will make everything magically alright but being suspicious of everything and constantly disappointed won't help you any and may lead to you making yourself ill.

Gregor has given some good advice. Being bored and not busy is about the worst thing you can let happen as it all too often leads to drinking too much. Which, unsurprisingly for a depressant, will just make everyone worse.

Get a hobby - learn Chinese, write a book, take up origami, anything that will stop you staying in and stewing over how much you hate the place. Just do something until the end of term when you can leave the place if it makes you so unhappy. It's not easy but if you don't seem to think you are achieving anything at all then you will just look back at the days as wasted time.

[cj750]

You can hate a place..and still have a good time..don't let an attitude stand in the way of fun...try helping an old lady carry her groceries..that is always good for a laugh...offer random acts of kindness..this will confused the locals and offer small moments of amusement...


I always wanted to dress like a panda...and ride my motorcycle around...and throw out candy canes at Christmas...Who needs St Nick in China... I would be the Christmas Panda....

[hesterprynne]

Thanks, cj- I forgot the numbers. I bought lots of books to study Chinese writing with, but I think I will just have to do that in actual school with an actual teacher! DVDs are great but tend to make me homesick! Studying the Chinese language can be great or horrible- some days I do not need to hear everything everyone is saying and assuming I don't understand. Kind of like being invisible- would you really want to know what people say when you are not around?

[Malsol]

Then there are the shopping games:

Go to men's store with pretty young female clerks and watch them try to find something that fits me. I take XXX so they never find anything but the flirting and fawning is fun.

Another is to go to a lingerie shop to buy a gift for my GF. Trying to get the sales girl to try something on to show me how it would look on my GF can be great fun.

No, I do not speak Chinese and that makes it all the more fun.

[jeffinflorida]