Job Discussion Forums

[woza17]

I am so frustrated by newbies coming to this country and complaining about everything, "Oh you don't even have a pizza hut" "I have just come back from Guilin, that's the real China" Darling you wouldn't last 2 minutes in the real China. I know, I know settle, settle calm down.
But today I nearly lost it, why don't you go back home for gods sake.
Some Newbie was complaining about her company, her contract was valid no one was cheating her, she wanted to break it, so why not be honest break the contract and pay the penalty. Another company had paid her return airfare, she wants to go home so she goes, who is out of pocket.
I have been in this country for over 2 years noone has cheated me, prior to that I have lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, had some good Chinese friends, lived with their families ,had 2 Chinese boyfriends,so what I am saying is that have you come to China to make friends and learn about the people or just think you are better if you have a white face.
I have had to deal with so much arrogance today, I have to keep it under wraps, if it was my call i would have told the whole lot of them to bugger off.
Cheers Carol

[garbotara]

Not every school is looking out for the interests of the foreign teacher . Some do not even bother to clean the apartments and leave them filthy.Some provide no hot water for over a week and come with no curtains, no bedding, no gas for cooking. Who cares about Pizza Hut , I have been in China many times.I do not care about eating western food. What I do care about is a school with resentful teachers and employers who think that the foreign teachers get too much.One teacher had her schedule changed eveyday for a week. Personally, the person making the schedules should have been fired.

[JamesD]

[woza17]

I am not talking about the teachers with genuine complaints, as the ones mentioned. Its the ones that come here to a relatively rich province, provided with everything and still complain.
Hey look at that worker hanging from a bamboo pole building a skyscraper, risking his life in the burning sun to feed his family who he probably only sees once a year.
Get it into perspective for god's sake.
Cheers Carol

[garbotara]

I am not a fussy person. I have lived for weeks without running water or electricity in some remote parts of Asia.If I am at a school 97 kms they ahd better provide was in the contract.I do have it in perspective about people risking their lives on bamboo poles. I have seen that.I agree with you on that one , too.

3. "Air in China is not as clean as in most of the west. Deal with it or leave, stop whining to me. I don't give a s**t about your delicate constitution. If you're that sensitive you should never have come here."
- That is a great one, people complain about the air?there are countries with worse air pollution problems than China.Not to mention just plain being dirty. At least here it is clean in different ways.

[woza17]

Actually I wasn't having a go at you, I was talking about the whiners, I am sure you know the ones I mean.
When I went home for a holiday, I couldn't wait to get back, friends working crazy hours, never seeming to get ahead. I don't know it all just felt so depressing. I suppose I don't want that negative energy around me," don't rain on my parade" sort of thing .
On the subject of western food, one of the teachers has this instant cheesy macaroni crap sent to her from Canada. This girl would starve in a Chinese supermarket.
Cheers Carol

[arioch36]

It definitely goes both ways. A co-teacher was complaining about the textbooks. Well get used to it.

But I would say 50 % of my schools at least, I had to get upset at for not keeping their contract and promises. I was suppose to have half my airfare paid "upon arrival" their words. Now, "they're sorry, but I'm not going to get this money" . This supposed "good" school I am at, they whine about everything...the Chinese. The FAO says "Why do you have to complain, Why can't you just be happy? I'm a teacher too, you should know how busy I am. We do so much for you. You get paid so much more then I do"

This is such self serving whining. So it goes both ways.

[JamesD]

Apologies for the rant, Carol, very recent circumstances set me off. Still friends?

I just get tired of these spoiled, first real job, recently graduated, no experience away from Mama newbies demanding 24 hour daycare. If a school doesn't deliver what's in the contract then DEFINITELY speak up, but teachers are responsible for reading the thing first and acting like adults.

[JamesD]

Arioch,

When anyone in the adminitration brings up the salary disparity I try to tactfully point out to them that they don't have to fly halfway around the world each year and pay rent or buy food at western prices. I once offered to make a deal with a local teacher that I would pay for all of his food for 11 months in China if he would pay for mine for one month in the US. Didn't take it.

[Debalky]

Ya,
i'm gonna sit on the fence . In many ways there is a lot to whine about here, so its natural to do so. I just got my schedual on monday, and i 've been teaching since sept 1st. I'd get a call at 7am with the school telling me that they made some changes to my classes. Then when i'd get to class, they'd make more changes.
Today I had the nastiest bunch of grade two's imaginable and my Teaching assistant was 20 minutes late, very annoying. BUT***, there are ways to deal with this stuff. So newbies, learn to be patient. Learn how to tell the school that their methods are making you upset. If they don't improve them, leave or find a new school (you'll be in the right). Learn how to complain in a useful way in order to effect the change you want. They have a responsibility to you, but you also have one to them.
And like the previous post said, if you are totally flabergasted by things you can't change, you better go home. Cause the air will not be getting any cleaner and the "hello's" will keep coming.

[cheekygal]

Damn. I used to complain. I admit it hehehe. But certainly I don't come from so-called First-World Countries yet, I am still in China and working for the same company already for 2 years and planning to go on and on with it As long as you follow the contract tips, it's really hard to get yourself fired and stuff. Though, there are many unjust employers...

My attitude critically changed towards everything that used to piss me off [even the whiny foreigners] when I was leaving China for vacation. Back in my country every chinese face I saw was reminding me that China in fact became more home to me than my motherland And I wanted to get back as soon as possible. When I came here, I found myself consoling others when they were snapping at chinese for this and that [which I also used to do A LOT]. Kinda, people change

-cheekybabe

[Wolf]

[garbotara]

[lfclouds]

garbotara

actually China has 9 of the worlds 10 most poluted cities, but thats besides the point.( sorry, I cant clairify that with refrences - anybody?)
I totally agree with you otherwise.

just remember folks - dont pin this on Newbies - being new to this has absolutley nothing to do with it.

Being an ignorant fool has alot to do with it.

If somebody wants to wast a couple of thousand euor/dollars/pounds on this then they can be my guest.I'll be happy to see the back of them.

But complaining about them will not serve anyone, its just another fact of adjusting to life here( albeit a paridoxical one -considering it concerns laowai)
Kinda the same way complaining about the staring is pointless.

Let it slide, for the time being.
Time will come when they no longer wont to blow their hard earned cash that Mum and Dad send to them every month on moving to your area.

[Wolf]