Job Discussion Forums

[Buttercup]

Just wondering... I'm moving to China soon but not willing to live with roaches... how easy will that be? Those of you living in Shanghai... ever see any roaches in your apartment? How big are they?

[ChinaLady]

they come in all sizes. the joke was always to name them.
but seriously - gtet some "roach chalk" from the local pharmacy or at Carrefour. chalk a line around all the rooms, the entrance and exit. what happens is the little critters walk through the stuff, lick their feet, and die. yes, you will have wriggling insects for a bit but it does stop them.
almost 2 years now, and roach free.
o, yes, clean up your crumbs. keep the bread in the 'fridge.
best o' luck.

[Roger]

No panic on the Titanic, please!
Roaches don't go after you - they are after your food leftovers! The biggest I have seen measured about one inch!
We use roach traps, you know those flat boxes with openings in the top and a sticky bottom inside that attracts them with a smell that won't disturb you.
In a week, we usually catch two score of them.
Roaches congregate under sinks and in general like the kitchen and the bathroom best.
And they are night-active.
Don't use those useless insecticide sprays!

[Buttercup]

thanks for the info...

Chinalady, i have my doubt about that chalk... i've used it a long time ago, i remember...

but anyway, if it comes to that, i'll definitely try all the things you guys recommended! I'll buy roach motels, paint my walls with the chalk, keep my place tidy, and spray the odd roach that *dares* not being dead yet. Yup, such is my hatred for those prehistoric parasites.

Other than that, I'm a nice person, i swear

[Buttercup]

I am not "expecting to live in a roach filled apartment"... I just know that they can be expected in large, crowded cities. I do hope to find a nice school that will provide a clean place, like you say.

While living in Korea, I saw two giant roaches (large, black, tropical ones, like the ones I later saw in Thailand) in my apartement. The first one was flying in my room... that was much more of a shock than the small brown ones i'd seen in Montreal.

[Buttercup]

Excellent, Thanks!

I do look forward to discovering Shanghai. It's just that I know myself and I'm trying to foresee how I might cope with some problems... I know roaches will be considered a minor problems by many, maybe I'm different...

Anyway, my boyfriend and I are planning a two-week trip to Shanghai in May, to see the place before we actually sell all our stuff and move there! We will also try to get a better idea of the job market there. We're moving to Shanghai in September.

[arioch36]

I found Shanghai to be much cleaner then New York City. However, I'm not sure how much consolation that is.. I have stayed in a fleabag hotel for 50 yuan, severals common apartments (500-1,000 a month) no roaches, air pretty clean, and much quieter then western cities. No drilling or noise. Guess he was in a different section. I could hear the birds in the morning. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Buttercup]

Arioch, that's encouraging! I'm prepared to live in a big, polluted city (I remember Seoul), but the perspective of the air actually being cleaner than Seoul is nice! Hum... what area were you in? Birds in the morning!

Your advice makes sense... but this first trip is just a vacation. Last year we visited Seoul for 10 days in April (saw the cherry blossoms, visited my old school, and ate, and ate, and ate...)

I'm wondering, though: when exactly does the term start? Early September, or late August? And are you talking about schools and universities? I suppose language schools don't really have "terms"... You got me thinking about it, and i decided it would be best for me to find a job before going in September/August. I'd love to teach just a few hours a week at a university, especially if they provide accommodation. Maybe i can try to visit a couple of universities on this trip?

We wanted to go in September so we wouldn't have to deal with the heat and humidity just as we got there, but that's flexible - i guess work comes first

[MW]

Cockroaches are a valuable part of every ecosystem.

They are an inevitable fact of life.

If you do not find the little ones in your apartment, or even the 747's that fly around at night, just wait.

Sooner or later you will run into one of the very large ones that hang out in the Foreign Affairs Office or the recruiting office. Unfortunatley, these two legged varieties leave deep scars when they inflict their pain and agony on newbys who arrive unprepared.

[Buttercup]

ouch!

[Roger]

Buttercup,
the new school term starts nationwide at the beginning of September, but teachers are called back from their holidays for a meeting towards the very end of August.
That's the time when they can also deal with new recruits to their English department.
A note on the climate: Even September is pretty hot and steamy! Expect temperatures well above 30! Cockroach peak season!

[ChinaLady]

agree with you, visit first. I came to China in April 1999. visited several cities and deceided Shanghai was a great place to start. I got my job the old fashioned way - through a friend of a friend who knew a professor. but since I have been here, I have seen 3 "walk-ins" get hired. now, by walk-in I mean they were in Shanghai on holiday, got a map of the city, and visited universities with resume in hand. most were here in April and May but two came in December. they got hired for the following year. most universities hire a bit ahead. the institutes sometimes hire "on the spot." the universities give you a flat, usually 2 or 3 rooms, sometimes walking distance to classes. old but clean (well, mine is.). internet access, fully furnished (including lines and pots, pans and dishes). each university is a bit different. and the small schools sometimes give you a better package because everyone looks at Fudan and JianTao. come and walk around, take the Metro, ride the bus. you may stumble on a real gem that fits you perfect. (o, yes, bring copies of diplomas, transcripts, certificates, etc. - certified, of course, and a stack of passport sized photo's.) and do consider some of the other "nearby" cities. enjoy!

[Buttercup]

This is great, Chinalady! I'll bring those documents, then. But do i really need to show transcripts too? It seems I've been out of university so long (well, 5 years), it would feel a little strange!

Another question: would the university have any problem with my boyfriend sharing the flat they provide? We are definitely going to live together, i just wonder if they would readily accept that, or just tell me to get "our" own place.

Now I'm getting even more excited at the idea of going! It's finally starting to become real in my head! (it usually only really sinks in once i board the plane) Talking to people who actually live there helps too...

Roger: thanks for the dates!

MW: roaches are parasites, i don't think they help at all. And I'm not too scared of the two-legged variety - but thanks for the laugh

[ChinaLady]

in China it is almost tooooo easy to get a diploma from "anywhere" that looks really good. an MBA from Harvard is popular right now. BUT the forgers haven't quite got the transcript issue down. why? well, they are in a sealed envelope and usually notorized by someone at the issuing university. bring a couple along, in their envelopes, sealed. just in case. we now carry orginal diplomas with us, in frames. and a couple sealed transcripts. and when we have the job - the diplomas go up on the wall of either the office or the flat. but diplomas can be forged. and some schools do not care but I think the good ones do care.
. . . . and five years is not that long ago. some of us over here teaching have been out and about for 10 years and more.

[Buttercup]

Gotcha, Chinalady. Thanks!