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Hi, all, and welcome back to the original yet new-fangled China Saloon. I'm Con, known variously as Con Ate Dog and Con's Fly Is Open. I've been in China about 3 years now, yet speak the language very poorly. I recently quit smoking, and it's making me mean.
I'm 39, Canadian, lived most of my life in Calgary, majored in English, and have spent years as a production worker, landscaper and technical writer. I have a brother whom I can't convince to move out here.
My goals this year are to repair my teeth, publish at least 3 articles, write a novel and have sex with a woman who is taller than I am. The latter, given that I live in China, seems unlikely.
Enough talk. Shooters!
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I'm AMonk (not "the Pope"!), presently located in Bermuda. bfbfbfbfbf
I'm (very happily) married to Hubby afafafafaf, with a 32-year old (also happily married) son.
Got my BS (that's B*** bqbqbqbqbq) in Education, which I am using to help drill knowledge into the minds of Teens, Ladies and Gents in our local Corrections Department. cbcbcbcbcb
Hobbies are .... Reading, Cooking (and Eating) and The Saloon (also an Addiction).
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This is the dreaded George. Why should little Connie get to make the first post? Sounds like a Suzhou CONspiracy. I am in Jinan(still) and likely to remain so for a while yet. I should get my teeth fixed as well, but I have an extremely low pain threshold.....just thinking about it brings me out in hives. I have the cutest chick in all China! acacacacac
bxbxbxbxbx
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I'm in!
This is like @^&*#@-th time I make my introduction.
Russian, 28, FEMALE cheexyblonde I've been in China for 5,5 years now and still planning on staying.
Most of my life I spent in Russia. I majored in teaching French and English and linguistics. I've been teaching for over 10 years now (actually, 11.5 to be precise - started few months into the first year at the University). Lived in different places in Russia mainly due to the fact that I was born into a military family. I am "signed/registered" in a small Siberian town, 3 hours drive from Inner Mongolia border (because my parents moved there after dad retired from the army and my mom still lives there). But I lived in St. Petersburg before coming to China - after I graduated from Uni.
Some of you might suspect me being connected with KGB, knowns as FSB nowadays. I can only assure you that everyone has skeletons in their closets uuuuuuuuuu
Currently, I live in Beijing.
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Canadian, been in China 2 years. Want to come back next year. Love being here, love Chinese food, love teaching, love Raoul, what else can I say agagagagag
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Woooo Hooo I'm here!!!!
I'm Bugalugs, an Aussie living in Wuxi for almost two years, currently i'm teaching in an "international" training center but i hope that this will change in October.
While at first i hated China i now love living here and i really can't seem myself returning to Australia for a long, long time. Any thing else you wanna know?? Just ask...
Never said no to a dare yet :):)
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Ok, my turn.
Lone Traveller (or LT). I'm 26. Originally from Hoganland (Australia for all those uneducated ones out there bxbxbxbxbx) but have been in China for the past 1.5yrs. I'm up in the "cool Province" (Heilongjiang) and aside from the odd -38 in the dead of winter, I still love it.
I know. I'm crazy. Can't be helped. apapapapap
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Mmmmmmm, you've got to like that new bar smell.
Unfortunately the old guy in the corner smells..... Oh, Hi George!
Stil. I am Canadian. I have been in China for 3.5 years mostly in Hunan. I teach Oral and sometimes English at a Normal (so they say) College.
I Like kittens and world peace and will now twirl a baton in the talent show.
I am also currently hammered on soju.
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Why does this feel like some 12-step program?
My name is teleplayer. Yes I can and yes I do and it originally looked just like this one
http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0137502306 (http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0137502306). It's been "re-cutomized." bfbfbfbfbf
Currently I'm a university department student services manager working primarily with graduate students who are aspiring environmental scientists. It's my plan to join the English teaching group in ZhongGuo if all prsonal affairs get fixed his year. Currently I'm in another state of mind but you can call it middle-aged in North Carolina, USA.
Duibuqi, I need to go tune up now. I'm providing live the musical soundtrack to Stil's baton act. Can you say vaudeville? Wait 'til he breaks out the fire batons. apapapapap
"...Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside ...."
--ELP (Emerson, Lake, and Plamer)
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icebear here. Quick and easy - I'm 23, American, and living and teaching Shenzhen. I've been here for almost 8 months, and plan to stay longer, but not indefinitely. Maybe another year. I've been lazy as hell with learning Chinese but have really buckled down recently.
In my free time I enjoy skateboarding, reading about almost anything, partying, enjoying this good life, and avoiding the downers that can't seem to.
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Hi there. Well, I am Danish, 27 yrs old, lived in China for a year teaching at EF in Nanchang. I live in Denmark now, trying desperately to enjoy the crummy weather.
Interests: reading anything I can get my hands on, studying Chinese, running and trying to break the world record for throwing chew toys across the living room. Have not succeeded yet but my dog sure finds it funny.
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(I find the image funny - I'm sure the dog finds it hillarious)
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Hi there. Well, I am Danish, 27 yrs old, lived in China for a year teaching at EF in Nanchang. I live in Denmark now, trying desperately to enjoy the crummy weather.
Interests: reading anything I can get my hands on, studying Chinese, running and trying to break the world record for throwing chew toys across the living room. Have not succeeded yet but my dog sure finds it funny.
You throw them across the room, run over and throw them back?
What does your do dog while you are doing this, aside from laughing?
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She hides behind the couch, as she is afraid of the neighbour's cat, Jensen.
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American, lived the past 20 years in the land of Aloha before coming to China nearly 4 years ago...
presently I have an apartment in Sanya & try to spend a week there once in awhile, I've been doing a lot of traveling in China the past bunch of months & will prolly keep doing going......................
I need to find that email with the url to me lizard with da funny eye....
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Okay, this it the Eagle, and not a bald eagle at that. I do have hair ... er, I mean feathers on my pate. I am here with the good missus who only makes me behave in front of company and when there is no company around. All the other times I am allowed to be as bad as bad can be. I've been here just over eight months and have signed up for a second year at my uni in ChangZhou. What else? Errrr ... blush .... no, I can't say it .... okay, you convinced me .... I like beer! And rum! And vodka! And ...
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I do have hair ... er, I mean feathers on my pate. I am here with the good missus who only makes me behave in front of company and when there is no company around. All the other times I am allowed to be as bad as bad can be. ... What else? Errrr ... blush .... no, I can't say it ....
Oh, eagle CAN be naughty!!! cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb
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Lizard? Funny eye? What?
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you no remember me lizard wit da funny eye?
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Do you hunt for food too? Cause Con does!!!
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you no remember me lizard wit da funny eye?
erm... no.
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you no remember me lizard wit da funny eye?
EWWWW. LOL!
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Would anyone care to elaborate on the Lizard thing?
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Other than the lizard apparently needs glasses?
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You could lend him yours ER. Just think how pretty he'd look in
pink maroon glasses. ahahahahah
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Kcanuck, arrived in 06 and staying until 08, then back to my environmental consulting job . One teenage son currently spending quality time with his dad. I still can't believe I'm here.
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Can't say that I want to go back, more life I hafta. My son gave me two years to do this and my boss said he'd hold my job for that long. However, by 2010 my son will be finished high school and then I just might bring him with me.
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kcanuck, I think I understand the "hafta" part. My move to China was "wanna" and "hafta". Supposed to be 1 year.
...5,5 years later I am still here and no clear plans to leave agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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kcanuck, I think I understand the "hafta" part. My move to China was "wanna" and "hafta". Supposed to be 1 year.
...5,5 years later I am still here and no clear plans to leave agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
I know the feeling. I really need to go back and get my PGCE, yet the idea of facing up to the Real World is kind of terrifying... Going back to paying about 100 quid a month for travel, commuting for 2 hours a day on packed tube trains, paying a million pounds a week for rent. Argh.
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Hi kids, I've been sitting at the other place whistling old songs to myself - finally realised all the action is over here! WOW!! This place is cool! Nice one RD & Noles (and associated others that I'm sure must have been ivolved).
Right, introductions...
non-dave or nd, Australian, been here in the mainland for nearly 2 years, a 3 year stint in and out of Hong Kong before that. Spent most of the last 7 years travelling around the globe, and though I dearly love OZ I have no plans to ever live there again.
I'm still on the fun side of 40. I have a wonderful, beautiful and mostly even-tempered girlfriend/signifigant other/??. Met her in a little town in the north and managed to convince her to leave home and business to come down south with me to Dongguan. Now we have her brother living with us and reports that her Mum, Dad and a few other relatives are also on their way.
Life's good here and the living is easy. Mostly. Except for the things I don't like.
Over.
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Hey, ND, both sides of 40 are fun sides!!
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there <------------------- my lizard wit da funny eye has been brought back from the deep dark folds of that thing called a net bfbfbfbfbf
& I'm happy to think/ know /hope that there might have been a few people reading this thread that are able to keep their minds a metre or so above the gutters & possible their past contacts wit da lizard wit day funny eye were remembered....
thus the few comments on him & my lack of reply cccccccccc
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I'm a 34 year old(for another 6 weeks or so anyway) Canadian..though my nationality has no bearing on my sense of personal identity.
I came to China when I discovered that my my quaint middle class existence had become a trap..and a very boring one at that.I hade originally planned on staying for a year and moving one to another country(Czech Republic,Vietnam,Japan,Thailand and Chile were all under consideration) but it's been almost two years and I feel no inclination to leave.One of these days...
Oh yeah...I am here with my common law wife and my my 4 month old son...who was born right here in China.AND I just got here so it may be awhile before I get around to editing my profile ect.
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Hi, I'm Ruth. Canadian by birth, USAnian by way of moving there and taking out citizenship. George is absolutely right - there are two fun sides to that dreaded 40. Personally, I'm having a blast on this side of it. Not so many people to be responsible for as when I was a mom of wee-ones.
About 4 years ago my hubby and I became empty nesters, and the dog died, and our jobs were boring. "What do you think about moving to China?" he says to me. Long story short (which is really difficult for me) - here we are. No plans to leave. We spent three fabulous years teaching at a senior middle school in Liaoning. When the school could no longer renew our contract, we headed for the deep south (Dongguan) in December. Now that the weather is warming up, I'm beginning to ask myself why...
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It's me, gonzo, one of the originals. I've requested that Raoul not afford me any elevated status, so no need to call me Sir!
I left China mid 04, so probably won't contribute much to your day to day conversations. However, I'm still an ESL teacher with heaps of Chinese students, and can certainly talk about what we have in common there.
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Oh... I do remember him now DaDan... aoaoaoaoao
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Mmmmmmm, you've got to like that new bar smell. Unfortunately the old guy in the corner smells..... Oh, Hi George!
bkbkbkbkbk
Hi I'm Steph. 35, single. Currently in Melbourne Australia after returning in January after spending a year teaching in the far North.
Am currently on my last year of study (fashion illustration and spanish) before heading to South America late January.
I like picking on George. bfbfbfbfbf
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Oh, the fear...Am I doing this right? New kid on the block in the Saloon, entering my second or third childhood. An expat, who is now an ex-expat, looking to revert to expat soon. Chasing jobs in China
American, female, challenge anyone out there to be older than I am, living in the land of Aloha.
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Aloha BK, don't mind the mess, we just moved in. Once we get the ladies lounge finished you'll be able to see how we really party. Make yourself at home, we're all one big dysfunctional family and there's always room for one more. agagagagag
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G'day BK. Good to see someone is older than me. Welcome aboard. agagagagag agagagagag
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Con, you lost the bet afafafafaf
Welcome, BK! Have a round on Con ate Dog! agagagagag
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Hi BK,
Welcome to our humble little establishment. Don't mind smell (George! Stil! Clean up after youselves... we have a guest! bibibibibi).
Don't mind us, we're all a little insane at times. aoaoaoaoao
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Hi BK. I'm just a boy.
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Don't listen to him BK
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Hi BK. I'm just a boy.
Yeah! A very strange and tinted boy!
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Hi BK. I'm just a boy.
Yeah! A very strange and tinted boy!
And this response coming from a ball with moving sticks...well I never!
Welcome BK!
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I ain't nuffin if not poetic!! agagagagag
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To those who appeal to the round bally sicky versions I'm sure!
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Hi BK. Welcome to the
Madhouse Saloon. Have a round on my tab.
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Welcome indeed, BK!
Hope ya have fun here! agagagagag
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Hi BK, welcome to the expat geriatrics ward. There are indeed grandparents aplenty. Somebody has to show these young 'uns the way to behave. Oh, Raoul ... more pijiu ... and ... oh yeah ... damn, forgot again ... oh well, it couldn't have been important.
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You guys move in th ehope of loosing me????? good try, but painful on your behalf by the sounds of things ahahahahah
I've previously been Miss Motz.....way too many keystrokes, Motzie will do just fine acacacacac
It's great to see the forum back up and running, George I'm sure your chicken is dancing faster these days...you feed it chinese speed or something?? (could me now being on broadband have anything to do with the chickens speed???)
Ummmm what else... Oh I'm 29, Aussie, never been to china and don't look like getting there to teach any time soon, unfortunately....am going to Hing Kong for 10 days in July and hope to cross the boarder for a few days..if I can manage it, Living in North QLD at the moment ...studying Education.Primary school mainly.
Well I'm gonna have a squizz around and find myself a brand new stool (with a cushion this time, the old stools were waay too hard) and observe the goings on in the new place.
Motzie
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whheeee!
Motzie, when the first crash happened and we were sent to shelter, Raoul contacted everyone who had their email addresses stated. Anyway
WELCOME BACK!!! Have a round on Eagle! agagagagag
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I think I remember getting that email, in the middle of moving from one end of the country to the other, and now have broadband ( I feel very lucky about this ..struggling with dial up has been painful) and it's all good
Is there any decent wine in China??? If so I'll have a glass of the finest white you've got....NO Chardonnay though agagagagag
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Decent wine in China? Can pigs fly? Is the earth flat? My advice, have a glass of something else...
...and welcome back agagagagag
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Plenty of decent wine in China! Mind you, I don't know where it comes from. Chile? Australia? China?
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Welcome Motzie!!!!
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Welcome back, wondered what had become of you!
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Ask Noles, he is a wine person. But from what i know there IS decent wine in China! Just stay away from most of Chinese brands.
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Ah used to humbly be a freelance journo for food and whine magazines. IMHO it is all crud here. So far. I gotta admit my partially trained taste buds cringe these days, and I don't experiment.
Scary scary stuff.
Luckily, my brandy tasting buds are less discriminating.
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Well if the bar doesn't stock any good wines ....can we order it :) I promise to be on jjjjjjjjjj
Thanks for the warm welcome back guys
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Australian, took leave of absence for one year from my job and came here to teach. Went back home after the 12 months saw my boss, took an extra 2 years and then decided I was kidding myself, I didn't want to go back to working 10 hour days when I could work 12 hour weeks and still live well, so resigned. Been here over 3 years now.
Have ball travelling in China, taking a few thousand photos each trip, and living the youth I spent in working raising 3 fabulous daughters. Don't have plans to return any time soon - and am even finding it difficult to wing my way to Oz to see family and friends - I get them to come to me.
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Never had rice wine....is one of the things I plan on finding when I'm on my too few days in China during July afafafafaf
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Rice wine is OK - not brilliant, but don't try to pretend it is "wine" - think of it as another beverage altogether and you'll manage it well. Shaanbei-ren like rice wine as well, and I've had it, warmed, in restaurants here.
Best rice wine I had was in Vietnam. I had gone up into the hill-tribes area to the north-west and stayed in a small village. At night half the population popped in and started to celebrate - local dances and plenty of drinking. The rice wine was in a large pottery vat and to drink it we used maybe half-a-dozen long bamboo straws. Knelt beside the vat, drank what we wanted, moved out, sat back, watched others drink, danced, came back for another turn. It was a great night, and one of the dancers gave me her sash that she had worn.
No - the bamboo straws weren't washed between each turn.
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Welcome Lotus to our new home.
We are still awaiting with baited breath for our ll. But it's nice to see you finally made it here!
A drink on the brains! agagagagag
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Never had rice wine....is one of the things I plan on finding when I'm on my too few days in China during July afafafafaf
Been treated to a nice amber rice wine by a local civic official and was quite surprised by its pleasant taste. Have also tried opaque white rice wine - very difficult to appreciate.
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LE, glad you finally arrived at the new digs. Have a drink on LT, a second drink on George, and finish up with as much as you want after those courtesy of good ol' Raoul, hisself.
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I didn't know it came in Amber ???
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BK, congratulations: you're the first new member to announce themself since we moved to this new spot. ababababab aiaiaiaiai
Fair enough, I'll cough up this drink. agagagagag Prairie fire, right? aaaaaaaaaa
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I am 33 and still living in the States. I will be finishing school next year about this time and plan on teaching overseas. At the moment I am researching everything as best I can.
My job right now is sitting around doing nothing because of a workplace accident. After having time to think about things I realized the jobs that involve accidents and surgery are not for me. bibibibibi
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Of course, many people (including myself for a long time) make the mistake of thinking that baijiu is rice wine. It isn't. Baijiu is made from wheat. Rice wine proper is stuff like sake, which is about as near the the perfect alcohol as you can get - weak enough to be pleasantly drinkable, yet strong enough to get you on the floor.
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Of course, many people (including myself for a long time) make the mistake of thinking that baijiu is rice wine. It isn't. Baijiu is made from wheat. Rice wine proper is stuff like sake, which is about as near the the perfect alcohol as you can get - weak enough to be pleasantly drinkable, yet strong enough to get you on the floor.
Most Baijiu is actually distilled out of sorghum with some notable exceptions depending on the geographical area.
Rice wine, commonly available in Hebei around winter time is also called mijiu and tastes pretty good hot. Absolutely no realtionship to baijiu or whatsoever. almost good stuff.
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Welcome aboard, Allen. 33 and still in school? Duzzenmatta, there is always a place in China for slow learners!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Yeah. I have had so many different rice wines it is hard to group them. I have had them from clear to amber to white to having floating bits of grain to dark brown and one that is black and tastes salty. Many are quite sweet, but I am told that isn't sugar added, but comes from the fermentation. Some from the north, I am told, are more like saki. Some are sort of like a rice beer.
Most aren't too bad, except I think the last dark one was trying to taste like soy sauce and succeeding far too well.
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I noticed a new member, Noel Murray. Welcome! Is this a new ID or is this a true newbie? Here, have a drink on my friend, Con. When he is tapped out, the two of us can find someone else to set up a round. Hey LT, is it your shout again?
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Back to me already ???
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Welcome aboard, Allen. agagagagag If you're considering china, this is the place to be- ask a ton of questions, and we'll be sure to slur our opinions and insights. back at ya.
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Back to me already ???
Not that I am trying to be cheap, but I'm saving my money for Xi'an. Leave tomorrow morning.
Oh! on another topic, "Hi" Allan. You are where I was last year this time - considering the move to China. The "saloon" made the transition much easier than if I had done it all "cold turkey." It was neat arriving and having friends already here. Make yourself homely and join me in a pint or two of some ice-cold Harbin. Cheers to Mr. Nobody for volunteering to pay the tab. LT has spent all of her money already and is now forced to eat noodles for the next five days.
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Alas Eagle, you've hit the nail on the head.
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G'day guys, Newbs here. Back after a looong time away. A special welcome to all the new comers. I'm a snake, back in Hoganland after a year in Hangzhou. Happy to be back home but I'm starting to get itchy feet again.
Beers are on me. agagagagag
Don't listen to anything George says about Australian Rules football. He doesn't know what he's talking about.
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Don't listen to anything George says about Australian Rules football. He doesn't know what he's talking about.
Decidedly ironic, coming from someone whose team is on the bottom of the ladder!!
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Welcome back to the saloon, newbs. Have a pint on .... oh, hell, I guess it's time for my shout ... come on everyone ... this shout's on me!
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Oh, Newbs!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome Allen, BK and the rest!!!!!!!!!
Have a round on Newbs - he was working on gold mines all this while so came back all rich and stuff agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Nice to see you back old boy. A round on the brains!
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Is that the real Newbs, or some kind of pod people Newbs, that's the main concern.
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Mr N, just read my new posts and see if they are witty, insightful and informative, or if they're like the krape that the old Newbs wrote. That should tell you.
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Welcome aboard, Allen. 33 and still in school? Duzzenmatta, there is always a place in China for slow learners!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
atatatatat Georgie, porgie, puddin & pie - I was a grandma when I got my Master's Degree. bgbgbgbgbg bgbgbgbgbg So there. Slow learners ROCK!! ababababab ababababab
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agagagagag agagagagag
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Georgie, porgie, puddin & pie - I was a grandma when I got my Master's Degree. bgbgbgbgbg bgbgbgbgbg So there. Slow learners ROCK!! ababababab ababababab
Or they breed quickly... bibibibibi
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Wow...I've been away for a week and missed out on so much.
Welcome to all the newcomers!
agagagagag
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I was right!
After reading Newbs posts on this forum, I agree they are witty, funny and urbane.
Obviously the pod people have got him! Give him back, you cads! Just because this is an improvement doesn't give you any right to..........
I am not making any sense, am I?
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Not really, no. bibibibibi
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Don't listen to her Nobody. You are making as much sense as you ever do.
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MY EYES!!! bibibibibi
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For a second I thought that my eyes were toast, then I was able to read the last post. Missi, you must have been very looped when you wrote that! Everything is wobbling.
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Eagle - stop making martini's while trying to read the forum... that way it won't wobble on you... bibibibibi ahahahahah
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Alternatively you could try them stired and not shaken! bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello all. I'm BamBam. I'm 38, American, and currently teaching in Korea. I'm headed to China in September. I'm in the process of researching cities and schools, and this community has already provided a wealth of information. I appreciate the candor and the straight dope.
China is so vast and diverse. I'll surely be bouncing numerous inquiries off of you guys, so thanks in advance for your help.
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Velcome aboard, Bambam.We do our best! agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome! agagagagag
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Bienvenue Bam Bam and good luck job hunting. agagagagag
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Cheers BamBam jjjjjjjjjj
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We now have a Dr. Everything and a Mr. Nobody! I bet nobody knows everything!
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Nah, everything knows nobody...
And welcome BamBam - is BamBam from the Flintstones?
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BamBam - female or male?
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Bambam, Dr.Everything welcome to the
madhouse nuthouse institution insanity Saloon..... nah insanity was right..... axaxaxaxax
Pull up a stool (not the ones with the finely tuned butt dents - they're all taken) and relax with cold one.... barkeep! This one's on me. agagagagag
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Nice to see all the new faces in here. BARTENDER!!! This round's on ME. agagagagag agagagagag
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A welcome to Bambam and all the others who have joined up recently. Barkeep, a round for everyone, and put it on
my George's tab. agagagagag
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Nice to see all the new faces in here. BARTENDER!!! This round's on ME. agagagagag agagagagag
You heard her, barkeep! bhbhbhbhbh
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Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes, I do have many questions, but many of them have been previously discussed in the different forums and threads. I'm still reading through them, and I'll be posting additional questions as they come up on the appropriate forums.
Hye BB welcome!!! Pull up a stool and tell us all about you int he Intro thread.
All about myself? I prefer to be mysterious, but I suppose that I am not unique and not unlike many of you, even though my ego is always attempting to convince me of how different and special I am. Anything you want to know, just ask.
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I ASKED!!! llllllllll
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Gosh, it took me reading 10 threads before I accidentally saw a mentioning of tie and now I know Bambam is a male! cheexyblonde
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Ok, what exactly did you ask? Well here is a summary.
My vitals: male, 37, single, never married, no children, straight, liberal minded, easygoing, Texan, teacher, bachelors, TESOL.
My interests: socializing, sightseeing, sports, working out, meditation, the pursuit of knowledge, live music, food, drink, relaxing, beaches, mountains, history, different cultures, animals, etc.
My background: born and raised on a cattle ranch, served in the army, worked in the telecom industry, in operations, middle management, and dabbled in acting.
My goals: to have fun and cause no harm to others.
I think I've managed to give a lot of info without actually saying much. Yet, I'm starting to feel a bit naked and exposed. Any more questions, just ask.
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Just one question: what do you want to do in China? Travel and sightsee? Immerse in the culture? Learn the language? Buy a ton of cool Chinese stuff? Rack up more teaching experience? Buy enough free time to pursue your own project? Find a wife? Find a string of girlfriends?
So many reasons to come to the Big Silly...
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Hey BamBam. Welcome! I won't hold your being from Texas against you. I have heard that there are Texans who do know how to speak English in a way that others can actually understand. Beer is cheap here, free if you get George, LT and Con to pay the tab. If you want tequila, Raoul's your man. As a mild mannered old fart, I will kick in occasionally for some hot water or even splurge on some weak Lipton's tea.
As a relative newbie here myself (going on nine months now) I hope that I can help answer any questions from my newbie experiences. Make yourself at home, don't touch the missus and we will be great friends. Just in case you didn't know it, Eagles eat BamBams if they make moves on the Eagle's missus.
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Eagles also make a decent stew if you add enough cumin.
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I have heard that Con eats almost anything, even dog. With that being said, I don't think that I am cumin to dinner ...
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Just one question: what do you want to do in China? Travel and sightsee? Immerse in the culture? Learn the language? Buy a ton of cool Chinese stuff? Rack up more teaching experience? Buy enough free time to pursue your own project? Find a wife? Find a string of girlfriends?
Good question. And my answers are: Yes, Not total immursion, Yes, No, Yes, You never know what opportunities will present themselves in the future, If my heart so chooses, and If the alternative is celebacy then yes I will seek female companionship and perhaps have more than one girlfriend before my stay is over.
I've been fascinated by China since I was a youngster. Teaching experience is a priority, but so is learning the language, experiencing the culture, seeing the sites, and making friends.
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Well... here - put on some pants and hope you can find what you are looking for! agagagagag
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Welcome to the Jungle Bam Bam,
I used to know a wrestler by that name... pretty tough SOB.
Anyways, as long as you're coming into China with an open mind and low expectations, you're gonna have the time of your life. It will be memorable one way or the other bfbfbfbfbf bfbfbfbfbf
Drinks are on LT for this round agagagagag agagagagag afafafafaf
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Who, what, where, Me? What money?
Ah Damm it Noles.... have you been volunteering my tab again? asasasasas
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I was busy hitting the other spots on the saloon before I pulled up a "barstool."
Here I am, an American by nationailty, but suspect I was Martian at birth. 34, though past injuries lead me to wonder if some bones in my body are 65. I've travelled a lot in my life. Mostly in Asia. I finished paying off thirty thousand US bucks in student loans last year. For the first time in my adult life I will be am liberated from the endentured servitude many Americans have to enter into just to receive a university education.
I have a disease. It's called travelitis. I caught it years ago when I started teaching English on the little island that China has a lot of interest in, and some loose cultural ties to. I enjoy living and working abroad. I actually enjoy teaching English.
I never wanted to be a teacher and never thought my life would take this turn. It started out as a curiosity and has become an affliction (one I'm all too happy to embrace). Since I returned home it's as if the volume of life is turned down, and the suck factor is amped up. Dead end jobs. No fundimental human right to basic medical insurance. Potential theocratic storms brewing in Washington...
I'll spare you those details.
Only recently did I realize (through profoundly soul-breaking trial and error) that about the only thing I can do well without dirving myself mad and feeling like I've sold myself out - and survive doing it - is teaching.
I'm none to fond of my country of birth and have felt like the country I loved started dying in 1980 and finally died sometime around 2000; and that the deceptively-similar version of it that I'm currently biding my time in is like the bizarro world version of it.
Stop the ship. I want to get off it.
So, I'm going to renew my recently-expired pasport this week and have started seriously looking into living and working in China while I slowly get the graduate degree on track. I'm not sure how long I'll end up working in China. I've been there a few times but only as a visitor.
One year. Maybe more? I'm happy to go in, do my best and let the chips fall where they may. I take things day by day. Such an outlook has been hammered into me after three decades of trying to plan way too far ahead.
Currently, I produce and direct a local television program. I have a love for what I'm doing but not for the system I have to do it in. Aesthetically it's rewarding, but emotionally it just reminds me that I'd rather be doing something that doesn't have me getting up each and every day wondering why I put up with a constant feeling of uncertainty, since every other television outlet has reduced local origination programming to the nightly propagandacast, newscast. So, every bit of aesthetic joy I receive from my work feels like it could be the last fix, and once the "ride" is done I don't want to work in commercial television ever again: local or otherwise.
Good people. Good food. Good drink. Good entertainment. A constant state of learning: that's what I enjoy.
Next round's on me! jjjjjjjjjj
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Great intro map, thanks for sharing and welcome!
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Ditto, a great intro. Welcome!
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Welcome, Moon and BamBam. If all else fails, you can be sure that the insanity at the saloon is a constant. Pull up a stool (yeah, I know these little suckers can hardly be called stools, but what the hay, we're in China ...) and join us at the trough. It seems that LT is paying again. At this rate, she will be in China another ten years just to pay the bar tab at the saloon.
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Hey Moon (May I call you Moon?), what's your ETA and what area of China are you looking to land in?
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Moon...
BumBam...
WELCOME, BOYS! HAVE A ROUND ON NOLES! agagagagag afafafafaf cheexyblonde
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Thanks for the kind words, everyone.
BAM: My ETA could be winter, or after that. In an hour I'll head down to the post office and begin the process of applying for a new passport. The last one expired in January. I imagine it will take two months (if I'm lucky) for that to process. Since the boogeymna faering Bandejos in Washington deemed it fit that all citizens have to have a pssport to visit our neighbors and even leave the continental U. S. to visit other states, like Hawaii or Alaska - this has driven passport procesing to a lethargic pace since it's like everything else in America: under-staffed and over-worked thnks to this mad glut.
I also have 13 episodes the station is contractually obigated to produce (to air them, that's a whole other up-in-the-air battle). It's practically written in stone that this is the final year for the show.
Unless major catastrophes arise: by winter my obligations will be fufilled and I should have my new pasport.
So, my ETA is 2008.
I'm looking for a Uni gig. Preferably in: Qingdao, Dalian, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou or Zuhai, for starters.
You can call me, Moon, MOP, Bozo, Harpo, Chico, gabacho - whatever floats yer boat! It's all fine.
Cheers! agagagagag
EDIT: Did the passport work. I was told it would take 10-12 WEEKS. Ugh! llllllllll
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2008? That's when I plan to be out of China.
But then again, I said the same thing about 2002, 2003... 2007 I am still here!
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Me, me! Pick me! (to drink on your account ahahahahah)
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leave the continental U. S. to visit other states, like Hawaii or Alaska
HUH!! Is that true?? You need a passport to travel interstate?? How quaint!
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Cheeks it's a given that you would be on the tab.... I think Missi was talking about others... ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
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leave the continental U. S. to visit other states, like Hawaii or Alaska
HUH!! Is that true?? You need a passport to travel interstate?? How quaint!
Drive or fly - to get to Alaska you go through Canada.
I wouldn't put it past the gits in the Blight House - who munch on civil liberties like a speed freak on crank - having it on their agenda, but as it stands now: interstate travel requires no passport in the U. S. Only for Hawaii (if you can hold your breath you can drive there!) and Alaska (gotta pass through Canada first), and all of our territories. In fact, I think you need one to fly anywhere now (but I could be wrong).
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Howdy Parma. agagagagag What's the show exactly? News? Community events?
Raoul tells me Shanghai is absolutely lousy with jobs right now. Then again, most cities are...
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Howdy Parma. agagagagag What's the show exactly? News? Community events?
Raoul tells me Shanghai is absolutely lousy with jobs right now. Then again, most cities are...
Hola, Con! It's a movie show. We plundered the public domain genre movies at our disposal, talked a station into giving us a two hour slot normally running infomercials and we have failed miserably to get enough sponsors to cover the revenue that the station was making from the info-mercials. I live in an area that is best described as "rust belt," and most of the local businesses that could pay for ads, were. That's like 5% of the local business though. Everyting else is Wal-Mart, Target, etc.: chains. To get their sponsorship (and we tried a few places like Coconuts, FYE, etc.) was an insane ritual and lots of calls and e-mails to corporate offices who pretty much laughed in our proverbial faces when they found out we were a local progam, and the kind of local programming that is rarely produced anymore - and that the station that aired us wasn't even "on the book" (i. e. ratings).
It got worse when the station wouldn't promote the show. no on-air mentions. No news brief, no radio, no paper, no free bumpers on their own channel. In the paper, on their website and on DVR we were lsited as "Paid Programming," though we almost sensed a change when an episode was actually listed as "Guthrie-Renker Presents" (another info-mercial company). The show will wrap in August. llllllllll
For what it's worth, I would only make $1000 less a year teaching at a Uni in China for 4000 RMB a month than what I made working on this show llllllllll For me, teaching in China would actually be a step up on the disposable income meter!
As for Shanghai: love the place, but it's but one destination. Dalian, Qingdao and Zuhai are particularly desirable, in my book, but I'm open to suggestions. The only caveat is that it'd have to be Uni work at a reputable school (as in the FTs had no beefs with the school, not "Harvard"-status schools) - and not way out in the middle of the sticks, where one would have to take 2 long bus trips and an overnight train to get to: a hypermart, Pizza Hut, Computer market, or reliable (by China's standards) DVD vendor.
I think I'm not asking for anything that's not possible, except for working in Shanghai! afafafafaf
When does the next season of University FT positions open up in China? December???
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Oh, we are talking drinks? I thought we were talking table dancing bibibibibi
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As for Shanghai: love the place, but it's but one destination. Dalian, Qingdao and Zuhai are particularly desirable, in my book, but I'm open to suggestions. The only caveat is that it'd have to be Uni work at a reputable school (as in the FTs had no beefs with the school, not "Harvard"-status schools) - and not way out in the middle of the sticks, where one would have to take 2 long bus trips and an overnight train to get to: a hypermart, Pizza Hut, Computer market, or reliable (by China's standards) DVD vendor.
When does the next season of University FT positions open up in China? December???
I'm in Dalian. My University (MSU-LNU) requires a Master's Degree to teach academic subjects. I teach at the Branch Campus of Missouri State. LNU the main (Chinese) campus also hires but I don't know all their requirements. We are close to everything 3 bus stops from Carrifore and Walmart, or 8RMB by taxi. Costs about 15 to go downtowm but the same buses also go there. Second term starts in late February.
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Dude, this is so transferrable! Come get some teaching gig, and find some local shmo with a decent digital cam. Sounds like they hate you for existing back home.
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Dude, this is so transferrable! Come get some teaching gig, and find some local shmo with a decent digital cam. Sounds like they hate you for existing back home.
Once we're done and a new passport's in hand and I've got enough for a ticket and a month's survival: the job hunt will begin. I've got a mini-dv kit and have some projects in mind, so you're definitely onto something, Con. As for "hating me," it definitely feels that way in the United States these days. This isn't the country I was raised in. That's for sure. The city I live in is f'n backwards. It was easier to get the part-time gig at this station than it was to get a job in an office or bookstore (which pay the same, or better). No joke. Totally f'n backwards... llllllllll
DragonSaver - thanks for the information. I only have a Bachelors at the moment. The Masters is something I'll work on down the line, but it appears I am underqualified for your school. :(
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Dang, the reply I was typing dissapeared. Hit a wrong key.
You don't have to save for airfare. Many schools pay your airfare over.
SYU-Lambton College is one. Accommodations suck but they pay airfare, pay salary in advance and treat you ok. They are always looking. Lampton college has another compus in Changchun (sp?) which has a much better reputation. Oh yes at SYU-Lambton you can hire on for only one semester and they still pay your full airfare (return). They may even have openings for starting after Sept 1st. http://www.chinatefl.com/jiangsu/teach/js_lmd.html
Normally you will be interviewed from Sarnia, Ontario. But you apply online as above. If you hunt you can probably find the Changchun campus too.
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Thanks again, DS! bjbjbjbjbj I've bookmarked the information and will look into it when I've gotmy ducks in a row on this side of the pond. As for plane fair - I always assumed it wa reimbursement. So, it is common for China Unis to pay for the flight? If so, that's one load off of my shoulders.
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So, it is common for China Unis to pay for the flight? If so, that's one load off of my shoulders.
I wouldn't take that to the bank!! Work on the re-imbursement theory.
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Ya, not all pay up front. Both of mine did, however I asked the second one to do it and they did. Other teachers had to wait for reimbursement.
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Parma and Bambam and everyone else who's new in town. Huanying, pull up a stool and have a pijiu. Drinks are on George. agagagagag
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Woo hoo! George is paying.... send one my way ;D
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Here you go Missi. agagagagag
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hi guys! im SOLONGTINIK!
im from the pearl of the orient..Philippines!
my apologies for being late and for visiting the saloon NOT too often. i was quite busy trying to be sober and sane. i failed though.
im 25 with a 16 year old mind.
i enjoy healthy mental intercourse. reading and watching DVDs are my uppers.
i hate boredom and routinary activities that's why im leaving.
im proud to be a FILIPINA but hate being tagged as chinese..sorry just being honest.
i LOVE this saloon and the people here!
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My name is Anya and I just recently got to Beijing to teach English and French. I am Russian, but I now live in Canada, and am a university student there. I am quite new to the city and don't know many people, but I am keeping myself open to anything and hope to learn as much as I can in the time that I am here!
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but I am keeping myself open to anything
Our kind of girl!! agagagagag agagagagag
Welcome aboard, Anya.
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Raise your glasses for a vodka salut to our newest citizen of the saloon - Anya!
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Welcome aboard, Anya. agagagagag We've got a bunch of Saloonies placed in Beijing- Cheekygal and Nolefan are the
drunkest most regular of the crew. How long have you been in China?
By the way, I'm Con, the most attractive man here. ababababab
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Ahh, xie xie ni'men! Cheers!
Most attractive man... I have been in China for just about a month. I spent a couple of weeks in Weifang, Shandong Province, (at another campus of the company I work for) and am now in Beijing for the summer. Very excited about traveling and seeing more of this country!
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Hi Anya, great to hear from you. Try not to let all the scary people in here frighten you away. Some of us are "normal"... sort of wwwwwwwwww
axaxaxaxax
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Anya, Cheekygal is from Russia too. Hope you two can get together sometime. agagagagag
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Howdy, Anya. Good luck in Beijing. agagagagag
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My name is Anya and I just recently got to Beijing to teach English and French. I am Russian, but I now live in Canada, and am a university student there. I am quite new to the city and don't know many people, but I am keeping myself open to anything and hope to learn as much as I can in the time that I am here!
Hey Anya,
Welcome to the madhouse... make that 2 madhouses :) the Saloon and Beijing...
There are quite a few things happening in the old capital and one of theeasiet ways of meeting people would be to come on over to one of the Altruistic Alcoholics meetings... Usually tuesday and/or wednesday nights around the Sanlitun area.. Pm for more info..
cheers.. this round is on Cheekygal
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She is in Canadian Intelligence now. So, basically you, canucks, got yourself a very well trained Russian agent who switched sides!!!! afafafafaf (or not!)
Privet, Anya, ya toje v Pekine agagagagag
Welcome aboard and hope you enjoy your time!
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P.S. don't be surprised if after this round you wake up in about 1 month somewhere in the jungles of Kalimantan uuuuuuuuuu
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Haha, haven't officially switched sides, I still only have my Russian citizenship! ;)
Ya prochitala chto ti v Pitere zhila! Ya ot tuda :) Gde ti zakonchila svoye obrazovanie?
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anya! nice name!
in tagalog "anya" means "what?"
WELCOME!
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Anya sounds like how Korean girls say 'no' (I hear it all the time). Actually it's Aniyo
In Canada Anya means..... well Anya.
Welcome Anya. Unfortunately for you, Con is the most atractive man here. The rest of us need you to be blindly drunk.
Errr. Can I buy you a drink? afafafafaf
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Stil, where are your manners? (If you want to be subtle, you need to buy everyone a round - thems the rules gggggggggg)
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If you want to be subtle, you need to buy everyone a round - thems the rules
That's why subtlety is in short supply around here!
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Haha, haven't officially switched sides
I'm gonna wait until I find out the choice here (not that there's anything wrong with it). Then I'll buy drinks
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Drinks with strings? ???
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I've heard of cheese strings, but I've never heard of drink strings. mmmmmmmmmm Could you describe them to me please. acacacacac
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All this time I was thinking it was hair in the booze. Imagine that, drink strings. Oh by the way, the missus has decided to get her own ID here as she doesn't want everyone to think that we thing/speak/whatever the same - My better half - Rose Petal. I think I have mentioned once that she was also known as My Lady of the Roses.
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All this time I was thinking it was hair in the booze. Imagine that, drink strings. Oh by the way, the missus has decided to get her own ID here as she doesn't want everyone to think that we thing/speak/whatever the same - My better half - Rose Petal. I think I have mentioned once that she was also known as My Lady of the Roses.
Good idea! Welcome aboard Petal. Now give us the other side to all his stories!! afafafafaf afafafafaf afafafafaf
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Hi All
My name is Emma and I am a 23 year old New Zealander heading your way in November this year. I am going to be doing a TEFL course at the Boland School as I will be new to teaching English. I am actually a television editor so a bit of a career jump but I am keen to do a bit of travelling. Never been to China before this huge leap of faith so any advice anyone has will not fall on deaf ears :)
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Emma, you should talk to Raoul about Bolands. Their reputation has gone south recently.
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I'm gonna wait until I find out the choice here (not that there's anything wrong with it). Then I'll buy drinks
Drinks with strings? ???
Stil's conditions must be met before he forks out for a round.... his drink buying has "strings attached" hence, drinks with strings. ahahahahah
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Welcome em, have a drink on er.. George (I need to save my money for the move bfbfbfbfbf) agagagagag
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Some people are a bit too free with my tab, Em, but since it's for you.....drink up!!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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George once I secure a new job then the next round's on me (I'll even spring for the real stuff afafafafaf)
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George If I ask nicely, could you buy me two? One for Em and the other for
me Em.
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Sheeesh! It'll have to be a bloody nice ask!!
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My most excellent Sir George, would you be so kind as to bestow upon me the gracious gift of 2 of the bars finest beverages. I realise as a peasant it is entirely inappropriate for me to even think of making such a request, however I've been told of your magnificance, kindnest and the awesome amount of knowledge your incredibly handsome head holds. As such I though I'd take the opportunity to make my request and just to stand in your pressance.
Your humble servant
LT
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Is that any good? amamamamam
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Not bad, but I didn't see "please" anywhere there!!
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Please ... amamamamam
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I am actually a television editor so a bit of a career jump but I am keen to do a bit of travelling.
Eerie coincidence! I may very well be headed into China to teach around that time, and I too am currently working (scraping by, really) in television! Welcome aboard, and good luck! agagagagag
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Ok, that's good......Barmaid! Two (small) glasses of Raoul's special! afafafafaf afafafafaf afafafafaf afafafafaf
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Thanks.... agagagagag Oh... no... wait... The "special"... but but but... aoaoaoaoao
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Damn it I should learn to be more specific. llllllllll
Em, just be careful with this one.
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Gotcha again!! agagagagag agagagagag
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Bugga!
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hey you m'kaying chook buy me a drink. PLEASE.
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Stil, may be you also want us to take you to lunch? afafafafaf
Welcome to the madhouse Saloon, Em! agagagagag
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Soitanly Stilly, ma man! Coming right up!
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Stil, may be you also want us to take you to lunch? afafafafaf
Right then, that's a good girl. Well why don't you just pick me up something from the restaurant.
Hey Em, want something to eat?
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Hi my name is Dianne. I am new to this post. My husband and are currently teaching in
Shouguang, Shandong Province. We have been in China for three years. Cheers agagagagag bmbmbmbmbm
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jjjjjjjjjj Welcome D & D.
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Welcome aboard, Dianne. You're just up the road from Jinan. Isn't Shouguang the vegetable capital of the world??
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Thanks for the drinks guys, I can see me fitting right in agagagagag
I have heard a lot of stuff about Boland (after I applied as is the way) but I think I am one of those that will need to a do a course of some description due to my huge lack of experience in the teaching area.
That is a coincidence Moon, if all my plans go to pot maybe we can make a documentary on how not to go about teaching English in China ;)
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Hi everyone
I am Thomas, here known as belrain.
I am a 36 years old german. Besides german I do speak english, some french and a little chinese - learning more and more ababababab.
Actually, I am only travelling to China (in the past 3 years about 17 times), but I am still looking for a job there. I have already seen many places in China and if I find the time, I will post some photos into the Saloon - I think I have now more than 2000 on my harddisk bibibibibi
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Welcome to one and all. Enjoy the banter, the good advice, the discussions, and especially enjoy the pijiu. agagagagag
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Yes, welcome one and all...I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do. jjjjjjjjjj
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afafafafaf finally found the place to chill out.Alonay here, probabaly the only one from the Philippines.Solong is still in hibernation.Sends her hugs and kisses to everyone)..im 25, stayed for almost 2years in china.Majored in Anthropology-Sociology and got degree in education.
Life has been a bit difficult for an Asian foreign teacher like me but what the heck!!!
i'm still here and survivin'. Cheers eveyone!!!! agagagagag
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jjjjjjjjjj Cheers and welcome, Alonay.
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agagagagag
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Drinks on Con, he just got paid.
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag jjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjj
Cheers and welcome to all the new people. :)
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Alonay, welcome back! agagagagag
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Hi Alonay - long time no see. Welcome.;D
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How on earth did it take me so long to figure out this is where the absolutely stunning ladies hang out? pppppppppp ajajajajaj
And why did I get married before figuring that out? asasasasas
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Yes and the moment the lock turns up for the door, we'll probably disappear without a trace.... again.
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Has anyone remembered to feed the Chippendales or at least restock the whipped cream supply?
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Don't worry - the Chippendales moved in with me for the duration. I wanted to make sure that they didn't lose the brilliance or precision of their routines. I've been rehearsing them regularly!! Plenty of room for training in my apartment.
We did run out of whipped cream a while ago though. I've substituted the massage oils the masseur at the beauty salon gave me - at least for now.
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If the ladies get a "Ladies Lounge," can us men-folk get a "Thunderdome???"
We don't need another hero, but we do need skantily clad apocalypse chicks, flying chainsaw duels, and copious amounts of post-apocalyptic hooch.
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The boys did have their own place while we had to live as squatters...couldn't tell you how busy the joint was or how lively the entertainment proved to be. There's a few oldtimers in the bunch so there was likely a lot of prostate talk.
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ahahahahah...... and hair plug talk.
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Lono Tiki, that was a nice introduction: you like women and you are married to a woman. Have a drink on Eagle. agagagagag
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And then have another on George. afafafafaf
Closely followed by Stil. agagagagag
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Now, do I actually have to pour the booze on them and drink it off of their bodies, or can I just sit on them while I drink?
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Just pour the booze on and lick off what's left!
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Absolutely not George! Tiki, please sit on them, and try to keep clear of flailing arms and legs (especially that manky toe of Georges) ahahahahah
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Yeah be careful of the toe. It still tongs a little!
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I'm not sittin' on George unless he has a chastity belt on. And I'm not licking him unless he's deep fried.
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ahahahahah I'm finger-lickin' good, but I can't guarantee the toes!!
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aaaaaaaaaa
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That mean you want to lick me Tiki? ararararar
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(ahh geez. Here we go bibibibibi). Said the wrong thing there Tiki.
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Let me just get ready here...
zzzzzzzzzz
Okay, here goes.
bdbdbdbdbd
eeeeeeeeee
Yeah, that bong just wasn't nearly strong enough.
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Don't worry - the Chippendales moved in with me for the duration. I wanted to make sure that they didn't lose the brilliance or precision of their routines. I've been rehearsing them regularly!! Plenty of room for training in my apartment.
We did run out of whipped cream a while ago though. I've substituted the massage oils the masseur at the beauty salon gave me - at least for now.
Oh LE you are a good girl! A request has been made for more wardrobe malfunction for their upcoming season. The 'requestee' wishes to remain anon.
Here's some whipped cream coming their way and some wheat germ which is good for sex drive as well as those gorgeous pulvic thrusts.
Thrust on boys!
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Just pour the booze on and lick off what's left!
Your disGusting....but your also gorge....
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The wheat germ might need to be given to them the way I currently give them their wheat grass juice. Poor babies don't like it much (well, who does?) but they do have a strenuous training schedule and I don't want them becoming ill. So I personally supervise each and everyone of them drinking it. I also make certain that there is no way they can hide it in their costumes to dispose of it later. afafafafaf
Costume malfunction - is that sort of like sabotage? I think the boys would actually be up for that when the rest of you ladies finally get to see the new moves we've been rehearsing. akakakakak akakakakak
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Great to hear LE - keep 'em thrusting!
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Greetings all
The requested self-introduction: ESL teacher for 10 years or so before switching to translation (Japanese-English). Studied Chinese for awhile in Kyoto with the express aim of reading the Tao. Then followed my Chinese teacher to her folk's apartment in Shanghai where I was bemused by the combination of outhouse-style toilet and modern air conditioning.
Been to 25 countries, lived in six of them (currently NZ). Along the way picked up a B.Sc., a Ph.D., a Cambridge certificate and a Level I in Japanese.
Peace love etc.
David Petersen
http://www.lulu.com/lang-arts
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Welcome aboard. agagagagag
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Yes, welcome aboard, Davmandy. Pull up a bollard and have a beer. agagagagag agagagagag Keep away from that Moon character. He is a serial plagiarist. Notice how he's stolen my multi-patented greeting?
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Yes, welcome aboard, Davmandy. Pull up a bollard and have a beer. agagagagag agagagagag Keep away from that Moon character. He is a serial plagiarist. Notice how he's stolen my multi-patented greeting?
bgbgbgbgbg ahahahahah
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Greetings, Davmandy!! Here, have a agagagagag agagagagag on
George Moon Stil's tab. Nice ta see ya here. Please post lots (and keep Raoul happy)!
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Welcome Davmandy, I seem to misplaced my wallet, hows about frontin us a pint? Good lad. agagagagag
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G'day davmandy and welcome. agagagagag
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Maybe dumpling wants vinegar? Welcome!
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and Dumpling, what I said to davmandy, including this agagagagag
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So many new people...oh dear..well, gather round, welcome and here is beer! lots and lots of beer agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag and if you need to aaaaaaaaaa just don't do it on me. And don't say anything about my glasses asasasasas asasasasas
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And don't say anything about my glasses
Which for some strange reason, are pink!!
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George, you infuriating chook! I would pummel you but since you fought so bravely in the Crimean War, I will not. However, the squirrels have no such reservations.
Ladies and gentlemen who have newly arrived, pay no heed to the ramblings of the chook. It is understandable that someone who was around when fire was discovered will inevitably forget proper names of things, like colours. George... cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb asasasasas asasasasas asasasasas
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However, the squirrels have no such reservations.
However, squirrels have respect, unlike you....you...you....you Danish Pastry, you!! agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to our new members - have a drink on George (he's certainly drowning in it!)
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I have been away for a while. And I have to say, after reading these replies, well, I nearly laughed, even at George's jokes. So, yeah, welcome all you people, and man, I need some further reading and another drink.
Not necessarily in that order.
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after reading these replies, well, I nearly laughed, even at George's jokes
My God, you must be bored!!! uuuuuuuuuu
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Hi everyone. Guess I better get my intro outta the way...
I'm 36 year old male whose stupid enough to work for the US government (that dreaded big agency with the abbrev DHS) here on the US Trust Territory of Guam, aka 3rd world USA.
llllllllll
I work in IT and I'm totally burnt out, standing up a new US Gov agency will do that to you I guess. I hate going to work everyday, in fact I would quit but I like the people I work with.
cbcbcbcbcb
I guess I'm one of those change my career types but I've been considering teaching English for about 6 years now and decided to take the plunge this year, eek!
aoaoaoaoao
To answer a few questions I saw posted earlier in this thread -
- Studied CMA (Chinese martial arts) for the better part of 1 decade (Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Shaolin systems)
- Find girlfriend - no, find wife - yes
- Adventurer YES, been all over the place in Asia, stayed in more than 1 3rd world country (Bali and Thailand are my favs)
- Aspiring author, I will be writing at least 1 book on living in China, I even know the title of the book, otherwise I'm a speculative fiction writer (sci-fi, fantasy, horror)
- Looking to probably be a long term ESL teacher until my writing career provides enough to live well in China.
