Specific Individual Expat Teachers You'd Like To Send Back Home- Via Catapult

I'll roll the ball with an account of Canadian P...and you'll soon see why I include the nationality in the name. I encountered this beast while working at a Web International franchise in a major manufacturing city east of Shanghai.

One of the first things you noticed about Canadian P. was his fanatical devotion to his home country of Canada. Don't get me wrong...I love Canada too. I love it a lot. I may look into going there to live if I ever leave China.
But this guy was foaming at the mouth. An embarrassment. His posted English Corner topics were always things like (and I swear I am not making this up) "Wildlife Species of Canadian National Parks". He began his ECs by putting the Maple Leaf up on the whiteboard. His regular classes invariably got deformed to turn the topic to "the way things are back in Canada". EVERYTHING the man did at the school got somehow turned into propaganda that had even the other Canadians among us puking.

His monomania might have been somewhat forgiveable, were it not for his deep loathing of China and everything Chinese...especially the people. He, of course, complained loudly and constantly about everything that happened to him here. He was intolerably self-righteous and condescending to the Chinese staff and students; I can only imagine what he must have been like on the street. He invariably addressed all male staffers as "Boy". After witnessing one horrible ordeal involving the IT guys, I actually went up to the staffers in question, made sure Canadian P. was out of earshot, and told them, "Please allow me to apologize for what has just been said to you, on behalf of all foreigners in China. We all also think Canadian P. is an idiot."

When I was at Web, Canadian P. was coming to the end of his contract. He loudly and gleefully talked about how soon he'd be going back to Canada, and how glad he was to be getting rid of China once and for all. "Good riddance", we all thought. But no, he instead took another job locally, and quickly got bounced from school to school. I encountered him again at the local Westbourne Academy...just before he got fired in the face of vociferous student complaints.

Maybe he went back home already. But if he hasn't, let me be the first to load one into the ol' Saloon Mega-Trebuchet, aim it vaguely to the east/northeast, cut the restraining rope, and watch that mutha fly...

There comes another rather sad story to my mind about another male Canadian - a pedophile hunted by Interpol. He had internet pics published when raping small boys, and his face was somehow "covered up" so that his real identity may not be revealed. Interpol and some German specialists, however, managed to restore the picture with his real face by some digital manipulation of the pic/s. He is said to be a teacher hiding in Bangkok at the moment, and he suddenly disappeared from his school and went into hiding after his picture was published worldwide. I do not mean to beat down on any decent Canadian people, and to me it is not a question of nationality. But this case makes me think - foreign teachers in Asia and anywhere else should not be involved in such cruel and bad things. There are some who simply go abroad for a teaching job to abuse children. This is terrible!.....

Chris Neil, a.k.a. Peter Jackson. See http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/267707
How's that for being specific!

Quote from: dali-oh on September 12, 2007, 06:59:19 AM

Does anyone remember last year the guy who was working in Suzhou, part-time, brought something like Ukranian money and fussed about not being able to get it changed into RMB, stole furnishings from the apartment he was put into, ran off without paying for anything? He had run from the US to get out of child support, left a newly bought car at the airport and went to the Ukraine to meet up with an internet-sweetie and arrived here having found a China internet sweetie when the Ukraine didn't work out for him. Tried to make his case on the saloon? Is that the kind of person you speak of? The catapult sounds like just what I wished for him at the time.

Hah!Glad I'm not the only one who was thinking of this guy when reading this thread. Dude demanded to paid weekly and quit his job when they refused. Then he actually had the nerve to be surprised when they charged him the breach of contract penalty. What a maroon!

 I believe some forum members actually knew this guy personally. anyone knwo whatever became of him?

Quote from: ilunga on September 12, 2007, 08:07:04 AM

I would love, just once, to meet a Canadian that didn't particularly like their country.  One that would say 'You know what, life here is great.  Much better than back home'. 

That's me. Canada is just a place that issues my passport. To say I "don't particularly like it" is actually something of an understatement.My band once recorded a 27 song anti-Canada CD. It was very theraputic.

Hi Everyone........sorry for quoting the whole post, but this thread is pretty old now, and I'd really like to respond to the Canadian issue.
I'm a Brit, born and bred, but recently became Canadian - why?....because it was a darn sight cheaper to get my Canadian passport than renew my British one here in Canada ($75 v $400............go figure) - plus it's a little safer to travel on a Canadian passport than a British or American one given the present political climate.
But, nonetheless, I don't particularly like it here either (many people are downright rude, arrogant, narrow-minded and insular - maybe I just picked the wrong cities; though Halifax, Nova Scotia is really great - definitely the exception!) - I'd much rather be back in the Middle East or Asia. Why? I don't know - except that I find many expats to be infinitely more open-minded than 'locals' in Canada (and the UK for that matter) as well as loving the experience of discovering a new country and interacting with the true culture. Absolutely no desire to experience life vicariously by watching the 'Discovery' channel - I want to be out there, immersed in it - be it 'bad' or 'good' - it's all a matter of perception and attitude. I went to Saudi when I was in my 20's - my family and friends thought I was nuts! (and still do - because most of them have never even been outside of their own little town!)
Also - yes, Canadian beer is bad - any beer is bad compared to British beer (real ale at room temp, with floaters, from the Trip to Jerusalem Inn in Nottingham). Still - looking forward to trying the local Hangzhou brews!! (and the food......well, except the chicken feet maybe........ )

Happy New Year - counting the days to Zhejiang!

