Job Discussion Forums

[frank d]

Quote from Hansen: "...the thieving taxi drivers and shop keepers are a blight, with their counterfeit money, which they especially like to pass to foreigners."

A very important point, especially for those preparing to come to China. This situation is probably more acute in Zhengzhou/Henan, but such tricks take place throughtout China.

If you watch a Chinese person making a purchase, receiving change from a purchase -- any transaction that involves cash, they will be very careful in examining the currency and the quality of the goods. Chinese know better than anyone about the likelihood of being cheated and so they are always on guard with merchants, taxi drivers, etc.

Westerners are much less cautious because we tend to assume that most people will not cheat or deceive us. Therefore, we are perfect targets for thieves. Also, a great many Chinese assume that because we are foreign, therefore we are "rich" (which WE know is laughable). I used to respond to such presumptous statements with: "If I were 'rich," why would be in China?"

Anyway, Hansen makes a good point -- no matter where one lands in China, be on your guard.

I spoke only what I call "survival Mandarin," and used it exclusively with taxi drivers -- no English whatsoever. I found this practice helped a great deal in reducing attempts at cheating from drivers.

[peruisay]

[struelle]

My suggestion is to give it a pass. After what has now been 3 distinct teaching jobs in the suburbs or exurbs (the most recent one being the worst of all) I have had it up to here with commuting in China and would not wish this on anyone.

At the same time, the trend towards suburbanization or exurbanization or teaching jobs in large schools and universities is almost unavoidable. I've looked into this topic with keen interest and talked to many people about it, and the consensus is that schools are moving out to the boonies for both cheaper land and 'public security' reasons

In terms of China, we could define a suburb as a place far from the urban core but within the same prefecture or municipality. An exurb would also be far from the urban coure, but outside the prefecture that is named after the urban core.

For example, in Shanghai, the towns of Songjiang and Jiading would be suburbs. An exurb would be somewhere in the neigboring provinces, say Jiashan in Zhejiang province.

Although it's getting harder to find decent work in the urban areas, I would keep at it, and avoid jobs that are going to involve commuting. Believe me on this, you don't want to commute regularly in China. You just don't.

[nhat]

[dharma86]

In the end I decided not to take up the contract for the sole reason of travelling to Dengfeng.

I realised that I can get a decent contract with all the same offerings somewhere else. Why go to a city I don't know much about and have to commute to Dengfeng, when I can go to another city or place I don't know much about and get a better deal.

And I have to thank you for the nightlife advice nhat, I admit that it is a factor.

I am now looking at contracts in hubei province, see my new thread

[shoo-fly-pie]