Job Discussion Forums

[PYT]

Hey guys,

I need some help deciding between two contracts.

Contract #1 is in Taiyuan. It is a public university that pays $6000 rmb a month. Pretty much your standard public school contract: airfare, roughly 18hr work week, accommodation, work visa, health care, nice paid vacation package, plus bonuses etc etc. This is also a 10 month contract.

Contract #2 is in Harbin. It is a language school and it pays $5000 rmb a month. 20-22 hrs/week with accommodations, health, work visa. However, this contract does not include airfare or paid vacation. Furthermore, this is a 6 month contract. Obviously contract #2 is far less desirable and below industry standards, however, I have emailed a few former teachers about the school and from what I can tell, they treat their employees decently.

Basically, I'm somewhat torn between the two contracts. I like contract #1 because the working conditions are so much better. The school is reputable and there is less working hours, more pay, etc etc. However, I am more drawn to the location in contract #2.

The school in Taiyuan isn't located in the boonies, it's pretty close to downtown. It is about a 13-15 minute taxi ride from the city center. I used http://taiyuan.city8.com/ , viewed some blogs from former teachers, and it seems alright around the school. It's just that Taiyuan has a poor reputation as a city (pollution, dirty, nothing to do, etc etc).

I feel like Harbin would be much more interesting since Harbin is more modernized (although it is extremely cold in the winter). I am somewhat fluent in chinese, so communication isn't too big a deal were I to end up in Taiyuan. My main goal here is essentially to learn chinese and experience a new culture.

[astrayalien]

Harbin seems very cold. I am starting a job at Taijuan on 1st July. Its my first job in China. I'll see how it goes for one year. There are cafes and some nightclubs, but I guess I won't really know what its like until I arrive in Taiyuan.

Anyway, you must make your own choice. Let me know if you choose Taiyuan, we can have coffee.

[keeperofpythons]

From the last year and a half in Taiyuan, I can only tell you that it's good for getting your foot in the door and some experience. If this is potentially your only experience living in China, you would do well to choose somewhere else. The expat community here (not that I care) is spread out and largely distrustful of one another, and you're constantly stared at like a zoo animal. The only reason I stayed on for a second year is because my job is awesome and it'll get me the two years experience that's required to teach in places like BJ/Shanghai/Guangdong Province. The current University I'm at didn't care that I had no experience before I came.

In summary, I don't "hate" the place, per se. I just highly despise it with a passion and can't wait to move South. Get in, get out, don't get stuck. Most who get stuck here enjoy being a big fish in a small pond.

[keeperofpythons]

Oh, and, of course, feel free to look me up as well if/when you come.

[astrayalien]

You don't sound very positive about Taiyuan keeperofpythons. I'm happy to meet you after I arrive in Taiyuan. I'll have my own opinion about Taiyian in due course. I like to keep a positive attitude. In my experience, a positive attitude in a less than satisfactory situation does wonders to improve the experience.

Please PM your contact details to me.

[keeperofpythons]

No, I'm not positive about Taiyuan at all. However, I do know for a fact that there are so many places that are worse in China where the window could and would appear to be a lovely option (not my style, but you get the idea). I'm just that confident (or stubborn, you could effectively argue) about my conclusions in relation to myself and what I want and where I would like to go. Generally speaking, I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I see multiple shades of gray (chronic symptom of individuals with Philosophy degrees) and I cannot for the life of me chose favorites about almost anything. I evaluate what seem to be facts and then make a conclusion. I'm only still here because the job is a good fit for me as well as the other reasons I mentioned in the previous post. If I could ship this job to another end of the country, it would be a good long while before leaving for good.

Also, I have private lessons coming out of my ears plus what could theoretically amount to a queue for my lessons, but every American (they are willing to pay exorbitantly for our accents despite the fact I know plenty of other native speakers of other countries who are much more clear than the average American) in Taiyuan can claim the same thing as far as I have encountered. Can't complain about that.

I thought Taiyuan was above average until I traveled my behind off during my first year in China. No offense to New Jerseyans, but Shanxi is similarly referred to in Chinese to China, as New Jersey is English to America ("the armpit of" [insert country name here]). It's easy as hell to save money here, there are a few people who have opened my eyes to a host of things, and I have been able to practice Chinese more than one would in, say, Beijing, Shanghai, etc. you get the idea.

PM sent. I'll be here for your first two or so weeks, and then hitting the road for roughly 8 weeks, but we'll talk more about that later.

[PYT]

Hmm... that definitely makes my decision a little bit harder.

I'm not averse to a dirtier city without expats (I'm also Chinese-American so I can blend in easily), however I'm only going to be in China for a year (two at most), so having Taiyuan as my only living experience there might not be the best.

Is there anything to do or see there? How's shopping and the food? Is the pollution significantly worse than other cities?

I am just worried that I am building up Harbin, while at the same time tearing down Taiyuan, when in reality its not so bad there.

[keeperofpythons]

There is nothing touristy in Taiyuan-proper at all. There are some nice mountains and old walled-cities in Shanxi Province (ie: Pingyao, WuTai Shan, etc.) that are well known in-country.

If you want to do two years, you could find a list of worst places to start than here. Experience in country here is worth more than outside experience, from what I have seen, unless you have a substantial amount or superior qualifications.

There is shopping in the Liu Xiang （柳巷南路） area, and the average T-Shirt with little or nothing on it is 400rmb or so in that area. The local Walmarts have similar products for half the price. You can find flea markets around that have similar things for even cheaper, but you really have to look hard (check out 长风大卖场 if you do decide to come here). Pollution here is easily the worst that I have seen in my 1.5 years in China (Linfen City, also of Shanxi Province, has been voted as the dirtiest city on Earth in recent years), but it's not bad during the summer. As I look outside my window now, the skies are blue and the air is acceptable. The air sucks in the winter when they start burning the coal, and it feels like I'm inhaling knives when I go outside during that time without a facemask.

The food is as good as you will find in any other non-tier 1 city, but the western selection is dismal at best, but that doesn't bother me. There are plenty of Japanese and Korean restaurants that do the trick for me.

If you're not super picky, choose Taiyuan. I'm not that picky, and Taiyuan has just started to wear on me in the last few months. Personally, I can't do Harbin because of the winter. I can handle the cold, but I've just decided for myself that next I'd like to live somewhere where a bitter cold day is all of 50F.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

I've no firsthand experience of Taiyuan, but I recommend against Harbin. I've found many people there to be quite hostile towards foreigners. Most people don't speak english, and I'm including young people, even college students. People there are more likely to speak Russian.