Recent Posts

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 10
1
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / Re: What Do Non-Natives Do Now? Student Visa Or Work Visa?
« Last post by Escaped Lunatic on Today at 06:14:47 PM »
China is relaxing visa requirements for tourism and business visas, but is getting MUCH more strict regarding illegal employment.

Working on the side as a student or tourist is a fast way to pay a big fine, spend some quality time learning about life inside of jail, and then get deported as banned from future entry (possibly permanently).

Work visas are tied to residence permits and employment contracts.  That same crackdown on illegal work on a student visa also applies to work outside the scope of the employment contract.  A person qualified to be an interpreter or translator with an employment contract to match, but caught teaching (or doing any other paid work not matching the employment contract) will be in deep legal trouble.  The employer may face fines and possibly jail, but the employee is the one who gets fined, jailed, deported, and banned from entering China.

Yes, some people are still breaking the law by teaching illegally.  Some companies are breaking the law by hiring teachers on contracts that say nothing about teaching.  Enforcement is weeding them out faster than ever before.  Tell your friends to cut off communication with anyone even suggesting that working illegally is an option.

Your friends need to QUALIFY AS FOREIGN ENGLISH TEACHERS PER CHINESE REGULATIONS in some other way.  Possibly having a CELTA and/or an English or education degree from an appropriate institution (possibly a Masters or PhD might be needed for those not from the 7 primary countries).  Before signing up for CELTA or a degree program, they need to check the current regulations and also chat with some potential employers so they don't end up spending a lot of money, time, and effort only to end up still not quite being qualified.

If they need a job to save up some money to get qualified, tell them to check the requirements to be English teachers in other countries.  Some are not as strict as China.
2
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / What Do Non-Natives Do Now? Student Visa Or Work Visa?
« Last post by Ivyman on Yesterday at 12:50:43 AM »
Hello Everyone,

Some of my very capable friends have college degrees, and are good teachers.

But, because they have citizenship and passports from outside the 7 native countries, they cannot get jobs. This includes even native speakers like Pakistan, India, etc.

1. Traditionally, many of them just came on a tourist or student visa, and worked from there. We can see that is just not possible anymore.

2. What do you suggest?

a. Get a CELTA, and take any job that can arrange a work visa?
b. Come over on a student visa, then work on the side?
c. Come over on a student visa, say to Beijing Language and Culture University, and prove they can get degrees in Chinese or English studies, and translate that to a job?
3
The Champagne Cabana / Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Last post by kitano on December 09, 2023, 02:49:57 PM »
I just watched the new Nicholas Cage film 'Dream Scenario' and just, wow. That's a classic. It completely gets it right about so much stuff
Really good satire and Nic Cage, well, the man is a legend

I also rewatched Sprited Away because that has been back in the culture since Miyazaki has a new one out, I want to see the new one, but Jesus Spirited Away is such a piece of art. I have an opinion on it now that it's about NoFace as much as ChiChiro but it's not even the plot so much as the world and the logic of it. One of the best things ever
4
The Champagne Cabana / Re: Movie/film thread: resurrected
« Last post by Escaped Lunatic on December 08, 2023, 04:57:36 PM »
Napoleon (2023)

Not as great as some say, but not bad.  The editing looks more than a little choppy - as in someone took an ax and chopped well over an hour out of it.  Ridley Scott is already talking about a 4+ hour long director's cut.

I do think Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor, but someone he just didn't seem to fit the role.  The expression on his face during a large part of the film seemed to convey "Damn this uniform is uncomfortable!" instead of reactions more relevant to the scene.

Historians are (as usual) complaining about the large amounts of poetic license taken by the script.  Then again, Shakespeare's "historical" plays were full of all sorts of factual errors.  I think historians should chill out and advocate for making factual documentaries and reinactments instead of worrying about details in entertainment that was never billed as "the actual true story."

Oh, and one phrase that will mean little until you see the movie.  "The mating call of Napoleon."  ahahahahah
5
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / Re: How Do You Guys Send Money Back Home?
« Last post by Escaped Lunatic on December 07, 2023, 03:38:13 PM »
Sending a bank card home is probably the easist.

Many years ago, I helped some friends send Western Union from both Agriculture Bank and China Postal Savings Bank.  Since I don't have an account at either of those banks, I don't know if the service is still available or not. (And, if it is, is it available at all branches?)

You might also want to check and see if external PayPal accounts are still available in China.  The external type are for sending money outside of China.

If you find out anything, please post an update.
6
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / How Do You Guys Send Money Back Home?
« Last post by Ivyman on December 07, 2023, 05:25:51 AM »
Hi Everyone,

I went to my Chinese bank and wired to maximum of 500 USD to my US Citi account.

Alas, I saw they took 20 USD each time, just to receive money. This is in addition to the Chinese bank conversion and sending fees.

I may have lost up to 10% of the original pay, just to send money.

1. How do you guys send chunks of Chinese RMB to your home bank accounts?

2. In my experience, the best way is to wait until rates are low (say 6.5 RMB to 1 USD). Then, go to a bank and ask Chinese government for permission.

It's slow. But, the efficiency is high.

3. I also know of ways to send a UnionPay debit card to a family member at home. They can withdraw up to 800 USD per day, with a minimum of fees. Then, they simply deposit it into the same bank.

4. Any advice?
7
The Champagne Cabana / Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Last post by never2late on December 07, 2023, 03:40:52 AM »
How time flies, my friend. Glad you're here. agagagagag
8
The Champagne Cabana / Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Last post by Escaped Lunatic on December 06, 2023, 02:49:03 PM »
I glanced at my watch this morning.  Something about the date caught my attention.  Could it really have been 17 whole years ago.

On December 6, 2006, I was on a one way flight to Hong Kong, followed by a bus ride to Dongguan China.  That was the first of 3 expeditions to China before I moved here permanently.

btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt
9
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / Re: Any Comprehensive List of Master's Programs Taught in English
« Last post by Escaped Lunatic on December 01, 2023, 03:30:28 PM »
A list like that would change as new programs are added and old ones are dropped.  The best thing to do is run an online search for "English-speaking degrees in China" and check how recent each list you find is.  If you get some recent ones that are helpful lists instead of being pure advertising, post the links in this thread.
10
The Bar (ON-TOPIC) / Any Comprehensive List of Master's Programs Taught in English
« Last post by Ivyman on December 01, 2023, 03:33:19 AM »
Hello,

1. My friend is from Tunisia. She did her undergraduate at North China University of Technology. She was top of her 40-person class, in fact.

2. She went back to Tunisia for COVID and regrets it.

3. She wants to come back to China for a master's degree.

4. Do we have a list of English-speaking degrees in all of China?

Thanks.
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 10