Taizhou University

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BamBam

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Taizhou University
« on: June 01, 2007, 03:45:56 AM »
Does anyone have any information about this school?  The contract seems to be pretty standard for a public university.  Has anyone been to Taizhou?  There's not very much on the web about it in English, so I'm thinking there's not much an expat population there, and it's not a tourist destination.
Those that think they can, and those that think they can\'t are both right.

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2007, 07:02:56 AM »
Bam,
Taizhou is in North Central Jiangsu Province. It comes close to straddling the line between rich, developed, picturesque, industrial Southern Jiangsu and poor, backward, hardscrabble, agricultural Northern Jiangsu, and kind of reflects some of both. I haven't spent just scads of time there, but it doesn't seem a completely terrible place. You are correct in thinking it's rather small and has only a relatively small expat community. It's not much of a tourist attraction in itself, but it's fairly near quite a few. It is on the north bank of the famous, treacherous, incredibly polluted Yangzi (or "Chang Jiang") River.

The nearest town of any note is Yangzhou, which will at least have better shopping and a few more foreign faces. It ain't exactly Paris itself, but at least they do fry a mean rice there. uuuuuuuuuu  Taizhou does not have a train station; you'll have to bounce over by bus to Yangzhou to catch the rail system. You're reasonably close to Nanjing, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Shanghai. These towns are not quick easy leave-in-the-afternoon-and-be-back-that-night trips, but a weekend trip would not be difficult at all.

It would be an...interesting  choice for a first town in China. You could definitely do a lot worse. It's small and rural enough to let you experience "The Real China" in all its staring, spitting, reeking, unwashed glory...but in that region it will have at least something on the ball. It won't be completely nowhere. On a day-to-day basis, though, it will have little to offer in the way of entertainment and could get a little, uh...boring. However, you're near enough brighter lights (and many Saloon friends) to have plenty of escapes.

I don't know the school and I can't find any complaints against it. In VERY general, small city universities can potentially be the best places to teach at the college level...IF you can hack the miserable salaries they tend to pay.
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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babala

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2007, 07:45:53 PM »
Raoul, are you sure this the Taizhou in Jiangsu? I saw an ad looking for teachers for Taizhou University but it's the one in Zhejiang.
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson

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BamBam

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2007, 03:28:13 AM »
Babala is right.  It's in Zheijang.  When researching the city on blogs and other internet articles, it gets confusing because I can't always tell which Taizhou they're talking about.  Anyway, don't worry about it, because I'm getting ready to blow them off.  Their last message had a recruiter vibe.  I just got an email with an attached generic contract that they want me to sign before going any further.  The contract was vague and didn't even have the schools name on it.  What's that about?

Thanks Raoul for the detailed evaluation, even if it might have been the wrong city.  This China job search is wearing me out. You said in another thread that the prime hiring season isn't until June and July, but every day I have a new school that heads up my list of possibilities.  Today, it's Sandau {or Sanda) University in Pudong Shanghai.  If we come to agreeable terms and they make me an offer, I will post again for info. 
Those that think they can, and those that think they can\'t are both right.

Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2007, 05:20:06 AM »
There are TWO Taizhou cities in China. One in Zhejiang, one in Jiangsu. So, usually you have to specify. I think they even sound the same but written differently.

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babala

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2007, 07:35:49 PM »
Damn! I thought I was finally getting someone decent to come to my city  asasasasas

BamBam. I live in Taizhou, Zhejiang
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson

Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2007, 08:59:21 PM »
BamBam, now you MUST visit Taizhou

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old34

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2007, 11:35:10 PM »
Taizhou, Zhejiang is actually a large administrative area which encompasses a number of cities: Tiantai, Linhai, Xianzhu, Taizhou City, Huangyan, Jiao Jiang (the "capital"), Lu Qiao, Wenling, Sanmen, and Huanyu (north to south).

Taizhou U.'s main campus is in Linhai. I think they have, or are building, another campus in Jiao Jiang (about 45 minutes away by highway).

I have met a few teachers who have taught at Taizhou U. I've been to the school and it's pretty modern. No complaints from them on treatment or conditions. Always paid on time, no complaints about housing, etc. etc.

The biggest problem some of them had is that Linhai has a big "Hallooo Laowai" factor - and not just from the rustics. A trip to the big circular mall in the center of downtown, which is about the only thing to do in town, requires a loaded Ipod or MP3 player with sturdy headphones and the volume cranked.

