Job Discussion Forums

[Chris_Crossley]

I read somewhere once that the British pop star Boy George was initially refused entry into the U.S. because his appearance was so markedly different from the picture of plain old George O'Dowd in his passport. In the end, the authorities relented and allowed him entry.

[Jayray]

[killian]

they wanted me to get rid of my "rattail". no way. it is well-kept. it defines my uniqueness.years of derisive taunts were endured while it matured into the magnificent representation of my innerself that it is so today. no amount of jealously is gonna get me to snip it. to appease them i had to be wiser than them. now during work hours i tuck my rattail INTO my shirt via the collar. they are now never the wiser. but one day my shirt came untucked and the rattail could be seen peek-a-booing about my beltline. darn kids thought it was a mouse or "dabian". ha ha, doncha love those kids?

[landa]

Here is the update:

Today I quit. The only thing that I was compensated for was my hotel fee. The Director knew what I looked like prior to moving to China. She had my passport and additional photos that indicated that I had long hair. I acquired this connection through Oxford Seminars. They guarantee 100% job placement. They have not been any help either, but that is another story. I obtained my F visa instead of Z visa for the school because they gave me a deadline to be there for the job.

For the two days that I worked there I sat in a room watching videos of other teachers. Everyone was receptive to me except the director who speaks for everyone else. Upon leaving, the staff supported me and came to take pictures to remember me by.

Can you believe the Director tried to send one of the Chinese staff to my hotel to seduce me knowing that I am married. She told me that if I didn't like the girl she can find someone else until my wife joins me. I think that it was better that I quit now rather than prolong an inevitable departure.

Thanks to all of you for your support. I'm going to the gym....

[TexasHighway]

I don't blame you for quitting. Even though it didn't work out, I am glad to hear that most of the people at the school were supportive of you. I hope you find the position that you want. Keep us posted!

[Chris_Crossley]

When push inevitably comes to shove, you have to make a stand and make a dignified exit if a solution to the problem, compromising though it may have been, eluded you if it turns out that local management becomes so intractable.

The plain fact is that the managers have people above them in the lord/serf-type hierarchy that still pervades this country, and the ones lower down are always the ones who'll get it in the neck if they don't toe the line of those higher-ups giving orders or else fear that they will be severely criticised for doing something that they believe that the higher-ups with money (and lack of manners and decorum, probably) will not approve of.

As an expat, though, one can make a dignified exit and start with a fresh slate that has been wiped clean beforehand, though one has still to be aware of cultural sensitivities wherever one goes in this country. You can take comfort from the fact that your now ex-co-workers gave you moral support, yet the plain fact of the matter is that they must not necessarily be in managerial positions of the kind where they are inevitably answerable to others, such as the toady who told my ex-colleague to change her accent merely to stop parents complaining that their spoilt brats "couldn't understand a word she said in class" (or words to that effect).

One therefore has to be prepared to encounter such views again and again in a country where the Han perspective is, from the Han perspective, the only one that really counts. We are, after all, guest workers in "their" country, one that, thanks to the Hans, does not possess the kind of multicultural perspectives and attitudes that Westerners have (or else are supposed to have), yet that doesn't mean, of course, that we cannot be individualistic since even the most ill-informed local must surely realise that, as outsiders, our cultural norms are different from theirs, and they include being individualistic in terms of dress, hairstyle and so on.

However, if there are managers who still insist on your conforming to their personal standard of dress without compromise, there's little you can do to stop them using the "other-people-will-complain-about-you-to-me" card that gets so over-used in this country. They basically view matters in their own way and are usually reluctant to view matters from others' perspectives.

[LoPresto]

Hate to type it dude, but, the people who took photos of you were probably just doing so to show their friends.

"Look, here I am with a long-haired black man."

Did they comment about your skin and maybe even ask to touch it?

Peace

This brings to mind something I witnessed in Yangshuo this past summer. I was using the free internet in my hotel and a little girl from the UK with blonde hair and blue eyes was at the computer next to me. A few "natives of this country" came in and saw her and then posed for pictures with her. After they left, I asked the little blonde girl if she knew them.

Guess what she said?

[alter ego]

[Hansen]

The myth...in China?

As a side note, the visa scam might have tipped you off. Let others take note. Schools that encourage you into legal acts or acts which place you at a disadvantage, due to time constraints, on the end of the school, don't believe it. Not to blame you; however, had the school gone to the trouble to secure a "z" visa for you, I doubt they would have pulled this stunt.

I am often told things must be done a certain way because of the law, the government, the school, whatever. LIE,SCAM, RIPOFF. Don't believe it or do it.

As John Baptist de LaSalle wisely observed "Patience is the leading virtue of all great saints." English teachers, too, sometimes.

Landa, you sound like a sensible man, one with some self respect and dignity. As far as China goes, you are still Buckwheat. You might want to rethink China as a destination. Of course, your entire situation is not known; however, I can't imagine that China, where I live, is a suitable destination for any Black man, unless you are comfortable tap dancing, shuffling, and jiving.

[alter ego]

An American from Seattle lives two floors below my wife and I in the dorm apartments on the poly campus where we teach. He works here and also off campus at an IELTS prep college. He tells me he also does some occasional corporate training. He tells me things are going well. He's black.

His experience as a black FT in China might be different than mine, but I would never presume to tell him he's a "buckwheat," that he might want to rethink China as a destination, and that China isn't a suitable place for him to live and work unless he's comfortable "tap dancing, shuffling, and jiving."

When I do occasionally run into him I usually just say hi what's new how are your classes going yeah sure is cold weather we're having maybe you and your wife would like to have dinner sometime okay sounds good keep up the good work see you at the Christmas luncheon take it easy bye.

To the OP: We all do our share of tap dancing, shuffling, and jiving in China regardless of the color of our skin.

[landa]

Update:

After leaving the school, I ran into another teacher from the same school in my hotel. He only lasted 2 days as well. He is Vietnamese (You would not be able to differentiate him from Chinese) His hair is not even ear length and he was also asked to change his image and cut his hair. After refusing, he was also terminated. Both of us were referred through Oxford Seminars and both of us were baited and switched. We were promised one salary and when we arrived the salary changed dramatically. The name of the school is Guangzhou Worlda Cultural and Educational Service Company. The directors name is Mary. Neither one of us were reimbursed, I had to make a scene in order to get my hotel fee back. He received nothing.

I guess this is a learning experience, but I would hate for someone else to have to go through this. I do feel better now that I don't feel isolated in this incident, but I would like for others to learn from my experience.

[chinatwin88]

speak for yourself ego. I'm a mean teachin MO-FO and the last thing you would find in my classes is entertainment.

It is valuable for the op to gleam all experiences through testimonial here so he can truely have his options laid out before him.

I once had a friend who said he wouldn�t hire a black due to the nature of the reaction by the parents and he didn�t want to put anyone through that. I though that statement indicated he was un-intentionally racist the same way that Joe Biden was when he made comments about Oba-Mao when they were running for president, VP as to his demeanor of being well spoken. I believe the op likely has the right take on this and the FAO decided that he didn�t want the OPs freak flag waving and the OP (man, I hope your not a metro) decided he didn�t want to follow a guideline which would have deprived himself of his personality.

In my opinion, he should go back and give the FAO a taste of "The Night of The Living Dreads"..

[alter ego]

[gregmcd101]

[Hansen]

One important lesson which can be gleaned form this experience is the danger of coming to work in China without proper papers, i.e., a "Z" visa.

Gypo school run by a witch, ripping off people --the "Z" process was designed by the government to prevent such things.

Sounds like Oxford Seminars should be avoided as well.