- I'm big on Chinese astrology and had my Zi Wei Dou Shu done, it's scarily accurate!
I already have learned a ton of useful stuff lurking here so thanks for that guys and gals! Thanks in advance for answers to any newb ?s I have, this place is better than that OTHER place.
agagagagag
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I hate going to work everyday, in fact I would quit but I like the people I work with.
cbcbcbcbcb
I guess I'm one of those change my career types but I've been considering teaching English for about 6 years now and decided to take the plunge this year, eek!
Not picking on you but... The above two sentences say opposite things? bibibibibi
Are you really quitting a Government Job?? Or are you taking a leave of absence? The latter is the preferred way - just in case you don't like teaching. My son had a Government Job (Canada) and took a leave of absence and finally quit. Had to because the Govt job was in one city and his girlfriend (now wife) in another city. She wouldn't move so he had to choose her or his job. Lotus Eater also had a Govt job in Australia. She took a leave of absence too. She has since decided to stay in China and resigned.
Welcome to the Saloon. agagagagag You will get along with Mr. Nobody as he is a Martial Arts Teacher - has been for many years and also has written Science Fiction books. agagagagag
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Welcome limubai2000. Come on in, take a seat, enjoy the scenery, and have a pijiu or two. agagagagag agagagagag George is paying!
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Actually I'm a contractor, DHS (TSA specifically) hired a lot of us. I am for all purposes a US Gov't employee but my paycheck comes from a private company. LOA is not an option in my case and if I was a normal gov employee, TSA is exempt from Title 5 which means they can deny a LOA and take your resignation instead. You don't wanna hear how bad TSA or DHS really is. aoaoaoaoao
I will avoid working in IT at all costs after this job. After 15 years in the field I'm physically and mentally exhausted.
And you weren't picking on me, at least I don't see it that way! I need to proofread my posts better... bibibibibi
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Actually I'm a contractor, DHS (TSA specifically) hired a lot of us. I am for all purposes a US Gov't employee but my paycheck comes from a private company. LOA is not an option in my case and if I was a normal gov employee, TSA is exempt from Title 5 which means they can deny a LOA and take your resignation instead. You don't wanna hear how bad TSA or DHS really is. aoaoaoaoao
Dragonsaver: "Government" jobs being privatized is very commong here, in the U. S. It is the government's way of cheating out benefits and hard-earned perks to loyal workers without actually appearing to be the bad guy.
I wish you luck, limubai. I think you'll find many interesting, enriching adventures entering the ESL circuit. I have no doubts you'll find plenty of inspiration along the way, too. Welcome to the saloon!
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"Government" jobs being privatized is very commong here, in the U. S. It is the government's way of cheating out benefits and hard-earned perks to loyal workers without actually appearing to be the bad guy.
Spot on Moon. I would also add they are taking away COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) because it is non-taxable and does not apply towards retirement. They are replacing it with Locality Pay which is taxable both federally and at the state level but it does count towards retirement contributions. For Federal workers in high COLA areas (Guam, Hawaii...) this will have a big impact on them financially. Contractors like me don't get COLA.
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Actually I'm a contractor, DHS (TSA specifically) hired a lot of us.
DHS - Department of Health and Safety? Disability Health Services? TSA - ???
Too many acronyms bibibibibi help...
Welcome abroad Limubai, teacher in China is fun. If you work at a university you'll have lots of free-time to write. Easy teaching loads abound in the tertiary field.
As for Chinese astrology and your Zi Wei Dou Shu - can you start up a thread on it educating us ignoramous. All I know is that I'm a snake...
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All I know is that I'm a snake...
I had my suspicions.
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DHS - US Department of Homeland Security (aka ineptitude on a LARGER scale)
TSA - US Transportation Security Administration (aka we search you in the airport and make your airport time miserable) - this is who I work for now, they give new meaning to "government waste"
TSA, Immigration, Customs and those all folks fall under DHS. Sorta like a big party of ineptitude going on in DHS.
As for the astrology, I will gather my websites and start a thread later. I'm a dog under the "animal" system. Zi Wei is far more complex and does not use animals. It is common in the west to see them mixed together.
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I'm a goat..or a sheep..not quite sure...
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Is there a Monkey? I think I'm that. (Not this monkey though bbbbbbbbbb - He's rude)
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Is there a Monkey? I think I'm that. (Not this monkey though bbbbbbbbbb - He's rude)
That's a monkey? I thought it was a squirrel! bibibibibi
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Whatever it is, it's rude.
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Yes, there is a Monkey (and that one is a typical Chinese monkey!! ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah).
I'm a Libran snake.
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Sheep, same as eric. i guess i better go shopping for pink glasses.
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You'll look good in pink Stil...paste a picture for us to looksee.
DHS - US Department of Homeland Security (aka ineptitude on a LARGER scale)
TSA - US Transportation Security Administration (aka we search you in the airport and make your airport time miserable) - this is who I work for now, they give new meaning to "government waste"
Homeland Security bibibibibi I should have guessed. It still makes me think of something out of a George Orwell novel. But is it a big employer in the US? If it is, I 'spose we could say every cloud has a silver lining...
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Sheep, same as eric. i guess i better go shopping for pink glasses.
But are you an Earth Sheep/goat/ram?
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Baa. Crappiest animal. Even a rat has a little dignity.
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Baa. Crappiest animal. Even a rat has a little dignity.
Hey!! At least you can make a sweater out of a sheep and milk it and make cheese. Can you do that with a rat..well...I guess you could. Rat cheese anyone? Doesn't sound to yummy aaaaaaaaaa
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Rat cheese anyone? Doesn't sound to yummy aaaaaaaaaa
Maybe with a little bit of that "Dragon bone" (http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=568.msg10095#msg10095) it'd go down a lot smoother? aaaaaaaaaa
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How about a slice of frozen baby mammot? Some chap in Russia stumbled over one, as you do. I normally kick them to the side or feed them to my dog. Damn mammots, leaving their frozen offspring everywhere!
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Welcome aboard, Limubai. Guam should be pretty interesting, from what I've heard. Closest I got was Nauru and The Marshalls. Both interesting, but not as good as China. Have fun!!
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OK< now I'm confused...
Frozen MAMMOTH
(http://photobucket.com/albums/v176/RaoulSaloon/mammoth.jpg)
or Frozen MARMOT?
(http://photobucket.com/albums/v176/RaoulSaloon/marmot.jpg)
A mammoth is an big ancient extinct animal sometimes found frozen. They make excellent, well-aged steaks for the cognoscenti of Siberia.
A marmot is a small modern living animal. Prone to northern climes, it's also sometimes found frozen. A frozen marmot is known scientifically as a marmite. Marmites are sometimes ground to a powder and mixed with the fermented urine of diseased horses, to make the paste also known as Marmite. This paste is enjoyed as a bread spread by perverts, mental patients, and English people.
I hope this clears things up. uuuuuuuuuu
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mental patients, and English people.
Thanks boss, wonderful example of a redundancy. uuuuuuuuuu
Ahh, have I just pi$$ed off all our pommie friends?
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Duibuqi laoban, I meant mammoth. I really do hope they clone it and mass-produce it. Can't you see it? The McMammoth burger! bfbfbfbfbf A sure fire hit.
Limubai, welcome. Have a seat. I'll be in the kitchen, making toasties with marmite. It seems there is a certain aristocrat here who just loves the stuff...
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welcome, all alcohol is on George until he gets back.
Knock yourselves out.
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Yes, welcome all and sundry. Here the drinks are strong and plentiful and, more to the point, on George. He's paying anyway. If you want your drinks actually on George, you have to consult him when he returns. And if any of you steal bicycles, you go on the roof with the axe-wielding mutant squirrels.
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And if any of you steal bicycles, you go on the roof with the axe-wielding mutant squirrels.
Interesting pets you have aoaoaoaoao
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They are not pets, more like allies. I buy them shots of Creme de Menthe and they chase Stil when his pink glasses bashing gets to be too much.
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Hola all, new and old. How's the weather where you are? Have been busy stateside teaching the roomie's little bird how to talk as well as doing other equally fascinating things. Feeling great, down to fighting weight and ready to return, possibly in October.
Lot's of new faces around here. Pleased to meet ya'.
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I am the barfly formerly known as dolly 0'dear, but I am feeling much less "Oh dear"-ish and more just plain "oh"-ish now days. Has to do with being on the mend. Coming back to China minus a part or two and feeling much better for it. bfbfbfbfbf
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Wow, welcome back. agagagagag I tried to contact you when you left but was unble to .
Sure hope you return and I get to see you again. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome back dali-oh. They said you were a saloonite from V1.0 but damned if I could remember you. Now, it all fits into place. Your avatar was Calamity Jane, or someone like her, wasn't it?
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it was a kitty-dj, animated. hm. I liked that one, come to think of it -- maybe will find it again.
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Greetings, all!
I’m American, teaching in China for the past 4 years. I’m single, 53 y.o., fat, bald, and runway model-challenged. I was a university teacher in the U.S. prior to coming to China. I hold two masters degrees (theater and library-information services), and taught a range of courses back home. I was non-traditional student (entering my academic career at 36!). Before that, I worked a stage manager, acting coach, and cornucopia of other jobs.
A native of North Carolina, I lived in New York City for 14 years (1975-1989), as well as several other locations in eastern U.S.A. I worked in lived in Germany for one year (1988-89), and I came to China from Kansas City.
Students in China (my students usually range in age from 17-50) often tell me I’m funny (“Oh, you are so humor!”), but once I’m away from the classroom (in China), I often feel like blowing my brains out.
For me, China is the ultimate roller coaster ride...
Presently living in Nanjing, and speaking only a little putonhua. Actually, this is something I’d like to discuss more with folks… When I made my first post last night (“How long have you been in China?” thread), I noticed some people had been making comments about the sobering realities of understanding much of what the local folks say. In truth, my low-level Mandarin is the result of laziness, but my situation is also perpetuated by such testimonies from others. A number of trusted foreign colleagues tell me that once they learned decent Mandarin, they were appalled by the things they would overhear. Is there a thread related to this topic? As with almost everything in China, I’m conflicted…
I’m a wounded refugee from other ESL sites, and a huge fan of Raoul (I think it makes him a little nervous.).
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Welcome aboard, Birddog. First, don't worry about what the peasants say about you. It's a waste of time. The ignorant peasants of every country in the world say things like that. I can speak a little Chinese, but my hearing abilities are absolutely zero...and I am happy about that. Selective hearing is a godsend!! Other opinions may vary! bibibibibi
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Hi, George!
Xiexie ni!
Actually, I'm not so concerned about what people say about me, personally -- they often say those things directly to my face, in English. Not much problem there. I'm able to laugh off much of it. What concerns me is other general racist, and various ignorant, prejudical crap I might encounter.
My limited putonhua keeps me in a cacoon of denial. Insane, I know!
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G'day birddog and welcome.
Have a pijiu on me, don't take any crap from George (Strewth, it's not like any of the rest of us do) and have a good time. agagagagag Nanjing, IMHO, is one of the more underrated, and/or undermentioned, cities of China.
I’m single, 53 y.o., fat, bald, and runway model-challenged.
Just but out here George. People with these characteristics are God's chosen.
huge fan of Raoul (I think it makes him a little nervous.).
It makes the rest of us bloody nervous, let me tell you. (Just joking, boss) uuuuuuuuuu
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Hey, newbs!
Cheers, mate! Yeah, Nanjing is by and large a wonderful city. Too bad all the training schools and universities here (from my experience -- and I've had PLENTY!) are mostly pathethic places of employment. Want details? I got 'em! Also, due to an ever-increasing population of laowai, FT salaries (and amenities) are plummeting annually.
As for my little bit of Raoul-worship, it's because so many times on other ESL sites, he was the ONLY voice of reason in the cacaphony of ESL insanity -- always on target with his piss-and-vinegar dipped arrows. In times of frustration, Raoul made me feel I wasn't alone. God bless him!
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Okay, let's be serious here for a minute.
Nanjing is a nice city*, with history, really good restaurant drag in Fuzimao and great bit of greenery to the east of the city, to lose yourself in. However, being the capital of Jiangsu province is a bit of a problem. The Jiangsu education system is, I am told, even by Chinese standards pretty neaderthal. And it might even have been Raoul who first put me on to that bit of advice.
Which kinda sorta segues nicely into my second point. Raoul, in all seriousness, talks a whole lotta good ol' common sense, and we all appreciate it. Thanks boss. bfbfbfbfbf
*and I don't think it cracks a mention in the Library, in the section on info on Chinese cities. If you've been in Nanjing awhile, PM Raoul with the "the good oil" (Hoganspeak for correct information)
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Welcome, birddog! Nanjing is a beautiful city - I was there once in 2002.
What George and Newbs said! Feel yourself comfortable, have a drink or few on George and post away! agagagagag cheexyblonde cheexyblonde cheexyblonde agagagagag
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..... I noticed some people had been making comments about the sobering realities of understanding much of what the local folks say. In truth, my low-level Mandarin is the result of laziness, but my situation is also perpetuated by such testimonies from others. A number of trusted foreign colleagues tell me that once they learned decent Mandarin, they were appalled by the things they would overhear. Is there a thread related to this topic? As with almost everything in China, I’m conflicted…
There isn't a thread on this topic, YET. But that can be easily remedied.
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Thanks for hospitality, cheekygal! Greetings, AMonk, and thanks!
Newbs, forgive me, I'm still bumping into walls around here... where's the library?
Actually, I think I can provide much more experiential information on schools/FT employers here, than the city itself. Most of what I know about Nanjing's history, sites, etc., is mostly common knowledge among visitors.
A kernel of advice for tourists: avoid the green taxis (which are plentiful). The drivers of gold and blue taxis here are much more trustworthy and generally safer (compared to Nanjing drivers, only!!!)
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You should post that in city information thread. agagagagag
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Hi all! Darrick here. I'm a californian primarily having gone to high school there. Grew up in Hawaii (windward Oahu), Alaska (Anchorage), and California (San Francisco) but I was born in Colorado and half of my family is from the deep south (Alabama and north Florida). I did my graduate studies in anthropology and got divorced all in Austin, Texas where my three boy's (17,19,21) still live.
Now, I'll be moving to Shanghai in less than three weeks! bfbfbfbfbf
I'm going on a ten month contract to teach oral English at Sanda University. aoaoaoaoao
Anybody else in the Shanghai area? agagagagag
D
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Welcome aboard, Darrick, and welcome you to China!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Well, Suzhou's a short train ride from Shanghai, and you'll find a few of us there. But now that you mention it, I can't think of any Saloonies in the Big Whore. Good choice though, if you like big cities. Shanghai is a discount new York (not that I've ever been).
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Thanks George!
CAD, that's just what I'm hoping to find in 'the big whore' ahahahahah Well, something like I imagine NY to be anyhow. Like yourself, I've never been either. There was good pay, position and quite a bit of anticipated diversion that went into the decision to try Shanghai as a 'first post' in China. The adrenaline is already flowing freely. I'm going to be exhausted by the time I actually arrive. bibibibibi
D
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I think you'll get a kick out of it. I originally moved to Suzhou because Raoul found me a great job, and it's proximity to Shanghai. Now, thanks to that high speed train they put in, I could go from standing in my apartment to sitting in a Shanghai subway car within an hour. Technically I could commute.
Real estate in Shanghai is too expensive, though, while in Suzhou it's still dirt cheap. So I'll have to be a weekend metrosophisticate.
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Welcome, Darrick! Have a drink or two on Con! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Birddog and Darrick! I swiped Stil's credit card, so drinks are on
Stil me agagagagag agagagagag
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Thanks, Eric! --
and welcome, Darrick!
I've been in China for 4 years now (in Nanjing -- about 3 1/2 hours northwest of Shanghai), but I only joined this forum a few days ago. The folks are extremely hospitable and helpful here.
All best wishes with your new job at Sanda. I made some comments about that school a few days ago in the reviews forum.
Please let me know if you have any questions and/or concerns about teaching and working in China. I've been to Shanghai a number of times, but very briefly each time. Shanghai is a great city, but it offers a limited view of the rest of China. I hope you will have the chance to travel or perhaps teach in other cities, as well! Foreigners get little special attention in Shanghai (that's good!), but in other places (not only in rural areas but cities as well), you will be stared at like some sort of exotic zoo animal. aqaqaqaqaq
Chinese people are mostly quite friendly and hospitable, but they can be extremely aggravating to work for! ffffffffff
All best wishes to you and wishing you pleasant travel to Shanghai!
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Also a big WELCOME from me. agagagagag
I think, I am the only one here who is not a teacher - but that is ok for me, that means I am somehow special bfbfbfbfbf
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that means I am somehow special thumbup
ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
Don't kid youseff!!! Just means you isn't as smart as we is! agagagagag agagagagag
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@George
We can talk about that again as soon as I get my Job in China - then we compare our salaries afafafafaf
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Oy there, money does not make you smart, only rich and affluent and powerful and lets you live a life on easy street and..errr...I mean...guess it is smart to have money...umm...potts, blitz und donnerwetter! oooooooooo
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Well said, Eric...............................I think!! bibibibibi
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Money = corruption in China.
Teachers = no money ergo not corrupt.
We are the GOOD ones!
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No Money in China = Do what you have to to live = Crime
Teachers = No Money ergo Criminals
So, are we the GOOD crims?
(There's no "tongue in cheek" icon - nor is there any requirement for comments relating to Australian heritage and crimanlity. My progenitors are German.)
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No - if we were good crims we wouldn't have been caught. bibibibibi
The best you can say of us - convicts or anyone else but the soldiers/guards SENT to Oz - is that we are people who eschew the accepted and boring. We are creative and think differntly, we are prepared to risk all for a dream.
What a wonderful people.
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And you are all also werekangaroos...admit it...come on...you know you want to..
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Hi all! I just found this post and figured it's high time I introduce myself in the right post. I'm a 23 year-old Australian-Chinese guy, and am moving to Chengdu in six days (!), and am very excited about all the challenges and opportunities it will entail.
I was born and raised in Bunbury, a little town in the southwest of Australia, but moved to Maryland in the United States when I was 16 (that's 2000, for those counting). I studied international development and philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park, and have spent the last two years working for an international development/humanitarian relief NGO outside Washington. My favorite things include cricket, good food, music, and I am looking to freelance (writing, editing) after I settle in. Feel free to get in touch with me if you need a copywriter.
I'm sure hoping some of y'all are in Chengdu, because I know hardly anybody, and will be looking for all the help I can get upon arrival! My mandarin's barely reached survival level, though I've been practising a bit with the family before I leave.
Cheers,
Mark
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Welcome darrick and itslateagain. What all the rest said. agagagagag
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Welcome! Have a drink on me! agagagagag
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WELCOME ABOARD, All you guys!!
Next round of drinks is on LE.....Toasties will be my treat! Name your favourite(s)....
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Welcome aboard guys!!!!
This round is on me (seeing as i haven't been around much lately - guess it's my turn)
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hey, I used to work in Suzhou with Raoul and a few other people.... thatt's pretty much it.
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Well, that's good enough. Here, lots of agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag WELCOME agagagagag agagagagag
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I won't be surprised they started Christmas sale! bibibibibi
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Hi all! I just moved to Suzhou this past weekend to start teaching at Suzhou Experimental Primary. I just graduated with an engineering degree (oops). I have already met some of you all, including Raoul. So yeah, if you are in Suzhou, maybe I will see you around.
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Here's one on me Snoop agagagagag
(next one is on Georges tab - and it's open so drink up on that one bfbfbfbfbf)
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I met Snoop in the Shamrock, straight off the train, off 3 days without REM sleep and after about 5 shooters.
...though I barely remember. But he gives off a good vibe, and was smart enough to, it being his first night in China, make a beeline for the laowai bar. agagagagag
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Con, you let me in on all your grand plans in this town agagagagag
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So, introductions. I'm mushroomy, both in name and description. I like this group so far, so I'll tell you the GOOD stuff . . . If only there was some. bebebebebe
I am a semi-retired, middle-aged woman living for the time being in California, with my clingy cat. I have taught ESL in Wyoming (any Wyomingites out there?) and I think I'm ready to teach in China as soon as I find a job in the right climate. I hate heat, so I think the north is for me. I have lived in Africa and Russia and traveled a lot, so I think this won't be a big shock.
Any single middle-agers who want to tell me what it's like over there please drop me a line. Or anyone else for that matter. bfbfbfbfbf
A round for the house agagagagag and one of Raoul's Diet Pepsi's for me. Is there Diet Coke instead? mmmmmmmmmm
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welcome, mushroomy! once you are up in the Ladies Lounge, we will treat you our special cocktails! Have a diet coke on me - I'll join you with a Ginger Ale agagagagag
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Spasibo, Cheekygal.
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I met Snoop in the Shamrock, straight off the train, off 3 days without REM sleep and after about 5 shooters.
But wait a minute, I'm confused. Who was straight off the train, 3 days without REM sleep and had just had 5 shooters? Was it Con or was it Snoops? Maybe each thought the other was straight off the train, yabbadah, yabbadah, you get the idea.
And mushroomy, welcome. agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Mushroomy. Just remember not to sit on the Toad's Stool!! agagagagag agagagagag
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to the trash heap
OR
to the junk yard
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mushroomy speaketh KGB language? WOOHOO! That makes the three of us! agagagagag
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Snoops, you'll be fine! Stay away from Con. Belgians is nasty.
Shroomidge. Cali girl from Wyoming. Cool. Come on over. It's good for all ages.
Lose the cat.
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Ummm. Times change - we used to warn noobies to stay away from George...
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Hi, I'm new here.
Well, I'm not. Some of you might know me under my alter-egos, Chinamoviemagic, Urbanex, Rhondaplace and Jen2003.
Only kidding. I kinda forgot about this place, what with not doing the teaching thing anymore, and having a lot of other stuff to do during my online time. It's good to see that the Saloon is back in full-swing, and all the familiar faces are still here dddddddddd
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Stil, the cat is offended. kkkkkkkkkk But then she doesn't know I'll be sneaking out the back door at midnight and leaving her behind with the renters.
Cheekygal, I not only speak KGB language, I lived across the street from them for two years. Actually that was almost 15 years ago and what little Russian I remember is thoroughly mixed with the French that came after it. I can't wait to learn Chinese and speak 4 languages in one sentence.
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WELCOME TO MY WORLD, MUSHY! afafafafaf cheexyblonde
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I much prefer Shroomy to Mushy, thanks. And Raoul provided my own little Shroom icon, too!! iiiiiiiiii
Isn't it the middle of the night for you?
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Welcome back Ilunga!!! agagagagag agagagagag
Where you been and whatchya doin' now??
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Hi, I'm new here.
Well, I'm not. Some of you might know me under my alter-egos, Chinamoviemagic, Urbanex, Rhondaplace and Jen2003.
Only kidding. I kinda forgot about this place, what with not doing the teaching thing anymore, and having a lot of other stuff to do during my online time. It's good to see that the Saloon is back in full-swing, and all the familiar faces are still here dddddddddd
AAArrrrghhh. Nearly went ballistic, then checked your name. CMM needs serious deleting. HI Ilunga, good to see you again> i have also been away after a leave of absinthe.
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Hi George, and Nobs.
I'm currently bumming around in Xiamen, waiting for the uni to start up so I can resume my mandarin studies. This place is pretty cool. I could settle down here. I think my lungs are enjoying it as well ;D
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Welcome back Ilunga agagagagag and thanks for reminding us of past "friends".
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Welcome back, ilunga! Glad to see you back! agagagagag
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Did anyone happen to notice an old lady sitting on a bar stool, listening to your conversations and drinking red wine? Well that was me - Granny Mae, and I'm sorry that I have not introduced myself before. I felt a bit unsure, given that you folk have had so much experience of China and teaching and I have virtually nothing to contribute in that area; I have felt like an eavesdropper.
I wanted you to know why I'm here and also that I really appreciate your generosity in sharing your experiences.
I am a 62 years old widowed granny with a son and two grandsons.
I grew up and was educated in Tenterfield N.S.W. Australia. I have six brothers aoaoaoaoao I graduated from high school, but did not go on to University.
I had 30 years service with a Government Department and was made redundant from my job 10 years ago.
The sudden death of my husband Jim in 1988 begged the question "What's it all about Alfie?" I can't find words to help you to understand what it means to lose the light and love of your life; you have to experience it to understand the pain. It resurfaces when you least expect it in a word or in a song or in something that you see.
Anyway, about a year and a half ago, I was forced to take stock of my life. I was getting older and the wheels were starting to fall off.I thought about the things I'd like to do before I fall off the perch. Yes, you guessed it, why not step right out of the comfort zone and go to China to teach Conversational English!
To help me attain this goal, I have had surgery on my right hip, (sorry guys,my reputation and censorship laws prevent my elaborating on my misspent youth)I have also obtained my Certificate 111. in Tesol. I have been to Tafe to learn some basic computer skills. I have purchased a laptop and joined Brisbane Seniors On Line. (Old farts on computers)
I'd hoped to be in China at the start of this school year. Fate intervened and I contracted some dog's disease. It now appears that there may be complications and I'll know more after I see a heart specialist bfbfbfbfbf
Anyway folks, this is starting to look and read like "Gone with the wind". I'll end my introduction by saying that thanks to you folk and Raoul I have learned so much already.God willing I will be in a position to ask you many more questions, if the fates decide to let me go to China,even if it is only for a short time.
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Thanks for speaking up Granny...your first post was a great read. Sorry things didn't work out as it pertains to your plans to be here for the start of the school year but there's always next term. Hope to see you here real soon!
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Dear Granny! Welcome! Have a special Ladies Lounge cocktail on my tab! Anyone is welcome to post. You are here and so you are one of us! agagagagag
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From one grandparent to another, welcome. Oh by the way, there are more of us grandparents here than you would expect. Strange how they congregate in bars in China?
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Ya, I am a titch older than you. I have 2 grandchildren. This is my 3rd year teaching in China and I love it. agagagagag
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Granny Mae - we don't have censorship laws in the Ladies Lounge - come on up and tell us about your misspent youth!!
Good luck with the health report.
The new teachers, who arrived this week, are 68 and 72 years old. This is their 3rd stint in China teaching.
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Yee haw and hot damn, welcome Granny. We've got a big supply of that medicinal moonshine behind the bar and some pretty decent folk with all sorts of ailments. agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Granny. You don't have to be in China to drink here, but I hope you make it!!.....and I'm older than you!! agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello GMae. Welcome aboard! It's good to meet you. And don't worry.....Not everyone here is a Spring Chicken (not even George, our Perennial Youthster), nor is everyone at the Saloon presently resident in China (I'm not, nor is Teleplayer) yet. So don't worry about those two points. Come on in and speak up whenever you've a wish to. Our doors are always open.
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p.s. 62 is more like "middle aged" (and still frisky) than "old" (and re-tired).
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G'day granny and welcome. George, by the way, is older than everyone, including Methusleah (sp?)
Never been to Tenterfield but a great song, and a great singer, came from there, didn't he? Peter Allen. agagagagag
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Tenterfield saddler was a good song. I have been there - passed through a few times. But Brisbane was my last base of operations before I succumbed to the lure of China.
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Many thanks for the welcome. One day I'll visit the ladie's lounge and we can all chat about our misspent youth. We older folk may also have some interesting stories from the not too distant past.It's a well known saying,that many a good tune has been played on an old fiddle. Sorry guys,but this looks like a ladie's lounge topic.(well for the ladies anyway)
Newbs, Peter Allen's grandfather was the saddler in Tenterfield and Peter wrote the song as a tribute to him.Peter's grandfather's brother taught me to swim. I know that Peter came to Tenterfield on holidays; truth be known, he was probably one of the boys I'd get into punch ups with down the creek behind my house. uuuuuuuuuu
Lotus Eater,it's nice to know that you have been through my little town. I now live in Brisbane.
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Hi all!
I'm Maple Muncher, and yeah, I guess that would make me Canadian. Lived most of my adult life in and around TO. I'm 36 years old and got sick of the rat race back home... didn't know I was trading that for an insanity race here in China, but whatever, I prefer insanity to rats any day of the week.
Just got into Suzhou about a week ago now and the honeymoon phase is in full effect! Loving it here. Everyone has been extremely friendly and helpful. If it weren't for that, this would be a different post altogether... so thanks for all the guidance and tips (you know who you are).
Still trying to wrap my brain around the Chinese mentality and the way things work here. Looking forward to sharing those thoughts here at Raoul's!
Muncher.
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Still trying to wrap my brain around the Chinese mentality and the way things work here. Looking forward to sharing those thoughts here at Raoul's!
If you manage to do this, please be ready to give lessons or seminars or write a short book.
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Welcome Maple muncher, and what eagle said.
Lived most of my adult life in and around TO.
Or, as they would say on South Park, "the quaint little Canadian village of Toronto."
And share away on your thoughts, as you sip on a pijiu or two. agagagagag
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Thanks for the welcome all! I'll be sipping pijiu for sure... or rather, gulping pijiu!
Newbs, LOL! Yes it is a quaint little village eh?
Missi, you are probably qualified to publish something on the subject of China after 6 years as Eagle has suggested!
My sanity has been questioned by others before, but now I'm starting to question it... probably a good thing!
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Welcome, Muncher! It is kinda difficult to publish anything. Except for the days of our lives in expat community. Once upon a time I started a blog. But then Nolefan killed it. And then I left my single life behind agagagagag We have a lot to share. But will it be relevant? China changes every day so much that you at times can't keep up with the way the Chinese also change their minds. bibibibibi
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Welcome aboard, Muncher. agagagagag agagagagag Strange handle you chose. Has me thinking about Beavers.....and Maple trees...and dams......and stuff like that!!
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hiya Muncher man and welcome aboard. agagagagag
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David here. American who is still alive and kicking in Beijing after 3 years.
Previous salon member who fell off the face of the web but, back and in yer face.
check out my band. http://mob.rockinchina.com. international thrash metal with members from 3 countries.
still loving china but, not too sure about beijing now. Want to go to another city.
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Previous salon member who fell off the face of the web but, back and in yer face.
Well that certainly explains the great hair!
What band Juggler? It wouldn't be Raging Mob by chance would it? If so I caught you guys last week at the Rockyear.com show. Good group and and I love the logo.
Um...if that wasn't you you should check 'em out.
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I figure it's them - the url goes to Raging Mob and there is a guy called David in it.
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Every band has a guy called David in it.
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Welcome back Juggler. Have a agagagagag We've washed the glasses since you were last here, I swear.
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Hi, juggler. Noles and I are in Beijing. How come we don't know you? I'll have a mango milkshake, thanks agagagagag
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Ew. No, hon. I don't like Pizza Hut. Perhaps in your city they are yummy, here everything that comes out of Pizza Hut is crap aaaaaaaaaa
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hey guys.
milkshakes for me please too. oreo shake?
raging mob is the band i created 2 years ago in beijing.
thanks for the support decurso. if you liked it we have some shows coming very soon.
sept 30th at mao livehouse in gulou and oct 4th in haidian park. you can get info from our site.
im happy to be back newbs. its been a long time.
cheekygal, thanks for the info about your agent. i havent called her yet but have plans to do so very soon. just working my tail off.
glad to know you all.
- mobster
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I'll probably be at the Haidian Park show. Open air shows are the only shows I can go to with the little one. And Haidian Park is not far from home at all. See you there!
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Tian na!!! You leave for two weeks and come back to a gazillion posts and lots of new members. Well, a belated welcome to all the news lads and lasses agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi everyone. My name is Aaron. I have been reading the boards for a while off and on, including the old one, and since I am now in China I figured I may as well post some also. Let's see, I am 30 years old male. I have been in Tianhe district of Guangzhou for 4 days so far, currently staying with someone I met months back on the internet. For some seemingly crazy reason (lol) I am checking into getting a job here now (just here as a tourist atm), and staying long term. It's been quite an adjustment considering that not only do I know hardly any mandarin or cantonese, and can't read, all the other differences, etc. I also am from a rural area in northern Minnesota, USA. The population of the largest local town was 6000 residents, so "big city" life has also been interesting, especially the chinese version of
motor havoc public transportation. aoaoaoaoao
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Welcome BrandeX. Better read all the stuff about visas while you are thinking about a job. Make certain the place you choose can convert you tourist visa into a legit one.
Have a beer on .... Raoul - he's a bit incommunicado at the moment so won't notice we are running up his tab. agagagagag
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Welcome aboard/abroad...northern Minnesota eh, guess cold weather won't be a problem for you while here.
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Welcome, BrandeX. Nice to see you. Hope all goes well with your job hunt. agagagagag Have another, my treat.
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Have a beer on .... Raoul - he's a bit incommunicado at the moment so won't notice we are running up his tab. agagagagag
aqaqaqaqaq uuuuuuuuuu YO, BARKEEP!!!
Welcome aboard, Brandex. agagagagag I take it you have some buddies there where you're staying? That'll come in very handy; in fact, make sure you ask around about all the schools who are hiring. Good ones and bad'uns out there...
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Thank everyone, its a crazy place around here ahahahahah, but I seem to be getting around ok (thanks to my chinese gf and a nearby kfc when she is at work haha). Now if only I tried harder to learn some chinese before I left... bibibibibi
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My apologizes, I should have introduced myself earlier. I am the girlfriend of the barfly tstuts4679. Currently located near South Bend, In.( I just LOVE when N.D. gets beat afafafafaf) Plan is to arrive in China next summer ( thought I'm ready to be there yestarday!) Here in Oz, I currently work with the profoundly handicapped.
I am pleased to be part of the saloon and pleased to be makin' ya'lls aquantence.
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Welcome krysmer! Have a drink on phets - she's an Aussie but living it up in London and Paris at the moment - so she won't notice the little, itty bitty addition to her credit card!
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Currently located near South Bend, In. ...... Here in Oz, I currently work with the profoundly handicapped.
OK, you got me confused! Located in Sth Bend, but working in OZ. That's a helluva commute!!
Welcome aboard, krysmer, sounds like you'll fit well here! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Correct conjugation of the plural second person? You're alright by me! agagagagag
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Welcome alla youse new guys. It's nice to see ya up and posting! agagagagag
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To BrandeX, krysmer13 and anyone else who I haven't yet said g'day to, welcome, come on in, enjoy the view and the pijiu. agagagagag
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Hello everybody and special greetings to KCanuck. (We have a mutual friend, I believe.) I'm transferring in, so to speak, from the "Greasy Spoon", just to keep in touch with what's happening in the wonderful world of EFL teaching in China. I taught at two universities in Guangdong from 2003 through 2006. Three years was about enough for me, and I'm now back in Canada, semi-retired, keeping the wolf from the door by writing and editing. Will I ever return to China? Who knows? "We never know what tomorrow may hold."
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Welcome aboard, fellow canuckstian, I guarantee you'll find this place a whole lot friendlier than the Spoon. I've already sent you a PM, I've got absolutely no clue who we know in common.
"What's your poison?" this round is on me. agagagagag
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jwbhomer, or may I call you Homer for short, welcome. agagagagag
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Ah, a Canadian homey (er ... homer). Pull up a stool and start pulling on a few bottles our our best brew. Raoul's paying.
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As long as I'm ordering a few diet cokes for the road, a round for the new
victims members. agagagagag Happy trails.
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To BrandeX, krysmer13 and anyone else who I haven't yet said g'day to, welcome, come on in, enjoy the view and the pijiu. agagagagag
Likewise! Welcome aboard, and jwbhomer as well. agagagagag agagagagag
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jwb, it took me a while to woo you from the greasy spoon, so you'd better behave. Use George as your
role model example of what not to do.
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WELCOME!! to all the New Members
Since you all have a drink (or 3) in front of you, it is my pleasure to offer you a selection of Toasties-N-Treats.....this week' Special includes Crisped Catfish, Smoked Salmon, Deviled Dolphin (the fish, not Flipper), and Spicy Snapper.....for the meat-eaters, we have Steak Tartare, Grilled Pork BBQ, and Leg of Leg Kebabs....vegetarians may chow down on deepfried Tofu Tidbits, Tempura'ed Vege Sticks or a nice Tossed Green Salad (with choice of dressing).
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I've got absolutely no clue who we know in common.
Let's see. Initials HFG. afafafafaf
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It's not fair saying I know HFG...I don't know him, I was just unfortunate in having to deal with him for a bit, it is not the same as knowing him. asasasasas
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HFG... Huge Friendly Giant?
and er... welcome!
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It's not fair saying I know HFG...I don't know him, I was just unfortunate in having to deal with him for a bit, it is not the same as knowing him. asasasasas
We are using "know" in it's loosest sense here CK, and certainly not biblically!! I doubt if even HFG's psychiatrist knows him.
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I doubt if even HFG's psychiatrist knows him.
bkbkbkbkbk
Can I "borrow" that line??
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A huge hello to everyone new..... agagagagag
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Welcome to all the newbies. There are toasties, Tim-Bits, beer and assorted things to munch on in the corner. And a cement-mixer...yes, you have to drink it...we all had to.
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jwb, it took me a while to woo you from the greasy spoon, so you'd better behave. Use George as your role model example of what not to do.
Hi Gonzo. I make the connection now. Let me get to know everyone and I'll soon separate the role models from the roll models. afafafafaf ***
Raoul Duke, Gonzo...all my favourite characters are here. Why didn't I make the switch ages ago?
*** OK, so it wasn't very clever, but it was the best I could do at 9 a.m.
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Eric, spoken like a true canukstian...
There are toasties, Tim-Bits,
welcome aboard everyone agagagagag agagagagag
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They lie.
Most people dream of getting the above.
What there really is, is civet nachos and spoiled milk passing as sour cream. The civet was left over from somewhere during the SARS epidemic and brave Raoul managed to get a couple of metric tonnes cheap.
Here, the top shelf consists of genuine ether and lighter fluid, rather than the kind made out the back from toxic waste. And the beer is made from old jock straps. George's.
Don't ask about the nuts.
However, it's the company that is the point.
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I was a sucker for their apple fritters, my standard treat before a field work day. Had to go easy on the coffee though, I was in hip waders a lot of the time and getting undressed/dressed while trying not to urinate on those extra layers took a lot of effort.
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After I returned to Canada just over a year ago I tried to get some information about opening a TH franchise in China. I figured it was a sure bet. bfbfbfbfbf But it seems the parent corp. isn't interesting in expanding beyond the present market areas in Canada and the USA.
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and don't forget the one in Kandahar
(http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion-img/afghanistan-tims.preview.jpg)
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After I returned to Canada just over a year ago I tried to get some information about opening a TH franchise in China. I figured it was a sure bet. bfbfbfbfbf But it seems the parent corp. isn't interesting in expanding beyond the present market areas in Canada and the USA.
Are you crazy? Mate, this is China. Who cares what the head office wants? Open a Tom Hirton's and be damned to their plans of stagnation. (You'll also save on the franchise fees).
Be sure to have red bean and green pea fillings, and I reckon a chocolate and corn combo would be a winner! Good luck...
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You always have time for Tom Hooton's! bfbfbfbfbf
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Dave made me squirt brandy out my nose. This is a crime. The punishment is your shout.
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After I returned to Canada just over a year ago I tried to get some information about opening a TH franchise in China. I figured it was a sure bet. bfbfbfbfbf But it seems the parent corp. isn't interesting in expanding beyond the present market areas in Canada and the USA.
Are you crazy? Mate, this is China. Who cares what the head office wants? Open a Tom Hirton's and be damned to their plans of stagnation. (You'll also save on the franchise fees).
Be sure to have red bean and green pea fillings, and I reckon a chocolate and corn combo would be a winner! Good luck...
ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah agagagagag
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Good Lord! There's a gazillion posts been made since I was last here... so I'll just say a big WELCOME to everyone.... hope you have as much fun here as we do.
See you round. agagagagag
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I suppose that this is the most logical place for me to post my introduction...
Well, I have arrived! The fans cheer and the drums roll. OK, maybe not, but I am here. :) I am a university student from the USA. I do not drink (I am underage in the USA and have qualms about doing things that are illegal.) I do eat meat and love it. I have never eaten haggis. I have a fixation on food which makes me a prime candidate for obesity except my metabolism is fast and I run everywhere (I am always late...) Randomly, I take a Chinese course. I am completely enjoying living in China. I am here until next July (woo hoo!!!) as a student/intern at Liaoning Normal University- Missouri State University in Dalian. The cheer was because I was only supposed to stay a semester, but I talked them into letting me stay on a while longer... In China, my favorite passtimes are Facebook, Skype, hanging with friends (Chinese and international) cheerleading (no, I am not blonde and my name is not Courtney and I am not 5'1". I am 5'8" tall) studying, and eating... In America my passtimes are basically the same minus Skype and cheerleading and plus horseback riding and cattle ranching. Is that enough of an introduction? I could say more, but... I tend to be a little long winded and I wouldn't want to bore you... hehe.
Fare thee well my new found frieds.
Until tomorrow,
Kate
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Welcome Katya!
We always like to see tall, underage cheerleaders here. afafafafaf
But it sounds like you're a friend of Dragonsaver, which means you're probably trouble. We'll have to keep an eye on ya. agagagagag
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Welcome Lady Kate. Not to worry, this motley crew of charming reprobates are not easily bored.
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Katie I mean Lady Kate is not trouble Raoul so don't pick on her asasasasas
China is being very good to her which is why she loves it here. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello, Lady Kate. Nice to meetcha. Pull up a stool, have a pull of the FruitPunch and help yourself to the Toastie Tray. Never mind about being (US) under-aged, where I am the legal drinking age is 18....and the Saloon is virtual - so most anything is permitted. agagagagag
Very nice intro you gave. Looking forward to seeing you often.
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Ain't no legal age in China for drinking, anytime anywhere goes. But we're happy to give you de-alcoholised civet juice. Pleased you're staying longer than planned - gives you more chance to travel.
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A warm welcome to you Lady Kate. There's plenty of mulberry
vinegar juice to keep you a fully paid up member of the Temperance League. uuuuuuuuuu
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...But it sounds like you're a friend of Dragonsaver, which means you're probably trouble. We'll have to keep an eye on ya. agagagagag
Trouble? Who said anything about trouble. I don't associate with trouble makers... oops... hehe... ::) Dragonsaver, am I trouble? Wait... don't answer. The members here will then know the truth about me! Don't answer!!! Whatever you do, do not answer! (Is that emphatic enough?) ;)
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Welcome Lady Kate. Not to worry, this motley crew of charming reprobates are not easily bored.
Thank you and I am glad to know that my pitiful attempts at cleverness will not go unapreciated- as they so often do... and will be answered in kind! ;D
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Katie I mean Lady Kate is not trouble Raoul so don't pick on her asasasasas
China is being very good to her which is why she loves it here. bfbfbfbfbf
Thanks for the vote of confidence and the well placed defence. I am eternally grateful for your protection from those who do so cruely suspect me of being troublesome. Your defense was quite moving. bjbjbjbjbj
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Hello, Lady Kate. Nice to meetcha. Pull up a stool, have a pull of the FruitPunch and help yourself to the Toastie Tray. Never mind about being (US) under-aged, where I am the legal drinking age is 18....and the Saloon is virtual - so most anything is permitted. agagagagag
Very nice intro you gave. Looking forward to seeing you often.
Nice to meet you too! Actually, part of what has motivated me not to drink (whether it is legal here in China or not) is the fact that all the alcohol I have ever tried tastes absolutely horrible- and baijiu is the worst! I try not to force myself to eat or drink things I don't like :D
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...Pleased you're staying longer than planned - gives you more chance to travel.
Yeah, that's the plan. Any suggestions on where to go next? I have been to Dan Dong, Xi'an, and Dalian of course. I also flew through Beijing and Qingdao-sp?-(literally- I never left the airports, ha!)
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A warm welcome to you Lady Kate. There's plenty of mulberry vinegar juice to keep you a fully paid up member of the Temperance League. uuuuuuuuuu
:D Thank you! I like vinegar... on my spinach...
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It is always good to have a voice of sober reason in here, m'lady. Sometimes, in the wee hours of the morning, George will, after dancing merrily with the Demon Rum for hours, start to hunt around for pterodactyls with his boomerang, which was a common enough activity in his younger days. Someone needs to be sober to calm the chap down.
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:D Thank you! I like vinegar... on my spinach...
ahahahahah
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What about the river cruise? Hardly a cruise but meant to be an unforgettable trip.
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G'day Kate. I'm Australian and we give scant regard to Aristocratic titles, especially from ex-colonials. Welcome aboard. agagagagag agagagagag Nice to see you have mastered the art of post-padding. Don't listen to Danes!!
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:D Thank you! I like vinegar... on my spinach...
ahahahahah
I was being serious... :P
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G'day Kate. I'm Australian and we give scant regard to Aristocratic titles, especially from ex-colonials. Welcome aboard. agagagagag agagagagag Nice to see you have mastered the art of post-padding. Don't listen to Danes!!
Howdy! Post padding? What do you mean? I am at a loss... Don't listen to Danes? Hmm... I will consider your suggestion and store it away for future reference... and by the way it is not an aristocratic title :)
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and by the way it is not an aristocratic title
Oh! Silly me! bibibibibi
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It is always good to have a voice of sober reason in here, m'lady. Sometimes, in the wee hours of the morning, George will, after dancing merrily with the Demon Rum for hours, start to hunt around for pterodactyls with his boomerang, which was a common enough activity in his younger days. Someone needs to be sober to calm the chap down.
Oh, so there is a greater good being served by my temperance? Wonderful! So, it is not just selfishness that motivates me now! There is something higher and better to be attained.
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and by the way it is not an aristocratic title
Oh! Silly me! bibibibibi
Don't beat yourself up over it. You didn't know...
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You didn't know..
Yer right! I really didn't!! uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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Having met the lovely lady I can affirm that she is indeed a lady most genteel. So it behooves you dodgy dastardly males to be charming and couth in her company.
As to where to go - go west young woman! Head for Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, T, Xinjiang. The wild places are glorious. Go north - Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia.
Stay away from the bright lights and big smoke. See the China that will have disappeared in 20 years.
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Lotus speaks the truth. I bicycled from Nanjing to Shanghai 20 years ago this year. The entire trip was through quiet, agricultural countryside with only bicycles on the road. No cars, very few trucks. Only disgusting little inns with outdoor facilities and no hot water to spend the night in. The air was clean, we saw little outdoor markets along the way. There were no tourists, no parking problems, little air pollution. 20 years ago where skyscrapers now look old.
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afafafafaf Well, heloooo Kady kate! I"m Con, the most attra-
Oh, you know DS?
oooooooooo Hey, welcome aboard and all that. agagagagag
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HEYO!
I'm Chloe and I'm Chinese aoaoaoaoao, although I've been in the States since the age of 10, so I'm pretty white washed. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Illinois where I'm studying International Studies and French. I do speak Mandarin, English and French fluently, if anyone wants to converse. I still have my entire family in China minus my mother, which makes me ache from time to time. My current goal is to make it back to Dalian for the coming summer. At first I wanted to teach in order to reel in some cash (poor college student syndrome) but after reading into it, teaching English sounds really rewarding and like a great deal of fun. Sadly, it seems like a relatively difficult feat to get a job for merely 3 and 1/2 months. But I might make it back anyways, just to wander and be Chinese (and eat abundantly). After the summer, I'll be studying abroad in Paris for the year. Both of these prospects make me happy beyond belief.
HEY LADY KATE! FORMER CHEERLEADER HERE! I'm not blond either, but I am a shorty.
p.s. I'm genuinely excited about the French emoticon! and the creepy monkey...
Cheers,
Chloe
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Hi Chloe and welcome. I live in Changchun in Jilin province. I always have a spare room for travelers and welcome the company. If you wander the country this summer (and I haven't moved) you're welcome to stop by. Dongbei is worth a visit. and enjoy the vistas of China available on this site. I certainly do.
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Bonjour Chloe, je suis canadienne francaise et je te souhaites la bienvenue a notre petit club intime. Je crois que tu vas trouver quelques de nos membres parlent francais mais nous travaillons surtout en englais en chine.
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Welcome Chloe and Lady Kate. Next round is on you both afafafafaf agagagagag Post away and you'll get a key to a special Ladies' Lounge where all the best drinks and chipendales are! (and much much more!!!).
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Bonjour, Chloe! Welcome to the
NutHouse Saloon. We are a friendly bunch, and always like to see/hear from new Members. Grab a agagagagag or two and a Toastie and make yourself at home.
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Thanks for the welcomes! et merci pour le bien la bienvenue! je deja aime ce petit club, kcanuck.
Thanks for the offer 'shroomy, I've never been Changchun, but I do recall the name from CCTV weather reports when I was young =) and ladies' lounge? yumm
it's finals time here in Illinois. I'm trying to keep it all together, and I keep downing puppy chow. you know, those little cluster of sugar and fat.
anyhow, I think I win the award for youngest member, yes? I'll be 19 in a few weeks woooooooo
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At first I wanted to teach in order to reel in some cash (poor college student syndrome) but after reading into it, teaching English sounds really rewarding and like a great deal of fun.
If money is a big issue, consider Korea or Taiwan; both pay better than China.
Nearly all schools here pay Chinese teachers vastly less than foreigners. Which are you? Some places will try to stick you with the lower salary because of your oriental appearance. Others may not want to hire you at all; they want blue-eyed blondes to attract the customers. I don't think either problem is likely to be severe enough that you cannot find a good job, but I'd bet you'll encounter both.
Sadly, it seems like a relatively difficult feat to get a job for merely 3 and 1/2 months....
There are quite a few summer schools that offer jobs for anything from 10 days to about two months in July and August.
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Welcome aboard, Chloe. agagagagag What Pashley said, but the Chinese blood may open a few doors as well.
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aghh.. missed a few welcome ceremonies again. LT used to put on her qipao for those and that's how I remembered them... Anyways, Ladies, please forgive my rudeness for this late welcome/bienvenue.
Drinks are on Stil and watch out for Georges... we're still potty-training him
ahahahahah afafafafaf agagagagag
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Velcome aboard, ladies. Drinks are indeed on Stil, but take little notice of Noles. I am a parfait gentleman!!
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Nolefan, you look as adorable in that qipao as Stil does...a round of drinks for the newbies and those two hairy hostesses agagagagag.
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I am a parfait gentleman!!
All icecream and froth - no substance. agagagagag
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We're not back to less-than-half-dressed men again, are we? Isn't the Santa enough? I haven't been alone THAT long. ahahahahah
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...go west young woman!...
Thank you for the recomendations! I will certainly take them into consideration when planning my trips in 2008!
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...HEY LADY KATE! FORMER CHEERLEADER HERE! I'm not blond either, but I am a shorty...
Hello and welcome!!! It is nice to meet you... You are coming to Dalian? Have you ever been to Dalian before? Well, if not (or even if you have...), then you are in for a treat. It is wonderful here with all the great people ;), food, and shopping!
Lady Kate
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Welcome Chloe and Lady Kate. Next round is on you both afafafafaf agagagagag Post away and you'll get a key to a special Ladies' Lounge where all the best drinks and chipendales are! (and much much more!!!).
Thank you! I can't wait (rubs hands in glee...)
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...anyhow, I think I win the award for youngest member, yes? I'll be 19 in a few weeks woooooooo
I bequeath the mantle of "youngest member" to you, my dear. Wear it well! :)
*I was just assuming that I was the youngest member here...*
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Hello, all! I've spent a few days lurking to get to know you all, and now it's time to introduce myself. Yikes! What can I say? I'm not too old, not too young, have 3 sons and am planning to be in China December 2008. Why the delay? I am completing my second Master's degree (secodary education) November 2008, and I want to have as many credentials as possible before embarking on a new adventure. The first Master's is a business degree. Currently, I am a substitute teacher, which either means I'm a glutton for punishment or an adrenaline junkie. I love teaching, and love having a mischief-maker in class. They keep things interesting, don't they?
