Job Discussion Forums

[kev7161]

I was wondering to myself why I was moderately unhappy in China (and my school) last year and why I am moreso this year? I realize that part of the problem is because my school is so far away from the city. In addition, more and more schools are building newer versions of themselves on the outskirts of the city, so I'm sure I'm not the only one experiencing this.

One thing about coming to China was to be surrounded by a new culture (for good or bad). Not knowing that my school was not actually in Hangzhou (and not knowing enough to clarify this), although this is what it said on it's webpage, and then discovering this upon my arrival didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Here are some of the problems:

There are 4 different buses that will take me into town. More often than not, 3 of these 4 will be jam-packed crowded when they get to my school's stop. This means standing and swaying and lurching for 30 minutes or more. The 4th bus lets me sit, but it takes the scenic route and is often about a 45 minute trip - - each way.

Speaking of buses: If it is a weekend or holiday, the trip may and usually will take longer than a half hour. A 30 minute ride is a deterrent enough, but even longer can seem interminable.

Coming home: Same story as above when it comes to a bus ride and, sadly, the buses stop running anywhere from 6:30 in the evening to 10:00. Not much for late nights unless I want to take a taxi back. 30 to 35 rmb.

Tonight I went a bought a few groceries in town. I went to a nearby bus stop and found the bus there was, yep, jam-packed full. I'll just wait for the next one, thought I. Oops! There wasn't a next one! It was 9:30 and that was last bus! Doh! 31 rmb for the taxi.

My school: Yes, my apartment is lovely and yes this school is new and (somewhat) modern, but we are so isolated from "real" life that a person could go batty. I long to just leave my apartment when I'm going stir-crazy and walk along the street, window-shopping, watching locals playing cards, or stopping off for an ice cream somewhere. None of that exists here. Instead I listen to the same, loud music of Song Cheng (local amusement park) every night and turn up my TV to try and drown them out (you have to experience it in person to get the full gist of this).

I guess what it boils down to is the isolation and not being able to do this or that on a whim. Rather, everything has to be planned (by the way, don't want to be locked out after midnight - - we really don't have a curfew, but the gates ARE locked up and I have to yell at the gatekeeper to wake up and let me in) and timed just right. I'm glad I have American TV, but sometimes even THAT gets boring! What I'm experiencing is my school and the same old thing every day and not finding much adventure and the unknown while I'm here.

There are other reasons for the unhappiness, but I'm sure what I've just posted contributes greatly to it.

[7969]

in nanning, my college was located on the outskirts of town. 20 minute ride to the centre and buses stop running by 11:00. the upside was that there was plenty of peace and quiet on the small campus.

now, in changzhouk jiangsu, i live right in the very centre of town. in fact, i can walk one minute and find myself at the centre of everything. the downside is that i have a main road running less than 10 metres outside my apartment. hard to sleep at times here...... the racket all starts before 6 am.

[kev7161]

Oh, I still have that morning racket even out here in the 'burbs. We have a main road just a little beyond my apartment building and a side "alley" that has its share of honking horns most every morning (Sundays are sometimes a little tamer). So I can identify. What I usually do is have some white noise, such as a running fan, that will mask some of these noises. Now that it is cooler in the evenings, I can close my bedroom window and not feel too warm (actually it is just right these days).

[burnsie]

Kev, do you learn chinese? If so set yourself goals each week or month to learn. This can then reduce the bordom in the school.

Otherwise find a new hobby, kite flying, fishing etc maybe even drawing. This will help somewhat.

Oh, and next time I'm in Hangzhou (my wife is from there) we could meet up and discuss the finer points of living in China. Hopefully it will be longer than a 20 minute conversation!

[senor boogie woogie]

Hola!

I have been to Kev's school. It looks like a castle with an amusement park in th back. The insane man who owns the campus actually built a replica of the White House, complete with a theatre and a Washington Monument.

