Job Discussion Forums

[nolefan]

Hey folks, I need a little piece of advice here on my situation. here is a little summary of things and you let me know what you think:

My wife and I are working a for a university and we have a legit SAFEA contract with all the fixings and trimings, at least on paper...

The school has given us an "appartment" on campus wich is pretty much a glorified dorm room with a separate kitchen and a western style toilet.. Everything is brand new as the building is exactly 1 month old... they tried installing everything but the kitchen sink...litterally. they just had one built 2 days ago.

Anyways, as per the contract, we should get access to broadband internet... and the school wants me to pay to be hooked on the campus network... it is 0.2 RMB/Mb.. nothing bad but one round of Windows updates eats up about 1GB and it add up quite fast. I went through 100rmb worth of bandwith in 3 days...

Am I being unreasonable if I demand that the school get me my own ADSL line or stop charging me for being connected? keep in mind that the internet is my only mean of communication as we do not get any TV channels at the moment... so I listen to web radio and so on...
I am also still waiting for the sofa they were supposed to bring because we have nothing comfy to sit on..just the freaking bed...and we have been here for 3 weeks already...

does anyone else have to pay for their internet access on campus?

My wife and I are the first foreign teachers at this school and we really like it here so far... it is just the small details that aggravate me... and I just quit smoking....

[Susie]

I think you should talk with the decision-maker about the fact that you don't want to pay for using the internet.

No matter what advice you get here off this forum, you will still have to pay as you do at the moment until and unless you can persuade the authorities there at your school to stop charging you.

Just tell the right person that you are not happy to pay and you want them to think of a solution to the problem.

[JamesD]

Keep in mind that Chinese contracts aren't as detailed as in the west. To them having "access" may mean just that. You have access but you have to pay. In China details like this are usually ironed out between the parties and are part of a relationship. Not a defense of the Chinese way, but just the way things are done. They are learning about your social structure just as you learn about theirs.
If you are the first foreign teachers they have worked with they will not be familiar with the way we look at this so you'll have to explain how a westerner would interpret the terms.
My contract stipulates "free internet access at the school" and this was added because I had run into the problem before.
I think you'll be in a much better position if you continue to pay as you have been doing. I know it may be expensive but this will make future dealings much smoother when it comes to other contract details. It's all give and take and will get easier as you gain experience in dealing with the Chinese and know what to look for. Calmly explain to the FAO that you know his job is hard but teachers expect to have the contract terms fulfilled. Smile a lot. It sounds like they are trying if everything was recently installed, you are a new animal to them.
As for the TV, did anyone mention cable and if so who pays? If you don't have it all you'll get is local Chinese programming and possibly CCTV9 (shudder). Who pays to install the cable? What level of access? Will the TV be DVD compatible? Just a few caveats, there are more.

On a personal note,
"keep in mind that the internet is my only mean of communication"
That's part of being in China. I spent the first two years here with nothing but an overpriced internet cafe with dial-up.

[Burl Ives]

Smooth the way if you like. Smoothing the way, smiling a lot, acknowledging the hardship of all things Chinese, once got me into a serious situation because I had just not counted on how temporary I really was in the minds of the school. It supposedly works if you invite someone to supper, cooked in your own house can be best, and it helps to give gifts, but I think Chinese are not actually stupid and they know that whatever "relationship" blossoms, it'll be a long way before it actually pays off for them, especially if they're management. Chinese also know that foreigners won't do what Chinese would do in the same situation, insist and persist like a mofo and still get screwed in the end because they are considered too pushy.

On the other hand, it is common for stuff to be slow arriving, even contract stuff, even for a few months. The way I look at it these days is, either they are on their way to honouring the contract or they always were some kind of weasel. The thing is, Chinese are really no good at providing security and comfort. Whatever they are doing for you will always look like the same indifference. That should temper any kind of display you want to make, but it's supposed to, so there is some balance to strike between being huffy and smiling.

I'm not a smiler these days. I go with mild surprise at all the things that are claimed to be standing in the way and secretly I give up. Later I get genuinely surprised when things do finally come together according to some timetable I'll never know.