I will be taking my TEFL course in January because I want to know more about working with English Language Learners. Living in the great state of Colorado, I feel this will be an asset to my future career as a high school educator. Any recommendations you have as far as jobs and cities are more than welcome. Please ask any questions you have of me, and I'll do my best to answer.
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Greetings and salutations agagagagag We actually have a member who saves dragons, so you should be able to hit it off.
The best advice I can give is this: go buy Lonely Planet's China guide and study it. I would also recommend that you, unless you already speak Chinese, take a Chinese 101 course. I worked as an FT at EF in Nanchang and, based solely on that experience, I would not recommend EF as a workplace. Unless if by "glutton for punishment" you mean that you desire secretly to walk up to Evander Holyfield and call him a nancyboy, because the result of doing that would be more enjoyable than working for EF.
Aside from that, I think I will leave the good advice to the more experienced and grizzled veterans here.
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Welcome Fire-Dragon. Another Anne McCaffrey fan? Will you be bringing your children with you? There are quite a few of us who are not too old, not too young - although you will find the definition of both states changes here quite drastically.
China is an amazing experience.
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Hey there fire dragon. If in trouble, I am sure I could save you.
My Uni hires people with Masters, they are a business Uni so they hire people with business degrees. Send them a resume. Won't need a TEFL course if you work here. You already have classroom experience. Just learn to talk 's l o w l y' and you will be fine.
Missouri University - Dalian Branch Campus should get to them ok - Here is link.
http://chinacampus.missouristate.edu/facultystaff.htm
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Hi FD!! (yeah, we do tend to be quick to shorten names around here) Welcome aboard!!
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Welcome,
Have a round on Con. He's ignoring our scrabble game again, so I'm sure he's not paying attention to this either. agagagagag agagagagag
These are some of the nicest, and strangest people you'll ever hope to meet. They've already got me typing scandalous things at 6 in the am when I can't sleep. Wish I could figure out how the sodium pentothal gets through the keyboard . . . mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
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But sodium pentothal creates such nice words to play with. ahahahahah
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Greetings and salutations agagagagag We actually have a member who saves dragons, so you should be able to hit it off.
The best advice I can give is this: go buy Lonely Planet's China guide and study it. I would also recommend that you, unless you already speak Chinese, take a Chinese 101 course. I worked as an FT at EF in Nanchang and, based solely on that experience, I would not recommend EF as a workplace. Unless if by "glutton for punishment" you mean that you desire secretly to walk up to Evander Holyfield and call him a nancyboy, because the result of doing that would be more enjoyable than working for EF.
Aside from that, I think I will leave the good advice to the more experienced and grizzled veterans here.
Wow, Ericthered, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for! EF lobbies hard. I bought a mini-guide to China and have read it, but I scan boards for the real lowdown. Non-fiction books, like computers, tend to go obsolete the minute they hit the shelves. Culture is a moving and breathing thing.
Hey there fire dragon. If in trouble, I am sure I could save you.
My Uni hires people with Masters, they are a business Uni so they hire people with business degrees. Send them a resume. Won't need a TEFL course if you work here. You already have classroom experience. Just learn to talk 's l o w l y' and you will be fine.
Missouri University - Dalian Branch Campus should get to them ok - Here is link.
http://chinacampus.missouristate.edu/facultystaff.htm
Thanks, Dragonsaver. Clearly, a person after my own heart! I will check out your link and send a resume. Certainly can't hurt.
Hi FD!! (yeah, we do tend to be quick to shorten names around here) Welcome aboard!!
My buddies on other boards call me FD, and I love it! That's how I think of myself in the cyberworld.
Welcome,
Have a round on Con. He's ignoring our scrabble game again, so I'm sure he's not paying attention to this either. agagagagag agagagagag
These are some of the nicest, and strangest people you'll ever hope to meet. They've already got me typing scandalous things at 6 in the am when I can't sleep. Wish I could figure out how the sodium pentothal gets through the keyboard . . . mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
Looks like Con's tab is getting out of control! Cheers!!!
Welcome Fire-Dragon. Another Anne McCaffrey fan? Will you be bringing your children with you? There are quite a few of us who are not too old, not too young - although you will find the definition of both states changes here quite drastically.
China is an amazing experience.
Hi, Lotus Eater. Should I run for cover? I've never read Anne McCaffrey. I just love dragons, am a fire dragon by birth, and am in search of another perfect tattoo. The boys will not be coming this time around. As to the age thing ... whether I feel old or young depends on the day. My students tell me I look like I'm 23, which is a HUGE ego boost (like I needed one).
Thanks, everyone for the wonderful welcome! I'm excited to know you all better.
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Welcome aboard, FD. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Ditto jjjjjjjjjj
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Welcome aboard, FD. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
Ditto jjjjjjjjjj
Thanks!
while you were lurking, did we say anything bad?
To all the new folks to the Saloon, Merry Christmas, agagagagag (pretend its egg nog)
I didn't see anything bad. People seem to be honest here, which is why I wanted to join the community rather than hang out on the fringe. Merry Christmas to you, Missi!
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Hey and welcome FD!
Another Dragon in the ranks....Yikes! aoaoaoaoao agagagagag
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I think its time for me to say hello and thanks. I have only been a member a very short while, but already I've been the recipient of good advise many times over. Some I asked for. Some I appropriated, took completely out of context, and made my own. Still some (little golden nuggets of wisdom) I found buried in jokes clearly from, and intended for, veteran teachers, and I have not yet started my first teaching post - ha! For all your help (intended and otherwise)... I say cheers and thank you. agagagagag
About me: My girlfriend ("leggums the destroyer" - member as of three days ago) and I have just graduated from Syracuse Univ. with Master of Architecture degrees and are very excited to be leaving Seattle and Connecticut respectively for china in exactly 9 days. Once there, we hope to teach english, practice some architecture, and spread the word(just kidding - I have no words to spread) We made the decision to come here about a year ago one late night, and I have been listening to pimsleur mandarin tapes ever since, which really committed me in some profoundly unworthy way. Thats my story. thanks
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WElcome and best of luck PK and Leggums...safe travels and happy landings. You might be a little disappointed with 'modern' architecture here (concrete, concrete and more concrete)...but hopefully you'll get to see some of the beautiful old buildings.
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Greetings Parker, Leggums. Nice to have you join us. Order up your preferred poison, and put it on my tab. agagagagag
Did you ever sort out that Uni job you were seeking advice on?
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Parker and Leggums... sounds like a comic strip.
Welcome. agagagagag agagagagag The funny thing about architecture here is that while the Chinese are terrible skinflints, they are big on ostentation. So buildings' exteriors and lobbies tend to be spectacular. There are a lot of sights worth seeing.
So which part of China are you pointed towards? Have any job leads yet?
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Welcome, everyone. Hope you enjoy your time! Have a round on the bar! agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, boys and girls. agagagagag agagagagag
What I call "wedding cake " architecture is very popular in China. You'll know it when you see it!!
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Parker has previously intoduced me and has mentioned that we will be leaving for Shenzhen for our first teaching experience on the 7th of the new year! I appreciate all the advice gained through reading his posts and the replies! I am so excited about getting to china, but anxious too...often using this anxiety in rationalization of the bitchiness i have given my poor parents over these holidays (as I am visiting them for a last hurrah before taking off!) Anyway, looking forward to getting out there!!
And Cheers!!!! jjjjjjjjjj
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Parker and Leggs welcome...
all the craziness and mayhem is what makes this place fun.... I'm sure you're going to love it!
Here's one on the house agagagagag (after that it's on Georges' tab shhhhh) bfbfbfbfbf
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welcome to the to of you!
Hopefully, the experience will be memorable ( and I'm not talking about China, but joining the saloon bfbfbfbfbf bfbfbfbfbf )
beware that left corner over there, Stil has the bad habit of lurking there under the table butt-naked.... that's guaranteed nightmare material! over on the other left, that's George's stool... can't mistake it because it's the stiky one. uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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Noles, did you start celebrating already?
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OK, I've been lurking for a wee bit, time to put in my first post. I'm (yet another) foreign language teacher with his nose pressed firmly against the great wall of China's education system. And for most part loving it, but don't send for the doctors just yet. Some of you I think I recognise from another message board in a universe far away. I hope you don't remember anything bad about me. Or not too much, anyway. Yes, I'm not just latefordinnner, I'm very latefordinner; I'm so latefordinner I'm THAT latefordinner. <just thought I'd get the joke out of the way. If you have a pun on my screen name that you really have to tell, then go ahead>
I'm passing middle age and heading into my second adolescence (the first wasn't nearly as much fun) with a Chinese wife and young daughter, an expanding waistline and disappearing hairline, and I wish I could finish the sentence with a really good punchline.
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Well, howdy and welcome. Pull up a chair (be careful, Stil might be hiding under the table) and have a tall, frosted glass of gin and pink grapefruit juice. If a small dragon flies up and falls asleep on your head, don't bash it away. DS will be ever so bothered by it. The object in the corner is not Tutankhamon's great times 15 grandfather, it's just George. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome. Yes, don't hurt my dragons. agagagagag agagagagag ahahahahah
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Welcome Aboard, Late!! agagagagag Nice you could join us. Hope to see ya here - a lot!
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I'm THAT latefordinner.
Just don't call me late for dinner! ahahahahah
Welcome aboard, late! Beers are on Ericthepisspot!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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I think if I were to start drinking again, gin and grapefruit would seem appealing, so have another on George. I don't think he's still up at this hour. ahahahahah agagagagag
I forgot the welcome part.
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Late for dinner is acceptable in this saloon - late for drinks ain't!
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To do what? Remove nail polish?
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bkbkbkbkbk
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I've tried Baijiu and green tea, baijiu and red tea, baijiu and tonic (ugghh!) and baijiu and orange. Grapefruit would probably be OK be because the tartness would take the edge off the baijiu.
You may have created your own new cocktail. Missi Bomb, complete with grapefruit slice, little umbrella, swizzle stick and slice of grapefruit. jjjjjjjjjj
Night before last we created a "Sunset" tropical juice concentrate in first, vodka next, then Sprite. Gives you layers.
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Sounds really good. agagagagag agagagagag
Now I have to buy tropical juice, vodka and sprite. bibibibibi jjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjj
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What's a jello-shooter?
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You make Jell-O (brand name gelatin treat) substituting vodka for water.
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Brand name gelatin treat bibibibibi
Doesn't really sound as good or as much fun as Jell-O. Good name that. Jell-O hehehe
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I had hoped a jello shooter was some kind of firearm...then you could have pudding granates, pie bombs...sadly, reality let me down again.
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I genuinely like my baijiu with orange juice once in a while. I'm pretty certain (as certain as one can be through the resulting fog) that I've tried it with gapefruit juice as well. Citrus works, plain and simple. I'm making my own rensheng jiu (medicinal wine) at home, I've thrown an orange and a bit of cinamon stick into the mix. Not bad, although my father-in-law doesn't like it. BJ and pink grapefuit would probably make a nice jello-shooter. Rensheng jiu? I have my doubts about that one.
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I genuinely like my baijiu with orange juice once in a while. I'm pretty certain (as certain as one can be through the resulting fog) that I've tried it with gapefruit juice as well. Citrus works, plain and simple. I'm making my own rensheng jiu (medicinal wine) at home, I've thrown an orange and a bit of cinamon stick into the mix. Not bad, although my father-in-law doesn't like it. BJ and pink grapefuit would probably make a nice jello-shooter. Rensheng jiu? I have my doubts about that one.
I only drink baijiu for medicinal purposes so never mix it but grapefruit juice might not be too bad.
Btw, do you think we could refrain from calling it BJ? kkkkkkkkkk
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What's a jello-shooter?
I'm pretty sure they were invented so really drunk people could still consume alcohol without spilling their drinks. Solid form alcohol. And I think ETR could devise a blow gun to use them for his purposes, too. bfbfbfbfbf
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What's a jello-shooter?
I'm pretty sure they were invented so really drunk people could still consume alcohol without spilling their drinks. Solid form alcohol. And I think ETR could devise a blow gun to use them for his purposes, too. bfbfbfbfbf
I already have, sort of, a blueprint. Ever seen the movie "Bugsy Malone" where a bunch of children armed with tommy guns shoot each other, the kick being that the tommy guns fire cream cakes. It's a musical comedy. Jodie Foster is in it and she is about 13 years old.
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I remember. She acted rings around the rest of the cast. Co"starred" Scott Baio.
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agagagagag that's the one! I recently found it on DVD and took a trip down Memory Lane. It was one of the first movies we had in my house, on one of those really big VCR's, where you could record stuff from the TV on both sides of the tape. It was just as funny now, though perhaps for different reasons. I really do think that the person who came up with cream cake shooting Tommy Guns was a genius.
Just found "Shaun of the Dead", so am treating myself to that tonight.
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WAY offtopic
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Sorry, I know. I forgot what thread I was on...
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Yeah, I wondered when someone was going to catch on that we've been off topic for pages. cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb
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hmmm. Have a round on eric then. and welcome y'all!
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Topic? There was a topic for this thread? Mustabin a'fore me time.(That tends to happen when I'm around)
Stil, I think you have something there. On reflection, I don't feel comfortable asking a casual acquaintence, "Can I get you a..?" bibibibibibibibibibi
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There was a topic for this thread?
yeah. It's called "Introductions". Some of our less sophisticated members get carried away by the magic of their own words!! ahahahahah ahahahahah
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Welcome, Latefor. Good to have ya. agagagagag
There, old bean, back on topic. bjbjbjbjbj
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Missi!! aoaoaoaoao I certainly hope you're meaning (homo) SAPIENS, and not just being rude or ungracious to our newest Member. cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb
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Thank you, dear. That puts my mind at rest. ahahahahah
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Hi, all,
I'm not good at writing about myself, but here goes.
I started reading the the Saloon's forums back in the old country a couple of year ago when I was doing volunteer ESL teaching at a multicultural centre. I continued getting wisdom and entertainment from you lot after I moved to Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, one and a half years ago (been here ever since.) Anyway, I figured it was about time that I contributed something to this website. Besides, as it's the winter break now, I have a lot of spare time on my hands. I'm not much of a writer or good with computers, so please don't expect much from me.
Oh yeah. I'm a 33 year old male. My favourite colour is lime green and my hobby is staring at the wall.
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Hi, msg. You should fit right in here. We already have a number of wall-sitters, so now we'll also have wall-watcher.....just so that sucker won't suddenly shift and move. Very important job, you know. Welcome. agagagagag
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Lime green is very popular in China, MSG. Welcome aboard!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome aboard. Watching walls is cool. bfbfbfbfbf I used to have a job watching paint dry. I think watching walls would be a lot more fun. agagagagag agagagagag
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Ho msg welcome
Lime green is very popular in China
It's also the colour of the dancing chicken by the end of the night.
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It's also the colour of the dancing chicken by the end of the night.
Infidel!! asasasasas
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Thanks for the welcomes.
Dragonsaver: I hadn't thought of watching paint dry, but it sounds interesting, and I want to try some new things this year. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome, msg. agagagagag
As you can see, there's someone and something for just about everyone here. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome msg. You sound like you'rd enjoy one of my favourite past-times which is watching the grass grow. Welcome aboard the good ship Saloon. jjjjjjjjjj
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Where I come from we often watch the slugs creep up the side of a building. Would that be overstimulating for you, msg?
Welcome to the Saloon. Remember they mean well, but Raoul does send crazy juice through the keyboards, so they're all a little loopy.
Have a drink on Con. I know he can't afford it, but it will motivate him to do something he must do if his bar tab gets high enough. agagagagag
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Welcome msg. Pull up a chair, have drink on Stil and then go insane. It's really quite liberating. I concur with finding pleasure in staring at walls, albeit it can be somewhat disconcerting when the walls start staring back. jjjjjjjjjj
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Hey MSG,
If you're feeling particularly daring, strap yourself in and watch the dust bunnies meander across the floor, guaranteed to blow your mind. Welcome aboard agagagagag
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Well I guess it's time for me to introduce myself, having signed in here for the better part of the week. I'm an Aussie who has been here in this land for going on 3 years. I recently discovered this web site after being marooned in Suzhou briefly (yeah, gotta say I also had a blast, the fire works were friggin' awesome.)
I maintain my sense of equilibrium by baking, my own bread (woohoo edible bread), cookies (oops just excommunicated myself from Australia, I mean biscuits), Cakes, but especially Roast meat......mmmmmmmm.
This semsester I'm operating out of Nanjing, which I love. I actively encourage anyone to visit here, it is a lovely city just really shitty air quality, oh and super-uncomfortably hot in summer. Regardless, it's just perfect having spent most of the last 3 years in the 1/2 a horse town of Lianyungang.
Anyhoo, I think that'll do for now, you'll learn more about me in the future I reckon.. agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Wags. I hope you're a real Australian, like not from NSW or QLD... afafafafaf afafafafaf
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Don't be a s**t stirrer George! cbcbcbcbcb
By the way,welcome Wags,I'm new to the site also and I'm from Queensland!
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Woohoo, QLDers everywhere! Me from Sunny Coast and been here 3 years now too jjjjjjjjjj!
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Welcome, Wags.
You're fun to talk to and glad to see we can do it here too. agagagagag
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Hi Wags. Nice ta meetcha!!
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Welcome Wags, I assume you're volunteering to keep the bar stocked with cookies and bread?
agagagagag agagagagag
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Sorry KC, I've been here too long to know not to volunteer for anything unless suitably bribed. (and then actually doing what you agreed is optional.) bfbfbfbfbf
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You didn't tell us if you were a banana bender, sand-groper, teritorian or came from one of the wussy states.
Welcome anyway - good to have someone else who can talk proper, and knows that the 1st floor of a building is the one ABOVE the ground floor.
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You didn't tell us if you were a banana bender, sand-groper, teritorian or came from one of the wussy states.
Ummm...what?
Welcome wags. Feel free to deposit your sanity with the barkeep, you won't be needing it anymore. agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi Guys,
This is my first foray into this forum. I received my TESOL certificate way back in July 2007 and registered with the Saloon in October. Thou I haven't posted, I have read most of the messages posted. I did accept an offer from Meihe Royal English School in Tonghua, Jilin Province. I'll be flying out of Toronto Canada Tuesday morning (Feb 26), arriving sometime next week (or so it seems), OK - Thursday afternoon in Tonghua.
If anyone has some info on the school itself, I would treasure it. I have done a lot of traveling in the past, but what I would really appreciate would be what is unique to North East China. I am accustomed to the cold, large crowds (Toronto) bad transit, and not knowing if I will be paid next month.
I am so damn excited, most of my friend are all but shocked. Its not like its out of character, its WHY CHINA? I replied, WHY NOT!
Day Dreamer
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Welcome Dreamer, Why not is a great answer! I know nothing about the school, but I'm happy to start you off on the drinking (on Bugs tab!). have a nice cold and and settle in for the ride of your life. ahahahahah aoaoaoaoao
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Welcome Day Dreamer agagagagag That is exactly the gung-ho spirit one needs to stay in and enjoy China. A good tip, if you are a coffee drinker, bring coffee...lots of coffee.
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Welcome aboard Dreamer...why not indeed! There is coffee in China. I'm brewing up a pot right now. Bring books!
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My tab??? I.... um..... well.... Ok. It has been quite a while since it was my round, and seeing as it's a tab i guess it's ok 'cause i don't plan on paying it any time soon hehehe
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Hello everyone,
Im James from well... the uk but Im french and australian as well. long story...
Ive been on this forum for a few months but didnt know about this introductions thread.
Im in Beijing living with 12 Chinese people. I teach English and French. I teach exclusively 1 on 1s to kids, teens and adults. Im currently on a gap year. Going to uni in the UK in September 2008.
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Welcome, James the Brit. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Pommy! Hmmm, British born with Australian and French bits thrown in? Sounds like reverse colonisation to me! bibibibibi
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Exactly what bits belong to what nationality?
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Welcome to you too James the Brit.
Thank you to all the responses and suggestions. I am bringing a bevy of CD's, DVD's, books, personnal grooming products, my espresso maker and a 5-lb bag of my (looks and taste like mud) thick espresso grounds. This should last about 4 months so I'll be supplementing my liquid intake with the local various brews (beer, coffee, beer, tea, BEER!)
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Unless your espresso maker works on 220 power, don't bring it. bibibibibi
You will have to buy an adaptor to use it.
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Unless the CDs and DVDs are very rare - don't bother wasting that space. They are easily bought here - for less than $1 each. And anything else you can download.
Books. Books and more books.
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and if you're planning on buying an adapter, get one in Canada, hard to find in small town China...safe travels
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Welcome aboard, Pommy! Hmmm, British born with Australian and French bits thrown in? Sounds like reverse colonisation to me! bibibibibi
Well Im a pom coz i was born there. Im french coz i lived in france for 15 years and australian coz my mum was born in sydney. So i get confused when ppl ask me where i come from or where my hometown is.
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.... where i come from or where my hometown is.
You come from your parents(!) and your hometown is where you're at...you know, hanging your hat.
James, Dreamer: WELCOME to you both. Drink's on Raoul's tab, Toasties on mine!! agagagagag
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As long as it's not Belgium yer ok mate.
Might want to go a little easy on the French thing too
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Daydreamer, load all your CDs onto a portable hard drive- this'll save you some space. As for DVDs, bring (no, load onto that same drive) only the more obscure stuff-any major release in the West will be available here for dirt cheap, while the complete Kids in the Hall Series won't.
Socks! You're Canadian, so you're spoiled for socks. Bring a year's supply. Attachments for the electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrush.
For peace of mind, you could bring syringes. We're all pretty sure the hospital supplies are safe...
Medication: for example, anti-depressants are hard to come by here- MAJOR stigma.
Set up e-mailaccounts on at least two different platforms, plus a Facebook page.
That's about it. Turn and face the strange, ch-ch-changes...
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Hi everyone,
I have recently been introduced to this board by a good friend as I am doing research for my trip to Suzhou.
About me:
32 yrs old, in a relationship with my mac, short but with a tall personality. I am originally from Chile but been living in Canada almost all my life. Studied Public Relations and Media in school (though hated it and dropped out). I can say sweet nothin's in English, spanish and Japanese.
I started teaching Spanish and then English. Been working as a teacher for 6-7 years. Currently I am just finishing up my stint as the FT registrar and teacher in Calgary.
I am a geek at heart. I collect a lot of things and am an avid movie watcher. (see Collections thread). I've been studying swing dance for several years now and travel to various workshops in Canada and the states. i also make some crafts and art when the mood inspires. i love all music (except prog rock!) - especially love jazz, swing, and old vaudeville/burlesque, indie pop, punk rock..... oh it goes on. I lived in Asia for 2 years and love contemporary asian art. i am also very sarcastic as it is the natural defense of hispanos.
I move to Suzhou in 3 weeks!! so i look forward to meeting you all!
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Welcome. A geek, eh? You'll fit right in. Have a chair, a toastie and a pint of baijiu.
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Welcome. The manager of my FT residence just gave me a second birthday cake. Have a slice and the beverage of your choice. For now, Eric will deliver it, but eventually I'll introduce you to my favorite cabana boy in the Ladies Lounge. agagagagag
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Ty!! Happy birthday by the way!!! I look forward to meeting you when I arrive. agagagagag
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Unless you want to travel 20 something hours by train, or someone manages to lure me to Suzhou, that may be difficult. But I look forward to meeting you, too.
I live in Changchun, Jilin.
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Welcome to the Best Little
Whorehouse in Texas Saloon in China!!
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I spent half a year in Dalian back in 2005. Now dividing my time between the UK and Italy, and more or less making a living as an ESL/ELT materials writer - often for clients in China. That six months spent alternately freezing/roasting in a fermenting-cabbage-smelling apartment directly above Asia's noisiest 24-hour karaoke emporium has paid off after all.
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Foscolo, welcome. Greetings and salutations, pull up a chair (if there is a bunny on it, pick another. AMonk is a master of hopping wu gong). It's your round (use Stil's tab, he won't notice. Honest.) Mine's a pint of absinthe agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Foscolo. agagagagag agagagagag Sounds like you got the(almost) ideal life! Congratulations!
If it was truly ideal, you'd be somewhere on a South Pacific island writing your stuff! agagagagag agagagagag
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Nice of you to join us, Foscolo. Order up anything you'd like - the wing-ed one will be buying this round. agagagagag
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Thanks for the warm welcome. Just a beer for me. I've given up spirits since hearing this profoundly depressing joke from Finland:
Valentin and Aleksis are sitting in a log cabin in the snow. They've been drinking for three days straight when the vodka runs out. Valentin says "There's a bottle of cleaning alcohol in the tool shed. I'll go out and get it."
Valentin goes out, struggles through the snow, and comes back five minutes later with a dusty bottle. He puts it down on the table next to the empty glasses and says "The bottle's nearly full, but it's methanol, not ethanol. If we drink it we'll go blind."
Alekis looks at the inside of the cabin, then looks out at the snow. "I've seen enough" he says, "fill 'em up."
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Welcome to the saloon. I believe the official hostess has retired her qipao, but I hear Stil has one and might win the runoff election for the new host(ess). In the meantime, I'll have a diet coke and a good story, please.
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Foscolo:
"I've seen enough" he says, "fill 'em up."
Yup, you've been in DL alright. Your next beer's on my tab. jjjjjjjjjj
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New Member from Nanjing here. 4 years of courteous and friendly behaviour at the other place and put on probabation by Big K for alluding that his moderation skills echo those of the CCP internet police (especially during time of increased big brotherish behaviour). I've retained viewing rights, but have to pass all everything through him...just like a Chinese netizen!
Anyways, I thought I'd register here. I'm not a terribly prolific poster, but I comment from time to time on things that I feel I am knowledgable about. I'm leaving China in about 3 months to pursue a graduate program un related to ESL, but I hope to keep an attachment to China.
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Welcome aboard, tingbudong. Refugees are especially welcome. agagagagag agagagagag have a beer or three on .........Raoul! It's been ages since he shouted.
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Welcome tingbudong. Glad you found the 'real' forum. We are mostly friendly but you have to watch out for George and Stil because they both occasionally wear strange clothing normally designed for women.
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Howdy. agagagagag Quality of posts matters; the rest of us are holding up the quantity just fine.
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Hello, Ting. Welome to our hangout. Don't worry about not being PRC-present in a little while, not all of us are in-country, either. Me, for one. But the rest of the crew put up with me anyway and are happy to let me buy them drinks as often as possible.
So. What's your poison? My shout...again....
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Welcome tingbudong
Please excuse me if i call you tan-bu-dun. I sometimes slip into Changsha hua
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In a couple of other forums I've visited it's seemed that everybody was a twenty-two-year-old Californian, and as a 43-year-old Brit, I felt a bit like Mr Giles In Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But on reading through the introductions here, I see that there's a good range of ages and nationalities. bfbfbfbfbf
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I don't know about "good" Fossy! No-one has ever actually looked at George and then thought "Oh! That's a good age. Can't wait till I hit that one..."
Diverse maybe??
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Non-David! Watch your mouth!!.....or your fingers. asasasasas
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Welcome, TBD. You're not the first and won't be the last refugee from the
gulag greasy spoon. After a while you'll get to recognise some of us from our intoxicated posting styles. Your next one is on my tab. jjjjjjjjjj Unless George has fallen asleep again, in which case he's buying doubles afafafafaf agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi! My name is Escaped Lunatic and I'm a Chinese addict. I've been out of China for nearly 8 months now.
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Ah..EL, are you also suffering from PCCS (Post-China Cuisine Syndrome)? 8 months..that's about how long it takes to stop yelling "waiter" in restaurants and other things that people find impolite for some reason. We've missed ya agagagagag
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In China, I usually let my Chinese friends yell at the waiters for me. ababababab
I still can't force myself to use a fork to eat rice.
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Rice...try eating buttered toast with kuaizi...now that's a challenge. Just don't do it in front of your family or they'll have an "intervention".
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wait, Escraped is back to china???? cheexyblonde
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Rice...try eating buttered toast with kuaizi...now that's a challenge. Just don't do it in front of your family or they'll have an "intervention".
I now eat watermelon with kuaizi. aoaoaoaoao
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agagagagag Miseed you, dude! Come back, this time to our neck of the woods.
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wait, Escraped is back to china???? cheexyblonde
Not yet, but I'm working on it. Sorry I missed you during my 5 days in Beijing last year. Next time. ajajajajaj
I can eat just about anything with chopsticks (still having some slight difficulties with tomato soup, but am getting better at it), but really got competitive with some of my Chinese friends when they kept asking waitresses to bring me a fork. It seems they thought I'd be more "comfortable" eating that way. llllllllll I finally proved to a few of them that my kuaizi gung fu was truly superior to theirs (either right or left handed). I guess they didn't realize I'd learned how to use them back in 1972. ababababab
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Hello chaps and assorted Maenads,
Currently in London but I move to China (Donnguan) on Wednesday and can't wait to sample it's delights. I intend to use the teaching profession to fund my filty habits...
Hope you are all well, feel free to say hi, buy me dinner etc
x
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Welcome aboard, Lazy. There be dragon in DongGuan. Beware!! Apart from that, it is a good spot. We have 3 good guys down there...Non-Dave, Crippler and Ruth. Have fun. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello, Lazy. Welcome aboard. Make yourself ta home, grab a drink, have a wander around and order up some grub. We're all friendly, here. agagagagag
Once you've found your feet in DongGuan and gotten your bearings we'll hope to see ya around the old watering-hole, as often as you can find the time. We love to hear how newcomers are adventuring along. bfbfbfbfbf
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Cheers, Lazyslacker! agagagagag I admit your name makes me feel competitive. Have yourself a look around, and feel free to ask a ton of questions.
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You know what, I've been hanging around this place, taking in the sights, chatting to the various characters but I didn't introduce myself. How very rude of me...
If you could possibly forgive me, here's the stuff you need to know.
I just turned 21, finishing my BA (journalism) this year. Finished a BVA (sculpture) last year. Working at the most lovely stadium in the world (MCG) and working as a magazine journo.
Just realised I have plenty of education but not a whole heap of life experience so I'm outta sunny old Melbourne for an adventure. Not sure how long I'll be in China. At least 12 months, maybe more. I learned Chinese at school and from friends but really I'm not too fab at it.
I like sport and sunshine. I don't mind wind and rain and even cold but I don't like snow.
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Ego te absolvo agagagagag As long as you remember to buy the obligatory first round.
An adventure is indeed what you're going to get. But be careful, China is like the infamous Hotel California, in the way that you can check out any time you want but you can never leave...physically, you can but if your stay proves as enjoyable as mine was, there'll be this gnawing inside, a craving to go back.
Hope you enjoy the place agagagagag agagagagag
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An adventure is indeed what you're going to get. But be careful, China is like the infamous Hotel California, in the way that you can check out any time you want but you can never leave...physically, you can but if your stay proves as enjoyable as mine was, there'll be this gnawing inside, a craving to go back.
That explains soooo much.
aiaiaiaiai
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Well I must admit I caught the bug the first time I came over.
Ther is a distinct possibility I may stay. Who knows....?
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If you're here long enough, even leaving becomes a problem.
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Doesn't seem like a bad problem to have really
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Hey all,
My name is GwaiLower and Im an addict.
Im addicted to spicy Hunan foods that I cant get when I go home, cause every Chinese restrnt in the States is a bastardized Canton joint.
Im addicted to that sweet sound of someone wretching and hawing to snort up a foul glob of lung butter to fling down on the path in front of me. Well Im a danger junkie what can I say.
Im addicted to the metallic scent and coppery taste of GuangZhou air as it plates the insides of my lungs rendering them impervious to the health neg-effects of the unfiltered cigarette smoke wafting, ney billowing across from the next nonsmoking table at breakfast.
Im addicted to woda chungguo nupengyou da weixiao he tada hun xing gan tui that go all the way up and how am I ever gonna go home and not have terrible shakes n withdrawals. Im a lost yuan gui zi spiraling down beyond the point of no return, actually I think I passed that a few trips/years ago.
"You a badda boy, I no like you... oh!... Im so a badda girl", She told me.
Im so over my head. Deep trouble here... The kind only a blond haired, blue eyed Southern boy, adrift in the middle kingdom can get into.
Dice anyone?
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Welcome aboard, Gwai. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag I know how you feel.....................................................I think!!
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Welcome Gwai agagagagag We're all addicts here...pull up a chair, have a pint of baijiu and roll 'em jjjjjjjjjj
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Nice to have you both aboard, Schnerby, Gwai. Order up, it's ........Cheeky's turn (She'll never notice, she's too busy being married). agagagagag agagagagag
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Besides, her wedding guests only drank the good stuff, though I did see Nolefan lurking about in the crowd pics and he's not always choosy when it comes to booze. There's plenty of cheap stuff left, so party on and welcome aboard new pengyous. agagagagag
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Man, that just gave me a big jones for the Shamrock. "Hey there, I'm famous in Canada." ababababab
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Besides, her wedding guests only drank the good stuff, though I did see Nolefan lurking about in the crowd pics and he's not always choosy when it comes to booze. There's plenty of cheap stuff left, so party on and welcome aboard new pengyous. agagagagag
asasasasas i am very picky when it comes to my booze!!!!! u should know better dear!
but.. anyways.. welcome to the newbies... watch out for that little dark corner over there as still is lurking under the table looking for pink glasses and georges is ahem..georges.. jjjjjjjjjj
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Thnx for the welcome.
I'm a US based shoe designer and I travel to the GZ area about 8 times a year for 10 days to 2 weeks per trip. I usually stay in Panyu at the Lotus Hill Golf Resort, Lin Hua Shan. Anybody reside in the area?
Favorite places to hang would be Cohiba's and bars in PY like Babi, etc although last trip a girl I met took me out clubbing in GZ proper. Great time, very cool place, dont know the name but I will definitly be going out with those new friends more.
My Mandarin is pretty decent. I can certainly slip my handlers and wander China on my own without any problems. I can order (duh), direct cabbies, shop, carry on simple conversations (not exactly waxing philosophical but hey, Im getting there) and I can seriously get my flirt on with the local girls. No Canto though. Even though its officially a Cantonese area Ive never had a problem.
At the moment Im back in Seattle. Missing the food and.. erhem, all the rest of that stuff Im addicted to... We do two lines a year and I just finished the Sprng/Summer 09 line so now theres a gap before I start Fall/Winter and I wont be back over until mid July. Too long, Im gonna need to get Skype or something so I can stay in communication with my friends. I just want to be able to text 2 peoples' cell phones. Skype is the only thing I know of that will let me do that w/ out it going on my personal cell. Anyone else have any options on international texting that are cost effective?
(rolls...)
(peeks...)
(strokes goatee, pretending to be carefully strategizing through the drunken haze)
Ba ge Liou!
Gan bei! (LOL, the trick is to just keep toasting even if they keep winning, you can drink them under the table by "gan bei"-ing the whole table enough times!)
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Welcome, and the next round of NON-alcoholic drinks is on me. afafafafaf
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Non-alcoholic drinks...what in the name of...wait a minute...a woman ordering non-alcoholic drinks...Cheeky, is there something you haven't told us??
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Welcome GwaiLower. That's gotta be one of the best intros I've ever read. Of course, I rarely read intros.
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Of course, I rarely read intros.
But it was good!
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Welcome newbies.... and the next round is on.... um, well, it's really
my Stil's turn....
oooooooooo
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Got my BS (that's B*** bqbqbqbqbq) in Education, which I am using to help drill knowledge into the minds of Teens, Ladies and Gents in our local Corrections Department.
U work in a prison? aoaoaoaoao That must be hard.
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Actually, it's lot less stressful than you'd think.
More autonomy in my class room, generally one-on-one teaching/tutoring, minimal red tape and (so long as I prep my students for their GED exams, or whatever) no curriculum headaches. I feel very safe wherever I go.....because I have Friends in Low Places afafafafaf
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But I have also wrangled Upper Primary, Middle Graders and Seniors at various local schools.
I tend to prefer my present working surroundings. At least for the moment.
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Hi all,
I'm a Kiwi and have been in China for about 3 years.Currently in Nanjing. Have been checking out this site on and off for most of that time and have found some very useful information, swiped some good lesson ideas.
I came here to get better at Chinese...and am still working on that half-arsedly. I'm married to a local which helps.
My interests include music and Dungeons and Dragons.
Look forward to putting my two cents in. bibibibibi
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Welcome aboard, Muddy. Drinks are on Raoul!!! bibibibibi agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello Mudguard agagagagag agagagagag Always nice to see a new face, especially a fellow devotee of D&D. Welcome and have a pint on Stil.
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Welcome, Mudguard. The more, the merrier. agagagagag
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Welcome. agagagagag So if you've been hanging around us that long you don't need much of a tour. Just help yourself to the free anti-psychotics, I think Eric refilled the basket, and watch where you sit. George is very touchy about touching his barstool. agagagagag
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George is very touchy about touching his barstool.
Definitely!!
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Howdy, Mudguard. agagagagag I was big into D&D in high school, so as you might guess I didn't get any til college. ahahahahah I'm actually starting a glorified role-playing circle (superheroes)on Sunday mornings for older kids, to defray my hefty Bookworm tab.
Welcome aboard!
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Thanks for the warm welcome. agagagagag
Glad to see a few of you like D&D too. Manage to get my fix still by playing online using Openrpg software.
Right better start posting some "intelligent" comments on other threads. ;D
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well ... I totally missed this bit ... thought there must be an introductory thread somewhere ... but then again ... until yesterday I was blonde ...
I've been to China twice ... and find it is like an infectious disease that you cannot get out of your system. Every time I leave there is this longing to get back there, to see more, to learn more.
I'm also taking a course in mandarin. distance learning in South Africa. very painful.
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Welcome VoiceWithin. We're going to need a nickname for you. Do it yourself or they'll do it
to for you. I believe we've met, back when you were blonde. jjjjjjjjjj Unfortunately, I'm still blonde. I'm pretending to study Mandarin since I live here for the time being. ahahahahah We can see who gets further in a year. At least you'll have to learn to decipher what gets posted. But I digress, and I just woke up.
So, a tequila for you, and when we find Stil he'll give you the rest of the introductory tour. Sit back and enjoy the show. I'm sure you're going to fit right in. agagagagag
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Indeed folks, VoiceWithin fits right into this motley crew gang we have at the saloon and is a very dear friend of mine! so we're rolling out the not-so-red carpet and bringing out the finest moonshine of the joint for the welcome party..
salud!
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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And don't ask why the carpet is not so red - you REALLY don't want to know!
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Welcome aboard, Voice. Any mate of Noles is
immediately regarded as dangerous a mate of ours. agagagagag agagagagag
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Hallo, Voice! agagagagag
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Hi all,
New here. Introduced by Dragonsaver. I have been living in Lanzhou for about 10 months working on an international development (CIDA) project. Not alot of ex-pats in the circles I travel in so it is nice to be introduced to the group.
I am over here on my own, well not entirely, I brought my Golden Retriever, "Jenny" with me, an adventure in itself, but she is great company.
I came here from Canada bmbmbmbmbm, west coast. I have a hard time with that question, 'so where is home?'. I used to answer it by saying home is where my kids are sleeping tonight (can you tell we moved a bit?). However now that my kids are in their 20's I REALLY don't want to know where they are sleeping on a day to day basis so home maybe where I am sleeping I guess. Stuff in Canada in storage, living out of a suitcase a bit, who knows where home is.
I have muddled my way through not badly on life in China and have had some great adventures. Unbelievable food, far too many banquets, way way way too much beer, and admittedly even some KTV. Have not had alot of time for those Chinese lessons I keep saying I will do, between my teachers schedule and mine we seem to not see each other, only one lesson since spring festival, me bad. I am still subject to that white woman with minimal chinese tax at the markets, so of course they love me.
If by any chance anyone wants to know about Lanzhou, other than the pollution, I am becoming familiar. I certainly know my way to the airport as I seem to be somewhere else at least once a month as I also look after the project in Shaanxi so I go to Xi'an and then on to Chengcheng county. Limited time always in Xi'an so mostly I know the walk through the Moslem market from the Grand New World Hotel (which has a great pool) to the Starbucks between the Bell and the Drum towers.
Coffee, well real coffee, is sadly lacking here. I mean there are coffee shops, like the ones in the airports, where it is mostly bad, even more over-priced than starbucks and NO ONE will sell you the coffee or the beans. Oh yeah, as well as my dog I brought a burr grinder and expresso machine. I have lived overseas before, I know that I will do anything for that morning latte hit, well almost anything. As I explained to Raoul, I declined the membership condition about being his sex slave and allowing him to deal on the open market selling my organs.
So open to questions here, though as I told Raoul, I may put in the same conditions as he did, depending on the question. ahahahahah.
Looking forward to some virtual meetings, and maybe some f2f stuff in my travels as well.
Cheers
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Welcome, welcome and welcome. agagagagag agagagagag
Glad you joined. bfbfbfbfbf
George, he is the one with the dancing chicken (duck)chook.
Next time you need to go to Jilin just send him a message and he will tell you where to go. He might even meet up with you ahahahahah
We have some great members in Xi'an and they would love to meet up with you when you are passing through.
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This Xi'an member will second that invite. agagagagag
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Welcome Canvet ... you will have to pick up some coffee on your travels. It is hard to survive without that first cuppa of the day.
I'm not the newest one in the introductions thread anymore. ... like a piece of furniture around here now ... (ooh, I think I'll be the pool table)
Always a shot of tequila.
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Welcome, Canvet agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Canvet! Nice touch, bringing your dog. You won't starve when times are tough!! ahahahahah When next you go to Jilin, don't bother looking for me...I won't be there. DS is getting old and forgetful. Wo shi Jinanren!
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I don't know if DS meant Jilin or Jinan, I read Jinan because that's what I expected to see, but I'm in Jilin if you come here. Please give me a shout. Welcome to the Saloon. The (sort of) red carpet is still out, so mind your step. I know ETR is on vacation, so maybe George will slip on the qipao and get you a drink on ETR's tab. Later, when you get to the Ladies Lounge we can do better than that. The cabana boys don't have chicken legs. agagagagag
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welcome fellow canuck. get thee to Yunan for some palatable coffee and some cool scenery. What exactly is your CIDA sonsored role? There was a CIDA man during my Inner Mongolia posting, he was an agricultural advisor and had just renewed his contract for a third year. I think it's pretty cool that you managed to get your pup here. Sadly, I'm on my way home but I'm sure you'll find this place perfect for hanging your hat. agagagagag
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Well Hidy Ho Kind Neighbours.
Xi'an for company, Hunan for coffee, Ladies Lounge for hot cabana boys, all sounds great. What is really wonderful is people within the same time zone to communicate with bfbfbfbfbf.
My project is Livestock Health Extension. We are training trainers to train small farmers and animal health workers. Also because China just joined the OIE (World Animal Health Organization, yeah I know that doesn't anacronym to OIE but it is a long story) we are facilitating accrediting veterinarians, establishing traceability systems and way too many things for the number of people on the ground. We are in IMAR sort of but have never had permanent staff there, just training. There have been alot of Dairy projects and grasslands projects there though. CIDA will not be doing another Agriculture project in China (so they say now but a world shortage of food could change that) and IMAR is not on their friendly list as alot of money has been spent there and with few sustainable results. Sustainability, public health and zoonotic disease are the rallying call currently.
WEll just finishing a glass of the good old local Mogao Red which went well with my italian chicken cutlets and I am off to bed. Lovely walk along the Huange today and got my apartment almost cleaned up after the sandstorm friday night. I will be venturing over to the food discussions and hope to see you over there. I will be in Xi'an betweent he 19th and 28th of this month, then over to Chengdu if any of you are there, for a day then back to home base. Will have to wait for that Yunan coffee and continue to make due with the Starbucks.
Happy Trails
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I'll be in Beijing from 18-26/7th - so maybe your last night here?
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Canvet, where are you in IMAR? I spent ten months in Hailaer, northern IMAR and loved it.
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Sorry, the project is in IMAR sort of. I have been scheduled to go there a few times but never made it, will happen eventually I am sure. The office would be in Hohhot if we were actually fully active there. What project were you with, did you know any of the Agriteam people there?
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Welcome, Canvet. Any golden retriever fan can sit on my side of the bar. agagagagag
Hey, Voice. You hanging your hat in Beijing these days?
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It was fun while it lasted ... but I'm once again back in good ol' Cape Town, SA .
Here's a tequila until the next time agagagagag
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Welcome Canvet and VoiceWithin. Canvet, a fellow fan of canines can drink on my tab any day agagagagag VoiceWithin, that name alone is enough to get ya a pint of the best absinthe available. This voice within..does it ever tell you to do stuff with hares and gherkins?? Is it high-pitched, squeaky and speaks with a hint of Mancunian accent? Or is that just me?
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VoiceWithin, that name alone is enough to get ya a pint of the best absinthe available. This voice within..does it ever tell you to do stuff with hares and gherkins?? Is it high-pitched, squeaky and speaks with a hint of Mancunian accent? Or is that just me?
Voice, Do not listen to the crazy guy who just stumbled in from the woods. Heaven knows we don't. He's . . . he's . . .
Danish!! aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao
And apparently he's lonely since he's rapturous about Stil's return. Take advantage of his bar tab while he's still out in the woods hiding in his parents' cottage.
(I really want to call you VW, but I'm restraining myself.) cbcbcbcbcb
Another Tequila, just to make it right. agagagagag
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'Shroomy - advice taken .... but just to set the record straight ... it all depends on which voice decide to come out and play on any given day ...
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Cheers and welcome, newbies. Next round is on you. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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To all you new people ......
Stop m'kaying drinking on my tab!
Oh, and uh, welcome and all that.
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To all you new people ......
Stop m'kaying drinking on my tab!
that's what you get for going MIA and leaving a credit card at the bar... I know you were on a quest for pink glasses but come on, it's not like you had to take a golden ring to the depths of Mordor bibibibibi
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agagagagag
Okay just cracked a new bottle of Pepe Lopez so this round is on me. Thanks for the welcome. Oh yeah I swear Nolefan, I only had one on your tab, really, okay maybe more, but less than 10.
jjjjjjjjjj
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Who be niki? mmmmmmmmmm
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Mr Cakebread is a dear friend of mine here in Suzhou.
I hope he drops in and posts soon.
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Mr. Cakebread??? Any relation to the Gingerbread Man?
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It was only a matter of time. Though i must admit that that was a joke that i hadn't thought of.
agagagagag
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Damn, I totally missed this thread... I'm 31, Canadian (Montreal)... worked as a chef/sous-chef/kitchen bitch for the better part of a decade... was taking English/Philosophy, dropped out due to culinary obligations... will be in China by July... still debating between Wuhan and Suzhou... current status: shitfaced (vicoria day tomorrow.)
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Oh man, don't listen to Missi. I'd rather lick the inside of a fake leg than listen to Celine...oooooh and I'm originally from Ontario... but have yet to sleep with any of my cousins... zing!
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but have yet to sleep with any of my cousins... zing!
Well, you're the only one then.
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... he likes Celine Dion!!!
Here, have some a white wine spritizer while you lsiten to Celine Poutine, ...
Celine Poutine? I love it.
For those who don't know, poutine is a Quebecois specialty. Fries, cheese curd, then a lot of hot gravy to melt the curds. It is significantly less ghastly than it sounds.
Celine owns a chain of restaurants called Nickels, and various family members run it. 1950s style with burgers, milkshakes, pictures of Marylin, Elvis, Jimmy Dean, etc. Mostly in Quebec, one in Ottawa, dunno about anywhere else. Not a bad place. I don't know if they have poutine, though.
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G'day and welcome to dasein and all the others that I've yet to meet.
still debating between Wuhan and Suzhou
Unbiased opinion coming up here, concerning which seems to be the better city. SUZHOU!! Get it, SUZHOU!! Mind you, great job in a krappy city probably beats a krappy job in a great city. Been to both places, worked in neither. current status: shitfaced (vicoria day tomorrow.)
Good on you, mate, keep up the good work. jjjjjjjjjj
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Hiya
I am Mr Barfly. One of the newest members in the Saloon. I have just turned 31 this month. I am from Bristol in England so I think I talk like a farmer but people dont seem to mention it over here that much. I have been in China since January, before that I was travelling around the globe, mostly in the middle east though. I am loving China and I am hoping to stay here for a very long time, especially if I keep meeting great people like Missi.
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Welcome, Mister Barfly. Always nice to have a globetrotter in our midst. So, where have you been travelling to? I would like to say that China is full to the brim with people like Missi but we both know she is fabulously unique agagagagag. Have a drink on me agagagagag
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Well I started my travels in November, I went to Sweden first for three weeks, god its boring there. Then I went to Jordan for a month, it has changed alot since I went there 2 years ago. Then I passed through Eilat which was an absolute nightmare. I spent Xmas and new years in Sharm, Egypt which was amazing. Then I got offered this job in China, so I popped to Thailand first for 2 weeks and then made my way to China and I love it here. I have been to alot of other countries but I find Asia and the Middle East the most interesting.
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You went to Sweden??? Of all the Scandinavian countries, you went to a place that should be renamed Puritanica?? Dear chap, you should have popped across the water, Denmark is much more fun than Sweden and we have the same number of pretty blonde, blue-eyed girls.
I have never been to the Middle East, apart from a two-week holiday in Egypt. Did not have much time to figure out if the place was interesting, as I got sun shock and was therefore delirious and laid up in the shade for most of the trip. I like ME cooking though, big fan of that. As for Asia, I hear ya agagagagag agagagagag
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Sweden should be named WHAT? ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah Eric, I don't know in what sense you mean they are puritans. ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
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Cheeky, ever been to Sweden?? Ever encountered their alcohol laws?? Ever been on the main street in Copenhagen on a Friday or Saturday?? Ever taken the ferry from Elsinore to Stockholm??? Ever traversed Elsinore city on a weekend?? If you had, you would know why it should be renamed Puritanica....
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I thought PURITAN was related to something else...
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Naughty, Cheeky, naughty cbcbcbcbcb cbcbcbcbcb Puritans are not too keen on many things. Remember the old joke: Why do Calvinists frown on sex? They fear it may lead to dancing.
Mister Barfly was very correct when he invoked a deity to confirm just how deplorably dull Sweden is.
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Welcome to this madhouse, Barfly. agagagagag Looks like you'll fit right in here bfbfbfbfbf
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I am from Bristol in England so I think I talk like a farmer but people dont seem to mention it over here that much.
Really? You sure about that?
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Any Bristolian who thinks s/he sounds like a farmer instead of a sailor can't be all bad, Eh?
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Hi, I'm Jack. I live in Lanzhou. Ever chanced a visit here?
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I'll be in Lanzhou for about an hour on Sunday morning!! Switching from train to bus there. agagagagag ahahahahah Done that switch a good dozen times now - or stayed overnight and caught the plane back next day. Night markets are fun. Landscape is sad.
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Hi Jack. I have never been to Lanzhou, don't even know where it is but I'll def. put it on the list of places to visit. Anyone who reads "The Monk" for fun must be a hoot and a half agagagagag agagagagag
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It's in China Eric
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bkbkbkbkbk axaxaxaxax
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It's in China Eric
So, not on the Moon then??
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Although sometimes from satellite it has been hard to find - covered in pollution!
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G'day from downunder. I'm an Aussie still in Sydney awaiting confirmation of a visa to teach in Ningbo, beginning in August for 4 months - Advanced Diploma of International Business via TAFE. I'm definitely a newbie although a teenager in a 50-something body. I'll welcome all sorts of advice on living expenses, getting on and surviving...or enjoying the experience heaps.
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Hi there Gragra - which school in Ningbo/Tafe will you be working at?? I have a few friends working there now and am fairly familiar with some of the programs there.
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Welcome, Gragra! agagagagag
May I suggest that you begin your searching in the Lending Library? Then ask any other questions you may think of in The Bar. We have folks from all over PRC, who are able to supply answers to (almost) anything.
Nice to have you here!
