Job Discussion Forums

Jared · Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 319 Location: Canada

Hello. I just have a couple questions about China's conditions. I know that being a communist country, you gotta be very careful. I've been told that in China, the police can arrest any local and/or foreigner for reasons so simple that they were having a bad day. In other words, the cops don't need a real reason to arrest you for anything. That's what I've been told anyway. Also, on my resume, I added that I went to Taiwan as a church missionary and did volunteer ESL teaching in Taiwan. Now I know that believing in God and stuff like that is illegal in China. If I put on my resume that I did church missionary work for a Christian organization in Taiwan in 2004, will that minimize the chances of me being able to land a job in China? Not to mention that China and Taiwan don't like each other right now and China passed a law to invade Taiwan. But being a Christian, I'm not exactly sure how save China would be for me if I were to take my bible in and stuff like that. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jared

p.s. For those of you who are in Taiwan, how much toilet paper do you use? Too much? Too little? Cutting back now that your in Taiwan?

danielb · Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 490

Here we go again.

The Red Baron · Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 183

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

tofuman · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 937

Jared,

If your post is sincere, I suggest that you spent several years growing up before coming to China.

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

A few weeks ago the SCMP ran a story about a young American teacher working illegally in Guangzhou who was found dead with his skull cracked open after threatening to report his employer to the PSB.

In my books, that signals a dangerous country.

Volodiya · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 1:07 am Post subject:

Hero, that's why we get "hazardous duty pay", here- 25% on top of the salaries quoted in the job placement adds.

millie · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 413 Location: HK

I think living in China does present a number of real concerns for personal well-being:

The visibly polluted environment presents a huge potential for cancer and respiratory diseases.
As well, there is very little regulation of chemicals used in agriculture and that is the stuff you eat.

Next, death from road accidents are 8 times higher than the USA per number of automobiles and are increasing by 10% a year. Presently 300/day are killed in this way.
See: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/12/content_322695.htm

And finally, it seems don’t get involved in a scrap with your boss either Exclamation

M

tofuman · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 937

That story in the SCMP was probably allowed to run as a threat or warning to other FTs.

Volodiya · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 2:52 am Post subject:

Jared, I'm sure you figured out by now that what you've heard about China just doesn't jive with most of the experiences of people living here. Millie tried to write you a serious post, talking about some of the actual things that might reasonably be called a risk.

As for me, I've found the city I live in to be the safest one I've lived in since becoming an adult. For example, I lived a number of years in the central part of Dallas, where it wasn't uncommon for me to hear gunshots. Here, the most disturbing thing I hear is the karaoke bar, across the street. In Dallas, I'd never have felt safe walking the city streets at night: here, I do.

The only thing I fear here is the possibility of being in an accident, and having medical care- poor, or none- provided me; or having some other true medical emergency, like a heart attack. Unlike in the U.S., there wouldn't be a hospital on wheels (EMS) there in 8 minutes, to pick up the pieces.

My city is full of missionaries- and Chinese Christians- many of them new Christians. They wear their crosses proudly around their necks, and will tell you, if you ask them, that they're Christians. An enormous, new Catholic Cathedral, with a very high steeple, was just completed. It stands, boldly, on the main thoroughfare of our city, on prime, commercial real estate.

To sum up, most of what you've heard about China is not the China that I know.

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Ni hao, Jared,

would you perhaps care to reveal to us what your brief is? You are not a FT, are you???

I am satisfied you are totally ignorant and biased as far as China is concerned. The problem with the cops is that they do approxiamately the same job cops do in Northern America - and I for one don't think Northern American cops deserve my undividied respect. THey are infamous for arbitrary action and detentions, not to mention beatings, aren't they? This has never happened to me in CHina of all places, although I have spent several years here.

You are also grievously misinformed about the relgiious issue. Next time you want to talk about worship ask questions FIRST before making judgements, alright?

There is religious tolerance in China, perhaps as much as in Northern America although we have to qualify this a little: proselytising is NOT allowed, but practising one's worship is.
On the other hand, the Chinese worship another institution that is rigorously ostracised in Northern America: the church of the communists.
A mirror image, perhaps, of both China and Northern America?

ResiWorld · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 3:56 am Post subject:

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

Volodiya · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 5:23 am Post subject:

danielb, my congratulations! You seem to have been the only one of us who read the OP carefully enough to catch his inquiry about how much T.P. we were using now, in Taiwan, as follows: