Job Discussion Forums

[Mike S.]

When I visited China, I especially enjoyed Hainan Island. Is there any chance of teaching there?

[Non Sequitur]

[twowheel]

I was wondering about this as well at one time: what would it be like to be associated with either Hainan University or Hainan Normal University in Haikou? It seems like it could be a pleasant-enough life being on the island. The Hawai'i of China?

twowheel

[Non Sequitur]

I visited in Feb on the way back to Dalian.
The weather was cool but I guess v hot in summer. But that's when you are likely to be on holiday elsewhere.
The uni buildings were that airy tropic style with breezeways etc.
If you could find reasonable accommodation in Sanya that's where one would head on weekends.
Haikou seemed a little drab compared to Dalian. I don't think tourists even go in there, but head straight to Sanya.

[doogsville]

I went to Hainan, actually, just Sanya, for a holiday once. The wife and I had planned to go to Szechuan but earthquake activity had put paid to that.

So, Sanya. To be honest it was like every other city I've ever visited in China but with the disadvantage of being full of people that thought that tourists bleed money and were only there to throw it around. Imagine some dystopian theme park where aliens had spent the day in Florida and even then had managed to misinterpret everything they'd seen through the lens of their own disconnected cultural experience. One of the 'attractions' was a ride on a speedboat, actually a small boat with a small outboard engine, seats about five people, that left from the 2m wide strip of sand that was laughingly called a beach, and took you on a tour of a very industrial port area and a housing development for billionaires, for the princely sum of 120 kuai. Then there was the 'famous' seafood market where five or six people would surround you and scream in your face in Chinese that their seafood was the best, despite being exactly the same same as every other stalls seafood. Or you could go on a diving tour with a fake PADI certified dive operator (check them out on the PADI website and they don't exist) to dive with sub standard equipment and look at nothing very interesting.

Even if Hainan were China's Hawaii, living and working in a place soon takes the sheen off it and exposes the day to day underbelly which leaves you with a place that would be nice to be in if only it weren't full of *beep* tourists.

[astrotrain]

Hainan Island is actually where my family roots originate from. Last year I was in Nanning teaching Econ. Really wanted to travel and visit Hainan but went to Guilin instead. Guilin was awesome, so many things to do, water rafting , cave exploration etc. I digress, teaching in Hainan would be so great for me but never hear of any positions on the Net just like Guangzhou. Guess these areas are so full of foreigners, schools don't need to advertise to fill positions. Doubt there would be any IGCSE or AP positions there.

I really wonder if the locals are inclined or rich enough for someone to setup an English training school like so many I saw in Gaungxi in apartment flats.

[Non Sequitur]

[astrotrain]

[Non Sequitur]

I'm writing a book on my China exp. Due out in hard copy in Jan.
I take the point about it being a retirement locale. Thinking back the older US lady I met at U of H could well have been Jewish. She looked a bit like Jerry Seinfeld's mother.
Best

NS

[The bear]

[Non Sequitur]

Too far back to remember and I wasn't interviewed. But given your comment I wonder about a clique-type situation. The Chinese FAO guy I spoke to was vapid and totally blah.
Just the type who would defer to a pushy FT or one with an agenda.
'Experiences': were they talking about 'out of body' ones

[theoriginalprankster]

[Nouran]

I worked in Hainan about 5 years ago. I worked for a company called STAA who had a contract with Hainan Airlines. The students (student pilots) were very motivated. I still keep in touch with them. We all stayed on the Hainan Airlines training site, which was quite nice. Outside the training area there were local areas and expensive areas (touristy). I found the experience to be one of the best I had working overseas. Not sure about housing since the company placed me in dorms on base of Hainan Airlines. I would recommend looking at the Airlines.

[Non Sequitur]

Did you have textbook?
eg English for Aviation