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Hi, Gragra! I'm new-ish also, mostly a voyeur because I am still in Colorado, USA and have little (none really) to contribute to the China scene. Everyone has been very warm and informative and despite some of the challenges China presents to people comfortable with a Western lifestyle, I can't help but be intrigued by the Middle Kingdom. Welcome aboard! And I wish you all the best in your journey!
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Welcome, Gagra. So you too could not resist and had to follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole, eh? As for surviving, the best advice I can give is this: shrug and say "TIFC" whenever encountering anything that's just plain weird. Have fun agagagagag agagagagag
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belated welcome to the madness y'all..
grab a seat if you find one and sit back.. first round on LT while she's not looking
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hey! I heard that Noles! I have spies everywhere uuuuuuuuuu
However, being the gracious hostess that I am I'm will to loan my tab out for a round. After all, it was getting a little dusty hidden under the bottle on the top shelf bfbfbfbfbf
Huge welcome to all!
cecececece
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Noles, you DO know that in the end it will be your tab... uuuuuuuuuu
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(it's only a matter of time Cheeks) uuuuuuuuuu
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Hey, I'm Nate. I'm an expat living in Xiangtan, Hunan. I'm an American who's 22 years old and from McCook, Nebraska. I currently teach at the Hunan Institute of Engineering. I pretty much started the standard expat lifestyle when I got here. Went to the bar, made new friends, pulled teaching out of my ass. I try to become a better teacher all the time but, honestly, I hate it.
I wonder how Raoul keeps afloat in China without teaching? I'd be curious to know. Love China, hate teaching.
Hey, cheers guys ^.^
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Welcome agagagagag
As for Raoul... well, you know... how things work... uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome agagagagag agagagagag Pull up a chair. As for how to get by in China without being a teacher...you know....only your imagination sets the boundaries uuuuuuuuuu
Have a welcome drink on..let's say, Stil's account.
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Hello. Nice to have you aboard, Rajin. agagagagag
Next round's on George's tab......he's too busy with the kiddie-winks at Summer Camp down south to notice...
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Hi Rajin. Welcome to The Saloon.
I'm just up the road from you in Changsha.
Stop drinking on my tab.
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sweet, I'm in Changsha reall often. And thanks for the rouns, guys. jjjjjjjjjj
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Yo Rajin!
Glad getting you here worked out... agagagagag
I DON'T stay afloat without teaching. I would love to...love teaching but I'm sick of these schools...but don't have the luxury. I supplement my income with some writing and DJ work, but I gotta face the music every day like the rest of these groundhogs. bibibibibi
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Sad story. I *could* stay afloat without teaching doing online jobs but I think the Chinese gov't would kick me out without a work visa :o
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Welcome aboard, Rajin. agagagagag Have you considered that maybe it's not teaching you hate so much as teaching college kids? I didn't care for it myself- most of my students were lazy, unmotivated, completely unable to speak the simplest English, or a combination of the above (mind you, my school may have been worse than yours).
I find kids a riot to teach: they're so glad to be there, and enjoy learning. Ditto for working adults: they believe English will help their careers, so they pay attention and do their homework.
Just fishing.
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Ah but college jobs require the least hours (generally speaking) and if Rajin can make money doing other stuff what he wants is a job that will provide a visa for as few hours as possible - I'm teaching 3 hours a week next year and get a visa thrown in.
Rajin, welcome to the madhouse, drinks are on whoever is too wasted to notice you abusing their tab agagagagag
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Dear Rajin
I had mentioned in some of my previous post about the fact that many of the schools and unis here want us in the class to make the students happy. They are our judges. They decide if we are good or bad teachers. In simple words, a good teachers is the one who can entertain them by singing, dancing or fooling around in the class. If you wanna teach and inculcate knowledge, there is a little chance that you could get hired for the next term. It's like that in China. I been here for 5 years. Come over to my place someday. I am in Changsha dude!
Cheers.
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Hi. New to forum. Old to China. Warm wishes one and all.
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Nice ta have ya here, Count Chocula. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome, (Chocolate) Spaghetti!! agagagagag agagagagag jjjjjjjjjj
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Welcome! Chud sounds almost like a reaaaallly bad word in Hindi... ahahahahah
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Welcome Spaghetti. All we need is Tomato Sauce and we've got a heck of a threesome going here. aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao
Okay, I didn't say that just now. I'm not even in China at the moment.
But, Lone Traveller doesn't seem to be looking, so have a welcome drink on her tab. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome! Chud sounds almost like a reaaaallly bad word in Hindi... ahahahahah
It sounds like a really bad word in any language.
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Thank you all. For the uninitiated: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7a/CHUD_poster.jpg/398px-CHUD_poster.jpg
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Shroomy!!!! I thought we were friends? ananananan I turn my back for a few measley days and you start offering up my tab??? this means war! bzbzbzbzbz (hmm? That doesn't really instil the neccesary fear I was going for, but anyway) axaxaxaxax
Welcome Spag! agagagagag
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i suppose i had better say 'Hi' here since its the intro space. Im Scottish, been here a year zhaoqing guangdong. signed for another year. teaching primary richkids.
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Hey welcome Fox. Hmmm richkids huh? aoaoaoaoao
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Hey welcome Fox. Hmmm richkids huh? aoaoaoaoao
yeah, they are alright - just spoilt and a tad neglected. the usual dont want to learn and not interested behaviour, they all have their endearing qualities just like everywhere else on this planet. hong kong diplomat kids and wealthy biz ppls kids. Im the white panda here for the schools publicity. harhar.
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haha... each to their own I guess. axaxaxaxax
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Hi! I'm moving to Haerbin in two weeks, to teach English at a University there... I'm American, from Maine, just graduated college and decided to do something fun and different for a year before grad school :)
you guys seem to know and have a lot of experience with the whole living in China thing... I've been there twice but never longer than three weeks. nice to meet you all!
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Well, two weeks in advance: Welcome to China, Boston! Have a safe journey and happy landing. btbtbtbtbt ;D
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Hi, Boston. Welcome to the Saloon ........ and to PRC, when you arrive agagagagag
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Good luck Boston. You've just signed up for a real education and eye opener. uuuuuuuuuu
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Hi Boston, it's nice to meet you. May I offer you your first drink of baijiu? jjjjjjjjjj "Welcome you to China. Where are you from? What's your name? How much money do you make? Can you use chopsticks?" I'm not being rude, just helping you prepare for your arrival and the questions you must be prepared to answer on a regular basis.
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George is still recovering after summer camp, so his bar tab is wide open. have a half dozen on him!!
Ruth - you forgot - "Are you married? Do you like Chinese girls?".
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Welcome and what others said. Get ready to embark on a wonderful journey where all your perceptions appear to be wrong and all the things you thought to be wrong are right ahahahahah
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Ruth - you forgot - "Are you married? Do you like Chinese girls?".
You can also add: "How old are you?"
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Welcome, Boston. agagagagag agagagagag
"Do you like Chinese food? Have you ever eaten it before?"
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Welcome Spaghetti...so, you're a vampire, eh? However, your name implies that you enrolled in the UN "Fangs for Pasta" scheme, so I'll just hide this garlic and the stake under the table. Have a Bloody Mary on me...with extra Mary agagagagag agagagagag
Boston, welcome to Wonderland I mean China...be prepared for people walking up to you, saying "Hello" and then running away. Drinking beer from shot glasses (I use the term 'beer' as loosely as humanly possible)and getting used to not standing in line. China is fun, hope you enjoy it agagagagag agagagagag
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A good Spaghetti is always welcome. Welcome aboard!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome, Boston! agagagagag I hear god things about Harbin (haven't been there in 21 years). You'll find pretty much all you need to know in the Laowai Lending Library room; feel free to ask us about whatever you can't suss from there.
I think you'll enjoy your adventure in the Big Silly. Just plan it out, negotiate with your prospective school slowly and carefully, and pack a year's supply of deodorant, Justin Case. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi all. My name is Mark. I also just graduated from college (University of Michigan) and am wanting to experience China firsthand since that is what I will be studying in grad school. I am moving to Harbin for a year to teach English at a University while taking Mandarin classes. I'm also hoping to take the GRE while I'm over there. It's gonna be a busy year. :)
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Welcome to the Saloon, Primitive. Harbin seems to be very popular all of the sudden. I live 3 hours south of Harbin, so maybe we'll meet up some day. Not that I had time to go to Harbin all of last semester; and you will be studying/working 24/7. bibibibibi
Better get started drinking now. I'm sure since AMonk is out of town she'd want you to have a drink and a toastie on her tab. Cheers agagagagag
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Velcome aboard, Primitive. Good handle for a Michigonian, and Harbin is a good place for you, too. Nice and freezy in winter!! agagagagag agagagagag
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Primitive and I will fit right in during Harbin's winter, him being from Michigan and my coming from Maine :) I do believe we'll actually be working at the same university. Small world?
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Welcome aboard, you 2. agagagagag agagagagag Y'all know as well as I do that winter's only cold while you're outside.
...unless you live in Suzhou, where the buildings aren't heated. llllllllll
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Fresh meat! afafafafaf
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Y'all know as well as I do that winter's only cold while you're outside.
cold is 90% all your state of mind.... the other ten percent being the frostbite you get when you think its all in your head ahahahahah the weather of harbin was its biggest draw for me, i'm looking forward to it :)
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Sil and Riz, hit me up. I'll be back in Changsha on the 2nd or 3rd of Sept.
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Welcome aboard, you 2. agagagagag agagagagag Y'all know as well as I do that winter's only cold while you're outside.
...unless you live in Suzhou, where the buildings aren't heated. llllllllll
and anywhere else south of beijing, very uncomfortable sitting in yer flat with temps in the single figures, the flats arent built to hold heat and very uncomfortable to live in when its not hot.
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and anywhere else south of beijing,
Unless one lives in cosmopolitan Jinan....Jewel of Shandong! jjjjjjjjjj
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aaaahhhh, Jinan, the 49th floor, brings back some wonderful memories (or lack thereof) agagagagag agagagagag jjjjjjjjjj
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Just letting you guys know I got back into Xiangtan last night.
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Hey, welcome to the Big Silly, Rajin! agagagagag Let the adventure begin. vvvvvvvvvv
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I'm in Yangshuo for the next 2 weeks. If anyone's around, hit me up!
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If anyone's around, hit me
uuuuuuuuuu
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You can do anything you want to me ;)
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Awww we have another playa in da house afafafafaf
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Anything?? Really?? Oh. that's absolutely brilliant...let's see...we have the vaseline, the marmoset, the cayenne pepper...now, if you would kindly remove your trousers and stick these celery stalks in your ears, we will get busy giving you a rainbow-coloured mohawk.
Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Anything?? Really?? Oh. that's absolutely brilliant...let's see...we have the vaseline, the marmoset, the cayenne pepper...now, if you would kindly remove your trousers and stick these celery stalks in your ears, we will get busy giving you a rainbow-coloured mohawk.
Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
That's all below the belt, of course. Wait to see what we've got waiting for you upstairs. The celery comes in right useful.
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eric, looks like you had really tough college years...
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No, no, just wait til Rajin comes upstairs, then we'll break out the college part..."Hide the Crumpet" is always a fun game for a rainy Saturday.
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"Hide the Crumpet" is always a fun game
Eric. "Hide the sausage" is always more fun!! uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome, ciad mile failte.
You may have noticed that you have to be kinda careful talking around Erc and Gerge here. ::) bibibibibi
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Hi, I am Jo.
I am female, 31 and from Bristol, UK.
Arriving in China 21st Oct and seeking out mmmmmmmmmm my first teaching English job in the Suzhou/Shanghai area. bfbfbfbfbf
I promised myself I'd be out of UK by the first frost.... Danm! It's frosty in England today!!! Hoping for a few sunny days ababababab and good times agagagagag before getting stuck in to work again. uuuuuuuuuu
Jo
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Welcome Jo. Happy job hunting and safe travels. Have you been to China before?
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agagagagag agagagagag
welcome aboard kiddo... beware that side of china as there are reports of molested hats, Belgians roaming the streets and strange debauchery coming out of the area... aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao kkkkkkkkkk
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Welcome aboard Josephina! (That's MY line, Noles) Yes, be very careful in Suzhou, an area noted for Schizoid Sociopaths, Belgian Wafflers, and USAnian Chapeau Molesters. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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welcome aboard, but if you decide to go a little further north into shandong territory watch out for dancing chooks from the land down under.
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Dancing chooks are famous in Jinan, the jewel of Shandong.
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Arriving in China 21st Oct and seeking out mmmmmmmmmm my first teaching English job in the Suzhou/Shanghai area. bfbfbfbfbf
Welcome Jo.
But does this mean you do not yet have a job here?? If that is the case you may need to read the 'hard rain' thread about the VERY difficult time you can have changing your tourist visa into a residency permit.
Good luck!
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Eh? What? Oh, brilliant, a new member. A bit late but allow me to hop on the welcome wagon. Welcome, Josephina, to the greatest place in cyber space. So, you'll be arriving in the Friendliest Place on Earth later this month? Fabulous. I do hope you have an absolutely spiffing time. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome indeed, Jo, and congrats on having the perspicacity to avoid terrible places like Shandong Province, and come right to The Good Part.
Let us know when you get here, although I'm not long for The Big Silly myself, I fear...
And don't worry about the herring-knocker up there. A cilantro allergy has him raving and hallucinating every time he eats.
Lucky bastard.
Anyway, he'll calm down again in a couple hours and is definitely harmless. uuuuuuuuuu
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Oh...and no one in Suzhou ever molested a hat that didn't ASK us to molest it. asasasasas
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Hi to you all. I am Lin, and from Australia! C'mon Aussies!! I am in Zhaoqing, in Guangdong Province. Looking forward to getting to know everyone here in the saloon. This is my fourth year in Zhaoqing. Am back at the original college, a medical college, where all my students are in an international nursing programme, with real opportunities for overseas work/study, if they want. So they are wonderfully motivated, and keen to learn, not like some students I have come across in my other teaching job here!! Loving the experience (still!) and can't really get my head around going home some day!!
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Welcome to the Saloon, Chinalin agagagagag agagagagag First round is on me..well...actually on Con, as he left for Canuckstan and forgot to suspend his running tab.
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Welcome aboard, Lin. We need more Aussies here, as the place is in danger of being overrun by bloody foreigners. Yes, drinks all round.....on Con's tab. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Duh, George, UNITY IN DIVERSITY!
Welcome Jo and Lin. agagagagag
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Hey there - wow, what a welcome! Cheers guys. agagagagag
And what a week it's been! Yes, this is my first time in China and I wish I'd done it years back.bibibibibi I've managed to find some accommodation with a Chinese family on the edge of town which is just great. I couldn't have asked for a better start. I'm a little concerned about the visa thing although two companies I've encountered so far seemed to think it wouldn't be an issue. I'll wait and see. I'd hate to have to go back home now that I got here but I'm enjoying it so much that I'm definately intent on sticking around!!!
I've met some great locals and some people here from back home - all are making me very welcome and at home already. I have some work on the cards so hoping the visa issue won't be too much of a headache - I'll let you know.
bfbfbfbfbf
Jo
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Hey Jo ... Welcome. Sorry I'm late to the festivities.. however, since we need very little a reason to celebrate here in the saloon... I'll start it all over again... For the next 3hrs... George's tab is open. Help yourselfs. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag axaxaxaxax
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For the next 3hrs... George's tab is open. Help yourselfs.
aoaoaoaoao
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Welcome, Jo and Lin. agagagagag agagagagag
Jo, glad you have a good first impression. We all may be able to answer your visa questions, if you give us more specifics.
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ummmm maybe I should have been more specific... I meant you BAR TAB not the other tab. apapapapap
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I meant you BAR TAB not the other tab
Ah! That's OK then!!!
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welcome aboard indeed, lin.
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Hey all,
New to China and new to the Saloon. Have been lurking a bit, but now I'm ready to come out and play. :wtf:
Arrived in China a few months ago and have been teaching at a university in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province for about a month. It's a nice life so far and a good opportunity to develop my teaching skills and see if it is a career that I want to commit to.
I'm keen to be involved in the Saloon so that I can stay connected with a teaching community while in China. The opportunity to share experiences of China will be therapeutic and I might also learn a thing or two 'bout teaching as well.
I recently finished university in New Zealand and did a CELTA then ventured over to China. It's good to be here.
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Welcome aboard, Bentham. Kiwis are sadly lacking here. Drinks are on the Canadians!! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Bentham agagagagag agagagagag Named after the venerable Jeremy Bentham? Jiangxi province, that's where I used to hop about. Anyway, again, a hearty welcome to the Saloon and to the Friendliest Place on Earth AKA China. Pull up a chair and let's get dashed foxed...the Canucks are paying :alcoholic: :alcoholic:
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Hello, Bentham. Welcome to the
madhouse Saloon. Nice to see a new face. Barkeep, a couple of agagagagag over here, Please. And slide that plate of Toasties over, too.
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EXCUSE ME GEORGE aoaoaoaoao Wo shi laoshi, wo meiyou chen llllllllll asasasasas
Bentham, The drinks and toasties are on GEORGE. The Canadians will volunteer themselves when they want to run a tab!! George is sneaky that way asasasasas
Canada rules bmbmbmbmbm George stays sober tonight uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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DS, it is Saturday night. I doubt that will be the case ahahahahah
Welcome, Bentham. Enjoy your time and post away! agagagagag
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Bloody Canadians. Cheap as chips!! kkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkk
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Welcome aboard, Bentham. agagagagag You're right on the money: this is a bitchin' place to ask questions and plain old vent. Kept me going my first year in the Big Silly.
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Bloody Canadians. Cheap as chips!! kkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkk
Ya, but everybody loves chips ahahahahah ahahahahah akakakakak
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\
I recently finished university in New Zealand
Good for you Bentham.
The first step is admitting you have have a problem. We will all try our best to help and support you.
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Indeed. Just remember: sheep are for mutton, wool, fine leathers, and lanolin. And NOTHING else, even if you do put lipstick on them first. uuuuuuuuuu
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Hi there Luke, and a big warm Aussie welcome. Enjoy your time.!!
Lin
Zhaoqing, Guangdong province. bxbxbxbxbx
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Hi there, Luke. Welcome to the Happiest Place in Cyber-Space agagagagag Here, have a big glass of your favourite beverage agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello, EM!! Nice ta see ya. Have a
mug drink of agagagagag on George. Then the next ones are on Lone Traveler, our lovely (absent) Hostess.
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Welcome aboard, Macho Man... agagagagag agagagagag OK, drinks are on me.....for a limited time only. Conditions apply!!
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Hi there, Luke. Welcome to the Happiest Place in Cyber-Space
That doesn't offer free porn. That's the only correction I'd make to your statement! agagagagag
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Welcome, El Macho! agagagagag to teaching career!
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Welcome aboard, El Macho. agagagagag With a B.Ed you should have a good menu of jobs in the Big Whore. Great place if you can handle the crowds.
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Hello all. This is my first post and I am saying hello: Hello!
I am a 24 and five-sixths year old male from St. Louis. I finished graduate school earlier this year and then traveled for several months. It was great.
I want to get back out. I am thinking about teaching in China or Korea (or Japan or Hong Kong or Thailand or Vietnam or Brazil or Portugal). I have been pretty overwhelmed by the whole process and I don't even know how to begin to sort through all the ads. The money is hard to look away from in Korea, but, man, China just seems like it would be an awesome adventure.
Anywho... more posts to come.
Thanks!
PS--Raoul: No need to injure your head with sharp blows; we all are "advanced technical dumbasses" at times
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Hi Powder'd. Welcome to the
SalonSaloon!! I believe that the drinks are going onto Lone Traveler's tab, just now.
Job-hunting can be such a drag. bibibibibi Good luck with your searches agagagagag
Anywho... more posts to come.
Good. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome!
So, can you tell me what shops carry powdered water? ahahahahah
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It's all around you, you fucking lunatic (sorry, that just seems appropriate; no offense, really).
"Taste the water. Is it real? How does it make you feel, being endlessly dependent on external crutches and shields? Sleepwalking through the dust-covered fields, taunted by the haunted souls who kept the seals closed; I stretched the distance and pushed the envelope, this song's become an endless note for all women and men with hope. Open your eyes! You no longer can float. You're sinking and drinking the Powdered Water is going to make you choke."
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but.....
what does one add to make it liquid?
`Too?
mmmmmmmmmm
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Welcome aboard, Powder. agagagagag
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Thank you agagagagag
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So, what are the ingredients for powdered water? (hopefully not too much melamine)
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I think it's the name of a hip hop song, am I right?
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Hi my name is Drew and I'm an Alco, tittie, porno, cigar, choco, movie, and China holic. bjbjbjbjbj
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I am a 24 and five-sixths year old male from St. Louis.
Welcome. And seriously - why do Americans almost always introduce their state/town and not the country? bibibibibi
Hi, I'm cheekygal. And I am from Saint-Petersburg. Good luck finding out which one of the dozens of them ahahahahah
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I apologize. I am not from the St. Louis in France, Canada, Senegal, Burkina Faso, or a host of cities in America. I am from St. Louis, Missouri, The United States of America. There! You happy?! uuuuuuuuuu
In my defense, St. Louis, like Miami, for example, is almost exclusively associated with Missouri (USA), as evidenced by Wikipedia going straight to St. Louis, MO when typing in "St. Louis." Just like typing in "St. Petersburg" in Wikipedia goes straight to the Russian city, which is where you are from. afafafafaf
HOWEVER, having traveled the world, I have met many people who have never heard of St. Louis. Being that this is a somewhat international message board, I can see your point.
Signing off: Me, Maryland Heights, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Earth, The Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, etc. etc. etc.
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Hi, I'm cheekygal. And I am from Saint-Petersburg. Good luck finding out which one of the dozens of them ahahahahah
Wow! I didn't know you were from Florida. ahahahahah
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I think it's the name of a hip hop song, am I right?
bfbfbfbfbf
Indeed. Part I & II.
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Wow! I didn't know you were from Florida
PFFT. I meant THE original one. Not your fake yankee ones uuuuuuuuuu
I apologize. I am not from the St. Louis in France, Canada, Senegal, Burkina Faso, or a host of cities in America. I am from St. Louis, Missouri, The United States of America. There! You happy?!
No. You didn't do show-tell. Now start all over and again and drop it like it's hot! uuuuuuuuuu
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I apologize. I am not from the St. Louis in France, Canada, Senegal, Burkina Faso, or a host of cities in America. I am from St. Louis, Missouri, The United States of America. There! You happy?!
No. You didn't do show-tell. Now start all over and again and drop it like it's hot! uuuuuuuuuu
I don't know what that means, but I find it very funny nonetheless. agagagagag
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Well, as a teacher you are supposed to be skilled in show-tell aka mime everything you say with gestures and body language ahahahahah
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Hi Everyone.........just realised I've been posting and yet haven't introduced myself! bibibibibi
Not in China yet, but should be in Lin'an in another month's time, at ZFU.
Been an expat for forever......Saudi, UAE, Holland, Germany, USA, Canada - born a Brit, but now proudly Canadian (but it still ain't 'home').
Hobbies: hmmmm.....reading, surfing (net, not surf), geeking, mysticism and mythology, jazz, music, baking, walking, jazz, comparative religion, horror movies, driving, jazz........(okok......I play keys/synths and sax - so any musicians in Hangzhou, or nearby, PLEASE contact me - folks in Canada/UK call me 'Martini'.....anytime, anyplace, anywhere - as far as music is concerned!!)
To the guy from St.Louis.....bought my baby, my Selmer tenor sax, in St.Louis, MO. She has to go into storage for now ananananan though.
Seem to be spending a lot of time finding my way around the forum, and I ain't even 'legit' yet! ahahahahah (can't read PM's...so please just email me!)
Spent a few hours at the 'other place'.....nah, not for me! Mind you, it was a great learning experience, being hit on by literally thousands of recruiters!!
Hope you're all having a great New Year so far!
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Welcome aboard agagagagag
I'm sure you will fit in just fine.
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Howdy, Synthette. agagagagag We'll have to do a Suzhou/Hangzhou visit exchange. There's a number of us Suzhouites who haven't been to your city, myself included.
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Oops, I've posted about before really introducing myself, didn't spot this thread!
Well I'm Joe, soon to be 21, from Newcastle, in England. Planning on coming to teach in China after I've graduated (in May!)
Pretty excited to be coming over...not sure where I'm headed to be honest though!
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Welcome aboard! agagagagag
Where to go? 3 questions:
1. What size a centre do you prefer? Metropolis? Village? Town? Biggish city? Smallish?
2. What climate agrees with you most?
3. Are you looking for the hardcore Chinese experience, or the comfortable Chinese experience?
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Cheers mate! agagagagag
What size a centre do you prefer? Metropolis? Village? Town? Biggish city? Smallish?
You wouldn't believe how small the village I come from is. Roughly about 10 houses! I think this has had an almost knee-jerk reaction; I have a unquenchable thirst for exploring big cities...yet I can't stand touristy places...I strive to find the back-streets (sounds seedier than intended), mainly in search of an interesting photo...but I digress...
What climate agrees with you most?
tropical/sub-tropical! (hopefully I'll acclimatize with time, found Hong Kong SO stifling)
Are you looking for the hardcore Chinese experience, or the comfortable Chinese experience?
Haha, define the 'hardcore' experience? I just want something new!
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The definition of 'big city' in China is not the same as in other places. Xi'an is not defined as a big city and has 7 million people in it's defined area. Small cities can be 1-2 million people or more. So even a small city will be mindboggling for you. And way easier to get around. If you're looking for interesting things to photograph, older, smaller cities, even though they have the same screaming drive for modernity, have more of the interesting bits and pieces left to explore.
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For big cities, I wouldn't worry about the "touristy" problem. You learn where those areas are, then avoid them. There's always a Real China neighbourhood nearby, if you take the time to find them.
The "tropical/subtropical" definition is a tricky one. Suzhou, not far from Shanghai, is certainly tropical in the summer; I grouse on about it for 5 months of the year. It frequently hits 40C with a jillion percent humidity. But right now it's near freezing, with a damp, biting wind. Spring and Autumn are paradise, but you get extremes here otherwise. China's like that.
Whip out a map and use Shanghai as a standard. Frankly, too hot for me- if Suzhou wasn't my true love, I'd move North.
By "hardcore", I mean a rural locale where nobody speaks English and women still wash clothes by the well. I had that for my first year, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything- but I'll be damned if I'll do it again. The other extreme would be Beijing or Shanghai, aggressively modernized metropoli.
Followup questions?
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Re: climate, do you find yourselves acclimatising to life in that heat/humidity? I was only in Hong Kong for 2 weeks, so never really got used to it. It seemed so weird...when I first got there my reaction was to open the window for a breeze! Coming in pissed was the worst, I'd be so desperate to cool down I'd automatically reach for the window and receive what felt like the heat that emanates from an oven!
Con that hardcore experience sounds amazing. I don't want to drift off topic but do you have a blog or photo's online of that time in your life?
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5 years in Changsha. 42C and up in the summer. 0C and below in the winter with no indoor heating.
You don't get used to it, you learn to deal with it.
Spring and Autumn are nice. I really enjoy those 2 days.
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Re: climate, do you find yourselves acclimatising to life in that heat/humidity?
Short answer: no. Summers here are hell for me... well, maybe purgatory, since I choose to endure them for the payoff of the rest of the year in Suzhou. I go home in the summer, hopefully dodging some of the sloppy worst of the heat and humidity, but each year is every bit as bad as the last.
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Hot in summer..cold in winter, but ya get used to it. Make sure wherever you go has winter heating, and summer air-con!
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Hong Kong is like that cause it is overpopulated and polluted. Zhuhai has very humid and hot summer but the air isn't as polluted. Spring and summer are very nice. In winter usually temperature doesn't go below 6-10C, mostly between 15C and 20C.
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been gone too long but never mind, better a late welcome than never..
come on in the a.c.'s cool
i ain't tired of staring at empty stools
there's a free table if you like pool
you got no i.d., we can bend the rules
there's a poker machine will take your money
bartender will call you honey
feller from wisconsin thinks he's funny
will bore you to tears
we got big screen t.v.s small screen too
we got em in the bar, we got em in the bathroom
you're never more than 5 feet
from a cathode ray tube
we got a live band and we got no cover
you don't like this song, they'll play another
the lead singer is the waiter's lover
the bass player is working under cover
the bartender is on the lam
the waiter is in a witness protection program
i ain't telling you who i am
who's asking and who gives a damn
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bkbkbkbkbk ahahahahah ahahahahah
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Thankyou all, nice to meet you! well, wherever I end up, I'll be sure to keep you all posted!
Either way...it's going to be a far cry from my home...
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2282060850_8bb7a63633.jpg?v=0)
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I live in one of those places where very few people speak English. It is fun, but can be trying at times too.
Pretty home you have there, Joe agagagagag
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A newcastle lad eh, cool. i lived near Lockerbie in the south west of scotland for 20 odd years and then came out here. im in the south of china, mildish winters and toasty summers which i like. You wont have any probs acclimatising mate.
For me i dont like the cold thats why i chose the south, long freezing winters may look pretty but hailing from the Orkney islands in the north of scotland has left me with a bitter dislike of cold weather.
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Hi All,
It's soooo good to see so many 'old' faces still here (or maybe I should say experienced afafafafaf) I was an active member a while ago ...before work and Uni got in the way of any form of social life or ability to do anything other than those two activities. Can't complain too much though becuase it is paying divedends now with Uni bhbhbhbhbh
I'm now in Townsville, North Queensland, Ozland. And finishing the last year of my Education degree (thank god, I'm over Uni).
Not much else to divulge, but am looking forward to regaining some the friendships this saloon facilitates akakakakak
Geeze I sound like a pompous ass, oh well never mind. You'll have to excuse me I'm in transition between 'Holiday' and 'Uni' mode
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That explains it. Good to have you back, Motz. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hey Motzie, welcome back.
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Ave, Motzie! You've been missed.
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Good evening all, I'm not in great condition to go through all the formalities of introducing myself to you at present, probably a couple too many Victoria Bitter beers while 'enjoying' my packing for my return to China,next week.
I'm Australian, female, late 40's, with 3 years of china teaching experience behind me and two years in Italy prior to that. Apart from teaching English my main life's work has been as a union official, not a popular career choice these days, or at any time really, probably why I'm still single, few friends and even my dog left home!
I think I could safely describe myself presently as a refugee from the 'puritanical forum' for ESL workers.
I'd asked a question about the availablity of particular eye drops in the part of China I'm heading to, some poor innocent replied that I should examine thc as a solution, I quite genuinely and seriously responded about my opthamologist explaining that thc only reduces internal optical pressure by a few points for around 20 minutes and may be useful in emergencies but is most definitely not to be considered a cure or solution, the thread was locked?? Cheers Mr. K!?
Sorry, I just realised I'm venting rather than introducing myself, oops.
I lived in Harbin for my first 3 years in China and loved it, really loved it, my students, my uni, coworkers, the skating, the food. I had to return to Aus for exensive eye surgery which took 2 years to eventually stabilise.
This time I'll be in the south, Guangdong, accepting the invitation of my old Harbin boss who moved south and who was one of the most honest and trustworthy people I met in those years, his recommendation was enough for me. I hate hot weather but like most people who have worked in China for any length of time I appreciate how important a boss you can trust is to your daily wellbeing.
I'd love to make contact with any other teachers who may be in or around Foshan.
I'm still struggling with deciding what to pack and what to leave behind, I keep realising I've packed for Harbin, and keep removing long underwear and padded jackets formmy bag, I've still got 7 days to work this out.
I'm delighted to be on my way back, and hope I'll be welcome in this forum.
There was one brave member of the other forum who pm'd me and gave me details of an eye hospital in Guangzhou so my eye problem should be ok, so I won't be causing any trouble by tempting anyone to suggest or discuss anything that could shock!!!
Thanks, R
Oh yeah, I haven't figured out where you're supposed to put this information but my birthday will be on February 28..... nobody remembers it, ever, anywhere, I'm an orphan, yeah yeah boo hoo, but it will be another birthday alone with a cupcake with a single candle on it, so, any Foshan people who would care to join me for a few quiet cold ales would be welcomed as possible new friends of we have anything more in common than a liking for cold beer.
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Welcome, rattie, to the most happening place in cyber space. We have many well-adjusted, normal members...they have all been locked up in the basement for their own protection. Don't climb up on the roof without squirrel repellant, please go for a spin with George on the dance floor and don't be scared if you feel something moving about under your table, it's just Stil. And, just as a heads up, under no circumstances say my glasses are pink. agagagagag agagagagag
Not to worry, we always remember a birthday.
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Welcome Rattie. Sorry to say, I'm not too far from Foshan...but I only have four weeks left here. If you make down Shenzhen way before St. Patrick's Day, I can probably meet with you.
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we always remember a birthday.
Only if it's entered in your profile page!
Welcome aboard rattie...leaving a sinking ship is good! SS Greasy Spoon may well wallow on for a few years yet, but it's no LoveBoat!
Do chuck in a pair of longjohns for GuangZhou. Houses have no heating, and it's bloody cold inside in winter!
Good to hear you have an understanding Boss. Enjoy GuanDong.
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We will remember your B'day IF you have it in your profile otherwise we will be the same as the rest of the world and uuuuuuuuuu
There are a few saloon members down in that neck of the woods, so you should be able to meet up with some of them.
About the long underwear. In the south of China they don't heat the apartments and it can get COLD in the winter. Pack a pair for 'just-in-case'! Ask some of the others in the south about other things you need or don't need. You don't need your down coat but ...
Enjoy and welcome akakakakak agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah George and I cross-posted. But it does get very cold inside in the south agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome! We are in Zhuhai :) There is a whole bunch of us, Guangdong-ren, around here!
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Welcome aboard, Rattie! agagagagag And don't worry about the venting- that's half the reason the Saloon is here. asasasasas
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welcome Rattie, you've found a new place that will never let you feel alone again :-) ...no matter your occupation.
The crew here are fabulous enjoy your packing :-), I don't get to touch Chinese soil for months yet and I'm already dreading the packing llllllllll
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Welcome, Rattie agagagagag
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Welcome Rattie.
I'd would've been happy to come to Foshan and say "Hi!" but I'm getting on the train tomorrow evening bound for Haerbin (again) after the last 2.5 years in Dongguan.
Hope you enjoy the southern weather... I'm happy to be heading back North again.
I was sad to read about you having to drink VB, and hope that doesn't also mean you are a Victorian (although, that would be better than a Queenslander drinking it!), in any case nice to have another Aussie here!
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Welcome all you new kids!
Uh, Rattie, you getting PMs? Shouldn't be yet...
I live in one of those places where very few people speak English. It is fun, but can be trying at times too.
Dude! You're from DENMARK. Blive jeres leder ud af imellem jeres bagdel. bibibibibi
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Welcome all you new kids!
Uh, Rattie, you getting PMs? Shouldn't be yet...
I live in one of those places where very few people speak English. It is fun, but can be trying at times too.
Dude! You're from DENMARK. Blive jeres leder ud af imellem jeres bagdel. bibibibibi
I was talking about Linan, Jefe....mmm...translation: become your leader out of between your backside....yes...Since just seeing Danish on this forum makes my heart do a happy dance, I'll applaud and simply ask: shenme?
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Would "Pull yer head out of your ass!" also work there? uuuuuuuuuu
I know you were talking about Lin'an, but you aren't from an English-speaking country in the first place, you know. Blive jeres etc. etc. etc. ahahahahah
Note to self: Find different English-Danish translation site. kkkkkkkkkk
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OK, try this: Hiv din hoved af din bagdel!
If that don't do it, you can sut mine rådne løg. This was a helluva lot of work; no wonder the alcoholism and suicide rates are so high. bibibibibi
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Hmmm...maybe we should start a "Danish 101" thread? Hive mit hoved ud af røven....right..good. Sutte mine rådne løg...excellent :respect: men så kan du få en røv at trutte i, klaphat.
offtopic indeed we are.
Back to introductions...
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Well, you've gone beyond my translator's capabilities with that last one, Bæskubber... mmmmmmmmmm
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Skidespræller! klaptorsk! Dumrian! Hundehoved! Hængerøv! Of course your poxy little translator cannot handle the numerous and subtle aspects of the most important lanuguage in the universe cgcgcgcgcg agagagagag agagagagag
Professor Eric the Red's renowned Galactic Academy for Danish Students will soon be open for business. Tuition fee is one bottle of whisky or directions to a bar where the girls have really low standards. agagagagag
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or directions to a bar where the girls have really low standards.
ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
And Danes are REALLY LOW on the Standards Register!! ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
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No, no...just me...
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Sorry. I was generalizationing again. Silly me!! bibibibibi
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Hi everyone!
As the latest member of this cafe, I thought I should introduce myself!
I'm a teacher newbie planning on heading over to China next fall with my husband for the first time. We're hoping to teach somewhere in hangzhou (any recommendations are MORE than welcome) for 6 months to possibly a year.
I'm not a die hard like a lot of you, but I've been learning Mandarin for close to 2 years...well, attempting to anyway...and am really looking forward to getting to know the Chinese culture.
Now, if only I could find the perfect school I'd be all set!
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Welcome aboard, Borkya. Please remember this is a SALOON, not a cafe!!! kkkkkkkkkk
Now, if only I could find the perfect school I'd be all set!
Wouldn't we all!!
No school is perfect..they all have problems...big ones, small ones...in-between ones.
Best to hope for is a school with little problems that you can handle. Like, say, you went to a school that employed Ericthered. I'm sure you could handle that small problem! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Borkya.
I'm not a die hard like a lot of you, but I've been learning Mandarin for close to 2 years...well, attempting to anyway...and am really looking forward to getting to know the Chinese culture.
Err... that is way ahead of what I did before coming to China. I learned "Ni Hao" on the airplane over bibibibibi
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Well, I live in NH, so learning chinese from a real live chinese person required a 2 hour drive for a 2 hour class. (which sucked, especially in winter) I even did it for a whole year, but for the past year I have been doing "independant study" aka livemocha.com, and Pimsleur and yes, I even got "hooked on Chinese" (from the hooked on Phonics people--I got it at a discount store for cheap) which is for ages 4-8, but you know, I take the learning where I can get it.
Thanks for the welcomes! bhbhbhbhbh (By the way I love the smileys on this board!)
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did we know that near All calico cats are female?
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Welcome Borkya!
Fergit the Chinese...how's yer Danish? (I hope it's not very good; that Erc is one nasty MoFo...)
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Well, I live in NH
North Havenoideaweherethatis?
Welcome to the Saloon.
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Welcome to
Bedlam the Saloon, Borkya!! agagagagag
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did we know that near All calico cats are female?
yeah but huh?? mmmmmmmmmm
Welcome borkya
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Welcome Borkya, to the happiest place in cyber space. Have a drink or five agagagagag agagagagag
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NH is New Hampshire innit??
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Oh yeah, sorry. NH is New Hampshire. (or as we like to say, New Hampsha' 'ayup.) Sometimes I forget to be more specific on these int'l type boards.
Thanks for all the welcomes. This does seem like some wild and crazy forum! bfbfbfbfbf
And yeah, calicos are almost always female. My avatar is my cat, named Upoko (it's maori-the native New Zealand language-for "head" because she head butts things.) I am gonna miss her when we go to China!
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Borkya, I feel your pain when it comes to missing your cat. A whole 12 months without my girl will be hard, had her for 11 years and she's travelled EVERYWHERE she could possibly go with me. But at least she'll be here to come back to.
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I can't decipher American states by their two letter abbreviation, but would be tempted to just make one up.
(I'm now from from Seaside, KW)
If that's a real state I'll be super surprised.
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Kentucky West!
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I love me Americans.
Only place in the world that talks about their state as if everbody knows where it is.
Cheers Borkya.
I'm was born in Middlesex but I'm from ON
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I'm from ON too ahahahahah ahahahahah
This makes 2000 for me as well ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah agagagagag agagagagag
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Kentucky West!
I think it's kentucky-wucky.
Wait, are you guys saying America isn't the center of the planet universe? Whhaaaa?? ahahahahah
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Maybe it's Kwebec. uuuuuuuuuu
Or Kweensland. ahahahahah
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ahahahahah bkbkbkbkbk
BUT offtopic axaxaxaxax
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Sorry, Amonk, I disagree.
I was simply introducing myhome state of Kentucky-Wucky.
Don't confuse me with Motsie, who is in Kweensland ahahahahah
Ok fine, back on topic oooooooooo
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Hi,
I'm mlaeux I currently live in Florida and I teach reluctant readers, which is just a polite way of saying kids who flunked the FCAT (a state mandated standardized test.) I taught ESL to adults in Ohio for three years and I'm a licensed acupuncturist. I want to go to Chengdu like tomorrow but I have family commitments to take care of first. I hope to make it there by August 2010. I feel stuck and bored too. Common sense would dictate that I stay put and make Professional Service Contract status, but I'm feeling a little crispy around the edges and China has been calling my name long enough...
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Welcome mlaeux, I sympathise with the 'stuck and bored feeling' I am not yet in China....but hopefully by Christmas I will be.
These guys are all harmless...'cept George and his chicken, ya gotta watch out for the likes of him.
agagagagag
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Welcome indeed, mlaeux...we glad you here. I think all of us, for better or worse, have China firmly in our blood... akakakakak
And don't worry about Gerge. We keep his chicken pretty well choked around here. uuuuuuuuuu
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And don't worry about Gerge. We keep his chicken pretty well choked around here. uuuuuuuuuu
aoaoaoaoao
Ummm...
I hope you realize the "We" he mentioned doesn't refere to all of us.
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Maybe we hirin' in some special perks for the old boy. uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome aboard Mlaeux. Disregard the vulgar peasantry that frequents this place from time to time. Stick with me, and you'll be OK. Good thing you are planning ahead. This time next year, you'll really be excited!! ahahahahah agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome, MLaeux!! agagagagag agagagagag
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Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement. You guys are awesome!
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Hi Mlawux!
Sounds like we are in pretty much the same boat. See ya on the plane in August! bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi Borkya,
Yea, I am really looking forward to it!
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Hello All,
This is my first post, but I have been looking at this site for about a month now.
I am 29 years old. I have been studying Mandarin for about 5 years. I am currently living in the States and plan on moving to China in August to teach english, possibly at a university.
You all seem to have a great deal of knowledge about China and teaching english. I hope to gain some insight from you in order to make my transition to China as smooth as possible.
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Mark, you have high aims for conquering China then?
Welcome aboard.
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Welcome Mark. We can always use another member. Someone has to buy the rest of us drinks in return for all of the valuable information that gets doled out. agagagagag
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Welcome, Mark. agagagagag
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Welcome, Mark agagagagag
Cool ride ababababab you've got in your avatar bfbfbfbfbf
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welcome agagagagag
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Welcome aboard Mark. Don't conquer too much. Leave some for others! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Mark! bjbjbjbjbj
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Hi!
I am a uni student of Chinese culture from Estonia. Currently I do anthropological study about the Southwestern peoples (Hmong, 'Miao' and others). Last year studied in Beijing. Just arrived in Xi'an and planing to stay for some time.
I joined the forum hoping to find some help with getting through the current visa nightmare (an extended L visa is over by 18th; the shady 'travel companies' can't do 3 and 6 months F visas for some time already because of the 两会; I don't have anywhere to get the 3000USD on my bank account to fulfill the L visa extension requirement; probably gonna have to use loads of money to go and do the visa in Hong Kong, etc) ...and also finding a good job in Xi'an. Guess I'm gonna ask about visa stuff again in a suitable thread.
Otherwise I'm always ready to just discuss China too, of course.
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Can you get a student visa? mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm Would that be easier?
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Welcome aboard anyway.
Before I cam to China I picked these good folk's brains and found the answers to pretty much everything I needed.
If someone here doesn't know - it or doesn't know someone who does - it ain't worth knowing. agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Kuki. Talk to Lotus. She just about runs the whole of Xi'an....or knows the bloke who does! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon, Kuki agagagagag
....What George said about Lotus is true!! She knows Everybody (at least in Xi'an)!!....
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Can you get a student visa? mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm Would that be easier?
Yes, if you plan to mostly study and not work full time, getting a student visa would be your best bet. There are many affordable Chinese language programs available at most larger universities in most Chinese cities. Xian I'm sure has several options.
Tourist visas are pretty hard to get these days, and you'll run into the same problem over and over again as long as you're on a tourist visa anyhow (in that the max for a tourist visa is really only ever going to be about 3 months). Best to start working on getting another kind of visa, either work or student, asap.
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Thx for the recommendation, but it's too late to do the student visa. And to be honest, I can't afford paying for the study fee of even the cheaper Chinese programs right now, anyway.
My original plan was to wait if the current visa situation eases. If, then use one of the agents to get a 3 or 6 months F visa. If not, then borrow 3000USD from a friend and extend the L visa again, and then wait for the current visa situation to ease, and then go to agents.
Visa situation hasn't gotten better. And the broken link is that the friend I was hoping on to borrow money from, hasn't replied me this time, probably finding this already too troublesome.
Tomorrow morning gonna make a try at the Public Security Bureau, trying to extend 30 days without having 3000USD on my bank account. If they clearly say no, I go buy a train ticket to Shenzhen. And go visit HK. It's a nice city anway.
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Hi People!
I'm going to shamelessly paste text from the message I sent to Raoul so he would let me in here:
I'm 50, single, and living in Atlantic Canada. I did a limited amount English teaching during the 30 months I spent in Africa between 2000-03 (Ivory Coast, Tunisia). That was pretty much the "if you're a native English speaker and you can stand upright - you're in!" variety of teaching.
I've been back in Canada for a few years now, trying to make a go of it as a self-employed woodworker. That's gotten pretty tough lately. I got my CELTA last fall, thinking I'd like to go travelling again. Since then I've been doing volunteer tutoring of immigrants through the public library here. The reason I'm interested in China in particular is that the salaries seem to be pretty good by local standards, and I hope I can work and live there for at least a few years. Of course I'm interested in the cultural and linguistic side of things too. I'm chugging my way through Rosetta Stone Mandarin these days.
I'm hoping to use your forums to guide me through the pitfalls of finding a decent job. I'm definitely thinking of cooler climates, and at this point Shandong, Liaoning or Jilin are looking pretty suitable. (The parts where you don't choke on coal dust preferably.)
I don't know how much my age will be a factor in finding work -- I'm hoping my experience living abroad will balance that out. My biggest limiting factor, I think, will be that I don't have any degrees after my name.
I think that covers most of the bases. If you want to know more, just ask. I'm reading through the forums to see what I can learn. Questions will be forthcoming very soon ;)
Cheers,
Ian
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Welcome aboard, Iannou agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Iannou
asasasasas I wish people would stop stealing my lines!!
Welcome aboard Ian. Shandong is the place to be, of course. 50 is a reasonable age. Old enough to know what not to do, and still young enough to do it!
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Hi Iannou!
Er...welcome aboard! ahahahahah
I'm a newbie myself still in America planning my trip too, so you won;t really hear much from me except a lot of questions too!
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Welcome!
Asking questions is great. Without the Saloon I wouldn't have been nearly as prepared for China as I was. Also, by asking questions you get the information posted so it can help others. So, fire away!
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Welcome iannou! I don't think you'll have a problem finding a job here in China. Sometimes the work here also falls into the "if you're a foreigner that can stand upright you're in!" variety too, but there are respectable jobs in the mix too. bfbfbfbfbf
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What they all said. University gigs will be tough to get without a degree, and you might have more digging to do, but China will certainly find a place for you. Actually, expect to spend the next 20 years of your life being offered jobs in China... long after you've left.
Your age is a big asset- they figure you'll be more reliable and responsible.
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Hi All
Thanks for your kind words, and words of encouragement. Yeah, I'm sure I'll find my niche somewhere. I'm hopeful too that once I get a couple of years under my belt that the BA requirement will become more flexible. I had a taste of the corporate training end of things in Tunisia (as a wage earner for a private school), and I would like to work toward something like that. But I'm not expecting Daimler Benz to call any time soon ;)
I've already learned a lot from reading various threads on here. I post some questions in the bar once I get a handle on what I need to know.
Cheers
Ian
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Err hi, remember me.
Which is what I said in a PM to Raoul the other day.
G'day, my name is Newbs. I used to be a regular drunk poster at the saloon but then stopped. Why? Well, a whole lot of professional and personal reasons waaaaaay to numerous to mention here*. I'm teaching ESL in Hoganland now but wondering if I should head on back to the Big Silly, as I heard it called here, on more than one occasion.
The last time I posted here
George W Bush was president of the USA
A certain little weasel in Australia called Little Johnnie was :lickass: Dubya.
The football team that George supports were the premiers
The locals in Beijing were whipping themselves up into a frenzy over the upcoming Olympics.
The world's economy was going gang busters.
So, have I missed much mmmmmmmmmm
A big hello and welcome to all who have hopped on board since last I was here. Barkeep, a round of your finest for all. Of course it's on George's tab. uuuuuuuuuu
*But I am happy to sell the list to the highest bidder.
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Nice ta see ya back, Newbs agagagagag
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you haven't missed much*... agagagagag
*was a bunch of these "*" posted while you were away though...
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Welcome back, Newbs. Feel free to use my tab...I'll be drinking on yours in July! agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome back, mate. agagagagag agagagagag I'll even cough up for your first taste of the new improved civet juice.
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I am another of the new saloon members who is currently in the process of planning for / preparing for a move to China in August/September. I am Australian and looking for a job in a University in Harbin (and I do understand how cold it gets there in winter!!) I have worked for most of the last couple of years (with a break in the middle) in South Korea but am now very much looking forward to the move to China. I have found the saloon to be a great source of information and very very helpful and encouraging. All I need to do now is to find the right job for me ... and to know which job to accept. And that includes knowing what questions to ask and how to approach things when an employer after reading the resume and looking at the other things they need sent with it (and without an interview) says that they'd like to employ you/accept you.
Jennifer
bxbxbxbxbx
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Welcome Treacherous. Any particular reason you want to be in Haerbin?
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Welcome Treacherous. Any particular reason you want to be in Haerbin?
Actually the thing that started me looking at the northeastern part of China was the weather, which I know is a reason why at least some people decide they don't want to work in that part of the country. I would much rather live in a cold place then a hot one. And as I started to look more into jobs and other things in that area it ticked my other boxes as well so I decided to specifically look for jobs in Harbin and narrowed my search down. I think I read somewhere on this site the suggestion that you think about the area that you'd like to live in - what was most important to you and then approach some employers directly. Before I started trying to track down contact options for universities in Harbin I did apply through some recruiters for advertised jobs in Universities there. And so far the direct approach has been the most successful.
Teacheraus
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Welcome Treacherous.
kkkkkkkkkk
Well Teacheraus, that's your introduction to Stil. Welcome to the Saloon (and to China soon, if all goes as you wish).
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new members;
Please note that our own wonderful Ruth akakakakak will be celebrating her 50th birthday All year agagagagag
help us, help her not forget to enjoy this once in her lifetime year (a year Many never see/saw) by wishing her well in the HaPpY B-DaY thread as often as you wish agagagagag
if you notice one of the Many B-DaY threads for George, not Many as in he's been here many years... you'll learn that it's best to ignor him awawawawaw
unless you need a mug for flowers & such, then he's the go to guy here :lickass:
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Danny boy. bibibibibi One day I'm going to Sanya! agagagagag
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Hello,
My name is Sara and I am 26, Canadian and living in the US. I am getting married this summer to my fiance and working through my citizenship as well. For the past few years I have been seriously thinking about living and working in China. I love the culture and language and have been researching it all, but there is nothing better than actually talking to people that are there or have done it. We have been trying to teach ourselves Mandarin for awhile now in preparation for when we go (without much luck lol), but it's fun. Our plans have been put off before but now our newest 'hurdle' is we are expecting a baby in Dec of this year and they have been put off for a little while longer. We still want to go more than anything so I am not discouraged in the least but now I will likely have more questions. We would love to go in maybe another year and are working towards it.