On the other hand, a couple of people I met actually liked it. They were older, newer to China, and still in the "authentic China experience" mode.

Oh yes, across from the mall, there is a small mountain (or large hill) along the ridge of which is a "Great Wall" which snakes for a couple of miles. They call it the Southern Great Wall. It is noce looking and looks like it's northern brother (except in length) and you can take pictures of it from the bottom and along the wall and convince your friends back home that you have been to the Great Wall. It is nice, to be sure, but the whole thing can be done in 2 hours. So what are you going to do for the rest of the day/week/month/semester?

I've been to Linhai about a dozen times (mostly for teacher training lectures) and only ever found one bar and one disco - both in the aforesaid mall. The mall also has a KFC. Across from the mall is a UBC. And that's about it for Linhai's western entertainment options.

Also, there is no railway service to that area of Zhejiang because it is encircled by mountains. So you are looking at 3-6 hour long distance busses to get to anywhere else in Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou) and beyond (Shanghai).

In short, an OK school which shouldn't give you the usual "Let's-go-complain-on-Dave's" problems, but you're apt to get pretty bored pretty quickly with the limited lifestyle options.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. - B. O'Driscoll.
TIC is knowing that, in China, your fruit salad WILL come with cherry tomatoes AND all slathered in mayo. - old34.

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babala

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2007, 11:43:28 PM »
I'm in Jiaojiang which may differ a bit from Linhai but I've actually found the "Hello Laowi" factor much less than my last city which was much more modern (I'm not old or new to China). In fact I find Taizhou people very friendly. They will say hello but not in that stupid voice and they really mean it. I know someone in Linhai. They complain about the boredom, Jiaojiang is better.
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2007, 11:47:04 PM »
Invest in a good stout umbrella with a sharp tip. An infinitely handy little tool, especially in this rainy area of China.  cbcbcbcbcb

Don't go complain on Dave's. bibibibibi Come complain on here. bfbfbfbfbf
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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old34

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2007, 12:43:01 AM »
I'm in Jiaojiang which may differ a bit from Linhai but I've actually found the "Hello Laowi" factor much less than my last city which was much more modern (I'm not old or new to China). In fact I find Taizhou people very friendly. They will say hello but not in that stupid voice and they really mean it. I know someone in Linhai. They complain about the boredom, Jiaojiang is better.

Agreed. I've been to Jiaojiang a few times and found it friendlier than Linhai and more to do. Also, because Huangyan and Luqiao are right there too (almost all one city), you have a couple of more options.

By the way, there is a nice 4-star hotel in Jiaojiang that serves a palatable western breakfast and a pretty nice, real, hamburger at lunch and dinner. Can't remember the name - it might be Feng Huang Zhuang (Phoenix Village). Not sure of the first two characters or if it's called Phoenix), but the third is definitely Zhuang (village). It's not a village, it's a hotel which is why I remember it was called Zhuang when 99% of all hotels in Zhejiang are called Da Jiu Dian's.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. - B. O'Driscoll.
TIC is knowing that, in China, your fruit salad WILL come with cherry tomatoes AND all slathered in mayo. - old34.

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2007, 01:48:15 AM »
By the way, old34...you're new with us, but that's a great school and city review ya wrote.  bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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old34

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Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2007, 03:53:36 AM »
Thanks.

I wouldn't rely on my post re: Taizhou Univ. too much. It's been a couple or three years since I met those teachers from there and I was on the campus for all of about 20 minutes. (The mian bao che that was taking me to my speech at the new campus of Hui Pu Middle School made a detour on to campus to give us a look-see.)

But I'll stand behind my comments about Taizhou and it's various cities. I've been to all of the ones I listed above at least once...and then for at least 3 days each (but many more for Linhai (especially) and the "Quad Cities": Jiaojiang-Huangyan-Taizhou City-Luqiao.

Do with the information what you will.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. - B. O'Driscoll.
TIC is knowing that, in China, your fruit salad WILL come with cherry tomatoes AND all slathered in mayo. - old34.

Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2007, 12:07:47 PM »
Haven't read this yet, but I teach here.  Will read and reply with comments, maybe.

Re: Taizhou University
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2007, 12:16:21 PM »
Hmm, well lets just say I know exactly the school he is speaking of and it is in Linhai and it does have a second campus. 

The HELLO factor, especially if you are blonde and fair eyed will do you in here, well it has certainly done me in. 

I have all the info. on this place and am leaving in one month.  I will write back, about this school and area, once I depart...if you know what I mean.