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brsmith15
Joined: 12 May 2003
Posts: 1142
Location: New Hampshire USA
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 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:51 am Post subject: |
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New York Guy,
The language mills are, for the most part, run and owned by Chinese men and women and they have ONLY one goal: money. We westerners place Chinese "management" practices somewhere in the 14th century. You've not doubt heard of Management by Objectives and Management by Exception. Well, here they practice Management by Surprise.
The chains, such as English First, Wall Street, Delter/Telfort are not places you'd want to be, especially with your family. Workloads are not only long and gruesome, but often your assignments are capricious. Many of us who've worked for these dumps have been given an hour's notice to grab a cab and get across town to teach a room full of 60 unruly, spoiled six year-olds (Little Emporers and Emporesses) in an unheated classroom in January. These petulant brats whould rather be anywhere than in your class, and they let you know it.
Your accommodations will, more than likely, be Spartan and that's being kind. You can have rats, bugs the size of an airedale (like your cockroaches in NYC), non-functioning a/c, leaking toilets, broken windows, forced entries by brigands, blackouts. There will undoubtedly be lots of noise outside (and maybe even inside if there are 20-something teachers whooping it up every nite) as the Chinese thrive on racket. If possible, get an outside apartment rather than these school-provided cells.
With the universities, your hours are shorter but so is the pay - - IN MOST CASES. Some unis pay quite well.
Suggestion: Get a few offers and then come back to this board and let some of us comment for you. Also, do searches here once you have school names in mind. AND.....don't believe all you read or hear from any school. Get references!!!
Good hunting. Don't let my negative comments throw you off. My first tenure here became a total disaster, but now I'm happy as a little clam with one of China's top (7%) universities here in Shanghai. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| OK, how about this? Thanks for all your concern, but my wife can take care of herself. |
ohhhhh so you've been to China before and have seen how the unemployed lao wa wife really raves it up with the million and one things to do while here husband is off at work - you could have told us  |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:37 am Post subject: |
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| vikdk wrote: |
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| OK, how about this? Thanks for all your concern, but my wife can take care of herself. |
ohhhhh so you've been to China before and have seen how the unemployed lao wa wife really raves it up with the million and one things to do while here husband is off at work - you could have told us |
Dude, don't take his comment the wrong way but it is a true remark. China isn't like the Big Apple where things are always open and accomadating. Your wife may just well get bored pretty quick if you are in a small or meduim sized city. Even in a larger city...
There's no Katz's Deli that's open late when you got a hankering for the BEST pastrami or corned beef in the world... No 24 hour Walgreens or New York Bagels stores... No D'Agostinos...
And CHINA TV SUCKS BIG TIME...
So your misses may get tired of China real soon if she can't get the type of stimuli she is used to. |
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djny10003
Joined: 11 Jul 2004
Posts: 20
Location: NY NY USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject: great googly-moogly! |
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Yo Jeff,
I'm not beating on any fellow Zappa fans. I'm only sorry I never got to see him perform live. (sorry to go off-topic)
DJ |
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Jizzo T. Clown
Joined: 28 Apr 2005
Posts: 668
Location: performing in a classroom near you!
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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I used to know a guy who had a girlfriend without a job. She wasn't much fun to be around after a few days of staying home and playing PS2 after watching DVDs for hours on end. If he hadn't gotten her a job teaching at our school, she probably would've found other ways to "keep busy," and this was in a city of about 5 million (average by Chinese standards).
Just my 2 cents'. It would be a good idea for her to find something, if only part-time. |
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Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
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| Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:18 am Post subject: |
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It seems the O.P. starts exploring the situation from the wrong end of the pool - he is just focused on HIS income potential.That should NEVER be the driving motive behind the decision to come to China!
Even if your wife can "take care of herself", you will have a lot of cares on your hand!
Money is BUT ONE of them!
It will be a PROBLEM, for example, if your daughter attends an INTERNATIONAL SCHOL - as the O.P. hinted.
YouwillNOT BE ABLE toafford that unless your wife pitches in! For your information, tuition fees begin at above 40'000 a term, sometimes 40'000 a year (excluding the holidays).
One wonders why youwould be so mesmerised by the prospects of making 10'000 a month. Don't count on it! Jobs are not toostable, and stability willbe your prime concern!
There also is the minor issue of what kind of visas your dependants willcome to China on; dependants'visas are available but your employer must green-light it in the first place! Not everyone does!
Did you ask YOUR DAUGHTER what she thinks of your daydream? |
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djny10003
Joined: 11 Jul 2004
Posts: 20
Location: NY NY USA
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| Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:09 am Post subject: a year in China |
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Really, you don't have to worry about my wife and daughter; they are both quite excited about going for a year, and we have looked into schooling, but I chose not to go into that here.
Nor is income my main concern. I was just wondering why the discrepancy, and now I know. Thanks. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:55 am Post subject: |
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| Nor is income my main concern. |
watch out ol' chap - the kind of folk that say this kind of stuff - and are still researching the job market - sometimes are on their way over here to spread more than mere English words 
But anways as a Zappa man I'm sure thats not true of you - and you'll probally have the last laugh when looking down on us poor FT's who really do have depend on the money we make out here - one of the reasons why we do get a little edgy in this forum - since that battle against bad conditions and pay just never ends  |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:58 am Post subject: |
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"I'm The Slime Oozing Out Of Your TV Set..."
Or
"I'm The Slime Oozing Out Of Your FAOs Mouth, As I Screw You With A Smile On My Face..."
and by the way, In China there are no SEARS Ponchos...
And you Have To Raise Your Own Dental Floss, because there ain't none here... |
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djny10003
Joined: 11 Jul 2004
Posts: 20
Location: NY NY USA
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| Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:00 pm Post subject: motives |
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[quote="vikdk"]
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| Nor is income my main concern. |
watch out ol' chap - the kind of folk that say this kind of stuff - and are still researching the job market - sometimes are on their way over here to spread more than mere English words.
Are you referring to missionaries? That's not me, man, as you may have guessed from my signature. I just want to have a nice adventure for a year, and have my kid learn Chinese.
I spent a month in Nanjing last summer teaching at a college, and the whole experience couldn't have been better. The students were very sweet. Are the language mill students more brusque, because they want unreasonable results, or something? |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:11 am Post subject: Re: motives |
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| djny10003 wrote: |
Are you referring to missionaries? That's not me, man, as you may have guessed from my signature.
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Really, there ain't no missionaries from New York City...he Ain't from the Bible Belt ya knows... |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| I spent a month in Nanjing last summer teaching at a college, and the whole experience couldn't have been better. |
duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - so you have been working here before
As for the missionaries - well NY or no NY - a lot of families over here are sponsered by the J-freaks - glad you aint one of dem - where as most of single guys have the backing of the devil - just ask Jeff |
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