Anyway, nice to meet everyone and I'm happy to be here! :D
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Welcome aboard. agagagagag Gotta warn you though, that while moving to China with a kid is not impossible, it makes life infinitely more difficult. Healthcare, babysitting issues, sanitation and general privacy are all a concern. Not saying it can't be done, but this is a rough place to be a foreign parent.
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Nice ta meetcha, SilvanaRose agagagagag
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I second AMonk.
Not being a parent myself I don't know what that would involve in China, but it sure would be a great experience for both the adults and the little one.
If you can make it work I say have the adventure. agagagagag
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We had a husband wife start after Spring Festival. They had a 4 month old baby. She lasted about 1 month and left for the states. We had to replace her with another teacher. She didn't like the Doctors etc. and was worried about the baby. He is leaving this weekend to be with her. Somehow he will finish teaching his course - not sure how but ...
What I am saying is be very very sure you want to come with a baby bjbjbjbjbj
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Sorry to be another sour note, but personally I would recommend that anyone with kids under school age not come to China, and anyone with kids at school age, think very very carefully.
Medical care is substandard, seriously. If neither parent knows medicine, it is a risk to bring kids here. They seem to be OK with the actual birth, but they seem to WANT more to die off. Young kids NEED good medical care. This is not the place for it.
Education is substandard, mindless copying. Teaching methods are barbaric. If primary school, kids can be punished for doing something different (eg colouring the moon blue, or drawing a different picture) from other kids. If high school, punishment is severe and seemingly pointless.
If under school age, then nannies etc are important, but you won't like their ideas of childcare. Without someone to explain seriously in English what you want, you get some weird shit and they will administer weird medicines etc without telling you.
It has been a struggle for us, even with Chinese language and medical knowledge.
The ones I know that are happy have their kids in western style schools which are expensive unless you contract to them.
Of course, for a year with teenage kids, this could be the experience of a lifetime. Depends on why you are coming.
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Good points from everyone. I am trying to do as much research as possible because this is something that we really want to do. I am glad to get honest feedback. I am not sure if I should start a new post for this or keep it in introductions but I do have a few questions...maybe I will start a new post.
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I have a kid and live here, but of course it is a bit different too, as my kid was born here and is half-Chinese. I don't think we'd be much better off in the States at this point, since I'd go back uninsured and unemployed, not really the best place to be with young children either!
I think in the bigger cities, like Beijing and Shanghai especially, people live very happily with their kids and seem to have very few concerns about the standard of living. The thing is, if you want Western standards for things like medical care and education, it costs loads of money, more than most of us teachers can afford.
I think that once your child is a bit older (past the infant stage), but not school age, coming over for a year or two would be fine. I know lots of teachers who have brought over young kids. Staying here and making a life of it is one thing, doing a year or two abroad is another. There are a lot of things to consider, of course, and you do have to be aware of certain realities.
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Hi everyone! Guess I should have posted here first, but I missed this thread the first time around. Anyway, here I am. I've dreamed of living in China since I was about 7. Don't know why. At 16 I convinced (or rather tricked) my parents into signing permission for me to get a passport and made my first trip to China. I spent the better part of 2 months in Nanning, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong before running out of money and returning to the States. After graduating from university and getting my feet a little wet in the US working world, I returned to China (Guangdong). Now at 26, I'm married to a local Henanren and recently gave birth to our little girl here in Henan. We are looking to move onto another location in China (and hopefully a more decent salary) in the new contract year. I still have plans to return to the States one day to get my masters, but not until my husbands visa comes through.... such a long tedious process (but I'm sure that's another thread)! I'm thrilled to find this Saloon... just reading your posts makes me feel more connected to the English speaking world of home! I confess my English is has really gone down the tubes since being here. My husband never learned English so we don't spend much time with other foreigners, and I'm afraid my English is starting to resemble my students' English aoaoaoaoao. But it's worked wonders for my Chinese bjbjbjbjbj. And let me just say, I love all these smilies... so fun! Nice to meet you all! agagagagag
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About bloody time we found out something about you.
At 16 I convinced (or rather tricked) my parents into signing permission for me to get a passport
Sneaky!
After graduating from university and getting my feet a little wet in the US working world, I returned to China (Guangdong).
Gullible!
recently gave birth to our little girl here in Henan.
Sons are more important!
I confess my English is has really gone down the tubes since being here.
You'll fit right in, here!
ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
Welcome aboard, Seeking. Everything you ever wanted to know about China, right here at your fingertips! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Have to say SeekingInfo, you sound suitably mad to a. fit right into China and b. be right at home here in the Saloon! So welcome agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag I of course want to make you particularly welcome as you are, like Local Dialect and myself, married to a local. Plenty common among the men, not so common among the ladies. agagagagag So when you have a moment between teaching and looking after hubby and littlie come by the Saloon.
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Don't forget Babala aoaoaoaoao While she has no plans to marry, she does date the locals afafafafaf
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Ah Babala you may be joining our select group one of these days, it's a slippery slope - I for one never planned to even date a local, let alone marry one!!! Ten years and almost 3 kids later, I tell people it was fate!
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Welcome aboard, Seeking. Everything you ever wanted to know about China, right here at your fingertips!
Let me also say 'welcome'. Not sure there's much we can tell you about China that you haven't already figured out for yourself. Surely you have things to share here that others won't/don't know.
And the other main function of the Saloon - friendship and keeping our sanity. That's quite possibly what you need. Welcome and good to get to know you agagagagag
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Well here's my official welcome too. I only found the saloon after living and teaching in China for nearly 6 years, so it is never too late to get started! Like LSS said, there aren't many of us Western women out there who have married locals (and have experienced giving birth in a local hospital -- you and do share that rather dubious honor!), so it is always good to have another on board. Do hope you stick around!
agagagagag agagagagag
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Tinkerty-tonk there, welcome to the Saloon which, as stated in some other posts, can give you information on everything you want to know about China and, quite possibly, some things you really rather did not want to know. Always nice to see new
wallets..errr..faces agagagagag
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Welcome, Seeking!! agagagagag
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Thanks!
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This is marvellous! We've amassed en entire wing of foreign babes who married local. Huge-assed window into this culture.
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Push Guide them all into the LL and we can have some proper discussions!!
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Huge-assed
Let's refrain from this terminology when talking about ladies at the saloon, please. akakakakak
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Push Guide them all into the LL and we can have some proper discussions!!
What's LL?
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Hi Seeker
The LL is the Ladies Lounge, but you have to be a saloon member for awhile to be able to join. Keep posting and you will be there before you know it. akakakakak
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It'll be worth it bfbfbfbfbf
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Sounds fun! BTW, I just got PM privileges... Yay!!!!
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Hi one and all.
I'm Alastair and am new here so please don't shout too loud.
What to say, what to say...
I'm 34 and was born in the same place and at roughly the same time as David Beckham (although he never writes.)
My surname Fairman is a source of much mystery. Could be my stunning good looks, could be my flowing golden mane (which has somehow ended up thinning, brown and curly), could be that my judgement and wisdom rivals that of Solomon. Other than the Shadow, who knows?
In former lives I have been a bookseller and worked in telecoms before thinking that teaching sounded like a good idea. I still seem not to have learned any better and despite a year spent in Hangzhou and another teaching secondary English in the UK, I find myself in Ruian tefling again.
I think that covers enough for now. Want to know more, just ask.
Cheers
Alastair
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Welcome aboard, Afairman. agagagagag agagagagag I always wanted to be a bookseller.
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a fair man
affair man
aff air man (scottish for 'gone')
welcome
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Oooh I would love to have a bookshop, but I know I wouldn't be organised enough to do stock control properly.
I have discovered I really like teaching though. Welcome to the saloon. Hope you stick around and share some of your experiences. agagagagag
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If I had a bookshop it would be run a bit like "Black Books'. I wouldn't want to sell anything I wanted to read.
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bkbkbkbkbk
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If I had a bookshop it would be run a bit like "Black Books'. I wouldn't want to sell anything I wanted to read.
Yep, I'd have that problem too.
I imagine my bookshop having polished wooden floors, a big bay window at the front and everything just so. I suspect people wouldn't be allowed to touch the books, lest they move them somehow. The just wouldn;'t do.
Also, there would be no buying things when they were important to they way I had arranged my window or shelves. No buying the pretty books, they are for decoration only. You may buy the books with ugly covers only.
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Hi Afairman, welcome to the Saloon.
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Welcome aboard, Afair! agagagagag Feel free to bombard us with questions. Makes us feel useful.
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Hi all,
new to the site, not that new to China. Been living/working in China since 1998 and now, well since Jan 2003, in Beijing.
I am not a teacher and know absolutely nothing about teaching English, albeit one year in Shenyang I taught hotel staff English in exchange for an upgrade to a VIP suite.
My previous jobs gave the opportunity to visit many places in China ranging from large cities to places so small that there was no beaten track to be off.
My Mandarin is understandable but not fluent and at time still have trouble with the old 4 is 4, 14 is 14, 40 is 40 tongue twister.
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Welcome aboard, manlin. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag Yer don't have to be a teacher to teach English here. So what do you do instead??
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I guess we could do with some more non-teacher expats to tell the other side of the expat story here. Sometimes we forget not all of us have classes and marking papers to deal with.
Welcome!
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Welcome aboard, manlin. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag Yer don't have to be a teacher to teach English here. So what do you do instead??
I originally came to China as an irrigation engineer and spent the first few years irritating, sorry irrigating, Liaoning Province, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and work related to the relocation caused by the Three Gorge Dam Project.
However since 2005 I have been providing Destination Services and as a hobby organise networking events in Beijing. I'm not sure how much info I can provide about those activities without falling into the please do not advertise category. I suppose anyone interested can always pm me for info.
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Welcom manlin. I'm also in Beijing, came here from Kunming to work in a non-teaching job, but quickly got fed up and went back to teaching. I think being a teacher has spoiled me for the real world. bibibibibi
Good to have you aboard! agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon, Manlin. Seems like you are a much 'older' China-hand than many folks here. My view is decidedly from the front of a classroom, so I look forward to getting to know you and your view of China.
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agagagagag Welcome aboard, Manlin. Another Beijinger... we Suzhouites are losing market share.
Networking, huh?
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Welcome Manlin! Don't be a stranger. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello. *waves* :wtf:
I'm new. Do you hate newbies like all the other sites I've been at? I'll try not to piss you off.
Where do I get a pool pass? Is it ok to feed the animals?
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Yes, you can feed the Chicken. Nothing else.
No, we luvs newbies.
Yer not allowed to piss in the pool!
Have a beer. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Animals yes, members whose names begin with G at your own risk. uuuuuuuuuu
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Thanks for the heads up.
Are we German here? Why is "Chicken" capitalized? Is there some member called Chicken or something?
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Welcome agagagagag agagagagag The Chicken in question is the Venerable Chook George...here, have a beer and no jokes about squirrels and rats... agagagagag agagagagag
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here, have a beer and no jokes about squirrels and rats..
Or people who wear pink glasses!...Wait! Real people don't wear pink glasses.
Arialfont, AKA helvetica, you have some serious reading to do in yer spare time, before deciding who to insult....and how to insult them.........safely! Eric has passed his "trial by insult."................unfortunately!
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Welcome ArielFont! bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks for the heads up.
Are we German here? Why is "Chicken" capitalized? Is there some member called Chicken or something?
It's best if you let us get you a drink and don't worry about questions like that... agagagagag
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No it's best if she gets US a drink then no one has to worry about questions like that.....
Welcome to the Saloon AF agagagagag
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Hello. *waves* :wtf:
I'm new. Do you hate newbies like all the other sites I've been at? I'll try not to piss you off.
Where do I get a pool pass? Is it ok to feed the animals?
As long as you also give them something to drink. You can charge it all on George's bill. That's what the rest of us do. That's why he is still working at the ripe old age of 93.
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Really? 93? I thought he was ..... oh, Never mind...
HiYa, Arial! Welcome to the Madhouse Saloon agagagagag
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We have a pool?? Guess I've spent so much time drinking in the main bar that I didn't wander down the hall to the other recreational area.
Welcome Arialfont.Do you hate newbies like all the other sites I've been at?
We love and welcome newbies akakakakak and mostly treat you gently until we get to know you. Then, as alluded to above, you might be in for some teasing or ribbing. Some of the guys make a hobby of insulting each other, but it's all in good fun.
I'll try not to piss you off.
If you do, we'll let you know - politely and kindly. As I said, we welcome new members and do our best to make them feel appreciated enough that they stick around and become a true member of our cyber family.
Is it ok to feed the animals?
I never thought about it until you asked this question, but quite a number of us are animals (via our avatars). Some of us - George, for instance - really resemble our avatars.
Now, pull up a stool and tell us something about yourself.
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Something about myself..er....um....
I've been in China for 5 months and can't speak a lick of Chinese. I blame society.
I'm really not very interesting. If you're very interested I suppose u could ask me more specific questions.
In the meantime: Did anyone else notice how Yakko completely left out South Africa in his Nations of the World song? They mention Lesotho, but not SA. That's not cool! mmmmmmmmmm
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Wait! Real people don't wear pink glasses.
True. Erc is what we'd call "Cheese Danish", except of course for the bits that are Turkish. ahahahahah
Did anyone else notice how Yakko completely left out South Africa in his Nations of the World song?
Why, no...no, we didn't. uuuuuuuuuu
Welcome aboard, Arial. agagagagag
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We have a pool?? Guess I've spent so much time drinking in the main bar that I didn't wander down the hall to the other recreational area.
See that huge-assed puddle in the alley, with the oil slick? Children can drown in it.
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Questions for ArialFont: You've already told us you can't speak Chinese, so the next most obvious question is "Can you use chopsticks?" Ooops, sorry. That's a question for random Chinese strangers to ask you.
Ok, where are you from? Where are you now? What brought you to China? (Not an airplane; I mean motivation, random quirk of fate, moment of insanity?) Whatcha doing here? Me, I'm from Canada (and the US, but that's another story). I'm in Dongguan, Guangdong province in the south of China teaching at a uni. Life back home was boring, the kids were raised and the dog died. Why not go to China?
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1. I can use chopsticks. Go me!
2. I'm from South Africa. No not Cape Town. No not Johannesburg either... at least 8 hours from either of them (by car)
3. In Suzhou. It's nice. I live in the SIP. It's kinda too sanitary for my liking though. It's like some architect made a model and then watered it and it grew into the SIP. it's not really organic. Anyway...
4. I was in ROK. I got over that. I didn't know what else to do so one of my friends recommended I come to China because she loved it so much when she was here. (She left cos her husband hated it.)
5. I'm teaching Engrishee...or attempting to anyway. Sometimes I feel like I'm just a babysitter...
6. I like pie.
anything else? I dunno. I'm boring.
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And she brawls in the bars every week. Doubly so on payday.
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That too. I was saving that for next month. bibibibibi
I want to make them like me, before I make them hate me.
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Welcome ArialFont - pull up the cleanest chair you can find, your first drink is on me. agagagagag
Please tell us more about yourself.
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About myself, oh deary. What to tell? Um...I like science fact and science fiction. I like to day dream.
I have an anecdote: The other day one of my good friends, his name is ****** or One of the One's That Got Away, for short, had a farewell party, cos he's going back to the US(*tear* ananananan )I've had a soft spot for him for a long time, and he was kinda into me too, but the situation never really presented itself where we could act on it, so it was this totally lame 5 month long flirtation. (I'm horrible at dating. I'm gonna die all alone one day with like 17 cats and they're gonna eat my face and they'll have to use dental records to identify my remains)
Anyway, so my friend, let's call her Kelly Clarkson, was there too, cos they're also friends. I was talking to OotOTGA, and Kelly Clarkson came to sit with us. She'd been in a mood all night and started talking about her period. She realised she was talking about her period and spirited off into the night.
Then another one of my friends, Nicole Kidman, came to sit with us and went "Have you guys hooked up yet?", bibibibibi She saw the mortified look on my face and also made a run for it...
My point is this: sometimes I really need to cast my cameo roles a little better...
Thanks for making it to the end of my mini-rant. bjbjbjbjbj
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Ha, I love your storytelling.
Seems you will fit in just fine. agagagagag
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Yup, love stories. Especially stories about expats in China. Keep 'em coming.
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Yeah, Welcome ArialFont. Nice story. agagagagag
Someone show her where the ladies lounge is pleeeeease. bibibibibi
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Hi, I'm brand new here. I am a coworker of dragonsaver, who brought me to this forum.
This is my second year living in China, located in Dalian. This is, however, the first year my husband has joined me since he was still in the States last year. Never again we we do the long distance thing. No fun.
I'm expecting my first baby in April and yes, he/she is going to be born here in China. This will be an interesting experience, to say the least...
Along with teaching college in China, I am a prof. for several schools in America, teaching online classes. Needless to say, I'm busy.
Last, I'm from MN in the States.
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Out of curiosity, what do you teach here (in China) and online?
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Welcome to
Wonderland the Saloon, RadioJedi agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, RJ. If yer a friend of DS, even more so! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi RadioJedi, wow, you are one busy lady. Glad you have taken time out of your busy schedule to join us here for a cyber drink. Hope to see you here often. (And keep us posted on the wee one's growth and arrival. We have a kiddie's corner where milk and cookies are served, as many members have small children.)
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Hi RJ!
I had my son in Kunming in 2007 and will be having #2 in Beijing in December. Giving birth in China worked out fine for me with #1, although quite a different experience from what you'd expect back home, and I'm hoping #2 will go smoothly as well. If you've got any questions about having a baby in China as a foreigner, feel free to ask. There are quite a few dads on these boards, but it is always nice to have another mom around to talk to.
Welcome! agagagagag
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Welcome aboard agagagagag agagagagag (for you it is tea) ahahahahah
Glad to finally see you here bfbfbfbfbf
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Out of curiosity, what do you teach here (in China) and online?
Here in China I teach Public Speaking. My MA is in Communication, so I enjoy teaching a wide variety of subjects online - interpersonal, media, cross-cultural communication (always fun with my China stories), film studies, public speaking (yes, online), group/team communication, and organizational/business communication.
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Hi RJ!
I had my son in Kunming in 2007 and will be having #2 in Beijing in December. Giving birth in China worked out fine for me with #1, although quite a different experience from what you'd expect back home, and I'm hoping #2 will go smoothly as well. If you've got any questions about having a baby in China as a foreigner, feel free to ask. There are quite a few dads on these boards, but it is always nice to have another mom around to talk to.
Welcome! agagagagag
Good to meet someone who has "been there." I'm still nervous but feeling better than I had felt when I first found out the news, which was 2 weeks before coming back to China.
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Hi RadioJedi, wow, you are one busy lady. Glad you have taken time out of your busy schedule to join us here for a cyber drink. Hope to see you here often. (And keep us posted on the wee one's growth and arrival. We have a kiddie's corner where milk and cookies are served, as many members have small children.)
It's nice to hear so many folks here have kids. For now I'll have to have a cyber drink of tea. No wine or soju for me this year. (and yes, I know soju is Korean, not Chinese but we have a large population of Koreans in Dalian, so lots of great food and drink...)
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Yeah, Welcome ArialFont. Nice story. agagagagag
Someone show her where the ladies lounge is pleeeeease. bibibibibi
Ladies Lounge? Is that where all the drugs are?
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No....that's where all the Cabana Boys are....but we'll have to wait a few, until you get your Barfly status. Very soon, I'd hope.
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How many posts do I have to make? Like 50? I can do that...
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There is no set number.
Once we have gotten to know you a little better and see how you fit in here at the Madhouse Saloon with all of our esteemed colleagues crazy crew....and Raoul's in a generous mood.....you get invited to do a nekkid table dance, and Con gives you the key to the restroom [along with his Grand Tour].
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He has to stop outside the Ladies Lounge though, because we have the Chippendales in there rehearsing their next show for us, practicing making drinks out of high quality alcohol, decorating them with pieces of fruit and itty bitty umbrellas and learning how to serve us appropriately. afafafafaf afafafafaf
The competition would be too much and the fragile egos outside would just shrivel up and disappear! ahahahahah ahahahahah We can't let that happen, can we?
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The competition would be too much and the fragile egos outside would just shrivel up and disappear!
Yes, those chippendales are certainly fragile in the ego department. I don't know how they've been allowed to stay so long. Perhaps it's because they are the original "dumb waiters"??
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Nothing dumb about these fellas! They know EXACTLY the right things to say and do - unlike most of the male species. ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak
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AF, you will be welcomed soon enough. Until then I think we need to fortify the door against George and other wannabe Chippendales.
aoaoaoaoao
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I once spent some time in a sauna with a Chippendale.....................
Ahh the memories................ afafafafaf
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Until then I think we need to fortify the door against George and other wannabe Chippendales.
kkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkk
You asked for this, Schnerby!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/gingermeggs/chippendales_3a.jpg)
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aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao
They're multiplying! ahahahahah
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... and Con gives you the key ...
So essentially all I have to do is shmooze Con?
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The key to the Ladies Lounge isn't necessarily connected with barfly status, is it?
I think the fact that ArialFont is personally known to a LL moderator in real life should account for something.
George kkkkkkkkkk Quit trying to get in by donning a disguise. We CAN tell the difference between a dancing chicken and our beloved Chippendales.
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Ruth I don't know ArialFont but maybe AMonk does. I know Radiojedi. bfbfbfbfbf
However, to the best of my knowledge LL is connected to barfly status. Both the new ladies will have to pass the requirements to become a barfly. agagagagag
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Sorry, my bad bibibibibi I'm getting all the new ladies mixed up.
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I know Con. Does that count for sommat?
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Absolutely, Con is wonderful to know akakakakak akakakakak
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Sorry, guys, but the Lounges are privileges reserved for Barflies.
Becoming a Barfly is a function of posts, time, and behavior. You doing fine on two of these dimensions; just need a little more time.
Hang in there. agagagagag
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It's cool. I'm not sure I'd like to be labelled a barfly anyway. I can still look on at them in disgust from atop my soapbox...
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Well, we ARE a bar, dear.
Here...let me make you a Tri-plane Etha-RitaTM, one of our specialities. Shot of tequila, shot of ether, shot of aviation fuel, splash of Triple Sec, shaken with sweet-n-sour and poured over ice in a glass with kosher salt on the rim.
Nazdrovya! agagagagag
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Schul!
:alcoholic:
Thanksh. bfbfbfbfbf
agagagagag
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... and Con gives you the key ...
So essentially all I have to do is shmooze Con?
That's right.
Soooo... how badly do you want this promotion? afafafafaf
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Quite.
What can I do?
I could do a little dance? make a little love? get down tonight?
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Well!
Looks like I'd better make your Tri-plane Etha-RitaTM a double, then. aoaoaoaoao
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Hello.
I'm new.
Since this is the introductions thread, it seemed like a good place to start.
Not actually in China, but thinking about a move there later in the year. At the moment I (and my other half) teach in Vietnam. So anyone needing info on Vietnam???....
It's great and very good money. But you don't get a fat lot of time off. It's an all year language school job country. I've been reading jealously about teachers in China about the go on their long winter break - so we wondered about making a move North.
Anyway, we have lots of questions which will be much better placed on their own threads.
But for now, hello!
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Welcome aboard, roadrat. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to the saloon. agagagagag agagagagag
Actually there was someone wondering about Vietnam a couple of weeks ago. agagagagag
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Hey
Yeah, I just replied to the Vietnam query.....
agagagagag
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Welcome, Roadrat!! agagagagag Nice to "see" a new face.
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Welcome RR. agagagagag agagagagag
Your experience in Vietnam will help with your job hunting here - een if you want to teach Biol.
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Hello all,
I'm 29, Irish, have lived in China for a total of 4 years (Dalian, Xi'an, Chengdu) but have been back in Ireland for the last year and a half.
Probably gonna beat a retreat back to 中国 at some stage in 2010 for several reasons, 1. Professional Development - I'm a language teacher and I see this as being where the opportunities are...
2. My wife is Chinese and is finding it difficult to land a job now that she's finished her masters. Plus she misses her mammy. ananananan
3. I 爱 akakakakak the place the language the food the people the lifestyle the work the weirdness of it all...
I'm particularly interested in hitting Xinjiang for maybe 6 months (my girlfriend's home province) and then heading off elsewhere to work and/or study (perhaps Hangzhou...)
So... nice to meet you all, I've thoroughly enjoyed trawling through your past posts, been a lovely nostalgia trip for me, and I feel I know you all already.
Slainte! agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Fozzy. You bloody Irish certainly get up to some tricks!
My wife is Chinese
Xinjiang (my girlfriend's home province)
Lucky bloke!
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Welcome aboard, Fozzy. You bloody Irish certainly get up to some tricks!
My wife is Chinese
Xinjiang (my girlfriend's home province)
Lucky bloke!
No kidding! We're everywhere! ababababab
Rock up into any backwater town in any country in any part of the world and you will find: An Irish person, a Chinese person and probably an Ozzy ;)
Sounds like a bad joke doesn't it?
Thanks George and nice to meet ye!
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Welcome to the
madhouse Saloon, Fozzwaldus agagagagag
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@Amonk - Cheers, big ears! agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag there are some rules...let me see...err..they were written on the back of a baijiu label..uhm...oh, yes, here it is...no sanity allowed.. agagagagag agagagagag
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Rock up into any backwater town in any country in any part of the world and you will find: An Irish person, a Chinese person and probably an Ozzy ;)
Yup. But there are plenty of Aussies floating around this place. Kinda hard to avoid us.
Welcome to the Saloon. Hope you stick around.
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@ericthered + Schnerby
thanks guys and happy new year! :hangover:
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Welcome Fozzwaldus from another Aussie with Irish, English and Scottish ancestry. (Yeah,there are a couple of convicts in the background as well. aoaoaoaoao) I didn't get to China teaching because of ill health, but I look forward to hearing about your up and coming adventures.... I mean the ones that you can talk about here. ahahahahah afafafafaf
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Welcome back to China, from a Canadian living in Dalian. Just to clarify what ETR posted, Slainte is indeed encouraged, it's just sanity that we discourage. Well we tolerate it from time to time, but just barely.
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Welcome aboard, Fozzy. You bloody Irish certainly get up to some tricks!
My wife is Chinese
Xinjiang (my girlfriend's home province)
Lucky bloke!
eep! just realized my mistake there pppppppppp... she'd kill me if she saw that (and yes, there is only one of her! akakakakak)
everybody else, thanks for the welcomes! agagagagag
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Welcome aboard fozzwaldus! Glad you stumbled upon us. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome aboard, Fozzy. agagagagag For some reason we don't have many reports coming in on life in the Northwest. :wtf: Looking forward to some accounts of life there.
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HI ALL
This is IVY ,i'm new here bjbjbjbjbj
23 years old with ordinary appearance & figure. Got my BA in English and used to be a teacher in Hubei province, presently as a translator working in Shenzhen.....
Dadan recommended this saloon to me, Nice been here
Besides, I'm Chinese
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G'day Ivy..or NIVI. Welcome aboard. I would never have guessed that you are Chinese. afafafafaf afafafafaf Who are you translating for?
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bjbjbjbjbj
bfbfbfbfbf Nice to see you got in VIvy bfbfbfbfbf
besides, Gerge has chicken legs, figure & looks, but he Does like speeling
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G'day Ivy..or NIVI. Welcome aboard. I would never have guessed that you are Chinese. afafafafaf afafafafaf Who are you translating for?
Ivy. ahahahahah
working for an electronic company & translating for 'wwwho'... ananananan ooooh,for our client & manufacturers.Maybe.
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bjbjbjbjbj
bfbfbfbfbf Nice to see you got in VIvy bfbfbfbfbf
besides, Gerge has chicken legs, figure & looks, but he Does like speeling
bibibibibi I dunno how to reply the E-mail personal massage & cannot link attached webpage.
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You probably don't have PM privileges yet. Wait until you are a regular poster.
For linking web pages, look at the line of square buttons, directly above the smilies. The third one from the left is for links.
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Welcome to the
Madhouse Saloon, Ivy agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, Ivy agagagagag agagagagag As for normal appearance...well, no such thing here, what with chickens, bunnies, squirrels, lizards and Huang Di knows what hanging around the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag Hope you enjoy it here.
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yea,
`No be shy
agagagagag
Post to any topics you have thoughts to share that might add to the discussions, it'll be cool to get more Chinese perspective here bjbjbjbjbj
&...
after a handful or so more posts, your PM (private Message) box will open.
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You probably don't have PM privileges yet. Wait until you are a regular poster.
For linking web pages, look at the line of square buttons, directly above the smilies. The third one from the left is for links.
How many need to pose to be a 'regular poster' uuuuuuuuuu
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Well, our Beloved Duke is the one who can answer that. Just start posting, there are enough threads available for whatever topic you would care to comment/lambast/rave/rant about. Personally, I think it's about time we had a thread about why wilderbeests are dashed silly...I mean, two hundred of them can be scared into a mad stampede by one hungry lion! Why don't they just turn around and give the over-grown kitty a sound thrashing? Surely, after 500 kilos of angry pot-roast jumps up and down on it for a few minutes, even the most meat-happy lion would begin to think that vegetarianism is a reasonable alternative.
Hmm...better go start that thread. agagagagag agagagagag Just start posting, and you'll have PM privileges faster than you can say generalguvernoersundersekretaersoverfuldmaegtigskaffeassistentsmedhjaelpervikar... agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi Vivi, nice to meet you and welcome. I've already noticed your posts on other threads and appreciate the new perspective you bring to our Saloon. (Good to have another lady around the place too bfbfbfbfbf These men, gotta watch them.)
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Welcome aboard, Vivi. agagagagag We don't get many Chinese members; maybe we use too much slang and confuse people. Too bad, too: like Dadan and Ruth said, we could use more of a Chinese eye on things.
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Ivy! Baby!
Nice ta have ya amongst us! agagagagag akakakakak afafafafaf
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We've had other Chinese members before who didn't stick around and one of the complaints I remember was that they didn't understand the slang and banter very well. Please don't let that be a reason to leave us ananananan Just ask what we mean. I don't always follow what's going on - especially in the technology threads. You'll notice people ask for clarification sometimes. Example, today an Australian Saloonie used the word 'dag'. I had no idea what it meant and was going to ask, but he answered it in his post for those of us who aren't Australian-English trained. We represent many different cultures here and I'll repeat - I'm really glad you have joined us and I look forward to more of your insight into this wonderful country many of us choose to call 'home'.
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And just ignore George, the guy with the hopping chicken. You don't want to know, even if it could ever be translated and explained... kkkkkkkkkk
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Thanks for all. bjbjbjbjbj
U r right,I encountered a number of new words & slang, even reading the book <1984>recommanded by Dadan lately, bibibibibi
The way to handle those problems is consulting the dictionary & u rather than escaping from here. agagagagag That's native.
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You're reading 1984??? Wonderful.Please let me know what you think about. It's one of the novels I am teaching next year. As we're on the subject of books,"Brave New World"is another good one.
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You're reading 1984??? Wonderful.Please let me know what you think about. It's one of the novels I am teaching next year. As we're on the subject of books,"Brave New World"is another good one.
yes. but it seems need to take me long time kkkkkkkkkk <one week> to finish this book all.
U teach high-school-student or collage. As I know, it's not a easy task to catch the meaning of those 'native books', cuz of new words & expressions, and that totally different from what we learned in Chinese-English teachers' class. llllllllll
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totally different from what we learned in Chinese-English teachers' class
Yes, VIVI, the difference between classroom English, and real-life English is vast! In here we will write lots of stuff that you won't understand, and all most of it will be perfectly clear to everyone, except our Chinese members. Don't pass it by. It's easy to post..."What's the meaning?"
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Hi all
I'm a 23 year old paddy (Irish man). Still looking for my fist job in China, hoping to be there within the next few months. I love all types of sport, mainly football, rugby, golf and hurling.(hurlings the fastest and greatest field sport in the world for all you none Irish people out there) bibibibibi
Thats about it really, I'll keep you all posted on how the job hunt is going and hopefully gain some good advice when needed. ababababab
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yes. but it seems need to take me long time kkkkkkkkkk <one week> to finish this book all.
U teach high-school-student or collage. As I know, it's not a easy task to catch the meaning of those 'native books', cuz of new words & expressions, and that totally different from what we learned in Chinese-English teachers' class. llllllllll
I teach at a university. Yep, the difference between what my students learn in their Contemporary English or College English or whatever their books are called, is very much different than the language you encounter in books like 1984.
You finished 1984 in a week....I wish my students were able to do that... agagagagag
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We normally don't tease the new folks until we get to know them a little better, but I feel compelled to point out a cultural difference. Hurling means something quite different where I come from aaaaaaaaaa
Now that that's been said - Hi Simba and welcome to the Saloon. Here's to a successful job hunt and new relationships agagagagag
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Yes Ruth, aaaaaaaaaa is quite different where we hail from, but here in China it can still be a quite popular sport. For example on New Years Eve, I personally witnessed many people, both local and foreign, participating in matches. Some of the participants were even able to achieve great distance. uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu :alcoholic:
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Simba, I could google it (while it still exists in China), but I think it's important for you to get your post count a little higher. You can educate me in the process. Here, I'll shout for another beer, pull up a bar stool, and please explain what hurling means on that lovely emerald isle of yours.
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Failte, Simba, cead mille failte. agagagagag chchchchch agagagagag
I know what hurling is, but the other kind is indeed staggeringly popular...which is why we keep easy-clean carpeting for our convenience, and keep the ever-emetic Gerge around for theirs. uuuuuuuuuu aaaaaaaaaa
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Welcome to
Bedlam the Saloon, Simba agagagagag
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Welcome aboard Simba. Hurling is a popular activity among Foreign Teachers in China. We don't mind that yer Irish. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Vivi and Simba. agagagagag Look forward to reading your posts. bfbfbfbfbf
A word of encouragement Vivi. You have so much to give and so much to learn. Let us always try to help each other.
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...Surely, after 500 kilos of angry pot-roast jumps up and down on it for a few minutes, even the most meat-happy lion would begin to think that vegetarianism is a reasonable alternative.
Well, I came to my decision in a slightly different fashion, but that's one way to do it. ahahahahah ahahahahah
Welcome, Ivy. agagagagag
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Thanks for the warm welcome guys
I'm sure ye wont be too surprised to know that yer type of hurling aaaaaaaaaa is also still very popular here in Ireland. In fact I partook in a bit of it last weekend for a mates stag party! Ruth I'd be glad to give you a quick explanation of the great game that is hurling. Both teams have 15 players. The object of the game is for players to use a piece of wood called a 'hurley' to hit a small ball (roughly the size and weight of a baseball I think) between two posts. The posts are in H shape. When the ball goes over the crossbar it counts as 1 point, if it goes under the crossbar (which is protected by a goalkeeper) it counts for 3 points. Ruth I culdn't urge you enough to google it as no words could do the game justice. agagagagag
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Hello all, I'm gaomeigeng, a 23 year old American woman. I currently live in Shanghai, but just recently escaped a 7 month gig with EF in Hefei.
I went to the University of Delaware and majored in History Education, and taught US and world history in the states before coming to China. I have found, to my great disappointment, that Chinese students who barely speak English know far more about history and geography than most of my American students.
While introducing the unit on WWII in my 10th grade World History class, I was asked, "If they had radar, why didn't the Jews see the Nazis coming?" How do you respond to that?
So, I'm here in China, teaching and learning. I don't know how long I will stay.
OH, and george, as per your first post...I am very tall afafafafaf
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welcome!! agagagagag
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Welcome to the
Madhouse Saloon, Gaomeigeng agagagagag Lucky escape from EF bfbfbfbfbf
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While introducing the unit on WWII in my 10th grade World History class, I was asked, "If they had radar, why didn't the Jews see the Nazis coming?" How do you respond to that?
I know this is from a while ago, but holy god is that funny! ahahahahah ahahahahah
Welcome to all of you! bfbfbfbfbf
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ahahahahah I love it!
Oh and WELCOME! bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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And welcome back, LoneT. agagagagag
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Why thank you... agagagagag
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Hello. I am just a foreign teacher in China trying to enjoy my life. I found this site while searching information on a school. I am impressed by the depth of information about China here.
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Well thank you Roller.... we do try. agagagagag Welcome to the Saloon. Pull up a stool (preferably not one that already has a butt imprint) and wet your whistle!
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Hi, RollerB. Glad to have you join us agagagagag
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Welcome RollerB. Just so you know - we like you already. You can tell because you've already received a shortened nickname (which has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that we are lazy typists).
Glad to have you here. Tell us a little more about yourself. I'm looking forward to you adding your perceptions of China to this site and increasing, as you said, the depth of information we have accumulated.
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Hello ladies. Thank you. I currently attempt to get three year business and trade certificate students at a third rate university in a fourth-tier city. I am about to sign a contract with a real, provincial level university in a wonderful, comfortable second rate city that I am excited about. I just traveled across the country to meet with a nice lady who won my heart through correspondence, only to get the cold shoulder the minute I met her in the flesh. a few thousand rmb tossed into the gutter for a foolish notion of "romance" Yin and yang: the China life, eh?
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oooh ... sorry to hear that RollerB ananananan
hope the rest of your stay is less unfortunate. bfbfbfbfbf
here's one (on Georges tab)for you agagagagag
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Sorry...George's tab finally collapsed in upon itself until it became a Singularity, and then it fell through the center of the earth and is now devouring a small star system somewhere in the constellation Monoceros.
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no worries - Raouls tab is always open. bfbfbfbfbf
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..and rightfully so! agagagagag
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Shet up an' git back to work, Gramps. That men's room still looks like hell. uuuuuuuuuu
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That men's room still looks like hell
That's because of all the arseholes here! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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i was 25 y/o when i wrote my intro here and was still in china.
now i'm 28. back in the philippines.
nice to be back! =)
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great to see you back! Missed you. agagagagag akakakakak agagagagag
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Hello!
My name is Terri, and I hope to be in China this upcoming semester, teaching English. I traveled to Beijing in 2007, and I have been studying Mandarin Chinese for about two years (though I haven't been practising as much as I should). Anyway, I'm an African-American woman, 27 years old, and I LOVE old martial arts movies (though, that's pretty separate from my love of China). I play the guitar, and make movies from time to time, and I love to read and play Call of Duty (see, they're not mutually exclusive!) Uh, I can't really think of anything else, but I'm not a complete newbie in some cases, but I always appreciate any good advice anybody wants to shoot my way.
邓泰丽
Terri
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welcome on board Terri!
you'll find a mine of useful info in and about these parts! agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Terri!
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Glad to meetcha Tai_Li agagagagag
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Welcome to The
madhouse cuckoos nest Saloon! bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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HI there! Just a quick note to say hello to you all.
I've been in Asia, mostly China, for the past 10 years. A mix of jobs - consultant, PR, journo, and when things are quiet, teaching.
I'll be teaching in Xi'an next semester - hoping there are some Xi'anites (especially women - I spend most of my working life with Chinese and expat men, I need some girl talk!!) on the forum who will give me the good oil. The company I do most of my consulting for has its headquarters in Xi'an, and I'm not too keen on any more time in the humid (and can I say it? ...) smelly canal cities! So, north is my choice. I've been in Xi'an on and off before, as well as plenty of other places around China.
As a writer, I find the rural and remote parts more interesting (and the people very much friendlier!) than the cities, although sometimes the local gendarmes tend not to agree with me staying too long. kkkkkkkkkk
Anyway, probably talked too much - I'm female, comes with the territory!! - so that's me. :)
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Welcome Damballah!!!! So nice to have another lady joining the mix. Watch your step, I've just mopped the floor (little accident with a lot of drinkies :alcoholic:.
Dont be afraid to jump on in and have a ball!!! agagagagag bhbhbhbhbh
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Hello, Damballah. Glad you found your way to the
madhouse Saloon agagagagag
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Welcome Damballah,
you'll find plenty of Xi'an related info hereabouts, so be sure to have a good search.
I spent two years there and thoroughly enjoyed myself, and from what I've heard it's gotten even more modern and accessible since I've left, without losing any of its ancient charm.
Best of luck, it's a great city!
agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Damballah, it's always good to have another female join our ranks. Do you mind sharing the meaning of your name?
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Hello, everyone!
My name is Sebastian, feelthy American peeg, New Yawker, aspiring globetrotter extraordinaire, and current ESL teacher hopeful. God help us all. I very much like this awesome forum and the nice people in it and hope I can receive and give help to anyone who might need it in the future or, even, the past.
"Damballah" is a voodoo deity. I know this not because I am worldly and well-read but because I distinctly remember Chucky saying it before transferring his soul into another body in Child's Play.
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ok Invictus...creepy on the Chucky front... rrrrrrrrrr apapapapap (you'll fit right in here)
Welcome! agagagagag
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ok Invictus...creepy on the Chucky front... rrrrrrrrrr apapapapap (you'll fit right in here)
As a child, I was oft left lone and unsupervised. Good thing for highly inappropriate horror films on late night European television.
Welcome! agagagagag
Fangs a lot! afafafafaf
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Nice ta meetcha agagagagag Welcome to our
abode refuge favourite watering hole Saloon.
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Hi Invictus. Not sure if you win the prize for the most posts in the shortest time by the newest member, but you've got to be in the running. From what I've read so far I think you'll fit right in here. (Take that as a compliment or not; some of us rank quite high on the weird scale.)
I have just one piece of advice. In order to speak proper Chinglish you need to leave out the word "much" in the following sentence:I very much like this awesome forum and the nice people in it
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fresh meat ababababab ababababab ababababab bfbfbfbfbf
right this way please, never mind that red splatter on the walls, I swear it's paint! uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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LOL! I have never in my life joined a forum and posted so much so quickly, if I ever even got to be a regular poster at all. *surreptitiously eyes the persistent "ain't said much yet" 'neath his moniker* I mostly lurk. But everyone here is so helpful and so down to earth, I feel like I could have a beer or two with all of you. I guess that's why it's the saloon. agagagagag Also I'm very grateful for all the people who have helped me in my "two years experience" thread and I wanna contribute to the forum if I can.
right this way please, never mind that red splatter on the walls, I swear it's paint!
Uh-oh... Have I stumbled onto a From Dusk Till Dawn sequel? S'okay, that's fine, let's play! I brought my toy (http://www.canarias7.es/blogs/losolvidados/tony-montana-scarface-say-hello-to-my-little-friend.jpg)!
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WELCOME tai_li,invictus and damballah! agagagagag
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SOLONG!!! axaxaxaxax Welcome back!
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Hi everyone,
I'm Jennifer, I'm 20 and I'm from Australia. I'm heading to Changchun in July to teach at Sino-American Denver Foreign Language School. Well, I will be if I sign the contract. Everything looks pretty good though so at the moment it's full steam ahead. Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Will anyone else be in that general direction later this year?
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Hiya, Jennifer. Welcome to the forum, from another new guy. I'm one step behind you in the job-hunting process, still contacting places and trying to find a good school, but Changchun is on my list as well. If I find a really good place, I will go there for my first job. I'd be interested to hear your experiences once you get there. If you have a blog, I'd love to read it.
I also read Changchun has a lot of great Mandarin programs, everything from the universities to private schools, so I hope you're looking to pick up some Mandarin!
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Hi Jennifer, Day Dreamer here. I've been in Changchun for 2 and a half years. Anything you need to now, please ask
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Oh wow Day Dreamer, that's awesome! You'll be my go to guy once I arrive in the crazy land. Is there much to do in Changchun? I need to be there by July 25 for training, but I'm wondering how much time I should allow for checking the place out.
I'm definitely interested in learning the language, but my current knowledge exists of, well.. nothing whatsoever. However, I'm optimistic. Surely I'll pick some up out of pure necessity. Would love any info on good language schools in the area.
Everyone, I've attached my contract because I'm keen to sign it and start booking flights. I just don't want to sign such an important document without having the wise eyes of the forum check it out first. Anyone who knows about this type of stuff, please check it out for me!
[attachment removed for space reason by admin]
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Hi Jenninfer, welcome to the Bedlam of cyber space agagagagag agagagagag
There is a room called the Contract Zone. If you copy your contract there, you will get much more feedback on it. agagagagag agagagagag
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There is a room called the Contract Zone.
Is this off limits to new posters? I don't see a link for it anywhere, and when I did click on a link to it in another post, it said "The topic or board you are looking for appears to be either missing or off limits to you."
I no find. Maybe pinyin ate it. mmmmmmmmmm
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Yes I believe the Contract Zone is off limits to us lesser beings. However, Day Dreamer gave me some good feedback and I've spoken to the school, all is going well. So glad this lovely Saloon exists. :lickass:
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Hi Jennifer and welcome to the Saloon. Always great to have another lady walk through the door. Kinda keeps the guys in line, at least for awhile. Congrats on the positive job situation.
I LOVE your avatar.
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Kinda keeps the guys in line, at least for awhile.
Just what Ruth needs, a line up of guys afafafafaf
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Welcome Damballah, it's always good to have another female join our ranks. Do you mind sharing the meaning of your name?
Thank you Ruth.
Damballah is a Haitian god, brought over from Africa, and like most of their gods, linked with Christianity to make them more acceptable to the missionaries, while retaining their cultural roots.
I like it because of some of the links to other mythologies - the Australian Rainbow Serpent, which also seems to have some links with the Chinese dragon mythology. I also like it because damballah is immortal, and I feel that whenever I take on something new, I take on a new life, so ...
Being a newbie myself, I suppose I can't really welcome others, but I would like to, especially the ladies. I've been travelling and used my phone to look at the forum, so it has been too hard to write, but I did notice that there were not a lot of posts from women. Is this because there are not many women on the forum? The more the merrier!
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I used to post more often. I'm just very, very busy this particular semester. Several of our ladies have newborn babies to care for, so I imagine they are quite busy too.
Day Dreamer Just what Ruth needs, a line up of guys
only if they are Chippendales.
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Jennifer, you and some others are not far at all from getting access to the Contract Zone, Private Messages, etc. Just keep on talkin' to us! agagagagag
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Jennifer, you and some others are not far at all from getting access to the Contract Zone, Private Messages, etc. Just keep on talkin' to us! agagagagag
This post is to inform the readers of the board of the honesty of my intention in posting something which enriches the community's discourse in this post. This sentence would like to point out that the previous sentence really meant what it said and was not a shallow attempt at covering up an obviously self-serving increase in post-count. This sentence retracts the mention of the self-serving increase in post-count lest it seem obvious that this post is, in fact, exactly that. This sentence speculates on the futility of continuing this post since post count goes up by number of posts and not word count within the post itself--however, a monosyllabic reply to Raoul's post such as "Ha!" might have seemed gratuitous and superfluous, hence this sentence. And this one. This one, too. Sorry. I'll. Stop. It. Now. This sentence is to let the reader now the author of this post has now accomplished his purpose and will begin a new paragraph.
New paragraph.
Another one.
Stop.
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Ha! Post-padding novice! ahahahahah ahahahahah
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Indeed, old bean. This one has a lot to learn.
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Hi all,
My name is Nathan, 26 years old currently living near Oxford but looking for work in China for the coming academic year. I recently decided to do a CELTA course after spending five years post-uni doing jobs of varying promise without ever really feeling excited about where any might lead. So here I am a number of weeks and a whole lot of research down the line and despite all the horror stories I am still resolved to do make the jump bibibibibi.
Glad to be here in what seems like a little haven from the name-calling and general pettiness of the internet.
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Welcome, mate. I'm doing my CELTA two weeks from now. Good luck!
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Hi, NATO!! Welcome to our
Happy Hunting Grounds Madhouse Refuge from Reality Saloon agagagagag
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Thank you for the welcome!
And Invictus I hope you have a fun course, good luck as well.
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Howdy! I'm Emily and I'm moving to China in late July teaching English. Still ain't found a job yet but have been offered lots..just none that I fancy. I already work in special needs in a mainstream school in the UK and I'm looking forward to getting the hell out of the UK school system. Bring on China! And the sunburn! (I have fair skin)
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Hello, Rainbow. Glad ta meetcha! agagagagag
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This is AWESOME! So many new people. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
NATO, good attitude. Jump in the deep end, but do your research first.
Emily, learn to carry an umbrella with UV protection built-in. You'll fit right in with all the Chinese lasses trying to keep their skin from darkening. On the uni campus where I work there are as many umbrellas in use on a sunny day as on the rainy ones.
Looking forward to hearing your first thoughts and experiences of China once you arrive. I love those stories.
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Yes, umbrellas all summer long... right at my eye level. I remember that well.
Welcome everyone!
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Welcome everyone, great to see so many new faces!
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Welcome Chaps and Chappettes!
May your job hunting be fruitful... unless it happens to coincide with a job I'm going for uuuuuuuuuu
agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
WELCOME TO THE SALOON!
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Welcome, Emily! agagagagag Smart of you to take your time finding the right gig.
NATO and Invictus: Good luck with the CELTA. Hope you'll share here- I want to take it some time this year. bfbfbfbfbf
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From a newbie to newbie: WELCOME, ONE AND AAALL! hehehe
Con: I'll be sure to sound off soon as the fit hits the shan. Seven days to doomsday. hahaha
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Actually, I don't expect to hear a word from you for the next month, until it's all over- I'm the workload is unreal. But an embittered, burntout recap when it's over would be cool.
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Actually, I don't expect to hear a word from you for the next month, until it's all over- I'm the workload is unreal. But an embittered, burntout recap when it's over would be cool.
I hear that myself but I'm skeptical. The majority of complainers tend to be the slackers with zero time management skills. Either way, a recap is forthcoming!
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I did my course in March, though that isn't clear from my post - bit concerning that I will be teaching others how to communicate when I can't even do it myself! bibibibibi
The CELTA I did was quite intense but I really enjoyed it which meant the intensity of focus didn't bother me. Hopefully it goes the same way for you Invictus and you Con when you do it. Oh and Invictus this is coming from someone with poor time management skills and a habit of leaving things too late (I work better under pressure...or something like that!).
Also, I meant to say hi to Emily and everybody else since my earlier post.
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Thanks, NATO. Just finished day 2 and I have a 40-minute lesson tomorrow. They gave me the outline, so I just need to use some creativity and flesh it out. So far it's easy, though I don't have much time, mostly 'cause the course is 9-5pm, so I gotta run home, prepare for the next day and by the time I've done my personal stuff it's time for bed in fact I'm so busy I don't even have time to waste with punctuation.
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I'm skeptical. The majority of complainers tend to be the slackers with zero time management skills. Either way, a recap is forthcoming!
I'm gonna have SOOOO much fun throwing this quote in your face all month. uuuuuuuuuu
Break a leg. Knowledge and training can't be seized by bankrupcy court or lifted out of your wallet.
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I'm skeptical. The majority of complainers tend to be the slackers with zero time management skills. Either way, a recap is forthcoming!
I'm gonna have SOOOO much fun throwing this quote in your face all month. uuuuuuuuuu
Break a leg. Knowledge and training can't be seized by bankrupcy court or lifted out of your wallet.
Now, now, play nice Con. He may recant or adjust his position when the caca hits the spinning machine oscillating
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I'm skeptical. The majority of complainers tend to be the slackers with zero time management skills. Either way, a recap is forthcoming!
I'm gonna have SOOOO much fun throwing this quote in your face all month. uuuuuuuuuu
Well... lol you're gonna have to hold off on that, at least for now. Day 3 and we're doing the 40-min lesson which was basically pre-planned for us. The only thing is that since the course is 9-5, and with the commute, there tends to be relatively little time to prepare for whatever is up the next day. But I think the first week should remain manageable. Today we're interviewing one student and writing up a 750-1000 word sheet on things like his motivation for learning, what type of learner he is, what errors he typically make and how to correct them (I plan on suggesting "baseball bat or blunt object"), etc.
Dunno. Could it be I am a genius? My mother says I am... I'll keep yous guys updated. afafafafaf
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Dunno. Could it be I am a genius? My mother says I am... I'll keep yous guys updated.
I think she may have said you are special, that's why you took the special bus ahahahahah
Seriously, when writing something that long, look out for repetion of ideas or unnecessary words. Chinese students have a penchant for this;
I drive a truck, I am a truck driver
or
The rain that came down, would not stop falling for hours
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Amen to your farewell to the UK education system Emily - I'm in my final month, coming to Beijing in August to teach in Haidian District.