It is far away. Considering that the school probably cost 20 million RMB to build (or more), the pay is small considering the work involved. I also like to be independent in my daily life and not living on their campus.

To Kev, there are many places to meet foreigners and Hangzhou by and large is a city of friendly people. I went to an event last night with a foreigner organization called HIBA (Hangzhou International Businessmen Association) really a bunch of traders, mostly in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Kana's Bar on Nan Shan Lu has many foreigners on Friday and Saturday night. Kana's the last two years has hosted a Halloween party. Hangzhou has an art gallery and a performance hall.

I also take a Chinese class twice a week at the XiXi campus of Zhejiang University where I meet people. There is another school (I believe) that is sponsored by "In Touch" magazine, the Hangzhou equal to "That's Shanghai" magazine.

Lastly, there are plenty of city jobs (especially University positions) in the city. A lot of us rent apartments in the city. This wont end your isolation, but you will attract attention from the local people and many of them will be friendly to you.

There is a new web board called www.hangzhouexpat.com. Another is www.hiba.cn. Jobs www.chinatefl.com.

Senor

[Roger]

If you suffer under your isolation, you can imagine how your boarding-school students suffer!
I am not sure you would enjoy city life much better; Chinese are clannish and don't hobnose with total strangers. FOr instance when I lived in Shenzhen I felt pretty lonely when on my own (but I had a lot of social contacts and stable girlfriends). Without these, I would probably have gone nuts. CHinese life is all about making money, saving money, and splurging on karaOK or on food. In the long run, this gets a wee bit repetitive and quite a bit boring.
You must enrich your own culture and experience. What would you be doing back home? To me, life here is not that different from life in the West; I cook every day (to me cooking is a recreational pastime!), I have a pile of books including a lot of reference books (always missing in school librariries provided the school even has a library!), and I explore the country all the time.
In other words: you need a balanced lifestyle. Do you practise any sport? I do long-distance running and I wish I could play tennis or something like that since our estate has wonderful tennis courts and indoor basketball and badminton halls.
Finally - please, don't take this wrongly! - do you attend any religious service? I don't, but I feel attending mass with other people is a hugely comforting experience for a lonely person. Actually, the churches here in Guangzhou attract very interesting Chinese people!

[kev7161]

I had to respond to Roger's inquiries (and thank Senor for his input as well):

Let's see, it will sound kinda boring to you, but here are some things I enjoy doing back home:

1. Every Wednesday is "new comic book day" at the local comic shop. I was an avid collector and I'm still a loyal reader. Scoff if you will, but I just love comics and the fantasy of it all. Sadly, no comics here in China. I'm having some sent to me, but they are a long-time coming, it seems.

2. Barnes and Nobles - - I also read other fare, by the way. In my city, there is a B & N with a Starbucks attached. We have the Starbucks here, and a so-called "Foreign Language Bookstore", so I'll make a trip there about once a month (after payday - - both places are so darn expensive!)

3. Going out to new movies is always a favorite . . . or renting DVDs. So, I have the DVD situation covered, but sadly going out to a flick is only rarely do-able.

4. Getting together with friends for a cook-out and then playing cards all night. REALLY miss that. I do play Scrabble with another FT from time to time, though.

5. Live theater - - I was a member of a couple of community theaters back home, doing one or two shows a year. I'm a fairly good singer and only a mediocre actor, but enjoyed doing musicals when there was a good part for me. I always managed to get good reviews in the local papers. I AM going to go see "Phantom of the Opera" in December in Shanghai - - looking forward to that.

So, all-in-all, there are things to do here, things that I'm interested in, but it just seems that "life" is so far away. I understand what you are talking about, Roger, about the locals accepting me. I've complained in the past about the staring and such when I do travel in town, but I have this image in my head of getting to know people in the block I live on and saying "hi" when I pass them on the street. I know there are accepting Chinese out there. A chinese friend of mine cuts hair and, every time I go in to get my haircut from him, all of his co-workers smile genuine smiles at me and gather around to shake my hand and watch me get my hair cut. I was getting a foot massage the other day and there was a Chinese guy in the chair next to me getting one as well. His English was pretty good and pretty soon we were chatting and exchanging emails. Maybe a future friend? Or maybe someone I'll see once in the next six months when his job allows him a day off?