Somebody said something recently, that made me stop and think. By and large, those of us who travel, live, and/or work in other countries are usually great people. We get out of our comfort zones and create new ones. We generally, are nicer people than those who stay at home and conform. We are more adventurous, have more relationships, have more fun, and have more than one side to us. In general, we are smarter, more knowledgeable, and with way more experience. We also get shafted more often when we get back home, because we are different.

A friend of mine tried to say the same thing, but had trouble. That is a neat way of putting it.

Our pal Marty recently surfaced on ELT World Discussion Forum, calling himself EFL Guru. He was very quickly outed by a couple of us, and subsequently deleted all his posts. His posts were all very long "cut and paste" from his other drivel.

I wish I didn't  know the bozo.
I have a feeling the teacher he complains about was probably me. Got a link to the "paper"?
But yeah, he's now pimping this "Holistic English" text product (Federal labeling laws prohibit calling that a "textbook" or a "curriculum") that's actually based entirely on watching movies...

Somebody said something recently, that made me stop and think. By and large, those of us who travel, live, and/or work in other countries are usually great people. We get out of our comfort zones and create new ones. We generally, are nicer people than those who stay at home and conform. We are more adventurous, have more relationships, have more fun, and have more than one side to us. In general, we are smarter, more knowledgeable, and with way more experience. We also get shafted more often when we get back home, because we are different.

That's been my experience too - and I've been an expat for the past 28 yrs - sad thing is though, I don't even know where "home" is any more!    ........'cept that it's not in Europe, nor is it in North America.  Someone should really set up an 'expat colony' for all us old displaced die-hards!    (maybe like a leper colony, for that's sure how we're treated by friends and employers alike when we deign to go 'home' - over-qualified, over-travelled lepers!).
Hope not to come across any psycho-Canuks like this guy though.......get's all FT's a bad name, no matter what the nationality.

I'd agree with Synthette.

But do employers really regard ppl like us as bd/useless/lacking the appropriate skills?

No - but they really don't believe that you have the pulling power of a big nose!  If they are promising students (and their fee paying parents) foreigners, someone not looking foreign doesn't have the same cachet no matter how beautiful your English.  It's all in the presentation.

Plus ... as a Chinese Canadian/Aussie etc - you (or your parents) 'escaped' and could therefore be seen as not a good role model for the students.

But it is possible - my uni has 3 Chinese/German/NZ/Aussie teachers - but all in highly specialist fields.  PhD, research type people.



EDIT: Just realised this is in the wrong thread.  Sorry - brain cell got lonely and went on strike.

That's right, actually.
I'm a Ph.D, highly specialized, research person (In Vitro Fertilization/Male Infertility) - and have taught at Faculty level for over 20 yrs......200+ academic publications as well as a textbook.......
but - I love to teach - especially those who love to learn - and this is sorely lacking in "western" kids these days - I know, I'm the mum of a 20 yr old who still figures that life owes him something; and that 'mum' is just a fancy name for an ATM!!.......while he sits on his backside playing X-Box/Nintendo/Playstation!!
The music students I have here in Nova Scotia are all Asian - all highly motivated and driven - best students I've ever had (from ground zero to grade 5 RC in one year??)- hope that the Chinese students attain even just 20% of what these amazing kiddies have done - because, sure as hell, the "civilized western students" never will - not in Canada, anyways.

I love to teach - especially those who love to learn - and this is sorely lacking in "western" kids these days - I know, I'm the mum of a 20 yr old who still figures that life owes him something; and that 'mum' is just a fancy name for an ATM!!.......while he sits on his backside playing X-Box/Nintendo/Playstation!!

You should dump your kid on tiananmen square with a suitcase full of clothes and 1000 rmb and see what happens. He'll soon figure out that western society has given more than he'll ever be able to give back. 

Thats pretty much what happened to me last year. I learnt a lot.

Since we are expats here i suppose the following may get some a bit riled however...

It seems to me that a lot of people leave their homeland because they dont fit in. Either they cant make a go of things be it relationships or economic success and being in the minority in another country does attract favouritism and attention that you wouldnt get back home. I know a handful of people that really didnt achieve much in their hometowns but now living in another country have prospered in every area of life.

Some leave to run away from a difficult situation rather than face and conquer it. Im still on the fence about that one for me.

I moved here because i was bored with what was happening in my life and wanted a change and some challenges. My wife had just died and there were just too many sad memories. A few years before, my wife and i had decided we would move to another country once our kids started uni so I cant say i left solely because of her death as it probably would  have happened anyway. 

But then ive always thought of myself as a bit of an oddball.

getting a bit off topic here.

LOL!
I think I was the one who essentially derailed this thread when I resurrected it......mea culpa.
But it's really interesting to consider who 'we' are, and what motivates us (it sure as heck ain't money - not in China anyways!) - not many people in the 'small' world consider such things, they just do what they do from day to day, and are satisfied.....we aren't so easily bought and sold. To quote from "Constant Craving"  kd lang's introduction (good Canadian - and if you can catch her Sydney tour on DVD, it's awesome!):
"if you should leave here tonight, feeling unfulfilled, feeling not quite sated...remember, that this is the human condition"
Maybe we're too much in tune with our humanity, its frailness, and its nebulousness.......maybe we're all on our own GrailQuest - and we'll know it when we find it.
 

A particular Englishman who used to work at my school. Not a bad guy who was waaaaay smart but complained about how bad everything is in China. Not just sometimes but everyday it was something else pissing him off. If you don't like it get the fuk out and leave those of us who love it here alone.