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Welcome aboard! agagagagag The Saloon is well-represented in Beijing, so you'll hit the ground running.
Invictus: Could you start a new thread about your CELTA misadventures? It's incredibly useful info: several members, myself included wish to do this in the future.
Plus it's totally offtopic here in the Introduction thread.
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Welcome aboard charlessandilands, that's a heck of a name your mother gave you mmmmmmmmmm
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well charlessandilands, you 'aint much to look at afafafafaf, but the same can be said for most of us barflies, so pull up a stool and tell us what yer major malfunction is
agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome! I also teach in Haidian district in Beijing, we'll be neighbors!
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Great to hear that I won't be isolated even though my appearance apparently frightens horses and small children!!
I have a number of malfunctions (including alcohol!) but I also enjoy cycling and walking enabling regular (at least semi) detoxification!
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Nice ta meetcha, charlesS agagagagag
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nice to meet you too. Where do you work?
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Great to hear that I won't be isolated even though my appearance apparently frightens horses and small children!!
I have a number of malfunctions (including alcohol!) but I also enjoy cycling and walking enabling regular (at least semi) detoxification!
So what you're saying is that you won't stand out from the rest of us
Open the gates Mildred, we gots us another one
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Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd say hello to everyone here at the Saloon and introduce myself. I'm (going to be) a first time teacher in China this upcoming school year and figured it would be a good idea to hang out here a little bit before I go to get a better idea of what to expect once September roles around.
I'm Canadian, a recent university graduate (BA in Poli Sci)and I like long walks on the beach. Right now I'm focusing on landing a job in the Guangzhou area, so if there's anyone with some insider tips of things to see/do/avoid I'm all ears.
Looking forward to talking with everyone,
Cornelius
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Hello, Cornelius agagagagag
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Welcome cornelius. You made a good choice to hang here and get a feel of what its like to work and live in china from oldies and newbies. Im in Guangdong but not near the sea. Hailing from a northern scottish island i miss the sea, perhaps i will get a coastal teaching position one day, that would be great. I heard today there was an undersea quake of over 7 points in the indian ocean. I dont fancy being wacked by a big wave, seems these things are occuring more often.
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nice to meet you too. Where do you work?
In prison aoaoaoaoao in Bermuda ababababab
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Hi Cornelius and Charles. Don't mind the Bunny. They let her out to play here occasionally ahahahahah
I'm in Dongguan, just next door to Guangzhou.
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Dunno. Could it be I am a genius? My mother says I am... I'll keep yous guys updated.
I think she may have said you are special, that's why you took the special bus ahahahahah
Haha! This is the only bus I ride!
(http://www.wayodd.com/funny-pictures2/funny-pictures-the-cool-bus-0m4.jpg)
Thanks for the tips on the writing assignment. Second week just started. Moved to pre-int and doing first lesson with them tomorrow, with less pointers for lesson planning. Let's see how I'll fill the 40 minutes talking about jobs. Can't be that hard, eh.
Welcome to all the new party pee-powl!
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Notwithstanding the adverse remarks on my appearance, there must be some short-sighted females in beijing?
Where is the best place to look?
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Where is the best place to look?
The first place you come to! Welcome aboard, Charlie. agagagagag agagagagag
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thanks for that George - sounds promising!
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The first place you come to!
George has it right. Taking your time shopping in a large supermarket improves the odds - the female (staff and customer) to male ratio will be working in your favour.
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Charles, welcome!
As for 'where you should be looking'....actually, it'll be them
looking to find you.....don't you worry!
(And yes, the supermarkets (- even yer local Kedi or Quik!) are ideal. All you need to do is
to appear a little helpless and lost...think of nature, or biology!) bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks for that, all sounds very agreeable.
Anybody know what Haidian is like?
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Was it 'Local Dialect' who works in Haidian? I'd be interested in your perspective on Haidian?
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Yep, I work in Haidian.
It is a really big area, so it depends where you're going to be. Haidian is where pretty much all of the universities are, so there are a lot of students living here. There's an area called Wudaokou which is around Qinghua university and is very "young," with a lot of cafes, bars, foreign food places, people selling stuff on the street, etc. Haidian is pretty central and it is fairly easy to get to other districts like Dongcheng and Chaoyang where there's also stuff happening. Haidian is also home of Zhongguancun, which is Beijing's technology corridor, where you have Google headquarters, Microsoft, all sorts of computer/IT stuff going on.
I live between the West 3rd 4th ring roads in a fairly boring little corner of Haidian. I guess it is a decent place for us since I have 2 kids. We used to live near wudaokou and it had just a bit too much of a college town vibe, which made me feel old! The only complaint I have about the neighborhood is that transportation is not that convenient as there are no subway stops nearby and busses in Beijing are really slow. But that's just my neighborhood, Haidian is frickin huge.
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Thanks for that TLD. I'm going to be based near Renmin University (I'm teaching at the RDFZ school attached to the uni) and I believe there's a line 4 subway stop there (hope so!)
I don't think though until I arrive that I'll have any idea of the scale of the place!
By the way, as you may have seen from my pic, I'm knocking on a little (on the outside at least!) so the uni scene won't be my thing either.
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(I'm teaching at the RDFZ school attached to the uni)
Ah, yes...the prestigious Raoul Duke-Frank Zappa Experimental School! bfbfbfbfbf
Congrats on landing such a plum job...and welcome to The Saloon... agagagagag
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Many thanks for that RD and look forward to meeting people soon.
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Hi all! Thanks Raoul for emailing me recently and getting me back in.
I'm David. Disenchanted laowai from chicago. Still in Beijing for 7 years now.
I remember many years ago that I came here but then I recall it suddenly disappeared.
What the saloon taken down before?
maybe some big brother issue? nevermind that! If I am mistaken please forgive me.
As stated, I have been in Beijing for 7 years now. The entire time I have been teaching.
I have tried other work(sales, marketing, proofreading, and even web work but I continue to deal with the task of daily classes.
China has changed much since I first arrived and so have I and you all too :)
Im glad to be back and I see Con is still here.
hahah
thanks for being part of the community and keeping this thing alive.
ESL-extra sexual language
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ESL-extra sexual language
Welcome back .... another survivor in China!
from
ESL (Extra Sexual Laowai) agagagagag
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Welcome back, bjguitarist. Barkeep, a round of our finest for our
new old friend. agagagagag Yeah, the Saloon 'disappeared' awhile back, but only in China. You are correct about the Big Brother issues - but it wasn't us. You may notice that this Saloon is version 3.
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Yep...the original was blocked in China, and as far as I know still is. We were caught up in a blanket blockage of nearly all of the millions of Proboards sites, and it wasn't our fault.
That's our story and we're stickin' with it. ahahahahah
Meanwhile, we've been adding lots of new members. agagagagag
All you guys are most warmly welcome, and we're really stoked to have you here with us! akakakakak bhbhbhbhbh
Just please...now that you're here, COME TALK TO US! At least a little...
The Saloon is alive only as long as the conversation is...
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Well guys, I'll be jumping on a plane and joining you in Chinaland on Saturday!! Spending a week in Shanghai, then off to Changchun to start work. Any tips on what I should spend my Shanghai week doing?
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Start off with the touristy stuff: The Oriental Pearl Tower (after dark), the 88 Tower (in daylight), a walk along the Bund, the Expo (weekdays). Add a wander around the French Concession: there's lots of funky little shops and pub/restaurants in that neck of the woods.
Like live underground music? Try Logo bar: http://logoshanghai.net Then try Yu Ying Tang- here's their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6547571901
If you like dance bars there's a pretty slick one downtown- nuts, forgot the name. I'll get back to you.
There's a terrific art gallery in the park around People's Szuare subway station.
As for shopping, I'd just wait for Changchun. Prices in that neck of the woods are a fraction of Shanghai's.
BTW, if you care to pop down to Suzhou, it's a cheap, quick train ride, and there are certainly things to do here. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hey guys!
My name is Howard and I have accepted a position in Haidian as well with Beijing Foreign Language Experimental School. I am currently living in DC and will be on my way July 31st. Super excited to start this stage of my life!
Howie
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Welcome Howie! I'm starting my position on August 1st, can't wait! What made you decide to head to China?
Thanks con. I'm gonna see if I'm not too jet lagged to head to that Logo Bar on Saturday night - purely because the event is called The Enchanted World of Acid Pony Club with VJ Tina Sprinkles.
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Welcome aboard, Aznbapo (try saying that 5 times). agagagagag We have a big contingent of Saloonies in Beijing, so getting your social life set up, a daunting task in a big city, shouldn't be such a problem. Check out Decurso's favourite site, http://weliveinbeijing.com for starters.
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Hi All (again)
I introduced myself a while ago although I'm not coming to Haidian until nearly the end of August.
I was sparked into writing by Jennifer asking about the 'why' of it and I would also be interested in people's motivations for coming to China.
In my case, I wanted an adventure and a fresh start (even if I am 'knocking on a bit'!)
Yes, like most of us, I have a bit of baggage but hoping to leave it behind.
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Welcome Aznbapo, Jennifer, charlessandilands and everyone else. I am a squirrel, more specifically the High Priest of the Glorious Church of the Most Magnificent Ratatosk, who daily scurries from the top of the World Tree Tgdrasil to the roots that spreads into the gloomy world of Hel, where tormented souls slave away at preparing the dread ship Naglfar for Ragnarok. I am also an English teacher, which should prove beyond a doubt that China is really a country that offers adventure and possibilities for all kinds of people...uhm...creatures...err...entities. I do hope you all have a delightful time in China..and remember, one should always be kind to leprechauns and if you find a unicorn living under your sink you need better kitchen hygiene. Now, pull up a chair and tell us everything, the first round is on...tumtitum...Stil, a venerable personage from the deepest, darkest, nightmarish parts of the Canadian collective subconscious. But wait a while, the purple pixie that lives under my bowler hat is in dire need of Skitles...be back in a tick agagagagag agagagagag
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And to think people still call me crazy when the forum has a talking squirrel. ahahahahah
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Thanks all for the warm welcome!
@Jennifer: I didn't really enjoy where I was in my professional life and decided to give this a try while trying to learn a valuable language skill. And yourself?
@Con: Thanks for the tip! That's awesome. I will definitely be keeping everyone posted as to my status over in Beijing and would love to meet some saloonies face face if there is an opportunity!
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Well I took a year off uni with plans of going to the US to work at a summer camp, but that never panned out. Figured I'd better do something worthwhile considering I'd already taken the year off, somehow stumbled across a list of teaching jobs in China, and here I am. I'm only teaching for 6 months though, then it's back to learning for me.
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Hi. I'm a new member, but I've been in Ningbo, China for a year.
I've recently changed jobs and moved to the other side of the city. I've found out that the 4 new teachers at my University in September are actually 2 married couples with pre-existing links to Ningbo, which is kind of a kick in the teeth for my dreams of tricking them into being my friends while they're still too naive and desperate to know better.It would be great to chat or meet up with other teachers in the city.
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Welcome Mr Ben!
Great to hear from someone in Ningbo... agagagagag
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I made it to China alive! I'm in Shanghai at the moment, here til July 25. I'm feeling rather lost in this big city, if anyone wants to hang out let me know! I just went to Walmart and nearly had a heart attack, it's huge! Staying with a lady and her son somewhere not far from Pudong. Not exactly sure where. Listening to them chatting away in Chinese and realising that I'm somewhat screwed.. I can't understand a word!
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When are you coming to the 'chun and how are you travelling? Where will you stay? I sent you a PM, let me know in private
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Jennifer,
That's awesome. What a great way to spend a year off from college. I hope you have fun in Shanghai and good luck with your gig in Changchun.
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Hi everyone bjbjbjbjbj I'm off to Nanyang in 4 weeks for my first time in China, and teaching. aoaoaoaoao Thanks for opening the gate Raoul, and even more huger thanks to Saloon inmate Schnerby for the inside scoop on the exact same Uni I'll be wandering around in, scratching my head. I'm 52, many years in the business world with a good bit of training experience, but no classroom. BA and off-brand EFL Cert with Biz English add-on. Kinda think I'd like to pursue that route once I get into the system.
I'd like to spend a week or so in HK on my way in, any suggestions on must-see or must-avoid places? I like pretty much everything.
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Hey everyone! I am very happy to join this forum; I've been lurking for a little bit for info on China, and everyone seems very down to earth. I will be (hopefully) coming to China this September, probably to Dalian. I can't wait!
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Hi folks
I'm a recently-joined lurker and even more recently-joined member. I just finish undergraduate with a degree in Chinese, and since joining the lovely ranks of the unemployed, I've been looking for jobs in China teaching English. Can't thank Raoul and the rest of you enough for the tremendous resource this forum provides.
Good to be here, glad to meet you all!
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Welcome aboard and howdy, all 3 of you! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome, all three of you agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag Should any of you suffer from sanity, a most unpleasant condition, please be advised that a professional lunatic will come around shortly to help you. If you possess a dog, don't let Con take care of it...I once had a small poodle named Mr. Snuffles...long story, his collar was found in the half-empty bowl of nuts...Ironically, his nuts were never found aoaoaoaoao
Here's a glass of absinthe, known as the favourite drink of French artists, and with the ear-slashing and such, a drink can't really come with a better recommendation agagagagag agagagagag
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Eric the Red- The Lost Vikings?!
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:alcoholic: :alcoholic: :alcoholic: wazzat...schlanderrr...li..libbe...lybb...thinggummy means something is..err...not rigt...Vikings never got lost...We always know where we are..I'm supposed to be in Northumberland...not my fault England...err...moved...loscht...nonsschenssse....where's the mead... :alcoholic: :alcoholic: :alcoholic:
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Wow, so many new people. I've been traveling and not stopping in here lately. My bad.
Welcome to all of you and I'm looking forward to hearing your experiences in the early days of your new lives in China.
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Ditto on that. When you're writing home about your adventures here in the Big Silly, make sure you cut and paste your letters here. Honestly, these accounts never get old, and no two are quite alike. axaxaxaxax
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Should any of you suffer from sanity, a most unpleasant condition, please be advised that a professional lunatic will come around shortly to help you.
Did someone call for a professional lunatic? ahahahahah
So, are any of you currently sane? If so, I promise I can cure you quickly, but maybe not quite painlessly.
cbcbcbcbcb
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He'll remove the cause, but (hehhehheh) not the symptom
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He'll remove the cause, but (hehhehheh) not the symptom
Nothing like a little time warp
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Hee hee! I'm awaiting the right time to dust off my Rocky Horror DVD and seriously screw up some Chinese people's view of American culture. ahahahahah
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I see you shiver with antici
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...pation
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I can see the kids grabbing an atlas trying to find Transexual, Transylvannia
Me thinks me see this movie too much. Like you EL, I brought a collectors edition with me from Canada
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I showed Rocky Horror to two Chinese friends. It went over surprisingly well. bfbfbfbfbf
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Howdy folks,
My name is Joe.
I am a 54-year-old complete newbie, greenhorn, wanker who is off to Jining, Shandong, to "facilitate" the speaking of English in a McSchool that nobody has ever heard of in a city that isn't listed in Lonely Planet which allegedly has the charm of Akron, Ohio.
My only goals are to eat dumplings and teach schoolchildren the song "Rickety Tickety Tin".
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Howdy folks,
My name is Joe.
I am a 54-year-old complete newbie, greenhorn, wanker who is off to Jining, Shandong, to "facilitate" the speaking of English in a McSchool that nobody has ever heard of in a city that isn't listed in Lonely Planet which allegedly has the charm of Akron, Ohio.
My only goals are to eat dumplings and teach schoolchildren the song "Rickety Tickety Tin".
What! No drinking of the rocket fuel? No bagels for you!!!
But welcome anyways and good luck. Good job on keeping your standards low, you'll fit right in here
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Welcome Joe. When do you take the big leap?
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Hello, Joe. Welcome to the
Funny Farm Saloon agagagagag
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Tinkerty-tonk, Joe, greetings, salutations and a most hearty welcome to the Saloon. It is not, as scurrilous rumours on the Net have stated, a cyber-Bedlam where those deemed too insane even for the Internet is placed, doped to the gills by a ready supply of baijiu and sit-coms...no, not at all...Now, if you will kindly go with the Nurse Ratchett-clone a spiffy coat with really long sleeves will be made to your measurements... agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Howdy Seam. agagagagag Get ready for a surreal year.
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I guess this would be a bad time to tell Seamallowance that Shandong outlawed dumplings 2 weeks ago. kkkkkkkkkk
Just kidding. They really only outlawed singing "Rickety Tickety Tin". ahahahahah
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I fly out Friday morning. SFO->YVR->BJS->JNG
I am very excited, worried, relieved and scared.
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I am very excited, worried, relieved and scared.
Sounds about right to me. agagagagag
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Hang onto the excited. :banana:
Let the rest go and enjoy the ride. :surfing:
Check out the 'How long are you in for' thread to see how many of us came for a short while and ended up staying.
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Wow you are one crazy bunch of weirdos! I love it akakakakak
I am 54,happily married for 25 years and about to embark on the rest of my life as soon as I get my early retirement ratified. Have spent the last 30 years drilling Present Perfect Simple into the heads of nasty little kids darling little high school kids in Jerusalem. Went to China in 2008 and BAM decided we were going to return for a longer spell. Settled on Kunming for obvious reasons (money not the issue, cannot stand extreme heat/cold) and hoping to get there by Septmenber 2011.
Hubby is very very keen thank Dog.
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Hello, Piglet. Love your avatar and nom de plume...I've been a Pooh & Co fan from way back in the day before Disney.
Welcome to our craziness Saloon. agagagagag
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welcome new younglings... a few saloon rules:
That stool in the corner is off limits.. reserved for dancing chickens.. ababababab
Never ever look under the tables.. stil lurks downunder uuuuuuuuuu aoaoaoaoao
no, we can not replace your drink if you don't like it kkkkkkkkkk
other than that, first round on you agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome aboard! agagagagag Piglet's agruably the funniest one of the bunch- at least til the Disney machine wrecked the character for the sake of selling toys.
Kunming, huh? Never too late to become a hippie. bfbfbfbfbf
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I think you will find Con that I am already an aging hippy being the proud possessor of a number of very outmoded clothes, not to mention an obsession with Dylan and a firm belief that nothing good has happened in music since 1979 (when the majority of you were not even a twinkle in your father's eye)
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You obviously haven't met George. He was around when the Petrified Forest was only a little nervous ahahahahah
Welcome piglet, I remember 1979. That's when my ex and first got together
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so everyone how do I get to be a barfly then? :alcoholic:
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so everyone how do I get to be a barfly then?
1. Post
2. Play nice with others
3. Post
4. Join in the conversations
5. Post
6. Don't start flame wars
7. Post
8. Be respectful of different Members' opinions
9. Post
10. Suck up to ask Raoul politely
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Oh....and did I happen to mention that you should POST? uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome piglet, I remember 1979. That's when my ex and first got together
Me too, except change 'ex' to 'honey'. He hasn't managed to ditch me yet ahahahahah
Welcome Piglet. You need to know that there are quite a few of us in your age range.
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Welcome Piglet...Now, I trust that you have not brought that rascally Tigger with you? Eeyore, yes, a most noble and wonderful creature, but no Tigger...
You become a barfly by posting, engaging in witty repartee, buying local squirrels lots of absinthe and generally participating in the mild-mannered mayhem that this establishment offers...Imagine it to be the Drones Club and, as a new member, you have to play the part of Oofie Prosser...that always goes well agagagagag agagagagag double absinthe, sugar and laudanum on the side, please agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome piglet, we talked a bit in the YNNU thread but I hope you stick around and keep posting. Talk a lot and play nice(ish) with others and you'll make it to Barfly in no time.
I bet the average age around here is probably quite a bit older than you're thinking it is, but age is just a number anyhow, as they say. :)
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Welcome Piglet
I bet the average age around here is probably quite a bit older than you're thinking it is, but age is just a number anyhow, as they say. :)
If you ask nicely, George might even tell you what the world was like before dirt.
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I agree: No Tigger. George's hyper dancing chicken provides enough strain on the eyes without having a Tigger bouncing all over the place.
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in any case some of us remember the REAL Tigger not the Disney one. I am very upset by people whose initial Piglet response is the Disney one but there I go showing my age again bibibibibi
and btw why is it that when I hit that icon it says bibibi ? I hate the association given that I currently live in the land of Bibi?
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Hey piglet, if it wasn't for cartoons, most people wouldn't know classical music too
welcome to the loony bin the other side of reality here
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You know what Daydreamer if it wasn't for adverts some of my students would never have heard any decent music.
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"Oh kill da wabbit, kill da Wabbit..." ahahahahah
Anyway...hello Piglet, and welcome! agagagagag
As for becoming a Barfly...Posting is indeed crucial, as are getting along and participating. The one thing I'd add would be Patience, because these days it doesn't happen quickly. I do NOT recommend asking about it, politely or otherwise...I find that tends to annoy more than anything else. kkkkkkkkkk Just relax and do your best to be a good Member...and it'll happen when the time comes. I'll be keeping an eye on things for ya.
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Thank you all I shall do my best to be a good member, not bug anyone and keep my hands and feet clean :lickass:
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G'day Kangaroo! I take it that you are from the land down under? I am an Aussie living in Brisbane.Sorry I can't give any help or advice on China since ill health put paid to my plans. alalalalal I have stayed with the Saloon because the folk here are so nice and helpful as you have noticed. I look forward to hearing about your experiences in China and Aussie too. bfbfbfbfbf Welcome aboard!
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Cheerio, toodle-pip and howza, Mr. Pocket-Mouse...sorry, couldn't resist, old chap...that's apparently what a Kangaroo is called in Chinese. A squirrel, like myself, is a wood mouse or tree mouse or some such silliness....
Welcome to Bedlam, where jollity runs high, insanity is expected, ranting and raving about everything from the annoying tendency of students to fall asleep in class to the fear of the mental influence of the Air Loom Gang is applauded and pictures of whatever weird/pretty/horrible things you might come across are more than welcome agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Kangaroo. Another critter to join our midst. axaxaxaxax Perhaps we should change the name to Raoul's China Zoo. kkkkkkkkkk I myself am a kitten or lion, depending entirely on the mood.
Thank you for the compliment. We do try to be civilized, although I urge you not to look too closely into the dark corners or under the bar stools. Playing nice with the others is important here.
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"Oh kill da wabbit, kill da Wabbit..."
I hope you mean some anonymous rabbit who steals the veggies from the garden, and NOT our dear Bunny. akakakakak
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I like the Disney Piglet. I think the whole 'older=automatically better' thing must have happened before I was born because I don't quite understand it. I also prefer The Lion King to Hamlet and the new Doctor Who to old Doctor Who. I'm gonna go hide now before my juvenile mouth gets me into trouble
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quite right James my boy you are way too young to understand. Patrick Troughton was the best Dr Who whatever you say and moreover the old theme tune was just fine before they electrified it.Next you will be saying that you don't get The Magic Roundabout and Paddington. bibibibibi
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My mum made me watch both when I was young and I pretended to like it, but secretly wanted to watch power rangers. The old ones before they got too silly and computerised
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Quite right Kangaroo. The original Shepard illustrations are outstandingly charming and innocent imho, whereas the Disney ones are just like all other Disney characters, marketing ploys. My children grew up with the originals and while they enjoyed the movies they still perceive of the book as the "real" thing.
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If you ask me it's all a load of pooh anyway.
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thanks for that invaluable contribution, Nate
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Disney gets Eeyore smiling. Sells stuffed animals.
Howdy, Kangaroo! agagagagag I recently took a trip to my first China home, a dumpy, dingy little mining town. Still ugly and provincial, but I'll always love the place. Consider traveling around; there just may be a newer, better love out there.
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thanks for that invaluable contribution, Nate
ha, anytime!
(and welcome Kangaroo)
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Eeyore smiling is a contradiction in terms .He is supposed to be the perpetual pessimist. That's why I loved him so much. He hates everyone and everything.
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Thank you. I also resent what they did with piglet: just a bland, pleasant, goody two shoes. None of the competitive, uptight nature that makes him so funny in the books.
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Thank you for your moral support in my time of need,Con
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Yes Kanga but it does somewhat depend on the delivery of the line in the reader's voice. My dad used to read it to me when I was young and I am pretty sure he would have said "Oh great.. " etc in a sort of sarcastic/ironic tone. so I still see him as a chronic depressive.
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Good of you Kanga, but just be grateful that your parents read for you at all in voices. Some kids have never had anyone they love read to them and I am suffering the consequences daily in class. BY the way my son (just out of compulsory army service here) remarked yesterday that when someone in the base saw him reading a book he said "Ah well done!" as if the mere fact of reading a book were some tremendous feat he had accomplished, which amused my son greatly.
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Hey All, First I would like to say thanks to RD for allowing me in this crazy, strange and wounderful place. The information I have gained in the few weeks i have been here is invaluable and I hope someday to be able to return the favor. I currantly live in Phoenix, Arizona but I am from Chicago, Illinois. With any luck i will be in China within the next few months. I am 42(35 was my jersey # from hockey) , a former Marine and a Jiu Jitsu instructor. I have done evrything in my power to resist getting a "normal job" and teaching in china satisfies this and also my desire to scare my self silly as much as possible aoaoaoaoao
PS to Amonk, thanks for that link about teaching,you really saved my bacon and i own you one
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bjbjbjbjbj You're more than welcome....all the best teachers I know "thief" the good stuff and then share with their friends....
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Welcom Aaron, make yourself at home here at The Saloon, we love
fresh meat newbies! uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome Aaron, to the nicest and friendliest lunatic asylum on in Cyber Space...the staff are a bit stingy when it comes to doling out the horse tranquilizers but as we are allowed to brew our own absinthe in the back room, it is all spiffy agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Aaron. Glad to have you aboard and I'm looking forward to getting to know you.
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Happy to be aboard, And thanks for the warm welcome to you all, If I can be of any help or answer any questions feel free to pm me bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi, I'm Jess, 23 and still in America. I don't know how I stumbled onto this forum, but after seeing how often some of you post on here, I've started to doubt that there is
anything else to do in China. hehe --No, it's been super helpful, thanks everyone.
I am hoping to begin teaching in China this spring. I'm not sure where I'll go yet, I've been researching schools like a crazy woman and still haven't found the one. I'd like to be in Dalian, Kunming, Gueyang, or Xi'an, but I am also looking at schools in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Heck, I would probably go anywhere if the job was a good fit and there were at least a few laowai to get drunk with. I prefer teaching adult learners, but like kids too. Any recs would be much appreciated.
I lived in Dongguan for a summer in high school-boo bqbqbqbqbq I also studied in Fuzhou and Beijing in college, and had the incredible misfortune of spending time in Taiyuan and Datong en route to lovely Xi'an. I haven't taught in China though, so probably not a good resource. Happy to use all of you though! akakakakak
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Aaron, Jess...ALL you new kids...you are very welcome here among us! We really glad you here... agagagagag akakakakak :grouphug:
The more voices and perspectives and experiences we get here, the more lively and interesting this place becomes...so to me, bringing in a new member- especially one that makes the leap and comes to talk to us- is always a cause for celebration! axaxaxaxax
Posting a lot is a GOOD thing...at least, as long as ya got somethin' to say...
And Jess, don't sweat that "good resource" thing. ALL of us, most definitely including me, start off in China as learners taking it all in. As we get more experience, we start passing some of that forward to the newbies coming in after us. Your time will come.
Besides, it sounds like you already have some experience with China...which puts you further along than some others.
And anyway, expertise in China or teaching are NOT the only ways to contribute here...far from it! A funny line, a kindly word, a sympathetic ear, a "Thanks...I enjoyed/learned from that!", a solution to a personal or technical problem, a photo of your new neighborhood...all these things and more are valued here just as much as the hard China info.
So don't let these wankers intimidate you...just about everyone who wants to can have something positive to offer. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome, Aaron and don't forget that 42 is the answer to the Universe and everything, so consequently a very good age. afafafafaf
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Welcome Jess!
While you may not have teaching experience, you'll find that a lot of the posts here are about life in China in general, and some are about just plain life, so really anyone can participate meaningfully. You have experience living in China, which is certainly valuable, and we do have longtime members here who are not teachers anyhow, so don't let a lack of teaching experience stop you from chiming in!
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Welcome to our little online community, Jess. New members are like a breath of fresh air and there's always room for more.
You said after seeing how often some of you post on here, I've started to doubt that there is anything else to do in China
There's lots to do in China. However, this place literally saved my sanity during my first couple of years here. The Saloon means different things to each of us, of course. I hope you become an active, participating member. Welcome to the family.
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Hello everyone, Name's Jeff. I've been in Suzhou for around two months now, but am only just now venturing out to toe the social waters around these boards. I'm an American working as an English teacher hoping to learn and enjoy all my can from my time here in China. I have busy weekends, but nothing to do during the week. I am hoping to meet people in hopes of making new friends, getting to know more about Suzhou, and just add to the general camaraderie that seems to be in this community.
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Awesome. Another new member. Welcome Outlier (Jeff).
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Welcome Jeff!
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What-ho, Jeff old chum, new faces are always welcome, especially if they could stand a chap a snifter "shakes empty absinthe glass suggestively"...There is mangagerie here, but no worries, all the creatures in the Saloon knows it is a major faux pax to widdle in a member's shoes, at least while they are being worn...Íf you haven't heard the phrase enough times, here it is again: welcome to China agagagagag agagagagag...Now would you sign this petition "waves crumpled-up cocktail-napkin around"...it issh to prs...to pers...sssafe the snsa...slah...schandwich...huph.... agagagagag agagagagag
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Outlier,
warmest welcomes to you, too. agagagagag
Your choice of towns to settle in was very smart, or very lucky, or both. bfbfbfbfbf
Do let me recommend to you (and others) that you might want to go with your "handle" instead of real names in public posts. For one thing, I can assure you that we count quite a number of Chinese schools among our avid readers. uuuuuuuuuu
Oh...and as for Ericthered, I trust that the word "Danish" will do much to help explain quite a number of things. ahahahahah
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Raoul, did we forget to slip the meds into Eric's Absynthe again? mmmmmmmmmm
Welcome everyone!
Please remember that your primary duty here is to buy drinks for anyone who's name includes Lunatic. ahahahahah
Yo Jess, any thoughts of returning to lovely Dongguan? We've got an abundance of language mills and an institute of higher education or two. DG may not have been the best place to go to high school, but it's a great place to live.
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Thank you everyone for the warm and somewhat disconcerting welcomes. And Raoul, thanks for the reminder on the name, I will strive for more mysterious identify for the future.
I'll also try to control my widdling.
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I'll also try to control my widdling.
Are you a widdler on a roof?
ahahahahah
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Outlier, I'll assume you've been to the Bookworm by now. Which part of town do you call home? SND? SIP? Wu Jiang? Downtown?
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Hey,
This spring, I'm going to be teaching at a public university (and/or possibly their "partner school") in Zhengzhou - if everything works out . . . Still working on getting the letter of invitation from the North China University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, It's a little sketchy, but they're SAFEA certified and the current Minister of Water Resources is an alum. Someone else posted a few years back asking for details about the school, but I can't view their profile to see their other posts.
I'm from California, USA, a recent graduate (with all the bells and whistles) with a BA in Environmental Studies, so I'm stoked about the where I'll be working, unless it's actually going to be at their partner school. I was most likely hired for being a young white American female who is just attractive enough to be non-threatening. They wanted an interview with me before they even knew how incredibly relevant my academic experience is to the academics of their various colleges (regarding things like river behavior and modeling using Geographic Information Systems, etc), and I doubt they actually care about that, anyway, because I'm probably not going to be given much of an opportunity to be a part of their "real" school.
我能说汉语一点儿, have been obsessed with historical 三国 for at least ten years, and read AAAS's Journal of Science for fun. I'm extremely hard to annoy, always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and, or so I've been told, "have never met a stranger."
I have a slew of questions that I'm still trying to articulate. Since this is the intro board, I'll refrain from posting them here.
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Welcome!
You're right not to get your hopes up too much about being too involved with the actual academic subjects at the school as it'll probably be oral English for you, at least at first. Once you're there though you should bring up your background and possibly propose a course, if you're planning on staying for a second year. Maybe you could teach "English for Environmental Studies" or something along those lines.
Anyhow, jump right in make yourself at home at the Saloon!
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things like river behavior and modeling using Geographic Information Systems, etc
The knowledge that you have won't be considered valid or useful, no matter how in-depth it is. The reason is that you are a big goofy laowai, so what could you possibly know? English, maybe. You are kind of like a cartoon character. Sorry to say it so bluntly. Not trying to take the wind out of your sails. That's just the way the Chinese think.
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I'm not that cynical. Your credibility will have to be earned, yes, but if you want to make an extra effort, and it doesn't involve the school spending extra money, you're likely (but not guaranteed) to get support in your project. Enthusiasm isn't always squelched... but prepared for bureaucratic sloth-like speed.
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Hey how come zero gets to be a barfly and he only has 76 posts, RD?
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He probably knows one of the mods personally.
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Yup, sexual favours works every time :lickass:
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OOh you people are SO depraved.... I love it afafafafaf
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things like river behavior and modeling using Geographic Information Systems, etc
The knowledge that you have won't be considered valid or useful, no matter how in-depth it is. The reason is that you are a big goofy laowai, so what could you possibly know? English, maybe. You are kind of like a cartoon character. Sorry to say it so bluntly. Not trying to take the wind out of your sails. That's just the way the Chinese think.
Don't worry, my main reason for teaching English in China is to, well, get there. My year-long goals are to erect a monument in 鄚州 eat chicken feet become a kung-fu fighter brush up on my zhongwen and gain some "real-world experience." Hopefully it'll give me a leg-up when applying to grad school. Even if I had the power of Doogie Howser and, like, ten peer-reviewed studies published in an internationally renowned journal, come on - I'm basically the same age as my students, and, as previously stated, am a 小白老外.
Best part, though, besides that I'm from a ridiculous place ("yes-I-see-celebrities" Hollywood), is that an obscure old meaning for my name is "small nose." They're going to think I'm a liar and will fire me for it during my probationary period ahahahahah
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They're going to think I'm a liar and will fire me for it during my probationary period
Whoa, Probation period is a RED FLAG! llllllllll llllllllll If they are paying you less and other stuff/requirements in contract, I would re-think this job offer. llllllllll
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I'm extremely hard to annoy, always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and, or so I've been told, "have never met a stranger."
Nice to meet you! I'm bgbgbgbgbg, so I'm afraid that I've had too many "life" lessons, so I'm almost the opposite to you. ahahahahah I live in the land "down under" so I hope you will keep us updated on your experiences. Please take care and know that there are a lot of good,trustworthy people in the Saloon who are always prepared to help; you need only to ask. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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I'm extremely hard to annoy,
I'm looking forward to meeting you.
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Whoa, Probation period is a RED FLAG! llllllllll llllllllll If they are paying you less and other stuff/requirements in contract, I would re-think this job offer. llllllllll
http://middlekingdomlife.com/guide/safea-contract-now-includes-probationary-period.htm
Don't worry, I immediately did a double-take when I saw it. They're not paying me less. I also had a Chinese family friend (a businesswoman/lawyer) double-check the contract for me (in both English and Chinese).
Hahah, look at all the people ready to try to see if they can annoy me. I don't mean friendly-annoy, I mean, like, if someone cuts in front of me while driving, worse things have happened; if a waiter is slow with the food, more time to talk; etc. Let's see how this translates into a classroom, though.
Oh, by the way: I noticed that my organs now belong to Raoul.
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Hey how come zero gets to be a barfly and he only has 76 posts, RD?
by not asking about barfly status kkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkk
bjbjbjbjbj
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Snap.
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Snap....Crackle and Pop.
This is not a matter we discuss publicly. Doing so will be...counter-productive. bibibibibi kkkkkkkkkk
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Hi everyone! I heard that this place had some pretty good microbrews on tap, so I thought I'd swing by. I heard about this place in passing from some of my former colleagues in the tiny hamlet of Linan and even though I've moved on to the big city of Shanghai, I now have no expat coworkers and am eager for some interaction with other laowai as phrases like "open the air conditioner" are actually starting to sound like proper grammar.
Anyway, I've been in China for the better part of two years and still happy to be here and in my time here have worked at a university, a Chinese run international school, volunteered with a NGO, and now opening a new page as a corporate English trainer. I came here right after I graduated from college in the US and although I did go back this fall to do some job hunting, the prospects in China proved to be much better and I'm back.
The first round's on me! agagagagag
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Well, toodle-pip and jolly well about time agagagagag agagagagag I am personally familiar with this newbie, and a nicer person one can hardly find. This member should be treated with due respect as she and I are both survivors of a rather unpleasant place called TianMu College...carpets that would eat you, buildings so creepy even the wild cats gave them a wide berth...the horror, the horror...
Welcome, Gigantor (Only I can use that nickname, fellas agagagagag)...make mine a double absinthe with a side-car of laudanum drops and extra wormwood... agagagagag agagagagag
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Mine's a Dancing Camel,fullricebowl, that's the delightful name of our local microbrew
agagagagag
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Welcome Fullricebowl. agagagagag I look forward to hearing about your experiences in China, since I must experience it through folk like yourself, who are kind enough to take time out to pass on info. bfbfbfbfbf If there is any
juicy, tasty news that is for female ears only, you can let us know eventually when you get to the ladies lounge. uuuuuuuuuu afafafafaf bfbfbfbfbf
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Just because I happen to wear size 9 shoes (which translate into a 40-41 here) which apparently no Chinese shoe stores carry (with the possible exception of some kind of black velcro shoe or hip ugg-style boot) hardly qualify as "giagantor". I'll have you know, 9 is a very average shoe size where us giagantors, erm, us Wisconsinites come from.
Dancing Camel? Sounds nice- I am a fan of beers with animal names. My favorite back home was Fat Squirrel- made by the makers of the always delicious Spotted Cow.
Perhaps you've already heard most of my crazy adventures which happened when I was a newbie along with ericthered. Accidentally telling a taxi driver to take us to a brothel, climbing a sacred mountain in the middle of the summer with no water- life here is a lot less interesting now that these kinds of mistakes are happening less frequently...
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Lol I wear a size 13 shoe so no store ever has my size. I only ever found on store in the past and when I was there I bought 6 pairs of shoes from the delighted staff (probably so happy because they thought they had no hope of ever selling them)
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Pshaw...you are also very, very tall agagagagag agagagagag Oh, yes, I have told about our adventures, though not the dear-God-the-west-bus-station-has-moved-somehow-now-we-will-die-in-the-rain-in-Hangzhou death march... agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome, CaTigeReptile (can we call you CTR or something shorter to type than your full name? No worries, we're big on nicknames here and sooner or later something will stick - that's how you know you've been accepted akakakakak ) and welcome, fullricebowl. Always great to have more females at the bar.
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Welcome, CaTigeReptile (can we call you CTR or something shorter to type than your full name? No worries, we're big on nicknames here and sooner or later something will stick - that's how you know you've been accepted akakakakak ) and welcome, fullricebowl. Always great to have more females at the bar.
Thank you! And of course! Everyone on the interweb calls me CTR! I should probably stop posting in the intro thread now, though!
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Welcome CTR, great moniker. I favour all posters who have animals in their names bfbfbfbfbf
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Everyone on the interweb calls me CTR! I should probably stop posting in the intro thread now, though!
Good thinking! bfbfbfbfbf Start your own thread. Heck, name it after yourself. Chatterboxes are encouraged (you know, so long as there's some excuse for content).
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hello everybody. my name is Brian. I am a somewhat recent (2009) graduate from the good old University of Texas at Arlington. I am wanting to move to China to teach English and study Mandarin.
I've been doing a lot of research about different aspects, positives and negatives, etc. I hope to live in maybe a second or third-tier city, as I'd like to travel around a bit too.
anyway, this site has been a great resource so far and I look forward to finding more out about everything and everyone!
oh yeah, this is my blog about my research so far, feel free to give any input or correct any factual mistakes. http://nihao-brian.blogspot.com/
bjbjbjbjbj Brian
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G'day Brian and welcome. agagagagag You will find so many folk here who are willing and able to help you.
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Hi there Inkpen and welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag Read your blog agagagagag agagagagag Now, you said in it that Nanchang held some fascination for you...having lived in that city for a year, my main question is why??? It's not pretty, it's noisy and...well...I personally think there are way better cities to scope out. What qualities or aspects in a Chinese city are you looking for? Indoor heating, mountains to trek in, lots of ancient Chinese cultural stuff, great music, a complete boon town where learnin Mandarin will be essential for basic survival and cheese will be non-existent....China has it all... agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon, Inkpen. You have indeed joined the best (IMHO) resource for expat living in China. Ask all the questions you like and we'll do our best to help you; meanwhile, you will become a resource for us and others who follow. Aaaaand...we get another member to enrich our community of Saloonies. Welcome to the tribe. agagagagag
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Welcome inkpen. The only thing (other than Stil) you need to worry about is picking up the bar tab. If you notice, half our smilys are booze related. I'm not saying we're a bunch of alcoholic degenerates, jjjjjjjjjj oh wait, yes I am yyyyyyyyyy
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Welcome Inkpen. great bunch of
loonies individuals here with an awesome collective knowledge of China. Enjoy
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hmmm...I was thinking Nanchang because it was relatively small and I could immerse myself talking to locals and practice Mandarin, but the more I read I see that Nanchang people might speak Gan. so...I was thinking Chongqing now, a bit bigger but that would allow for more travel opportunities. however I see another dialect is spoken there.
anybody from Chongqing that could tell me whether or not it would be a good place to study Mandarin informally/conversationally with locals instead of taking classes? anybody have any teaching experience there??
basically I am looking for is a decent climate and people that speak somewhat standard Mandarin so I can practice and learn.
but the suspense is killing me; I can't wait to finally arrive in Zhongguo!!
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Chongqing isn't just a bit bigger, it is huge, really really huge. They speak Sichuanese there but practically everyone in China speaks some dialect or another. If you're really worried about standard Mandarin the only real place to be is the Northeast. That said, I spent my first 5 years in Kunming where everyone speaks dialect and while I picked up a slight Kunming accent it didn't really make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.
The thing about places where dialect is spoken is that usually people will speak to you in Mandarin and to each other in the local dialect. The Mandarin they use when they speak to you will be accented, but it should be understandable unless you're in the countryside where people might speak no Mandarin at all.
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The Northeast is the place to be if your focus is on picking up your mandarin and practicing it with locals and just in normal everyday life in its purese form.
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Well, Inkpen, also take climate into consideration. Chongqing is one of the furnaces, meaning that during the summer time birds are prone to burst into flames if they fly out of the shade agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Inkpen. great bunch of loonies individuals here with an awesome collective knowledge of China. Enjoy
Did someone say loonies? ahahahahah
Welcome Inkpen!
Take your pick. You can be so far out in the boondocks than you'll be the only foreigner in a town of a few hundred thousand (or even a couple million) or you can be in places that have huge expat zones. You can teach anything from kindergarten up through university, or you can work at a language mill with adults (mostly).
Important things to remember.
1. Practice eating M&M's with chopsticks for a month before coming over. Some places won't have forks, plus you'll impress your new friends. bjbjbjbjbj
2. If someone offers "white wine", tell them you really enjoy it and want to drink a lot of it right now. agagagagag
3. If you are in the desert, don't step outside without water. If you are in China, don't leave home without a pack of tissue. bjbjbjbjbj
4. Wednesday is "Get naked at work day" in all Chinese language studies. Strip down at the beginning of class and encourage your students to do the same. ababababab
5. Follow odd advice from Lunatics, but be a little wary of even advice. ahahahahah
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Welcome aboard, Inkpen! agagagagag One other tip: consider what climate you want to live in. I have vowed never to live anywhere hotter than Suzhou; the sticky summer makes me bitch and moan. Others, especially Aussies and Afrikaaners, bitch about the damp winter.
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Hello all. Subtitle's the name. Been teaching in South Korea, but it looks like I'm making the jump to Beijing sometime soon.
BA in English, Masters of Education, and can't get employed in the states because of their byzantine system of 51 different licensing systems. Tip for the future, if any of you get your teaching license in the future: Temporary certification is a red herring. You can't work in a public school with it. So unless you want to teach rich kids in a Christian academy you're out of luck.
Anyway, cheers, nice to meet you and all of that. This looks like a really good community, especially with what I'm used to here in Korea.
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Welcome Subtitle!
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Hello, Subtitle agagagagag
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I posted a lot a while back without ever introducing myself, which was a faux pas. I entered the forum without really understanding the true tenor of it, and launched into various debates and so on, only being used to much more contentious and altogether ruthless forums (ex., ajarn.com). Only after I stopped posting for a couple months, and just read others posts did I get a better feel of what the forum was like without me in it. Now I can see how strange it must have seemed for a newcomer to barge into the saloon and start holding forth, debating all comers, and interjecting myself in all conversations without any introduction. Recently, I've started throwing my 2 cents in again, and so it's long overdo that I actually say a thing or two about myself by way of introduction.
I'm always just a bit concerned about being recognized by authorities who might be interested, and thus am careful not to reveal my true identity. I want to be able to ask pointed questions about school policies, or rail against the leaders where I work, without them reading it. That's part of why I didn't introduce myself before. Some people thought I might have been a troll. Once a friend of mine, after imbibing pcylocibin boldly declared that he saw my true character, and I WAS a troll. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was, in my enhanced eyes, an old drag queen. But I assure you, as I assured my old friend, I am not a troll, though I can only hope I've overcome my inclination to trade blows with trolls. I actually hate bullies. Nevertheless I probably offended some by being overly argumentative…
Anyhoo. I've been in China around 4 years, though left for the better part of a year after being fired from one of the most vile training centers (basically for opposing corruption and exploitation, vocally). I started off with a training school, and now I work for a public university, which is a million times better, though there are still some similarities.
I'm fully aware that my current job is a dead end. I think of teaching overseas as something like swimming. As soon as you stop you sink. I dig teaching, really like my students, and daily learn new things about sociology and people in general through my interactions with them.
I have no idea what the future holds, but am basically planning to live in China or Asia for years to come, otherwise I wouldn't be working as consistently as I am at learning Chinese. My skills are passable, but not much more. The learning curve is extremely steep.
My background is arts, and I hope to exercise my creativity with the relative freedom, as well as inspiration, I find living overseas.
What else. I've traveled in 6 countries in Asia, and have lived in two other Asian countries besides China. I'm probably not a noobie anymore.
Now it's off to my night class.
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G'day and welcome subtitle. agagagagag I look forward to hearing more about you and how things turn out whilst you are in China.
Ben-Dan, nice to hear a little more about you without meaning to sound like a nosey old granny. agagagagag I'm lucky that I don't have to worry about anyone recognizing me here in the "Land Down Under". I can quite safely rabbit on without any worries. bfbfbfbfbf
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Ben-Dan agagagagag Glad to see you.
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Hello all! I recently noticed this thread and thought I should introduce myself since I plan on heading over to China soon.
I’m married with kids and we have lived abroad more than once, so that part won’t be new. Mandarin will be, and my brain isn’t getting any younger! I hope to find a UNI job as my goal is to work as little as possible after obtaining a Z visa. Not that I’m lazy (it’s old age, I swear!), I just want to devote a lot of my time to learning Mandarin. I know I won’t be able to put in 40 hour teaching weeks and have productive language study.
I’ve worked in countries where I didn’t know the local language very well and I’m not looking to repeat that process. I have several frustrating memories of speaking French all day at work in Senegal, only to return to my apartment and not be able to speak with folks in the neighborhood (Wolof) bibibibibi. Both French and Wolof are easier languages for an English speaker, so I know I have my work cut out for me.
Right now I’m leaning toward Xi’an, based on what I have read and researched. My wife and kids will need to have some expat options available to them on a regular basis. I plan on traveling over and taking a short language course in the next month or two. I’m hoping to line up a job for next fall during this trip.
I appreciate Raoul’s China Saloon! I have learned a lot in the few weeks I have been here. Thanks to all who have shared and are sharing your wisdom. agagagagag
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G'day azdave. Nice to hear about you. agagagagag How old are the kids? My son is 42 aoaoaoaoao
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My son is 14 and my daughter is 9. Previously they have attended Senegalese private school (French). Currently they're in public school here in the US, and next year we'll home-school.
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Hello and welcome, azdave agagagagag agagagagag A uni job should not be hard to find, however, you might end up working more than you think. True, most unis offer a 16 hour work week and a salary of 5000 yuan which means, I fear, that you might find yourself in need of getting some private tutorial gigs on the side. Hope you and your family gets here safely...oh, and as for Mandarin, can just make a plug for the program Skritter..no, I do not get a commission but it has really done wonders for my learning curve. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Azdave, I think it is great that your young children have the opportunity to learn different languages. bfbfbfbfbf
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Cead mile failte ("a thousand welcomes"), azdave...and all the other new kids in our steadily rising membership! agagagagag
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Ben-Dan Glad to see you.
Welcome to call in any time you are in Baoji agagagagag
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Ben-Dan Glad to see you.
Welcome to call in any time you are in Baoji agagagagag
Thanks! I'm meaning to go there sooner or later. They'll probably build another expressway, as there's a never ending need for cement, purchasing or producing it. Some of my students are from there as well.
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Nice use of the psychic reset button, Dan! bfbfbfbfbf
Wow, we're adding cyber-bodies faster than I'm adding fat cells! Welcome aboard, new peeps.
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Hey Dave Welcome and the next round is on you agagagagag agagagagag
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I'm looking forward to it. agagagagag
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Hello everyone!
I've found this forum to be very interesting, and quite entertaining! Seeing as I will be spending around most of this year in China (starting in May), and I think it will be nice to share experiences with others who are living or have lived there!
I've been to China last summer for the first time with my girlfriend and we spent 6 weeks backpacking several cities. I'd been taking courses in university to learn Chinese, and though it helped, it wasn't very helpful in understanding them in particular! Nevertheless, I'm quite eager to go back and perfect my skills! I seriously can't wait!
I'm in my late early mid-twenties, and I'm from the great land of bmbmbmbmbm.
- flip
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Be careful. I hear they let Escaped Lunatics run loose in this Saloon. ahahahahah
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No worries, I work nights at a hotel/motel currently, I've seen things, man.
Since I can't find an emoticon of a hippie looking dude who says he's seen things (man), I'll use this one, because it's just awesome: :lickass:
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You think you've seen things? Man, I've seen things that have seen things even crazier than the things you've seen. acacacacac
Things that come slithering out of the walls even in broad daylight, man. aoaoaoaoao
Things that even see me back when I'm seeing them. I'd close my eyes, but them they'd see me when I'm not seeing them. aqaqaqaqaq
Oh man, here comes another one. Aaaaahhhh!! eeeeeeeeee
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There IS a hippie!
Well for what it's worth, very nice to meet you Escaped Lunatic! I'd assume that living in China has put you in line of sight of quite a many sights! aqaqaqaqaq
The 6 weeks I spent there were just awesome, but sometimes shocking! aaaaaaaaaa
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Ah, the sights I've seen here. From akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak to aoaoaoaoao aaaaaaaaaa aoaoaoaoao
I'm in beautiful Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Drop in and I'll show you my baijiu collection. agagagagag
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Hey flip, quick list of places. Where would you say "I could live here forever" vs "if I never return, I won't be disappointed"
Where are you headed this time?
And don't worry about any escaped lunatic(s), he is (they are) just over-aged teenagers
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Hmmm, that's a tough one. I feel like I could have stayed in Chengdu forever. Although the food is just spicy, I just enjoyed the city and its structure. Just a drive away from pandas in Bifengxia (and also the beautiful scenery in that gorge!) and also Emei Shan which I would love to see again since it was too brief, and the monumental statue at the top was partially hidden in clouds. I also absolutely loved Guilin, which has beautiful scenery all around including Yangshuo.