Ah well, maybe I'm just depressed lately . . .

[Seth]

i lived at kev's school for a time. i'm originally from a small indiana town, though, so i'm used to being out in the boonies with nothing to do. at hua mei school i'd do a lot of bicycle riding to the little tea villages around the area. that part of china really is quite green and beautiful, you should take advantage of it as farther west everything is grey and dusty and polluted. i bet my bicycle is still there somewhere. not far from the school is a wonderful bamboo forest as well as a really large buddhist temple. i liked it there well enough but i can see how a city person might find it boring.

[togusa]

Have you ever thought of getting a scooter or moped going to twon wouldn't be such a hassle then. They are quite cheap too you can get a good for about 7000 RMB about two months of saving.

[Guest]

Kev (and everyone else) I know you are all going to GROAN when you read this, but I have found that getting involved in the Community is a great way to feel at home. Mind you, I never got involved back in Australia - much too selfish!

If I wwas younger, I know that I would be bored out of my brain living here as it is also isolated. Two hours in a bus (old enough to vote) to Shanghai - and expensive when you do visit there.

I sympathise with you about the lack of reading materal because unlike Shanghai - we get absolutely nothing here in English - no newspaper even. I was not a prolific reader, but I did enjoy my crossword puzzles, and I found I had withdrawl symptoms from them for the first 6 months.

I now play word games on the Internet and they have replaced the crossword puzzles. It think it is all a matter of finding something to amuse your mind and keep you busy.

Best of luck Kev.

[deezy]

Sounds like you've got a major case of 'stir crazy'. I feel for you Kev, I've had a similar time, but mine was more or less being stuck in my apartment for 3 months in a wheelchair...if it wasn't for the fact that I have the internet, I'm doing an online course, and my husband sends me lots of books from Australia (secondhand so I don't mind leaving them behind or giving them away when I've finished them). Plus of course work!

Now I can get 'out' I've realised how little the town I'm has to offer...even the 'locals' complain there's nothing but bars and restaurants. I'm trying to find a calligraphy class or something, have just found a swimming pool (in a hotel) and apparently there's a gym somewhere near me but I've not found it yet.

I used to walk miles when I was feeling low...can't do that at the moment, so I need some other physical exercise, I'm sure that helps and if you walk around you 'might' meet someone! One of my teachers has done just that, plus he rides his bike a lot, and he now has too much of a social life! So, maybe try some of these things? Good luck!

[Roger]

Kev,
so you live outside beautiful Hangzhou... And you have a lot of time. No socialising with overseas visitors or residents in the area...
You need a ROUTINE, man! You need something to look forward to every week, every day. In Rhonda's case, her orphanage is providing that; you may not feel that kind of appeal yet at your current age. Can you afford to spend every weekend away? Why not? It should be interesting to travel to Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Putuoshan, Weizhou, Yangzhou, Nanning, Huangshan from where you are. If you can leave every Friday evening, spend two nights away and return withbatteries recharged on Sunday afternoon...
Eventually you will want to spend your weekends in the same place every time, who knows? I can imagine spending every weekend in Shanghai with its libraries, donut bakeries, Starbucks cafes and newspapers from all over the world.
It's true if I couldn't access world news regularly I would find my life 50% more boring.
Anyway, the coming two weekends I have planned to spend away... one in Yangshuo, the other in Hong Kong.

[kev7161]

Actually, our school doesn't follow that traditional Mon-Fri week and then no classes on the weekend. For example, I worked on Saturday this past week, had Sunday off, then back to work today. I do plan on traveling on the holidays we get, but weekend jaunts are not do-able with my schedule.