Ps. One thing new teachers often do is believe they are slotting themselves into some organisation. You are, but it's a Chinese organisation and it's not geared in any of the ways you are familiar with. There's a daily hidden frustration of failed expectations from a system different from the one you are in.

[Roger]

I think it's not worth the bad vibes you are bound to create by insisting on your interpretation; RMB 100 for software downloads? That's a one-off, right?
Look at this as a small contribution; 2 jaio per minute is cheap; in fact you should consider subscribing for unlimited access (around RMB 100 to 150 a month), or limited time for a flat rate (for instance 30 hours a month for RMB 30, excess at the regular rate of o.2 yuan).

If it was not stipulated as "free" in your contract you stand next to no chance of getting it your way! But insisting on it could boomerang in the medium-to-long term!

[nolefan]

hey folks, it has been solved.

the issue was never the money...I am willing to pay. The issue was that I wanted unlimited ADSL and the school would not let me have it despite my willingness to pay for it. that is what drove me mad.

after 3 weeks of saying that it was impossible, they somehow managed to get it plugged in today.... right after I said they had one week to come up with a solution or else...

I am happy now, I will leave them alone for another week and then I will start asking about where my sofa is.

[ChinaLady]

like you said, you are the FIRST expat teachers in this school.
if you think your living conditions are questionable - go visit the Chinese teachers who live on campus. I thought my place was not the best until I visited them. UGH! bare cemet floors, no hot water, no heat, no air con - if they want internet they pay for it. ADSL? ha! ha! only a dream. my service (dial-up) was to be paid for, NOT! after being disconnected for 4 days I paid the bill and pay every month. about 160Yuan. the principal is that they lied. BUT some of the other expat teachers have it worse. so, I just smile. no water for 2 days? smile. power turns off at 11pm? smile. campus gates are locked at 12 midnight? smile.
but do hold your ground if it comes to a health or security issue! you do have to maintian your sanity. smile. . . .

[nolefan]

Well, none of the chinese teachers lives on campus; only 3 of the foreign teachers do and the other one if off campus since he is married to a local.

I am aware that the Chinese teachers have worst living conditions than we do, and I feel somewhat bad for them...OK? but frankly, I couldn't give a rat's *ss about their situation as long as the school lives up to their contract with me.... (which they are trying to..)

I don't think you can approach this type of job thinking about the locals because you're leaving a door open to being ripped off and/or taken advantage off (IMHO) ...

Moreover, I am trying to think of the next couple of blokes that show up to teach here..I don't want them going through any hassles...so I'll just teach the school what it means to have a foreigner living here (I mean that in the nicest possible way...)

[struelle]

[Roger]

I think it'/s a mistake to compare the job market with the wet market or any other commercial place.
Have you ever asked of your Chinese colleagues how they got hired?

In my experience, they are happy to get a job, and seldom ask "how much is my salary going to be?"

Most I know waited until their first pay day - and then they knew how much they were being paid.

But farther down the road, their pay packet could be reduced owing to the whims of their employer who might have found fault with their performance or perhaps because he had to save money.

Private employment is still a novelty in China; just two decades back nobody had a job with a private employer. The "state", that ubuquitous monster, took care of you.
A nanny state.
In this regard, Chinese employers are still learning their ropes from foreign staffers as can be gleaned from those blissfully differing contracts we sign, and often have to renegotiate.

[arioch36]

As has been said, the problem is solved? But the school should definitely be the one to get broadband or ADSL (phone line) . Both are fine. There is a one time price for installation. The school should DEFINITELY pay for this, just the way they would pay for the phone line to your house. In every contract I have seen, they are responsible for paying the set fee that follow, say $50 (yuan) per month, just like they are responsible for paying the set monthly phone bill for having a phone...$40 a month. The school school I was at that tried to get the foreigner to pay these amounts... the FAO also had her own car.

ADSL 160 per month ...something screwy there.

When you say look at the house the Chinese teacher has ....Well I am almost 40 with 10 years experience teaching, and other professional experience. The average contemporary colleague (not the 24 year old college student) has an apartment that is much nicer then mine, as far as modelling inside, etc. Like Roger said (I think), these 24 year olds are just happy to have a job. I am not going to compare my standards with them, though the uni admin certainly wants me to.