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Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

I just put in the worst year of my life here in Wuxi Jiangsu province. I could write novels about the abuse I have taken . Wuxi is a business center not a cultural center . People are hard rough and tumble types .
My last burn was for a phone bill 500 yuan and I don't have a phone . When I pointed it out to them I got the standard " Ting bu Dong " There is a world of difference working in Shanghai , Zushou or Nanjing .
You will probably be treated as a poster boy. Teaching as many students as possible . You won't be teaching , You will just be there so the administrators can say their children all have a foreign teacher . For me the irony is that the students generally have better English than their Chinese English teachers .
They could even have you teaching several classes in one hour . This is what I went through in the beginning .
I have had over thirty different time tables . I never know who I will teach on a given day .
I have no heat in my apartment . There is always water on the floor from broken pipes . My complaints always get a laugh from everyone in the office . I don't complain anymore it gives them too much joy .
Wuxi is not a cheap place to live . And it is assumed you are a rich foreigner because the average foreigner is Wuxi makes about thrity times your salary .
In my opinion the China bubble has broken and Wuxi is going to be hurt the most in the near future. It is a city full of new white elepants . My school is new with over 200 class rooms but they only have 500 students . It has fountains , tennis courts , gardens everything but a library .
I

amandabarrick · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 391

What school are you at in Wuxi? I am sure there are more than a few schools in Wuxi that are in similar situations as yours, just curious as to which one specifically you are refering.
AB

Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

Amandabarak ,
I was replying to the thread that requested information on the Jiangsu association . For some reason I opened a new thread. I work at the New District Wuxi International School . A humungous school that seems to turn over a lot of students . Unlike most schools with problems where they change teachers when there are complaints they keep a lot of dead woodIn twenty years of teaching I have never seen such laziness . Patronage and nepotism rules here . The students have money and the teachers are jealous .
I also noticed the other big employer the one the other thread was referring to South Yangste College which is affiliated with Lampton College in Sarnia Ontario also turns over a lot of staff. The few times I was over there to visit people I was made to feel like I was some sort of criminal . I needed to show my passport three times in order to visit a teacher . Wuxi International school has had three teachers leave on them since I have been there .
Are you in Wuxi ?

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

I can't tell you why, but on my only trip to Wuxi I found the town unattractive, dirty, a construction site with no consolace, a dump and a backwater. Maybe I was wrong, but I am glad I never worked there.

rickinbeijing · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 252 Location: Beijing, China

When you get right down to it, both Wuxi and Suzhou should be avoided. Not only are the schools of questionable character but these once lovely towns are in the process of major construction. The canals in Suzhou are dirty and dingy and downright depressing. Better to head south to Hangzhou if you can. Even Ningpo, where much of Salzman's "Iron and Silk" was filmed, is fine too.

amandabarrick · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 391

Brian,
I am actually in Changzhou, which is near wuxi. I try to avoid going to wuxi and suzhou, i prefer the small town feel of the rural parts of Changzhou.
AB

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

I still think Suzhou is a great place....Wuxi seemed to be one of those average Chinese big cities with nothing special..even the big tourist sites are phony, old CCTV sets like 3 Kingdoms.

I believe all said here about Wuxi but I find Suzhou a lot more charming than Ningbo or Hangzhou. Actually I rather dislike Hangzhou---but no accounting for taste and all that!

Newbs · Joined: 14 Nov 2004 Posts: 75 Location: Hangzhou, China

Hey lagerlout I would have to disagree with you re my "hometown", Hangzhou. I guess that just shows that we all have different opinions, and can agree to disagree. To anyone wanting advice, like the original poster, can I suggest that you don't rely on any one piece of advice re a subject such as this, but rather judge the general trend of the comments.

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

I have lived in Wuxi for almost 3 years now and I would definately recommend it to anyone. The good thing about Wuxi is that it's big without being too big. It's got everything a foreigner needs and it's one of 10 most developed cities in China. Granted, it's the not the "beautiful city" the locals claim it to be, but it's not that bad compared to many Chinese cities. The thing I like about Wuxi is that it even though it becoming more modern everyday, it still hasn't reached the point of becoming overly-westernized like Shanghai. I tell people who constantly complain about China and Chinese culture to move there. I am sorry Brian had a bad experience with his school but not all Wuxi schools are like that. Don't let one bad experience turn you against the whole city.