I don't think there's any city I wouldn't return to that I've visited, but I don't think I'd ever miss not going back to Expo in Shanghai. It was intense! I learned to appreciate civilized lines though. bfbfbfbfbf
I'll be heading to Beijing for 2 months in order to study Mandarin, and ~ 4 months later will be heading to Shanghai for a semester abroad, which will be my last hopefully, and I can stay for a while and get them to mail my diploma. bhbhbhbhbh
I've tried the baijiu in Beijing last time I was there at a local friend's birthday party, a little too intense for me! But I'll have a beer or two! agagagagag
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Glad to see you here, Flip agagagagag
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Nice to meet you Flip!
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Yo Flip, currently in Chengdu and really enjoying it myself. The food is not 'just spicy' tho!
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Actually I think I meant to say just spicy as in: just too spicy for me. And I mean local food.
How is it living there long term? How are the local folks on the long run?
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No...the food in Chengdu is FREAKIN' spicy. But good, if you like that sort of thing. And I do. bfbfbfbfbf
Sichuan Province can be a tough place to be British or Canadian. ahahahahah
Even restaurants featuring food from other places often adapt the dishes to appease the local hardcore Scoville-unit addicts. And they ARE addicts...super-spicy food, shall we say, speaks in tongues to the pleasure centers of your brain, and over time you get to where you can't really function without it. aoaoaoaoao
Oh well...hook me up, baby. agagagagag
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Normally I avoid introduction threads 'cos I don't have much to say about myself, so I end up making a load of stuff up to sound interesting. But I won't do that here, since I respect you all too much to lie.
Anway, hi. I'm the_otter or just otter. Before I came to China, I was training to be an astronaut with NASA. Then the daily grind and predictability of my life got me down, and I left it all behind to teach Chinese students how to write English without putting commas in all the wrong places. (30% success rate so far. ababababab) My hobbies include wrestling medium-sized bears and smuggling Bactrian Camels to the Isle of Man. Apart from that, my life is quite dull. Thanks for letting me into the saloon!
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Welcome Otter. agagagagag agagagagag Say, you can spill the beans, those clever chaps of NASA actually have an alien or 10 working in the basement...Bill Gates is from Pluto, right? That's why it was suddenly not a planet anymore...the old nothing-to-see-here-move-along-folks routine, right?? This place is awesome, they have absinthe with extra wormwood, a regular nude dance, almost regular anyway...Here, have a snifter of half and half (half absinthe, half pure 100% homemade Saloon Moonshine) and tell me more of these camels agagagagag agagagagag I myself have speculated about epxorting pot-bellied Guinea Pigs to the Isle of Dogs agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Otter. agagagagag agagagagag Say, you can spill the beans, those clever chaps of NASA actually have an alien or 10 working in the basement...Bill Gates is from Pluto, right? That's why it was suddenly not a planet anymore...the old nothing-to-see-here-move-along-folks routine, right?? This place is awesome, they have absinthe with extra wormwood, a regular nude dance, almost regular anyway...Here, have a snifter of half and half (half absinthe, half pure 100% homemade Saloon Moonshine) and tell me more of these camels agagagagag agagagagag I myself have speculated about epxorting pot-bellied Guinea Pigs to the Isle of Dogs agagagagag agagagagag
mmmmmmmmmm I'm not stoopid - you're playing the "get otter drunk and ask about aliens" game, aren't you? Well, you won't fool me this time! And he's from the asteroid belt, anyway.
Be careful if you're thinking about moving into the Cavy trade. It's a cutthroat business: I knew a guy in the 'Burbs of the Isle of Wight who was chopped up and fed to his own Silkie Satin bronze medalist in the All Newport Guinea Pig Beauty Contest 2005. Take my advice and stick to chinchillas - they may not be as flash or intelligent as your average GP, but they mostly sleep, so you can pass them off as novelty whoopee cushions at customs. They also taste good fried in batter with cranberry sauce.
agagagagag
Thanks for the absinthe cocktail. :alcoholic: :snoopytrage:
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I myself have speculated about epxorting pot-bellied Guinea Pigs to the Isle of Dogs
I thought you said Guinea Fowl to the Bay of Pigs bibibibibi
Welcome Otter - it's downhill all the way from here agagagagag
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I myself have speculated about epxorting pot-bellied Guinea Pigs to the Isle of Dogs
I thought you said Guinea Fowl to the Bay of Pigs bibibibibi
Welcome Otter - it's downhill all the way from here agagagagag
Hope there's at least some nice scenery on the way! agagagagag
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Hope there's at least some nice scenery on the way! agagagagag
Welcome Otter. There is some REALLY nice scenery on the way if the Saloon lives up to its usual standards. uuuuuuuuuu Just become a regular poster and you will find out how much fun we have. bfbfbfbfbf EL, put those handcuffs and that leather gear away.... it's too early yet! bibibibibi Anyway, welcome again from one of the Aussies in the place. agagagagag agagagagag :alcoholic:
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Hi All!
I'm Cassandra... or Cassnadra. The typo happens enough that my friends started calling me that. I taught in China in 2006 - 2007 at a language school in Liaoning. On my first day I was met with a large poster reading 'Come meet Cassanddra... She's here from Australala to teach you Engish' (and of course one of the awful photos of myself I'd sent).
So naturally I did my very best to teach Engish.
I'm finishing a Bachelor of Adult Education (Majoring in Language, Literacy and Numeracy) right now and I hope to be back in China by the end of the year. Older, wiser, more qualified and able to order beer in Mandarin.
Cass
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Welcome aboard! agagagagag And may I say that avatar is simply awesome. bjbjbjbjbj
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G'day and welcome Cassnadra. agagagagag I can see from your avatar that we are all going to have a lot of fun. uuuuuuuuuu
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Thanks!
I did have it animated somewhere but I must have lost it in a hard-drive crash at some stage! :)
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Hope there's at least some nice scenery on the way! agagagagag
Welcome Otter. There is some REALLY nice scenery on the way if the Saloon lives up to its usual standards. uuuuuuuuuu Just become a regular poster and you will find out how much fun we have. bfbfbfbfbf EL, put those handcuffs and that leather gear away.... it's too early yet! bibibibibi Anyway, welcome again from one of the Aussies in the place. agagagagag agagagagag :alcoholic:
It's never too early for handcuffs and leather gear. cbcbcbcbcb
Thanks!
I did have it animated somewhere but I must have lost it in a hard-drive crash at some stage! :)
Does the avatar mean that you get wound up sometimes? ahahahahah
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Oh dear...
It's not even lunchtime here and the BDSM talk has started ahahahahah
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Oh dear...
It's not even lunchtime here and the BDSM talk has started ahahahahah
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But whips and chains excite me. ahahahahah
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Hope there's at least some nice scenery on the way! agagagagag
Welcome Otter. There is some REALLY nice scenery on the way if the Saloon lives up to its usual standards. uuuuuuuuuu Just become a regular poster and you will find out how much fun we have. bfbfbfbfbf EL, put those handcuffs and that leather gear away.... it's too early yet! bibibibibi Anyway, welcome again from one of the Aussies in the place. agagagagag agagagagag :alcoholic:
Cheers! agagagagag Damn, now if only I hadn't left my manacles back in Pommyland. Hand luggage restrictions being what they are, it was them or the iron maiden.
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Cheers! agagagagag Damn, now if only I hadn't left my manacles back in Pommyland. Hand luggage restrictions being what they are, it was them or the iron maiden.
Don't worry mate, EL should be able to help you get some more. bfbfbfbfbf That's after he finishes winding up Cassnadra. afafafafaf
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Welcome Otter and Cassnadra.
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Hello Cass agagagagag Hello Otter agagagagag Nice ta meetcha both agagagagag agagagagag
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Finally, before we were just otter-cass less ahahahahah
I'm so sorry for that
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Are you REALLY? ;)
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Maybe a little, but very little pppppppppp
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Uhuh ;)
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welcome one, welcome all...
I haven't been good at keeping up with new arrivals but the word "BDSM" managed to grab my interest uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu agagagagag
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For the newbies, BDSM means "bedroom, small"
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Yes that's exactly what I meant...
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...I end up making a load of stuff up to sound interesting. But I won't do that here, since I respect you all too much to lie.
Intended compliment noted and appreciated, but sort of the wrong direction...
There are probably few things that this load of Thunderdome mooks would repsect more than a clever, cunningly crafted, ingenuously delivered, and seductively convincing lie. ahahahahah
Welcome, new kids! agagagagag akakakakak axaxaxaxax
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Lunatics, like Vulcans, never lie. ababababab
Lunatics, like Vulcans, have been known to exaggerate. ahahahahah
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Lunatics, like Vulcans, never lie. ababababab
Lunatics, like Vulcans, have been known to exaggerate. ahahahahah
Good to know!
I improvise facts.
We embroider the truth.
You exaggerate.
He/she/it/they is totally full of bqbqbqbqbq
agagagagag
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Don't forget modesty - that's a highly valued trait here at the saloon. I pride myself on displaying my high levels of modesty at all times. Not that I'm bragging or anything, but I think I'm the most modest person here. ababababab
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axaxaxaxax axaxaxaxax axaxaxaxax axaxaxaxax
Ya Right ahahahahah
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Don't forget modesty - that's a highly valued trait here at the saloon. I pride myself on displaying my high levels of modesty at all times. Not that I'm bragging or anything, but I think I'm the most modest person here. ababababab
Humble too, don't forget humble.
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More like humbug
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Hi everyone!
My boyfriend linked me to this forum, he appears to have introduced himself a few pages back as "flip." I start working in Shanghai come the end of August and I'm leaving in mid-July to backpack around again with flip until I start work. We traveled around China for 6 weeks last summer and I visited one other time back in high school. My degree is also in East Asian studies so you could say China has been the focus of my life for a while now.
I'm ridiculously excited to leave and the thing I'm probably most worried about is being a good teacher as my experience is pretty limited.
I'm also from Canada and in my early 20's! I look forward to getting to know you all :)
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Nice intro and welcome to the saloon. Check the front page to see where to ask and answer questions in terms of topic matters. There is a lot of help to be had, some already given.
So, where are you two headed off to? Have a great trip and tell us about it (we're nosy critters)
Another quick question, are you Asian? Where I live, we have a few ABCs and CBCs (American/Canadian born Chinese) These guys sometimes are able to slip past the staring, finger pointing and price gouging. Sometimes I wish I had this ability ahahahahah
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Hi Kyr_ie and congrats on the job! :)
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Welcome. Kyr_ie! agagagagag
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Welcome Kyr_ie! Good to have some new young blood aboard, even if you do make me feel old :-)
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G'day Kyr_ie! Nice to meet you. Hope you have a great time and keep us up to date with your experiences. You have probably found the place where you can post photos? I think we all love to see them although I, for one, am totally incompetent when it comes to photography and posting of photos. bgbgbgbgbg alalalalal
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But I understand you're good at posing for them afafafafaf
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Nice intro and welcome to the saloon. Check the front page to see where to ask and answer questions in terms of topic matters. There is a lot of help to be had, some already given.
So, where are you two headed off to? Have a great trip and tell us about it (we're nosy critters)
Another quick question, are you Asian? Where I live, we have a few ABCs and CBCs (American/Canadian born Chinese) These guys sometimes are able to slip past the staring, finger pointing and price gouging. Sometimes I wish I had this ability ahahahahah
We're not Asian, but we met some CBCs from Vancouver last year, and they kept telling us how people were always mad at them because they didn't speak Mandarin. I'd rather get stared at than yelled at! bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks for the warm welcome!
Our plans aren't definite for traveling but we have a list of cities we'd like to hit: Fuzhou, Xiamen, then across to Guiyang, Anshun, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Chongqing then hopefully a boat down the Yangtze and then we will come back to Shanghai. It makes a sort of loop... We're open to suggestions (of places to skip, or add!) of course. And I will gladly post photos!
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But I understand you're good at posing for them afafafafaf
DD, how did you find out about me? I always wear a disguise. uuuuuuuuuu :wtf: ahahahahah
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Thanks for the warm welcome!
Our plans aren't definite for traveling but we have a list of cities we'd like to hit: Fuzhou, Xiamen, then across to Guiyang, Anshun, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Chongqing then hopefully a boat down the Yangtze and then we will come back to Shanghai. It makes a sort of loop... We're open to suggestions (of places to skip, or add!) of course. And I will gladly post photos!
It pains me to do down my own city, but you might be better skipping Fuzhou and staying longer in Xiamen. Fuzhou's a nice place to live, but it's the Frankfurt to Xiamen's Berlin. Modern and rich, but hardly as exciting.
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Agreed...if it's Fuzhou or Xiamen, it's Xiamen all the way.
Xiamen is a lovely and amazing city.
Fuzhou is... a city.
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Aah maybe we will skip it then. Or just spend a day there to have more time in Xiamen. Thanks for the heads-up!
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But I understand you're good at posing for them afafafafaf
DD, how did you find out about me? I always wear a disguise. uuuuuuuuuu :wtf: ahahahahah
Granny, didn't you notice that DD was the photographer the last time you and I were posing together for those educational photos? Guess I must have kept you too distracted. afafafafaf
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Welcome aboard, Flip, Kyrie! agagagagag Nice to have more folks in this neck of the woods.
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Ni Hao all
I'm porcus wallabee. I tried including a google reslut page of my name but I'm not enough of a wizard.
My arrival to this community has already been shrouded in triumph (the contested 700th member) http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=6455.0 (http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=6455.0) ), foreboding DOOM (I'm working at the same institution that Raoul himself despises)http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=2117.0 (http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=2117.0) and contempt (I'm an English teacher AND I DIDN'T EVEN USE AN OXFORD COMMA!)
I've recently started a paleo in China blog:http://blog.sina.com.cn/chinaminusrice (http://blog.sina.com.cn/chinaminusrice)
...and I have a youku page for my silly music projects: http://u.youku.com/user_show/id_UMzQwODY3NDAw.html (http://u.youku.com/user_show/id_UMzQwODY3NDAw.html)
Cheers!
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I love resluts! ahahahahah
Welcome porcus wallabee! :) agagagagag
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I love resluts too... I think... what are they afafafafaf uuuuuuuuuu
welcome aboard Porcus
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http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=reslut bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome Porcuswallabee. agagagagag What is your Country of origin and is there anything else you would like to tell uuuuuuuuuu When I first looked at your name, I thought you may have been an Aussie with the combination of Porcupine and Wallaby, (Australian native animals) I now suspect I'm wrong. Nice to meet you! agagagagag
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@ Granny Mae
Oh yea, I'm Canadian. Straight from the capital!
...I don't like centaurs!
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http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=reslut bfbfbfbfbf
Damn. I never stopped being one, so I can't qualify for the "re" prefix. bibibibibi
Porcus, your blog is cool. Loved the Sun Tzu quote. Of course, you failed to mention that the final, unbreakable, craziest nut of all would be named "Escaped Lunatic" ahahahahah
P.S. Watch out for Granny Mae. She bites. (unless you like that sort of thing cbcbcbcbcb)
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Ease up EL.... (If you tell him all the traps, there won't be anything to laugh at later when he puts his foot in it qqqqqqqqqq - so to speak uuuuuuuuuu)
Welcome aboard Porcus. Everyone here is friendly, doesn't bite, will not sell your organs on the black market to buy the latest fan-dangled technology as soon as it hits the stores or laugh at you at inappropriate times. hmmhmm On second thoughts, lets just stick with WELCOME! axaxaxaxax
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Hi guys,
Just introducing my self as this is my first post.
Aussie guy, coming to China this August.
I haven't settled on a job yet, tossing up between a few positions. Researching climate, pollution etc...
BTW, is there a popular 2nd hand web site in China? like ebay/craigslist?
OR what is the Chinese word for the kind of market where I can buy a motorbike?
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Hey Siddy! Welcome to the
nuthouse Saloon! bfbfbfbfbf
Sorry I can't help with your question, but I'm certain there's some ol' barflies in the back corner (I promise you, they're not dead amamamamam - they just smell that way aaaaaaaaaa) who can help you out!
First one's on me. agagagagag
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G'day and welcome Siddy. agagagagag I'm an Aussie living in Brisbane. Which is your home State? We have guys here who ride bikes, so you should get some help shortly. Look forward to hearing about your experiences in China, as health problems have stopped the plans I had. All the best. bfbfbfbfbf
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Ni Hao Weiguo rens!
Haha The names Todd and I've been looking into a bunch of different teaching jobs in China starting in September. I studied abroad for 3 months in Shanghai back in 2008 and loved the big city life. Guess I'm weird like that but I'm trying to stick to teaching in big cities. Got an offer from Nanjing University of Information Technology and a few others in the city so I intend on landing in late August and staying til late June!
Looking forward to meeting some fellow China expats!
Todd D
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well met, new saloonies. There is indeed a spiffy website in China for buying stuff. It is called taobao.com. very nifty, but you will probably need the assitance of one of the locals to navigate it.
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Ni hao Todd agagagagag
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Thanks for the warm welcome guys :)
G'day Granny Mae, I'm from Sydney. 4 weeks of solid rain atm, fuck-tacular. I reckon I'll move to the Gold Coast when I return to Aus.
Sorry to hear your health is keeping you from your plans, hope you can get back on track soon.
www.taobao.com seems to be down atm, I'll keep trying, thanks. I can read some of the more basic Chinese characters so I should be fine when I get the site to load.
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Whoops - Missed Siddy! Welcome Siddy agagagagag
Yes the weather here is decidedly soggy. I'm looking forward to making it to China in time to freeze again...
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Welcome Siddy & Todd!
Although I also am most familiar with taobao.com, the advertisments on the metro have alerted me to several other websites that seem to do the same thing: ganji.com, baixing.com, 58.com. They all seem to have second hand stuff, jobs, apartments for rent, "group buy" (tuangou) stuff. No experience with them personally, but worth checking out.
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Welcome Todd! agagagagag
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G'day Granny Mae, I'm from Sydney. 4 weeks of solid rain atm, fuck-tacular.
Not that I'm a footy fan, but State of Origin 11 in Sydney last night was a bit miserable.
Welcome ToddDanno agagagagag What is your Country of origin?
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Apparently miserable weather helps us win though Granny! Lets just hope it's still miserable for game III. ahahahahah bfbfbfbfbf
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Granny Mae, I'm from the USA's Northeast.
Go Bruins!!!! bhbhbhbhbh
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Apparently miserable weather helps us win though Granny! Lets just hope it's still miserable for game III. ahahahahah bfbfbfbfbf
Yeah! I hear that they did a great job bfbfbfbfbf I grew up in Tenterfield N.S.W. so I sit on the border. bfbfbfbfbf ahahahahah
Thanks ToddDano, I'll get out my Atlas. It sounds a bit cold up there?
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Ha Granny Mae - I grew up near Tamworth. bfbfbfbfbf
... and I had a nice bottle of pinot from Tenterfield the other day... (actually a nice couple of bottles but anyway... :alcoholic:)
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Is anyone going to explain to Siddy that at #702, he's really our 700th member?
Congrats Siddy! agagagagag
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Ha Granny Mae - I grew up near Tamworth. bfbfbfbfbf
What do you call, near?
I'm a Gunnedah girl. bfbfbfbfbf
Is anyone going to explain to Siddy that at #702, he's really our 700th member?
Congrats Siddy! agagagagag
Of course. Congratulations Siddy on being the official 700th member! agagagagag
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Is anyone going to explain to Siddy that at #702, he's really our 700th member?
Congrats Siddy! agagagagag
Hang on, there's no proof Siddy can count. lets wait a bit and see.
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700th member is an Aussie! Oi,oi,oi! Congratulations Siddy. agagagagag
Cassnadra and Lone Traveller, I've been down around your neck of the woods. Last time I was in Gunnedah, I represented my school in a swimming competition. I think it was in 1959 or 1960. bfbfbfbfbf
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bfbfbfbfbf bfbfbfbfbf The side of a hill in the Moonbi ranges? Halfway between Tamworth and Bendemeer... ahahahahah
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bfbfbfbfbf akakakakak bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello
First introduction post agagagagag
Very quick background - I worked in Hainan for around 2 years from 2006 - 2008. 3 months as a volunteer in a Middle School, 3 terms in a vocational college. Came back to the UK for around 18 months before going back to China and doing 6 months in Yangshuo last year. Back in the UK now, studying Chinese with the UK's Open University (Im not very good at it BTW), and hoping to head back to China and Yangshuo in September of this year.
I was recommended to come here a few months ago....didnt take up the invite llllllllll But seeing as I was banned from Daves ESL cafe a few days ago I thought I better find a decent forum to be a part of. So....here I am.
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well being banned from Dave's is a recommendation around here,mate. Welcome! bjbjbjbjbj
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G'day nicenightforawalk, and welcome. I look forward to hearing about your experiences. agagagagag
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Welcome, nicenight. I agree, being banned from Dave's isn't necessarily a bad thing ... !
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Welcome nicenightforawalk.
Why'd you get banned from Dave's?
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Welcome nicenightforawalk.
Why'd you get banned from Dave's?
Don't you think it may be more appropriate for people like me to explain why they've not been banned from Dave's. Frankly I'm a bit ashamed. I'm pretty certain anyone with a pair gets banned pretty much instantly. If I had the slightest trace of integrity I'd have been booted out ages ago, but, like porn, you feel dirty looking at the site, but there's some deep seated depravity that keeps pulling you back in to have a look every now and then.
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Welcome nicenightforawalk.
Why'd you get banned from Dave's?
Don't you think it may be more appropriate for people like me to explain why they've not been banned from Dave's. Frankly I'm a bit ashamed. I'm pretty certain anyone with a pair gets banned pretty much instantly. If I had the slightest trace of integrity I'd have been booted out ages ago, but, like porn, you feel dirty looking at the site, but there's some deep seated depravity that keeps pulling you back in to have a look every now and then.
No, I'm not interested in why you didn't get banned from there. I've been a member there since 2003 and haven't been banned or warned. This is probably because I don't participate much over there because it's poorly run, full of bullshit and beholden to advertisers.
nicenightforawalk announced he/she was banned so I see no reason not to ask. He/she brought it up. Being banned from Dave's certainly doesn't mean anything bad to me but when someone says "Hello I've been banned, nice to meet you" well, I find that very interesting and it makes me curious.
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I'm with Stil.Spill the beans,nicenightforawalk.We are waiting with bated whatsits. bhbhbhbhbh
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Its nothing exciting Im afraid. I wasnt wearing my ban as a badge of pride, although I guess it may seem that way as I mentioned it. I dont mind anyone asking either.
It was for my comments mentioning drug use and teaching. I wasnt suggesting it should be done, or that I do it, or have any interest in it. A thread started to go off topic and the use of drugs was mentioned with the general idea that someone who used drugs would be a bad role model as a teacher, would be unsuitable etc etc.
I thought it was quite interesting and posted with regard to it. Considering that drug use is more likely to be smoking a joint, I asked how someone who smoked a joint at home would be less suitable as a teacher than someone getting drunk in public. Of course there is a legal issue....so would it be OK if you were working in Amsterdam? What about if you were drinking in the ME? Does that mean you are not suitable to be a teacher? etc etc. What about being gay in countries where its not allowed. What about if you are an avid Christian in China?????
I was kinda interested in the moral Vs the legal, and who sets the bar and where. Ultimately I think what you do in class is the most important thing. My comments re Cannabis got me the ban. I like chat like this, would a big fat obviously unhealthy teacher be a bad role model compared to a steroid taking fitness fanatic teacher?
I quite liked Daves...and I think I add value as a forum member. I dont really go in for the bitching etc, Id prefer to be confrontational in real life than online haha.
I do like to waste time chatting on forums, and TBH....being China specific this is probably a better one for me.
So no big story really, all a bit of a letdown. I posted there as nickpellatt, which funnily enough is my real name. Kinda thinking I should try and be a bit more anonymous from now on.
nicenightforawalk is my hotmail email address, and for the geeky film types out there...its also the first sentence Arnold uttered as The Terminator too.
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well Nick you are welcome here and you will find it much more China specific and more fun than Dave's imho agagagagag
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Hi guys,
Just introducing my self as this is my first post.
Aussie guy, coming to China this August.
I haven't settled on a job yet, tossing up between a few positions. Researching climate, pollution etc...
BTW, is there a popular 2nd hand web site in China? like ebay/craigslist?
OR what is the Chinese word for the kind of market where I can buy a motorbike?
the website used for buying everything and anything is www.taobao.com
if you go to a city like nanchang, motorbike shops are nearly everywhere, I have a bike here myself actually
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Hi,
I'll be moving to China at the end of August (assuming I get a Z visa) to work at a uni in Maoming after six years teaching middle school in Korea. I'm also banned from 'Dave's' (as with everyone I know)!
Cheers,
CM agagagagag
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Welcome cruisemonkey. agagagagag Hope you enjoy yourself here. I am in Australia, so really like to hear how things are going with you folks. If you are able to post photos of interesting things, that is really appreciated also. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome nicenightforawalk and cruisemonkey :) agagagagag
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Hello!
My name´s Britton, and my brother and I will be leaving America to teach English in China this upcoming semester! We haven´t quite decided which offer to select yet, but after a lot of thought we´ve boiled it down to the Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management or the Nanjing University of Information Science and technology. Can´t wait to make the move and meet some of you folks!
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Welcome Btaubenfeld. agagagagag I look forward to hearing about your life in China. Take it easy and don't be afraid to seek advice from the many wise people in the Saloon. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome Britton :) agagagagag
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Hey there Britton and bro'
If it helps I'd choose Nanjing over Zhengzhou. I have been in Nj for almost 4 years now and the scene here keeps getting better and better. The past couple of years the foreign student crowd has sky-rocketed which makes for a livelier social life here and of course the expat teacher crowd is still strong. easy to meet people here.
Check out www.hellonanjing.net & www.nanjingexpat.com for an intro to the city.
Best of luck.
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If it helps I'd choose Nanjing over Zhengzhou.
I couldn't possibly agree more strongly. All else being equal...Nanjing is just a nicer place to live by far. bjbjbjbjbj
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Hi there,
to introduce myself, i'm London born and bred, just graduated from uni and now am hoping to go out and teach in China soon.
I've had a few offers so far, none of which seem particularly special though i'm not really sure I could do much better with my age and complete lack of experience. It would be nice to find a university position,, but again I don't know if universities would even hire a 21 year old, plus it's been hard to find any offers from universities on the various job sites.
Anyways, does anyone know anything about joy chidren's language school, specifically the daqing branch? So far they're the only offer that suggest i come on a Z visa so they're the best so far.
thanks, and its nice to be here agagagagag
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Welcome Sohois, we glad to have ya. agagagagag
We have a whole board just for asking about schools; might want to try your luck there. You can find it further down on our home page list, or go there from here: http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?board=13.0 (http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?board=13.0)
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Sohois
My understanding was that the Police don;t give work visas to anyone under 23.
(Question for other saloonies. Is this correct? I thought this was a national law. Am I correct in this? It's certainly the case in Ningbo, athough it won't surprise me if this also turns out to be flexible).
Nonetheless, it puts you in a vunerable situation in that some schools may claim (albeit probably correctly) that they can't get you the proper documentation, and thus put pressure on you to work on a tourist visa.
I dare say you will be able to find a good job, (local police are probably able to use discretion if they so wish, or are so persuaded), but it's sensible to be cautious about promises that schools make. However, (and again this is also a question for other saloonies) if a school sends you an offer letter (which you'll need to get your short-term visa to enable you to come to China and then get a yearly visa) is that an indication that they should be able to get Sohois the full shebang?
Also, if you or any recent arrivals want to sate my curiosity as to how you came by your username,
http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=6063.0
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My understanding too is that if you're under a certain age (23? 25? I can't remember) you won't be able to work legally in China. This didn't used to be the case but it seems to be a rule that is pretty regularly enforced these days. I've also seen teachers unable to get papers because they lacked 2 years experience.
That doesn't mean you won't be able to find work, but it does mean your options might be a bit limited.
Anyhow, welcome to the Saloon, hope you enjoy it here!
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To one of the youngest from one of the oldest, welcome to the Saloon Sohois. agagagagag Hope it all works out for you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks for the replies. Quick google search doesn't turn up any info on Z visa age limits, and thus far none of the schools i've talked to have had a problem with my age, so hopefully i won't have a problem getting a visa, just have to wait and see i suppose.
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Welcome sohois :) agagagagag
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Hey Britton, I have accepted a teaching position at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology! I look forward to meeting you and your brother since I assume you will choose Nanjing over Zhengzhou! agagagagag
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Welcome Sohois (excellent Moniker-being as I am a fellow Londoner),Britton and ToddDano all. agagagagag
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Greetings Saloonies,
I'm a newbie and figured I would introduce myself! My name is Danny, American guy mmmmmmmmmm[maybe I should say I'm Canadian] born and raised in Chicago. Graduated from uni 2 years ago with a BA in education and just finished my TEFL certification. Life in the states has been good, but it's time for a BIG change of scenery and lifestyle. My girlfriend and I are planning on moving to Shanghai [more specifically Jing'an] and teach English.
I have read through many of the Saloon's forums and have been genuinely impressed with the sound advice and wicked humor. :lickass: The obstacle we face is, from what I know now, a common one for those that are trying to get jobs lined up before we arrive. I am staying away from recruiters bqbqbqbqbq because I have read time and time again how shady they can be and I just do not want to go there. So to follow Rauol's suggestion of not asking 20 questions at once, I only will post 2. First question is, if my gf and I are hired as a couple will we get an apartment together? The reason I ask this is because I read that it is illegal for couples to live together unmarried in China? Is there an exception to that rule for foreigners? Second question is, would it be too late for us to land a job at a uni or private school now? I read that it is all about timing, as many of the FAOs have their inbox's flooded and tend to be overwhelmed but is there a cut off date?
I am truly looking forward to this relocation and sharing my adventure!!
~Cheers agagagagag
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Greetings Saloonies,
First question is, if my gf and I are hired as a couple will we get an apartment together? The reason I ask this is because I read that it is illegal for couples to live together unmarried in China? Is there an exception to that rule for foreigners? Second question is, would it be too late for us to land a job at a uni or private school now? I read that it is all about timing, as many of the FAOs have their inbox's flooded and tend to be overwhelmed but is there a cut off date?
I am truly looking forward to this relocation and sharing my adventure!!
~Cheers agagagagag
I can let you know what i think the probable answer to your questions are;
1. Tbh, I don't know the answer, but why not try to get 2 apartments. If you're both working for the Uni they're not going to be worried about you stopping over in each other's places. I'd use one apartment for work and the other for, er, pleasure. There's no actual exceptions to laws for foreigners, but as you can probably appreciate, China being such a huge country is heavily dependent on buraucracy and local intepretations of laws.
2. Although I'm sure there are some Uni jobs going, I think you'll find that most Unis are on holiday, and therefore there's nobody at work at those Unis finding teachers. Some Unis will be open and / or looking for teachers, but not many, as it is very late in the day. I'm afraid most people apply in March / Apriil, and the Unis sort out their teachers in April / May. Loads of exceptions to the rule of course. Lots of folk on this forum got their jobs in June, and even this month, July, but I believe that most of them had started their hunts for jobs quite a while before.
To be honest, if someone offered you a job now they would be cutting it a little close to get all the paperwork done in 5 or 6 weeks. It's possible of course, but they're on holiday. Teachers already in China, and ideally in the city, have a huge advantage. People with experience have an even bigger advantage. Also, you need to find somewhere with 2 jobs. I believe that with a huge amount of work and a bit of luck over the next week you could possibly get a Uni job somewhere. Send all your info (passport, copies of quals, photos) to every University and Private school that you can find in China and hope for the best since with so little time to vet Unis and schools you would be taking a huge gamble. If you get 2 jobs in Jing'an at this point you will have transcended luck and become the chosen ones that no force of fate can oppose.
On the whole, I think it is probably much better to get some teaching experience over the next month or two of summer and apply for jobs starting the following term, (roughly end of February). There's less jobs and I'm not sure when you should apply; probably nov or December.
The other alternative is to get work at a 'language mill' for a year. They'll practically gobble you up, and if you can start by the end of August, your sentence, sorry i mean contract, with them will be up nicely in time for next September.
The other option (good or bad) is i suppose recruiters, as they will know which Unis and schools are lookinhg for teachers. Sorry to be so negative. I hope that other posters can give an opposing and more optimistic response.
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We had teachers who were not married live in the same apartment with no problem in Dalian. agagagagag agagagagag
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The opposite here in Linan. The university was very strict about it. If the teachers were not married, they could not get one apartment, they give the nice big ones to married couples. As it turned out, this was good as the relationship went south and they needed both apartments. Different places have different rules, so there is really no way of giving you a 100% right answer, you will just have to check with each school/uni you get in contact with.
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One more thing. As has been pointed out today in the greasy spoon, many Unis have no-shows in September, so it may be worth sending applications at the end of August again letting Unis and schools know that you're ready and willing to come. I would imagine that some no-shows are couples.
On the subject of married couples, would it be a viable alternative to just say that you are married? I doubt they're going to check your marriage certificate, and people sometimes keep their maiden names. Saying they're married would make a couple seem more stable. I suspect this happens a lot, as all the foreign teacher couples seem to be married, which is weird because hardly any young couples in the UK are married nowadays.
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Welcome aboard Dannyboy! agagagagag To your questions:
1. Shanghai is far more progressive than, say, Eric's small town. Not only should staying together be okay, the fact that you are a couple will play to your advantage: you'll be seen as more stable and reliable.
2. What Mr. Benn said. There are fewer jobs available, but far fewer applicants. Those places that will be looking come August will be desperate. afafafafaf
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Hey Britton, I have accepted a teaching position at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology! I look forward to meeting you and your brother since I assume you will choose Nanjing over Zhengzhou! agagagagag
Hey, Todd, sorry I´ve been away from the thread for awhile. We did accept the NUIST contract, but there have been some issues with the z-visa. However, assuming we work it all very soon, I look forward to meeting you, bud! I´m on the Hello!Nanjing social network, so if you are too shoot me a friend request.
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Hey everyone,
Thank you for you responses! I appreciate all/any advice I get, since this is a big move for us. I have been reading reviews of schools and researching universities in Jing'an since my first post. Unfortunately, I have not read about many solid schools to work for. I realize that most people that write reviews are the ones that have had bad experiences. Something I read on the forums here that stated that all/most schools will have bad reviews and to look for the ones that have fewer, I think is a good way to approach it. Having said that, we have had offers from Pacican Academy, Kids Castle Shanghai and Meten English along with several others in Beijing. The only one of the three that I read a FEW good things about was Pacican but again those were limited.
So to be honest, we find ourselves a bit frustrated at this point. llllllllll The university positions that are recommended as solid jobs, and the ones we would prefer, claim that they want 1-2 years of experience, which both of us are lacking. bibibibibi We applied to Wall Street English, but they also require 2 years experience and replied to our applications saying that they are not allowed to acquire working visas for teachers without 2 years experience because they are a private business. Grrrrrr I know that people are hesitant to give recommendations to strangers, but if any fellow saloonies could throw us a bone that would be appreciated.
~Thanks again
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Look outside ShangHai and BeiJing. There are 100s of other big noisy Chinese cities apart from the big two, and there are 1000s of smaller places too. A wider search is bound to lead to more opportunities.
To some degree, you are quite lucky because you are going together. 2 salaries are going to go a lot further than a single guys single salary would. Taking a lower salary, in a second, third of fourth choice location would be quite doable in your first job IMO, because its a lot easier when you have someone to share the experience with.
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Hello all! I am typing this from Huanchaco in northern Peru. I came to South America for a week last fall, but ended up not wanting to go back to the States. I am planning on coming to China next fall, that is if I can find a position in Hainan. I have learned to surf here in Peru, and it is everything I always thought it would be. There seems to be some good surf and a fledgling surf scene in Hainan, and I love the heat too. I have the little matter of finishing up my degree next Spring, as I left for South America during my last semester at university. Whoops! I look forward to talking with you all, and I am sure that I will get some good advice when I am ready to start the job hunt. This round's on me! :alcoholic:
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Assuming you have Facebook, you might want to like the 'Surfing Hainan' page. If you get in touch with them they might be able to advise you on some jobs going in Hainan. Also get in contact with the Banana Hostel in Haikou. The ex-pat community is so small in Hainan that making a few contacts there is likely to get you some job opps via word of mouth.
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Hello, Jedi Smurf agagagagag
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Hola Jedi Smurf agagagagag
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Welcome Jedi Smurf agagagagag Look forward to hearing more about you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome Jedi Smurf, let me know if I can help you out with anything around Nanjing! agagagagag
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Thank you all for the warm welcome. Look forward to getting to know all of you better. agagagagag
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Nicenightforawalk, thanks for the tip about liking Surfing Hainan. I had checked out their website extensively, but did not think about looking for them on Facebook.
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No problem...there really isnt many foreigners in Hainan...or there wasnt when I was there....most of them seem to know each other.
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Well Raoul! you got me. i did dont know what i should say at first. then i just give a short introduction about me. I think in the future i will have many questions to ask you guys. ok cut the cackle. I am a chinese. work and live in HangZhou. Nice to meet you guys. If you have some questions about chinese local things, i can help you. ok. yeah just say Hi. Hi everyone. haven't familiar with this forum. hehe.
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Hello, woyeya agagagagag Glad to see you here bfbfbfbfbf
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G'day Woyeya and welcome from an Australian living in Brisbane, Queensland. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Hi Woyeya agagagagag
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Ni Hao Woyeya agagagagag
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Hi all,
Just to introduce myself to everyone, as I can see myself spending a lot of time here, I will be moving to China (Yangzhou to be precise) within the next few weeks, to take up a teaching job and I can't bloody wait!!
I'm travelling along with my girlfriend, who I met just under 3 years ago when we where both fresher’s at The University of Hull, I studied Law, she did Psychology. Neither of us knew exactly what we wanted to do post uni, I'd already spent 4 and a half years working for a law firm in the city of London prior to uni and knew that definitely wasn’t I wanted to do again, we both fancied seeing the world so did our research and the world of EFL is where we ended up. So we did our TEFL courses, applied for some jobs and here we are!
We didn't know exactly where we wanted to go, first off we thought about South Korea but after a fair bit of research on the internet we decided that was a non-starter, so next we looked at China, after hearing many good things from various different people, the research we did seemed fine, so the decision was made!
More about me, I'm 25 and from London, a fanatical Charlton Athletic fan and I have a horrible feeling not being able to see my boys in red may just be the hardest part about living away from the UK!
I've already spent a week or so lurking the sight to see how things work around here and to be sure it's not the same as some of the other sites/forums I've found on the internet and I have to say, some of the information on this site really is top notch, so thanks a lot for that ahahahahah.
I know this may not be the correct place to ask and if it isnt, I'll happily make a new thread for it, although I'd rather not clog the board up too much straight away! However, I can't seem to find a straight answer on the internet, so, here goes: Will I have any problems getting through customs with my Kindle and XboX in my luggage?
Thanks for reading,
SpV
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G'day SpV and welcome aboard. agagagagag You have come to the right place as there are a lot of nice helpful people here. Hope things work out well for you and the girlfriend. bfbfbfbfbf I'm looking forward to hearing more about your life in China.
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Welcome SpV agagagagag
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Welcome aboard, to answer your question you should be fine. I brought my xbox when I came a couple of years ago and it was fine. Just remember to pack it up really well and it should survive the journey.
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Welcome, SpV agagagagag agagagagag If you invest in a VeePeeN, you should be able to watch all the footy you want. As for bringing the Kindle, no worries, I brought mine back and forth twice and had no problems. I do believe it is only if electronic thingies are shipped here that one encounters problems. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome SpV agagagagag
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Hi all bjbjbjbjbj
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Welcome SpV. agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi,
Meandering through the saloon has been very informative.
Thanks,
CWL
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Hi,
Meandering through the saloon has been very informative.
Thanks,
CWL
Hi, CWL. Welcome agagagagag
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Hi and welcome CWL. agagagagag Look forward to hearing about you. bfbfbfbfbf Where are you from?
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Thank you for the welcomes.
I am originally from TX. However, I am currently on the West coast and considering Asia.
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Pardon my ignorance as an Aussie (Australian) CWL, but what does TX mean and does the West Coast mean the West Coast of the United States?
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Texas, U.S. West Coast, female condoms ... Granny, there is so much about the world beyond Oz that we need to teach you ...
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Texas, U.S. West Coast, female condoms ... Granny, there is so much about the world beyond Oz that we need to teach you ...
Yes to the first two, not sure about the third???
LOL!
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Thanks guys, I thought that was where you were talking about CWL. bfbfbfbfbf I correspond with a guy and his family in Texas, so hope they don't see this. oooooooooo You can always teach an old dog new tricks zero! uuuuuuuuuu ahahahahah
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Thought I'd pop in and say Hi.
Been working in Qingdao for a year and a half. Recently married to a local girl so looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in this city. Originally from the US.
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Wilkommen bienvenu c'mon in!
Ya coulda done worse...Qingdao is a nice place! bfbfbfbfbf
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Nice ta see ya here, Opiate agagagagag
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G'day opiate, nice to meet you. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what you are doing in China? I look forward to hearing your stories as ill health prevents my going there and seeing things for myself.
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Thanks for the welcome guys!
@Granny Mae..
Not sure what else to say really. My life here is pretty simple and laid back. My wife and I have settled into a routine and we are just another family trying to do our best. Now that the wedding is finally finished (we were actually married a year ago but only recently had the ceremony) we can work on making some babies. Work, work, work.... :-)
I really don't do a whole lot of things others would consider interesting. I work a bunch and spend time with my family. Boring to many I am sure but it keeps me happy (and sane).
Hope your health improves Granny!
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Thanks opiate. Are you teaching or doing some other job? Good luck with the baby making by the way. uuuuuuuuuu May I also ask where you are from in the US? I am interested in your perceptions of China, its people and its customs, so nothing you say will be boring to me. bfbfbfbfbf I'm in Brisbane, Australia and I had a small incident yesterday as I was going up in a lift to the Casino. A very attractive, well dressed Asian lady entered the lift and another group of young Asians was right behind her. The lift door was closing behind the first lady who did nothing to help the young people behind her by holding the door open. This woman walked straight to the mirror at the back of the lift and proceeded to primp and preen herself the whole journey. I openly watched her and laughed out loud and shook my head. She completely ignored me and when we reached the top, she then pushed her way out. The young Asian folk did not seem to find her behavior unusual, but another Anglo and I did. ahahahahah
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I am more surprised by westerners at this point. Folks yelling at cars because they got too close to precious, complaining that the food has bones, speaking English slow and loud so a waitress can suddenly comprehend a language she has never learned, making faces when a baby poops on the street...etc. Not sure why I feel this way now since I have done all of the above /shrug
I am used to the people (mostly), some of the customs seem silly but that's par for the course in another country I think. The one thing I can't wrap my head around is the idea of a 'traditional' girl who won't bhbhbhbhbh until married and the (IMO) insecure guys who only want to marry a 'pure' girl. One of my friends is a 30 year old woman girl who has never even kissed a man and won't until she is ready to marry. I want to slap her in the forehead with a cock.....I mean a chicken. I don't understand anyone who would choose to marry a virgin or want to be with only one partner in their entire life. How is that healthy at all?
Oh...the other thing that I don't understand are the parents who are underachievers at overachieving through their little prince/princesses. Kids are forced to attend classes almost every waking minute but little attention is paid to if the kids are learning anything of value. How can a kid can study English for 10+ years of public school and paid lessons and not posses the ability to formulate a single coherent sentence outside of "I am fine, thank you."?
....I am from Florida and yes, I teach English with a completely unrelated degree. bfbfbfbfbf
So anyway...why didn't you or the other Anglo hold the doors?
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Well, with the widespread usage of "Pink Houses", KTV girls and such-like, I can kind of understand the female perspective. It is old-fashioned but it is the local culture, like eating with chopsticks and insisting that having a cold is a debilitating illness agagagagag agagagagag
As for the language study issue...easily answered...they don't study for anything except grades and the general access to English outside the class-room is negligible. It is odd and puzzling but most of these kids do not use English at all outside of class.
Oh, BTW, welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag
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I am more surprised by westerners at this point. Folks yelling at cars because they got too close to precious, complaining that the food has bones, speaking English slow and loud so a waitress can suddenly comprehend a language she has never learned, making faces when a baby poops on the street...etc. Not sure why I feel this way now since I have done all of the above /shrug
You've pooped on the street!?!? bqbqbqbqbq aoaoaoaoao
Well, as long as you don't do it here at the Saloon, Welcome!
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I am more surprised by westerners at this point. Folks yelling at cars because they got too close to precious, complaining that the food has bones, speaking English slow and loud so a waitress can suddenly comprehend a language she has never learned, making faces when a baby poops on the street...etc. Not sure why I feel this way now since I have done all of the above /shrug
You've pooped on the street!?!? bqbqbqbqbq aoaoaoaoao
Well, as long as you don't do it here at the Saloon, Welcome!
It's not a fun night 'till somebody poops in the street!
Words to live by.....or something
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Thanks opiate, I appreciate your observations. bfbfbfbfbf The Anglo male beat me to holding the door. Sorry, I didn't mean to sidetrack your introduction, I was just trying to say that you will see so many things about China and its people,which I like to hear about. I will only get to see the Asian folk in a very limited capacity such as the one I spoke about. All the best for your life in China. agagagagag
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Hi Ladies and Gentlemen
I have recently joined this fine forum,
I am from Australia (Western Australia to be specific).
My connection with China lays in experience in my companies procurement dealings with mainland Chinese firms.
These negotiations led me to visit China a number of times,
I meet some wonderful nationals that I now count as friends.
I fell in love with the culture (Including the frustrating Yes Minister part bibibibibi ) and the many people I met from all walks of life.
I have some very very basic Mandarin speaking skills,
I can however swear and curse like a native.
Thank you THANK YOU MR PIN YIN !!!!!
I thought after 20 odd years of being in business (am in my early forties)it was time for my version of a sea change or tree change.
So I decided in a scotch infused brainstorm,
I would like to go to China for at least 12 months !!!!!
Well normaly as we all know that ideas stemming
from alcohol tend to be fleeting but this one stayed.
So here I am,
wanting to share my,and gather others experiences before I take this great leap of faith. :)
What do you think guys and girls do I have a chance or is it folly?
agagagagag
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Welcome cohiba. agagagagag You will get plenty of information here from some very helpful people. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome Cohiba! agagagagag agagagagag
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Thanks for the warm welcome :banana:
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Hello,
I am new to this forum, although I have been viewing it for some time now as my partner has been a member for a while.
I am from England and I graduated from University in July with a degree in Psychology. Me and my partner decided we wanted to do something different, travel the world and experience new cultures. We decided after quite a bit of research that teaching English would be the perfect opportunity, so here we are in China (Yangzhou) and having a great time so far.
I am looking forward to hearing everybodies experiences and sharing my own.
See you around! agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon SilverMay bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome SilverMay. agagagagag Nice to meet you. Look forward to hearing about your perceptions of life in China. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome SilverMay! agagagagag agagagagag
I would be curious as to hear what your first impressions of China were/are and what kind of teaching positions you and your partner have.
Again --- welcome to the Saloon!
Sam
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Thank you everybody for the welcome! bfbfbfbfbf
I'm really enjoying my teaching job. My job involves helping the students with their speech, pronounciation and conversation skills. The school has chinese teachers who teach the pupils grammar, vocab etc. So I turn up to class with a topic, such as; transport, technology etc. and a bunch of questions and just have a conversation. I really get to know my students, sometimes they don't even want to talk about the topic and we just talk about anything and everything! :)
My first impressions of China are very good, most people seem very nice, obviously you get a few who arn't but that happens everywhere! I have been here nearly two months now and have a growing group of friends that includes both 'westerners' (Its not my favourite name for us! lol) and local chinese. We all have open minds so I guess this is why we all get on so well! We go out for food, drinks and KTV haha. (I do like KTV as I LOVE to sing. I'm not very good though. ahahahahah)
The one thing I have glaringly noticed though is people can be very impatient here, which I must say for me is probably the hardest thing to get used to. I am quite an easy going person, I like to take my time and savour the moment (cheesy!!) So everybody rushing around, pushing and shoving and cars beeping can get a little much but I'm sure in time I'll adapt to this although I can't see myself ever being this way!
I really don't like the fire works, on more than one occasion now I've been steps away from someone setting off fire works and I've never been closer to having a heart attack! Also, when you get woken up at 5.30 am by them it can be slightly annoying.
On the whole though, I really am having a great time. I like to think of myself as a person that likes change and different things, being a creature of habit strikes me as boring. So I'm excited for many more experiences to come! bjbjbjbjbj
SilverMay agagagagag
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Welcome agagagagag SilverMay
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Just in case anyone cares, I'm SilverMay's other half!
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Thank you everybody for the welcome! bfbfbfbfbf
I really don't like the fire works, on more than one occasion now I've been steps away from someone setting off fire works and I've never been closer to having a heart attack! Also, when you get woken up at 5.30 am by them it can be slightly annoying.
j
SilverMay agagagagag
Yer gonna love Spring Festival. bcbcbcbcbc bababababa qqqqqqqqqq rrrrrrrrrr uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
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Yer gonna love Spring Festival. bcbcbcbcbc bababababa qqqqqqqqqq rrrrrrrrrr uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuu
At least I'll be expecting it!
Much like bonfire night in England! ahahahahah
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Just in case anyone cares, I'm SilverMay's other half!
Thanks SpV. bfbfbfbfbf I was curious, but wasn't sure if I should ask. ahahahahah
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Be the day warm or cold, few things compliment a good meal like a slice of decent pie with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream on top. It don't even have to be apple pie. Cherry pie and vanilla ice cream are a great combo. Heck, even a scoop on top of some fresh peach cobbler will do.
I'm a Yank. No real job. Teach English on occasion, but I'm picky about who I take on as a pupil. Plus after a couple of sessions I usually end up telling them that their problem aint their ability to speak in English, it's their lack of confidence and worrying about making mistakes when speaking in English.
China is a nice enough place to park your carcass -aside from the chronic lack of decent pie.
Psst: 300/hour is the new 150/hour. Pass it on!
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G'day GZPF and welcome from an Aussie. agagagagag Which state do you call home? Are you teaching in China? I'm not trying to be nosey, but I like to hear how you new folk are going. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome the The Saloon Mr GZPF! agagagagag agagagagag
All the best,
Sam
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Greetings, GZPF agagagagag
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Howdy,
I'm 26 from New York and have the feeling that I would like to teach English. I am interested in China because...
-I have never been to Asia
-They have a huge demand for teachers (can't argue with an easy job market)
-I would like to learn Mandarin
-I would like to re-learn English.
So far I have spent some time as a constuction worker, military personnel, pizza delivery driver and novice slacker.
I am looking for new skills and experience as well as some exploration and possibly some fun.
My preferred location for all this doin would be down South in the Guangdong area. I am interested in the coastal area -- Macao, Hong Kong, Guangzhou. My only knowledge of China is from History classes and a friend who was born south of Shanghai. My research is ongoing. I am glad to find this forum, and hope to learn more about what it is I think I may be trying to get myself into.
Owen
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G'day and welcome scotto858. agagagagag How I envy you and I'm really interested in how things turn out for you. bfbfbfbfbf There are some really helpful, trustworthy folk here who are willing to go that extra mile to help folk in your situation. The guys can also help you with any guy situations. afafafafaf uuuuuuuuuu aoaoaoaoao
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Welcome to the Saloon scotto858! agagagagag agagagagag
I am a "newbie" too and not yet in China --- you will find a wealth of information (and honest info, to boot!) on this site.
All the best,
Sam
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Thanks! Sam Smith --- We seem to be a similar distance from the same boat. What are you looking for in China?
I am a class shy of a BA degree (never took that final class), so I am trying to work something out without sacrificing too much. Basically just scouting around to put myself in a flexible position (extra time to explore and do side work).
I am pretty durable, so I just want to get there while also covering my :lickass: as best as possible.
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Welcome, guys! agagagagag
Scotto, definitely do finish that degree and get your diploma. You'll need it to get a Residence Permit and thus able to work legally in China. bjbjbjbjbj
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Welcome, scotto agagagagag
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Scotto --- take Raoul's advice and get that degree --- that last class might be a pain in the ass but will be well worth it.
It took me 17 years (no laughing you guys!) to finish my B.S. --- like lots of people, had to work my way through school and, often times, career came fist so I put finishing my degree on the back burner.
I plan on heading to China next Fall and hope to be teaching at a university --- I have my sights on some of the "off the beatean path" places like Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.
Take your time going through the posts here on the Saloon --- a wealth of information (the good, bad and the ugly) on everything you can imagine. You will find the people here are civil and, for the most part, act like grown-ups. kkkkkkkkkk ahahahahah
Seriously --- if you can't find an answer to a question on here --- ask it.
All the best and keep all of us posted as to where you eventually land.
Sam
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Scotto --- take Raoul's advice and get that degree --- that last class might be a pain in the ass but will be well worth it.
It took me 17 years (no laughing you guys!) to finish my B.S. --- like lots of people, had to work my way through school and, often times, career came fist so I put finishing my degree on the back burner.
I plan on heading to China next Fall and hope to be teaching at a university --- I have my sights on some of the "off the beatean path" places like Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.
Take your time going through the posts here on the Saloon --- a wealth of information (the good, bad and the ugly) on everything you can imagine. You will find the people here are civil and, for the most part, act like grown-ups. kkkkkkkkkk ahahahahah
Seriously --- if you can't find an answer to a question on here --- ask it.
All the best and keep all of us posted as to where you eventually land.
Sam
Let me second that. A college degree may not seem that big a deal in the US, but over hear it is GOLD. You are considered an expert and in high demand. You just need to be dcareful as to where you choose to work. take your time, do your researh and talk and don't be afraid to ask any of us old "China Hands" a question. We will never steer you wrong but give you the straight skinny with no scuttlebutt.
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Howdy :)
My name is Maverick and I'm from New Zealand (Not Australia haha). I'm fresh out of University and I'll be heading over to China next year as an English teacher in Shaoxing.
What a wicked forum. Looking forward to contributing heaps :)
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What...aren't New Zealand and Australia basically the same thing? mmmmmmmmmm
uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome maverickoconnell. agagagagag Looking forward to hearing about your impressions of and experiences in China. bfbfbfbfbf There are a lot of people here with a lot of knowledge. You will find them very helpful. By the way, I'm from Brisbane, Australia. Where is your home town?
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Hey Maverick ---
Welcome to the Saloon! agagagagag agagagagag
All the best,
Sam
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What...aren't New Zealand and Australia basically the same thing? mmmmmmmmmm
uuuuuuuuuu
About the same as Canada and the USA I reckon. agagagagag
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Hi all,
I am skippyteach. I am an American from the southeast US although educated in the northeast. I am in China--at 55 and not sure exactly how it happened--as a result of the US economy and the laying off of teachers in my state. I have been in China since October and I am now in Jinan. I am adjusting and like it here. I made the trip by myself--wife refused to come. Nice to meet everyone--Cheers.
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Wait, so as I understand it, you were not able to make your wife come?
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About the same as Canada and the USA I reckon.
So, pretty much the same?
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Yep, tied to force her into the luggage but she kept making noise....nope in China on my own.
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Welcome. Nice to meetcha. agagagagag
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Yep, tied to force her into the luggage but she kept making noise....nope in China on my own.
Does she realize that you can't swing a dead cat in China without hitting a beautiful female? (You shouldn't swing dead cats, though.)
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G'day skippyteach and welcome to the Saloon. agagagagag I like it when our new members tell us a bit about themselves. bfbfbfbfbf If you had not done this, I would have assumed you were an Aussie like me, because of the skippy in your name. We had a well known television program, here in Australia, called "Skippy the bush kangaroo". I'm ten years older than you and unfortunately ill health stepped in and prevented my dream of teaching in China. I'm glad that you were able to follow your dream before it slipped away. agagagagag The folk here are very helpful and I am able to at least hear directly about their experiences as well as see some really great pictures. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing more about your China experiences.
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Thanks for the warm welcome! Sorry to hear about he health issue. It is nothing short of ironic that I am in China--was never a place I was burning to go--finished my under grad in ancient near east history and culture and lived and worked in Mexico and central america as a journalist but never studied anything about Asia--and here i am, in the one place on the planet where I have no real training--but I love it so far--in spite of the quirks and silliness. I have, without doubt, the best teaching job of my life--either university or secondary and I've been here over a month and no student has tried to whip my ass in the halls. And yes, I don't think you could make one rotation with said dead cat without smacking a host of hotties. So, thanks again everyone--looking forward to meeting more of you and getting to know whazzup. Best wishes from Jinan.
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Scotto,
I finished high school in 1973 and finished my B.A. in 1997--I left school several times in that process either out of annoyance or because I was offered a job that I felt was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Each time I left it cost me--not just in $$$ but in many other areas. So, I can affirm what everyone else is saying--gut it out. The rewards are both in esteem and cash--especially if you plan to teach/live abroad. Best of luck.
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G'day skippyteach and welcome to the Saloon. agagagagag I like it when our new members tell us a bit about themselves. bfbfbfbfbf If you had not done this, I would have assumed you were an Aussie like me, because of the skippy in your name. We had a well known television program, here in Australia, called "Skippy the bush kangaroo". I'm ten years older than you and unfortunately ill health stepped in and prevented my dream of teaching in China. I'm glad that you were able to follow your dream before it slipped away. agagagagag The folk here are very helpful and I am able to at least hear directly about their experiences as well as see some really great pictures. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing more about your China experiences.
Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo was a populular Saturday morning TV show in the US back when I was younger (I'm also 55), but Skippy is also a popular nickname too along with a brand of peanut butter.
Skippy, welcome to China. I hope you will enjoy your time here.
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Welcome Skippy
here's a Skippy I love
(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a197/Bissessar/Unknown.jpg)
Here's a Skippy i don't love
(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a197/Bissessar/images.jpg)
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CaseyOrourke, I can't help but notice the Lone Star in your post. I am a native Texan from FoatWuth and have lived all over the state. This summer I intend to teach China how to cook brisket! But just prior to coming to China I lived in Sumter (Shaw AFB where I often taught on base for USC) and Columbia SC--Stil--I am more like the "Extra Crunchy" than the extra sappy Skippy. Thank y'all.
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CaseyOrourke, I can't help but notice the Lone Star in your post. I am a native Texan from FoatWuth and have lived all over the state. This summer I intend to teach China how to cook brisket! But just prior to coming to China I lived in Sumter (Shaw AFB where I often taught on base for USC) and Columbia SC--Stil--I am more like the "Extra Crunchy" than the extra sappy Skippy. Thank y'all.
You may want to talk to my wife about cooking brisket, she may be Chinese, but she knows how, enjoys and is always ready to learn more about cooking American food. We use a small counter top oven for baking and roasting, but I miss having a backyard smoker. If you have or can get the plans for a smoker, I would be in your debt. Through my family connections and Taobao, I could get everything I need and hire somebody to build it.
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Western (and other) cooking??? You might take a look at our Recipe File (aka The Cook Book) in our Library section...
http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=109.0
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Happy New Year! I'm Keyser Soze. No I'm Bill. I teach writing, business and oral English at a uni in Tianjin. I wish they would pay me for grading all those papers. I also allegedly work part time at an institute or whatever they call them.
I'm from the Southwestern United States. I had many jobs including pizza delivery man and lawyer. Not at the same time. I also taught tax preparation to adults and reading to elementary school students. I never travel, so I decided to teach in China. Makes sense, right?
I like long walks on the beach, cute puppies and cuddling by the fireplace. ababababab
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Welcome Keyser, er, Bill. Make yourself at home here at the Saloon!
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G'day KyserSoze. Welcome and a Happy New Year. agagagagag
What interesting jobs you have had and good opportunities to see humans in their true light. bfbfbfbfbf I can certainly understand why you would like the things you do. I look forward to hearing about your life in China since ill health keeps me in Australia. I wish you all the best. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Welcome Keyser / Bill agagagagag
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A spoiler alert would have been nice.
Now we all know that Keyser Soze is ……… Bill.
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Welcome KeyserSoze! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
All the best,
Sam
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A spoiler alert would have been nice.
Now we all know that Keyser Soze is ……… Bill.
Dang, that was easy. Now they think my name is Bill. ahahahahah uuuuuuuuuu ahahahahah
Thanks you all, it's good to be here.
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G'day KyserSoze. Welcome and a Happy New Year. agagagagag
What interesting jobs you have had and good opportunities to see humans in their true light. bfbfbfbfbf I can certainly understand why you would like the things you do. I look forward to hearing about your life in China since ill health keeps me in Australia. I wish you all the best. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
Thanks, Granny!
For people watching, divorce court is quite interesting, but often not fun. Just go to the mall. 哈哈
So far my life is mostly work. I screwed up and (allegedly) found a part time job but they like me too much. Oh, and I teach writing so I grade many papers. People wonder why I don't study Chinese.
For fun I occasionally go to one or two downtown guitar shops and play all their expensive guitars. Of course, they only let me do that because I speak English. Not a problem!
Wishing you and your family all the best in 2012.
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For people watching, divorce court is quite interesting, but often not fun. Just go to the mall. 哈哈
Many years ago when I moved to the city from a small country town,I realized that city folk behaved differently. I spent every break that I had, sitting in the shopping centre and observing people's behaviour. I worked for the only Telephone company in this country and I ended up running the Compensation and Public Liability sections for my region. I would not have had a chance If I hadn't spent hours observing people. bfbfbfbfbf
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Quote from: skippyteach on December 22, 2011, 06:33:37 AM
CaseyOrourke, I can't help but notice the Lone Star in your post. I am a native Texan from FoatWuth and have lived all over the state. This summer I intend to teach China how to cook brisket! But just prior to coming to China I lived in Sumter (Shaw AFB where I often taught on base for USC) and Columbia SC--Stil--I am more like the "Extra Crunchy" than the extra sappy Skippy. Thank y'all.
You may want to talk to my wife about cooking brisket, she may be Chinese, but she knows how, enjoys and is always ready to learn more about cooking American food. We use a small counter top oven for baking and roasting, but I miss having a backyard smoker. If you have or can get the plans for a smoker, I would be in your debt. Through my family connections and Taobao, I could get everything I need and hire somebody to build it.
will get that and get it to you
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Ni Hao.
Now that you know the extent of my grasp of Mandarin... Hi, I'm Hug or HaP or Panda or Lisa. I'm having a young mid-life crisis, looking for something different and challenging, and decided to check out China for 6 months or so. I'm heading to Chengdu in August, selected BEFORE I realized there is a panda research base there, and now am firm in my belief that it is meant to be. I'm trying to learn a little, so I'm not totally taken off guard.
I'll be quiet and shy and innocent and demure. At first.
It's nice to cyber meet you all :)
And I promise I'm not the hacker. It was just a coincidence.
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Welcome to the Saloon, HugAPanda.....here you will find friends, help, comfort and the loveliest group of assorted maniacs, rogues, scallywags, ne'er do-wells, one lunatic (and he is on the lamb), various talking members of the animal kingdom (me, for instance, a proud representative of the rare Danish Big-Nosed Bespectacled Ginger Squirrel), mythological creatures (Dragonsaver...don't ask her for a light if you smoke...it never goes well), beings whose very existence were the reason why our ancestors huddled around small fires in their caves, averting their eyes from the pitch-black darkness surrrounding them fearing what might be staring back at them (this would be the Infamous Lord of Nightmares, Stil), a chap of such venerable age that rumour has it he worked as a gardener in Eden (this would be George) and many, many others...now, all this ballyhoo about being...what was it...demure and shy...nonono, this is not the reading room of the Diogenes Club...this will not do...first drink is on me....pint of absinthe with extra wormwood, double dose of laudanum and the obligatory sugar cube...down the hatch and, again, welcome agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Hey HugaPanda:
Welcome to the Saloon! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
All the best,
Sam
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G'day HugAPanda and welcome. agagagagag I'm an Australian still in the land down under. May I ask where you are from? I look forward to hearing about your adventures in China. bfbfbfbfbf
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Im from Upstate New York, and I adore your accent (to me) Granny!
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Hello, HugAPanda agagagagag
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Thanks for the welcome!
I've been reading around, and have discovered some sick, demented minds.
I like it! akakakakak
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Never trust a freaking Panda
(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a197/Bissessar/f-u-c-k-1-n-gtumblr.gif)
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Gotta love a panda with some tude!
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HAPs I'm sure you'll love Chengdu, I was there the academic year before this one (now in Hangzhou). Where are you gonna be teaching?
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Hey all
I,m Jeff, an Aussie bxbxbxbxbx living in Fu Zhou. bjbjbjbjbj
I,ve worked in Abbatoirs,Public Transport,spent a few years in the Army and was a manager for years in both the major supermarket chains in OZ. Somewhere in amongst all these jobs i found time to study for a degree that i have never used before.
I teach kiddies the finer points of communicating in English. llllllllll (knew i,d find a use for my never used degree 1 day) bfbfbfbfbf.
I started off here as a University teacher in Zhe Jiang province but hated it and have since been a dancing monkey Teacher in TC's.
Been lucky employer wise so far bfbfbfbfbf
I like Drinking beer :alcoholic:, playing with fireworks ,Drinking beer :alcoholic: and watching pretty chinese girls in the street(especially whilst drinking beer and playing with fireworks). Though i must admit i dont like the fireworks when my wife catches me drinking beer and watching the pretty chinese girls in the street.
My chinese skills are pretty good in relation to my interests(i can order a beer, say helloo beautiful, and scream for help when the wife catches me drinking beer and saying hello beautiful to PCG's)
1 day i,ll learn how to buy fireworks in Chinese too. bhbhbhbhbh
Oh and i luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve KTV! akakakakak
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Hello, Slayer. Welcome agagagagag
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Hey Slayer --- welcome to the Saloon! agagagagag agagagagag
All the best bfbfbfbfbf
Sam
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G'day and welcome Slayer6719. agagagagag I'm in Brisbane, where are you from?
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Thanks agagagagag
G'day and welcome Slayer6719. agagagagag I'm in Brisbane, where are you from?
i,m from Melbourne orignally bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks Jeff! One of my brothers is down in Bendigo at the moment, traveling around in his Motorhome. The weather has been strange down that way; hot one day and cool the next. I have only been to Melbourne once when I flew in for a meeting and flew back to Brisbane; didn't see much from the taxi. Look forward to hearing how things are going for you and perhaps seeing a few photos. bfbfbfbfbf
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I'm so new I don't even have an avatar yet ...ahem.
I'm from Canuckistan, slogging it out at a middle school in Chongqing. I love the teaching ... sadly, life in the free-if-you-don't-count-the-cost-of-mental-anguish apartment on campus leaves much, MUCH to be desired.
This is my third spin of the wheel in China. I'm 43 and married to another Canucklehead currently getting his first taste of China. He's a computer headed non teacher type, but his boss has given him a bfbfbfbfbf on the proposal to live with me here next year whilst working for the company back there.
Meanwhile I'm on the hunt for a new job for next September and feeling a bit lost in the fog ... I got this one year gig with guanxi at this particular school. My first two teaching terms here were month long whirlwinds on a team of teachers from a college in Canada. We were delivering an intensive summer camp program for the EFL students... finding my next gig won't be so easy by the looks of it, but that's a tale and a query for another thread...
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Welcome to the Saloon Maifeilan. agagagagag Hope you and hubby have a great time. Look forward to hearing how things are going for you both and would like to hear hubby's impressions of China. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome, Maifeilan agagagagag Glad you and your akakakakak are here.
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agagagagag top o' the mornin' to you too, ladies! agagagagag ...
... it really IZ the top o' the mornin' soooooo i'm going to have to postpone further presentation of exculpatory evidences 'til later. Wednesday is my 'ugh' day - up at 6:30 am for 5 lessons split by the curious 3 hour lunch phenomena wherein I might at least catch a nap. o to nap, perchance to feel rested... :hangover:
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Welcome to the Saloon Maifeilan! agagagagag agagagagag
All the best, bfbfbfbfbf
Sam
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I'm sure I've missed a few people in my winter holiday (and general) slackness - welcome Maifeilan! agagagagag
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Hello everyone,
I would just like to introduce myself to you having recently signed up to this forum (though I have been browsing topics for a while).
I'm originally from England living just outside of London near a place called watford. Finished University in July of last year and couldn't get a job that I wanted to do, I therefore ended up in China!
Currently living in Xingtai which is just south of Beijing, eating out everyday, drinking plenty of lager and enjoying a far higher quality of life than I ever would be if I was in England right now. I have been in China for around 2 months now and I am really enjoying it.
Struggling to get to grips with the language however! I always seem to put off studying till tomorrow!
I will be off back home come July and then I hope to get a job in China again come september, I have been looking at Chengdu having heard good stories from a friend.
Anyhow I would just like to say hello and cheers! agagagagag
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G'day Chief and welcome! agagagagag I live in Brisbane Australia and I have convict ancestors on mum's side and my dad's parents came out from England as free settlers. bfbfbfbfbf ahahahahah
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Welcome Chief, to the Saloon and to China.
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Greetings, Chief agagagagag
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Welcome Chief agagagagag
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Hey everyone! I caught this website through a random link on reddit, and having looked around for a while I think this is my kind of place!
25/ American guy, teaching in Changzhou. Glad to be here, and look forward to getting to know you all!
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G'day and welcome abeth86. agagagagag Look forward to hearing how you are going. Will you tell us a bit more about yourself? bfbfbfbfbf How long have you been in China?
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Hello and welcome,
agagagagag
What was the link about on reddit? I enjoy browsing that site fairly often!
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Welcome, abeth agagagagag
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Belated welcome Chief and abeth! agagagagag agagagagag
All the best bfbfbfbfbf
Sam
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Oh I've been in China since October, so you could say I'm quite fresh off the boat. There's not too much to tell, I used to be a firefighter until the economy took a nosedive. Now I'm in China and (quite frankly) enjoying a happier, less stressy life. :)
As to the link on reddit, I want to say it was hiding in /r/TEFL, but it could have been in /r/China too. I didn't reply to it, so I probably couldn't find it again if I tried! Basically, somebody said to check out the cafe for info on teaching abroad and personal questions, then somebody else said "pfft, screw that, go to raoul's". So I clicked, and then chuckled, then read some things, then chuckled some more, then found some rather hilarious things, realized this was a bunch of people I can relate to, and registered.
Also, agagagagag
ababababab
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Thanks abeth86. My Dad was a volunteer firefighter in Tenterfield (Australia) and two of my brothers were in the Fire Brigade in Townville until they retired. You folk could certainly write books about your experiences. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag I look forward to hearing how things are going in China.
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Newbie here hoping to teach English in China after I graduate (should be in about two months if all goes according to plan!...). Currently learning a bit of Mandarin and hope to gain some level of fluency by living abroad.
Looking for a bit of excitement.
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Excitement here in China? I suppose dodging the traffic while crossing the street and even while walking on the sidewalks can get pretty exciting!
Shhhh... don't spoil the surprise. uuuuuuuuuu
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Hello, MKMatt agagagagag Nice ta see you and Isidnar here at the bar agagagagag agagagagag Drinks on EL's tab uuuuuuuuuu
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Welcome guys.
I love "pfft, screw that, go to raoul's". So I clicked and then chuckled, then read some things, then chuckled some more
and
By the way, there's lots of good advice on this site. Read it carefully.
I guess that's us in a nutshell.
I'm living a less stressy life here too. I hope China is as good to you newcomers as it has been to me.
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Welcome to you too, Randisi!
By excitement I guess I just mean travel... meeting new people. Tired of being a provincial New Yorker, barely getting out of the city.
Now what's all this about the traffic? Surely the drivers are harmonious...
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Welcome MiddleKingdomMatt and Isidnar. agagagagag Hope all goes well for you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome to the Saloon MKM and Isidnar! agagagagag agagagagag
all the best bfbfbfbfbf
Sam
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Welcome Isidnar (great handle!) and MKM the more madness the merrier. And yeah there is an awesome bunch of helpful people on here so draw up yer armchairs and settle in agagagagag
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Hello all and welcome.
Isidnar, great information, thanks for that. Chinese definitely ain't the prettiest sounding language, but once you get into it it definitely has its charm. And I have this idea that anyone who's studied philosophy at degree level, or especially higher, is doomed to a life of "meh" emotionally. That includes one of my good friends in China and my best mates dad. What do you reckon?
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Welcome MKM and Isidnar,
Regards
Chief agagagagag
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hello all!
I'm judih - an EFL teacher and a puppeteer, looking for information about teaching English in China.
So, thanks for existing!
Would love to hear experiences and am trying to decipher the forums to learn where to head.
Advice is welcome
Best wishes to one and all.
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Hi Judih welco..... wait what?
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Hi Judih, and welcome!
A Puppeteer? Literally, or figuratively?
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Welcome Judih. You will meet a lot of nice folk here who will help you. bfbfbfbfbf May I ask your Country of origin?; I'm an Australian.
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I'm judih - an EFL teacher and a puppeteer,
Puppeteer as in you use puppets to entertain people or puppeteer as in an alien out of a Larry Niven novel? mmmmmmmmmm
Either way, it's cool. agagagagag
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ha!ha!
thanks for the welcome, all
i make puppets (out of found foam rubber and used clothing), insert mouths and get to work to do therapy or teach language.
I was born in Goshen, NY and was raised in Toronto, Canada and have been living in Israel for over 30 years.
Simply looking for a different direction. I see that senses of humour are alive and well in China (a good thing)
best to all
- judih
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Welcome Judih...puppets??? Cool...you should put on a "Punch and Judy" show for the Chinese students when you can...they would love it...Welcome to the Saloon...you would not be be able to make voodoo puppets, would you? I have some....annoying e-bike drivers I would like to deal with agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Speaking of puppeteers in China....
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13793458/globe-trotting-puppeteer-off-to-pull-strings-in-china/ (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13793458/globe-trotting-puppeteer-off-to-pull-strings-in-china/)
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Greetings!
I have visited HK & China a couple of time over the last couple of years. I grew tired of crying all the way home on the 16-19 hour flight, so I have enrolled in a Graduate school majoring in Education and also just obtained my certificate of eligibility (CE) to teach English as a Second Language in my state. I will return to China (Shanghai and Hong Kong) in November and want to live/work in HK very much. I met a young man on my first visit to HK who gave me this website and I am so thrilled to be invited "in." I have so many questions/concerns/excitements about working at a school in HK, but I will read more posts while I am on here. Thrilled to be on here and can't wait to get to know some people as all I do know is read, research and write all day. llllllllll
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Welcome, robins_nest agagagagag Nice ta see ya bfbfbfbfbf
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G'day robins_nest! Look forward to hearing about your experiences. bfbfbfbfbf What is your country of origin?
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Hi robins_nest,
Welcome to the forum agagagagag
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Hi All!
My name is Zak. I'm brand new to the Saloon. For the last four years, I've been living in New York City attending University. Now, I'm spending an interim period in Berkeley, California (where I grew up) before I move to China!!!
A bit about me: I"m 22, a Literature Major/Psychology Minor from Columbia University, like to swim, scuba, play basketball, climb, whatever. I'm moving to China to teach at first and work on my language skills. I read constantly and watch film nearly as often. I prefer traveling to staying put, bourbon to vodka, and dogs to cats, though I've eaten both.
The big dilemma is this: I don't know where to move! I've been trying to track down a thread about the best place to move to in China, but y'all post a lot... So can anyone direct me there? Or does anyone have any opinions? I don't want to live in Shanghai or Beijing; I want to be able to work on a pretty standard putonghua Mandarin. Those are the only limitations.
THanks so much everyone! Very excited to be a part of the Saloon! bhbhbhbhbh
Zak
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Welcome Zak! Stick around and ask lots of questions, you'll start to get an idea of where you'd like to end up. I'm in Beijing but lived in Kunming for a number of years. There are lots of nice places in China where people speak relatively standard putonghua.
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Welcome to the forum Zak agagagagag
There are so many places in China that the more information you give us the better as your description is rather vague. Think about climate, city size, pollution etc
Cheers agagagagag
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Hi people!
I'm a Kiwi bobobobobo, 26, and now that I've finished uni (or college as some strange countries like to call it) I'm leaving to work in a school in Ningbo on Sunday. Hopefully I will be there for at least a year. It's been something I've wanted to do for a couple of years now. I've never been to China before so obviously can't offer much advice at the moment. All I know about so far is the visa process. Anyway, I've heard good things about this forum so glad to be apart of it. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome latitude! agagagagag I can't wait to hear your reaction to China. I'm an Aussie living in Brisbane, so I'm no help to you about China. Be careful, but enjoy yourself. agagagagag
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Hello, Latitude agagagagag Welcome to the Saloon
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Hihi
I go by Canadapanda. I am a Chinese-Canadian currently living in Chongqing, teaching chemistry in English. My fluency in Mandarin is seriously lacking (I can speak passable cantonese). I can read better than I can speak.
Hardest part about living in China is that people expect me to speak Chinese more than a "typical foreigner". I can say wo bu ming bai until the cows come home and they will still fire away at me in lightspeed dialect.
Oh well. Someday, perhaps.
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agagagagag Hey, roomie! welcome to the salooooooooooooooooon!
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Hello, Canadapanda agagagagag Nice ta see ya here bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome to the forum Canadapanda
agagagagag
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G'day Canadapanda and welcome to the saloon. agagagagag I must admit that I am always surprised to hear an Asian looking person speaking like an Aussie; I am always expecting an accent. I expect that a lot of us, at least initially, judge a book by its cover. I look forward to hearing about your experiences, especially the funny ones. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello all. I hail from the USA, although I've spent the last 4 years in Taiwan and Korea. The plan right now is to move to Hainan in March 2013 and study Chinese until the colleges and public schools start hiring for the fall term. I've never been to China before, but as long as there are places to cycle and dive, I'll be happy. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome, Kardisa! agagagagag
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G'day and welcome Kardisa! There are probably several people here who can help you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Evening all,
Not long arrived in Suzhou and hoping to link up with people and places in this here saloooon.
I'm a brit working as an engineer - so may be in the minority amongst the teachers. I have spent a bit of time in Xuzhou previously but I'm hoping the bright lights of Suzhou will be more exciting.
I have found a few places for a beer on Li Gong Di and Rainbow Walk, but hoping to find something a little less commercial..... any pointers from the others in this establishment would be super.
Cheers n the beers on me!!
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Welcome northernmonkey! agagagagag You should find some nice people to link up with in the Saloon. As a matter of interest, my Grandson hopes to go on to Uni to study to become an Engineer. He knows how much money can be made in the mines here in Australia if you have the right qualifications. bfbfbfbfbf I think I'll be dead though before he gets to the stage where he can look after Granny. ahahahahah ahahahahah
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welcome,kardisa,canadapanda,northernmonkey one and all! great to see new people on here all the time! Your fun is just beginning!
And Zak,as to the best place in China,as previously noted,it depends what you are after. I thought last year I was in the best place in China but now this year I am in the best place in China again! coool right! ahahahahah
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Evening all,
Not long arrived in Suzhou and hoping to link up with people and places in this here saloooon.
I'm a brit working as an engineer - so may be in the minority amongst the teachers. I have spent a bit of time in Xuzhou previously but I'm hoping the bright lights of Suzhou will be more exciting.
I have found a few places for a beer on Li Gong Di and Rainbow Walk, but hoping to find something a little less commercial..... any pointers from the others in this establishment would be super.
Cheers n the beers on me!!
Hi guy,
I'm also in Suzhou. I found a nice pub near where I work, #10 High School called Judy's Bar. It is a nice pub with good food and draft beer. Give me a PM and I'll give you my number so we can hook up.
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Hi everyone!
my name is Sarah; I'm another Aussie from Brisbane and I can't seem to stop spending time in China!!
I first went to China in 2008 to do some research in Beijing, and my interest in Chinese language and culture has just grown from there.
I'm planning my fourth trip to the country in 2014 (I know it's a loooong way away but it doesn't hurt to start planning early!), and this time; hopefully for quite a long time.
I'm currently completing my Master's degree in TESOL and hope to find a good English teaching gig in a nice corner of the country when I graduate.
I'm hoping to chat and get to know many of you and learn about your experiences in the middle kingdom, and in turn, hopefully share some of my current knowledge of my experiences there :-)
Also I really like the smiley's in this forum; nice selection! akakakakak agagagagag
hehe ababababab
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Welcome to the Saloon bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello and welcome, Sarah...so you, like so many of us here, have fallen in love with the Orient...Indeed, it does not hurt to plan ahead, best thing to do before embarking on a long China adventure. You will find the Saloon an excellent place to get advice...except for when the members get drunk/forget to take their pills/escape from custody and feed their minders to the Thing in the basement...I hope you will enjoy it here...unlike Hotel California, we can sign out and leave but why would we agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
By the way, new members have to buy drinks...a pint of absinthe, extra wormwood and a double dose of laudanum on the sugarcubes, please... agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome, annie-b agagagagag
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G'day and welcome annie-baxter. agagagagag As you may have read, I'm from Northgate in Brisbane, jpd01 is from Nundah and becster79 is from up around the Caboolture/Nambour area. I'm not in China and can't be of any use to you there, but I look forward to hearing about your adventures Sarah. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Thanks everyone!
Granny Mae, nice to know there are some of you in Brisbane; I'm in the inner city near Dutton Park.
ericthered, I'm always happy to shout a drink or 10 for my comrades in China! agagagagag
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Welcome Sarah! Nice to have you with us! agagagagag
Have you tried the [more] link on the smileys yet?
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oooh cool!
ajajajajaj vvvvvvvvvv ;)
I have now- sweet!
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agagagagag Allow me to introduce myself. I am Don, a Canuck who for the past 9 years has lived in North Carolina, teaching business and ESL at local community colleges. I've twice taught in China, 2007 in Wuhan, and 2010 in Mianyang, and loved the experiences. Once must go with the flow as they say...it is what it is. This time around, my wife and I will be in Shaoxing teaching English at a local university. We haven't been to southeast so much looking forward to the city, region and trips up to Shanghai and over to Hong Kong. We're in our mid 50s and just retired so it's Carpe Diem (or sieze the big fish as they say here in Carolina). Looking forward to dropping in and enjoying the forum. Don
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Hi Sarah
As fellow Aussies and MA TESOL students we have some things in common. This is probably teaching my grandma to suck eggs, but check with your uni's TESOL department to see if they have links with some Chinese universities, as Australian unis commonly do. This may get you into a place with a decent reputation and into a job where you are taken seriously as a teacher, instead of mostly providing entertainment.
Just a thought.
Cheers
Gonzo
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Welcome, caley1313 agagagagag
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Hi and welcome to the Saloon caley1313. agagagagag I was made redundant and so I retired 15 yrs ago yesterday. It was my plan to travel around and do some teaching in China. I got my TESOL certificate, joined Raoul's Saloon and was getting set to take off. Something went wrong and it was discovered that I had a heart condition which would eventually require a heart transplant if a stroke didn't take me out. I now can't get health insurance, so I'm going nowhere except here to read about what you folk are doing. What I am trying to say is, have fun and do all the things you want to do and I will read about it and be with you and your wife in my thoughts. All the best, and don't forget to have fun! :candyraver: :dancemj:
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that's great advise Gonzo! I was actually just thinking that might be a possibility recently; as one of my classmates said they did their practical at a partner University in Vietnam and he was saying apparently there were lots of Universities to chose from, including ones in China.
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Hi AnnieB and Don and welcome to the
Madhouse Saloon, make yourselves at home,we all do. agagagagag
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Hey, I guess it's about time to introduce myself. I'm from the US, mostly from Seattle but have lived in other areas a bit too. It seems there are more teflers from Seattle than the population would predict. Must be that soggy nine month winter. I'm in Guangdong now, teaching at a uni. I've only taught at universities in China and prefer it that way. I saw the post by caley1313 and thought I'd reply but I then realized that misplaced my manners and haven't mentioned who I am. On and off, I've spent about 5 or 6 years in China over the last 8 or 9. Over 50, not attached, and not too weird.
caley1313, I have taught in Shaoxing and I think it's a good choice. It's a walkable city, with a canal-for-streets area (a watertown?) that is nice and great for photos, but not overrun by tourists, a nice mix of foreigners from the universities and expats from industry (mostly textiles). The railroad, including the fast D-train (dong che) runs through the edge of downtown instead of 20 kilometers out. Shopping is convenient and foreign stuff is available. I hope you and your wife enjoy it there. I did.
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Hello, roadwalker agagagagag
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Welcome roadwalker! agagagagag Glad to hear that you have taken the opportunity to teach in China. I really look forward to hearing about what you are doing. bfbfbfbfbf
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Heh, all, thanks for the kind words. I know my wife and I are stoked for the southeast and fast trains and the Bunn and Guanzhou and...you get the picture. Shaoxing seemed like a good choice, as I was once a professional photographer and am dabbling once again in this second career of ours. Yes, I'll hang around this blog and hope to hear more from many and make friends with all. Caley1313 agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon, Caley! agagagagag
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Hi all.
I just joined up, and I'm an alco ESL teacher.
I've only been doing it for the last 3 years, all of it here in China.
I'm CELTA trained, and have a M.App.Ling., and about to enrol into a M.Ed.(TESOL), to then go onto Ed.D. - all through Australian universities (cos, you know, I'm an Aussie :D)
I don't post a hell of a lot, and my usual MO has been to get on a board, post frantically, and then disappear after a few weeks :p
Although 40(-ish), I'm still single, which makes things really easy when it comes to deciding where to live and all.
I've been "between jobs" for the last few months (cos I'm picky!!!), but it's not surprising when I get agents saying "we've got this really high paying job for you - 6000-7000RMB"... yeah, if I wanted that, I'd move to Xinjiang or Jiangxi again!!! I only teach uni-level students, usually EAP, business or IT.. and unfortunately, usually to the students who have failed, sucked at, the GaoKao :( However, I'm expecting to get a contract for a UK/US/Chinese joint venture :) (and, to become an IELTS examiner as well...)
Nice to meet you. (yes, I'm fine thank you, and you?)
SH
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You weren't into Jiangxi? I had a great time there.
Welcome.
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Welcome! Hope you stick around the Saloon, it is a great place!
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Good to have you on board. agagagagag
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... yeah, if I wanted that, I'd move to Xinjiang or Jiangxi again!!!
I want to move to Xinjiang eventually. Is there anything I should know about Xinjiang?
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welcome agagagagag agagagagag
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G'day and welcome to the Saloon Sainthood! agagagagag I'm an Aussie living in Brisbane and unfortunately I did not get to teach or live in China. I was just made welcome by Raoul and other saloonies and so I just rabbit on. Fortunately there are very knowledgeable and kind people here who will go out of their way to help you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Greetings Sainthood. We are following similar academic paths. One of the good things about our nation is, that as long as you're poor, the government will pay for your education. I'm switching from an MA TESOL to an M.App Ling TESOL because the second year topics in the former are pure educational boredom: nothing specifically related to SLA at all.
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... yeah, if I wanted that, I'd move to Xinjiang or Jiangxi again!!!
I want to move to Xinjiang eventually. Is there anything I should know about Xinjiang?
Lambstick prices are so reasonable there that you don't need a big salary. ahahahahah
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@yli - not really... Xinjiang would no doubt be a great place to live (except for the cold, and lack of western-sanity relief occasionally needed). It's just that the salaries are a lot lower. Not a great problem if you've got a lot of spare cash already - but when you're paying off debts back home, it really doesn't help!
@Granny May - cool! I'm a Bris-vegan too! Mostly inner south-east side. I'm in Hangzhou, and there's been a good half-dozen or so of us here! Makes chatting so much easier!
@Gonzo - which uni you going through?? TBH, the TESOL part isn't all that cracked up it's supposed to be - only 2 subjects directly related to it, plus linguistics and SLA (both of which I've done through the Applied Ling.). I'd say the CELTA was a lot more relevant and directed...
And - thanks all! :) agagagagag
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Hi Sainthood, I'm also in Hangzhou. Welcome to Raoul's agagagagag
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@yli - not really... Xinjiang would no doubt be a great place to live (except for the cold, and lack of western-sanity relief occasionally needed). It's just that the salaries are a lot lower. Not a great problem if you've got a lot of spare cash already - but when you're paying off debts back home, it really doesn't help!
I don't teach, so if can score a job with Sinopec or something, maybe I could move out there.
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Nice to welcome another Bris-vegan Sainthood! bfbfbfbfbf I'm from Northgate.
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Hello, I finally found the introductions thread! bibibibibi And I've been lurking the Saloon for a while now...
My name is Laurel, I'm from California, and I'm moving to China in a few days to teach English in Dongying, in Shandong province. Probably because I'm crazy, but where's the fun in being sane, right?
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Hello Laurel and may I be the first to say something you will hear many, many times: "Welcome to China!", "Do you like Chinese food"...ok, that's over and done. Well, you are right, being sane is not fun, as I told the staff at the Tigger Institure for the Mentally Unhinged that, albeit it was nice of them to want to cure the voices in my head, I had talked it over with them and we all thought it was a bad idea agagagagag agagagagag
Also, on a more practical note, being insane in China is a plus. It will be easier to acclimatize to the place agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome to the Nuthouse,Laurel agagagagag
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Welcome agagagagag Nice to see a "new" face. bfbfbfbfbf
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Welcome bjbjbjbjbj akakakakak akakakakak
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Welcome laurelgc! agagagagag Look forward to hearing of your experiences in China. bfbfbfbfbf
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I thought I'd drop in and say a quick hello...
My name is David - I'm a 25 y/o Business Graduate from Cambridgeshire (UK).
I studied Business in Sheffield and graduated in 2010.. since then I've lived and worked in Vienna, Berlin and Malmö /Copenhagen.
During Autumn 2012 I started learning Mandarin via a Swedish University, and part of my course was the option to study at a partner University in China for a semester. I decided to partake, and as a result I'm moving to Tianjin in just over a week.
Look forwards to hopefully meeting and talking to some of you guys in due course.
Also, If anyone has any feedback on the city, or adjusting in general then I'm all ears!
Cheers,
David
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Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag
Before you leave for China, buy some good quality particulate face masks. You will need them in Tianjin and Beijing. Maybe not every day but often enough to make the purchase worthwhile. agagagagag agagagagag
You can buy face masks in China but you can never be assured about the quality and efficiency of the masks. llllllllll
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bxbxbxbxbx
Hi all, I'm Cheryl and can't believe I have only just found this forum.
Did my TESOL cert in Beijing years ago and have been going back and forth on short term contracts for 6 - 7 years, all in small cities in Zhejiang and Anhui. Now I'm heading back for a more permanent gig - just can't decide where.
I live in Australia (Tweed Heads), have retired from work here, have some business in Memphis, Tennessee (so have regular trips there) and now want to see out a few years in China - until I can really retire.
I want to teach adults so am probably looking at college jobs, but who knows what I will end up doing?
It's nice to be here - have already had a few drinks in the bar.... cheers all agagagagag
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agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag welcome agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome Cheryl! agagagagag Nice to have another Aussie join us. I grew up in Tenterfield but now live in Brisbane. Look forward to seeing photos and hearing about your adventures. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Welcome cafank bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag
I am glad you found the saloon. bfbfbfbfbf
I hope you will enjoy your time here agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome agagagagag
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Thanks guys, I'm really enjoying searching the posts for info and picking up lots of tidbits to help me in my quest to get back to China
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Hi all,
43yr old male, married with a 3.5yr old son, working in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. I'm not an english teacher and not planning on going the expat route anytime soon. I do however have an interest in getting at least a basic grasp of putonghua and Chinese culture for a couple of reasons. I am studying traditional Chinese martial arts and am interacting fairly frequently with guests my teacher brings over from China. Also, I manage several Chinese expats that are now US Citizens. In both cases it's very wierd when I'm outside of the conversations and can't participate.
As part of my hobby, I've picked up a couple of close Chinese friends. Frankly, I've been lurking here to just try and get an idea of how you expats are dealing with the cultural differences so I can better understand my friends.
p.s. No, I don't wear the silk PJs, but I have been known to don a kilt.
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Aha. I'm a Chinese person who's studied Western styles like Krav Maga and Brazilian Jujitsu.
We're like...opposites or something. agagagagag
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Welcome anchor, you have come to the right place. bfbfbfbfbf I too am learning about the cultural differences because many Chinese folk are coming to Australia and I really want to know what makes them "tick" for want of a better word.
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Hello Everyone!
46 year old American man. I've been a lurker here for awhile now, but decided to make it official and join RCS yesterday. From what I've seen and read, this seems like a great community. People seem very helpful, kind and respectful and that's sometimes a bit difficult to find on other sites.
I've been living and working in China since February 2010, so I just passed my three year anniversary. I'm a teacher and the head of the English department at an International school in Guangdong province. I love living in China. I do not miss American aside from my family and friends.
My fiancee is a Chinese national from Sichuan. She and I hope to make it official and "tie-the-knot" later this year.
Wishing everyone the best, CHEERS! agagagagag ... and the best of luck to everyone.
--GA
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Welcome to the Saloon Great Ape agagagagag agagagagag
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Hi Great Ape! Are you from South Carolina, by chance? As a Charlestonian, I'm pretty familiar with I-26. :)
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Hello. Welcome agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon Great Ape. agagagagag The people here are very helpful. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello and welcome, Great Ape agagagagag I say, you must be spiffingly good at lurking, I have been walking around the Saloon for ages and I did not see any great apes lurking. agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello again, Everyone, and thanks for the warm welcome! akakakakak
@ The Local Dialect ... No, TLD, I am not from South Carolina, although I spent some time there during graduate school. I have spent limited time traveling on I-26 ... the avatar is more of an homage to my nickname which is also my lucky number. The nickname was given to me by some good Chinese friends in Guangxi where I worked for a year.
@ ericthered ... ahahahahah ... you didn't notice me, eric, because I was hiding amongst the trees. bjbjbjbjbj
I look forward to continuing to browse the forum threads and read the interesting topics and responses. Maybe one day I can even become a "Barfly" ... agagagagag
Thanks again to everyone for the kind greetings. It's great to be here!
--GA
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agagagagag Welcome Great Ape! I'm still trying to come up with a pun about my member status, but I want to be a barfly too. I think there are special rituals and secret handshakes to learn but it's all worth it for the bacchanals and VIP-only rooms.
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@ Great Ape & roadwalker - the "secret" is to post, Post, POST agagagagag The more you can join the conversation(s), the better. We'll get to know you and enjoy your company. We'll find out that you can Play Well With Others and that you "fit in" here. bfbfbfbfbf
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@ Great Ape & roadwalker - the "secret" is to post, Post, POST agagagagag The more you can join the conversation(s), the better. We'll get to know you and enjoy your company. We'll find out that you can Play Well With Others and that you "fit in" here. bfbfbfbfbf
Yep, that. Stick around and keep posting and you will hit Barfly, no doubt about it. All of us were newbies once. :)
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agagagagag Welcome Great Ape! I'm still trying to come up with a pun about my member status, but I want to be a barfly too. I think there are special rituals and secret handshakes to learn but it's all worth it for the bacchanals and VIP-only rooms.
It involves hot wax and forced sodomy.
And Satan. You will end up invoking the name of Satan.
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llllllllll You weren't supposed to reveal ANYTHING!! llllllllll
Now we'll have to Take You To The Basement aoaoaoaoao afafafafaf
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Now we'll have to Take You To The Basement aoaoaoaoao afafafafaf
I saw the movie "21 and over" yesterday. They came up with some very "hair curling" punishments for young men. afafafafaf ahahahahah
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Hi, I'm a USA American from Texas and been teaching engrish in Guangzhou for eight years. This looks like a good place to talk, possibly troll free from what I've seen. Kudos to the management.
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Hi, I'm a USA American from Texas and been teaching engrish in Guangzhou for eight years. This looks like a good place to talk, possibly troll free from what I've seen. Kudos to the management.
Welcome gzwriter. We have a lot of "old hands" on this board so you'll fit right in I hope.
As for trolls, we keep them on a very short leash. ;)
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Thanks very much, TLD!
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Welcome gzwriter! I'm guessing you write, for fun or for profit, based on your handle. What kinda stuff do you write?
oops! didn't see that there is an actual thread on this topic: http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=8140.0 (http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=8140.0)
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I like writing in my journal or ranting on discussion forums, but have never published anything.
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Welcome gzwriter! agagagagag Since you have been in China for a while, may I ask if you speak Chinese, are you married or do you have a girlfriend? I think that there is a thread here about cycling. I look forward to hearing about your experiences in China and would love to see any photos of China or of your home in Texas. If you read back in this thread, you will see that I am an Australian living in Brisbane and with no experience in China. It is nice to meet you. agagagagag
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Hi, I'm a USA American from Texas and been teaching engrish in Guangzhou for eight years. This looks like a good place to talk, possibly troll free from what I've seen. Kudos to the management.
Greetings gzwriter from a fellow Texan (actually born in Illinois). Whereabouts you from? I lived a number of years in the Kerrville (Texas Hill Country). Mrs. Casey came from NE China, but liked Texas so much she became a US citizen and an official Texichin. Now she misses Texas and is constantly bugging me to go back.
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I like writing in my journal or ranting on discussion forums, but have never published anything.
Truth be told, I don't walk professionally. kkkkkkkkkk
For me too, online forums, journal/blog entries and long emails are the extent of my writing. In my case, no discipline for publish-worthy stuff.
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@ Granny: Besides a few necessary phrases for finding a toilet and directing taxi drivers, I don't speak Chinese. Been able to get by without it, lots of my students are willing to help me do things when I need an interpreter, which is a very cool thing about China. However, I found that communication barriers are much more based on culture and attitude than language.
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@ roadwalker: If it weren't for unending computer and internet problems since the day I got here, I would probably have a blog. I write a couple of articles every year that I email to my friends, they're about stuff that happens in China. I'll post one of them up here about being a "rent-a-foreigner". Ever done that? Funny stuff.
No, can't say I have, but I've met guys who were asked to refer to themselves as foreign business partners, etc. for investor parties, etc. I run away from anything like that before it gets too interesting. Back in the States, I did help out a drug dealer (Big Pharma Rep) hosting an Oscars party at a nice restaurant by pretending to be a doctor when not enough real docs could be found for the affair. Free food and booze. agagagagag(Maybe I should change my handle to streetwalker.)
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I thought we were all rent-a-foreigners
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I'm single now. Have had two Chinese girlfriends here, but not a serial dater, so being single for a few years is okay.
You sound like a very wise man! bfbfbfbfbf Yesterday,I was watching an Asian lady "working" a young/middle aged Anglo male. Chin in hands and gazing intently into his eyes and dazzling him with her smile, when he took his eyes off the front of her low cut dress. I took a good look at the male and knew straight away that she wanted something from him. I really wanted to get up and belt him under the ear and tell him to wake up to himself. My observations were that their story probably wouldn't have a happy ending and would probably have a financial and emotional cost to others as well. My job was to know people, especially those who try to screw the system and I learned a lot by observing people, which I still do. Being single for a few years sounds ok to me, especially if you spend that time learning and not rushing into anything. bfbfbfbfbf As you can probably tell by my name and my comments, I am an older lady, so I hope you don't mind my advice.
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It's cool to hear your stories, Granny. I love people watching, too. The trick would be to come up with something plausible you could say in such a situation that would go along with your position and yet induce some awareness.
Or just enjoy the show since people do what they want anyway. Especially mens. akakakakak
I got the typical student question today, "Teacher, I want to improve my English. What should I do?"
Of course pretty much all FT's constantly answer this question directly or indirectly during class, but the students all think we're hiding the secret to learning English in 3 days inbetween stamped pages of our passports.
Anyway, the chat came around to her asking, "Which is more important? Speaking, listening, reading, or writing?"
"Listening. Listening is always the most important thing."
And it's the thing that young men with testosterone don't do very well. bibibibibi Especially when looking at low cut dresses. I'm sure God intended it this way: sometimes men have the power, and sometimes women lean forward and take it away.
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"Listening. Listening is always the most important thing."
And it's the thing that young men with testosterone don't do very well. bibibibibi Especially when looking at low cut dresses. I'm sure God intended it this way: sometimes men have the power, and sometimes women lean forward and take it away.
gzwriter, the guy indeed was doing most of the talking, while she gazed at him in adoration. bibibibibi I believe that evolution has made it that way since man was physically stronger and was the hunter. My observations now are that women appear to be taking over through ploys such as manipulation whilst letting the guy still think that he is the dominant male. I really hate deception and manipulation and don't I get into trouble when I call a spade a spade. I grew up with six brothers and their friends by the way, so the main influence in my life was from a male perspective.
Look forward to hearing your stories of life in China! bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi everybody, I figured I have lurked long enough so it is time to say hi. A quick bit about me 37, living in Phoenix arizona usa, ive worked in Tv production 20 years. A friend went to Japan to teach and another friend mentioned doing the same in China. So I'm researching the idea. I want to say thanks to everyone. It seems every question I come up with is answered in many posts with lots of great advice.
Ya'll take care now bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello, LordImmp. Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag
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G'day LordImmp and welcome to the Saloon! agagagagag Hope things work out well for you. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello all!
Started teaching ESL in 2008, worked for two years in South Korea. Jobs were cut, and I had a job offer back home, so I took it. 3 years later I realize I ain't cut out for the corporate rat race and had a much quality of life in Korea.
Thinking about China, found this site. Read a bunch of articles and realized that this is nothing like Dave's, so I signed up.
Thanks to everybody who helped make some of those awesome stickies. 40s all around :alcoholic:
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Welcome Tree. I spent 6 years teaching public middle school in K-land before moving to a uni China - the best thing I ever did.
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Hello, Tree! Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag
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CruiseMonkey, I recognize the avatar from Dave's, good to see you around old chum! I posted as Mint for about 3 years there. That place is full of, well, it's full alright.
Modify: Trying to upload my avatar, 4kb jpeg, says the file is too big. bibibibibi
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Welcome to the Saloon Tree. agagagagag Given what I'm hearing about N and S Korea, I suspect that you might be better off not being there at the moment. I'd also be a bit concerned about being in a few other places as well. bibibibibi May I ask which is your home Country and are you male or female? It's nice to meet the new folk and to hear about their experiences. As you may have seen, I am an Australian who has never lived or worked in China, so I see things through the experiences of others. All the best. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hey Granny,
I'm male, American, 27, married to a Korean-American woman.
When it comes to the ROK, there are a couple ways of looking at it. For one, it's likely the north has about 22 kg of fissionable material. Based on what I've seen that means about 8 bombs, each of which could have roughly 1-150k killing power.
On the other hand their entire military budget is roughly equivalent to most large American police departments, and they currently have no allies, save perhaps Russia, although they'd be stupid to make overt efforts.
I suspect it's posturing, and if the Western units make a military concession things may die down a bit. The trick is getting America to "negotiate with them thar terrristz".
In either case I'd rather land a uni gig in China. If I cant make that happen, I can get a resident visa and teach privates in the countryside and live with my in-laws. Or just soldier on in a job I hate here in the US.
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Regarding North Korea, they're a perfect "external enemy" to use as a justification for military expenditures and other non-productive priorities. They're just like the old USSR. Can't even feed themselves and depend completely on "humanitarian aid" from other countries, including their "enemies." And they're evil. Bush said so and he's always right.
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Bush Sr. also once said something along the lines of "People who don't believe in God aren't citizens." llllllllll
There's enough of us that can see the "Fnords", just not a critical mass yet.
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Welcome LordImmp, Tree. agagagagag
Lord, what I wouldn't give for a couple of hours of Phoenix-style humidity, so I could dry my clothes. Tree, you shouldn't have trouble getting a uni job with experience and a degree (and some insist on a pulse.)
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Welcome Lordlmmp,Tree and Gzwriter.GZ you and I are already acquainted.
Excellent handles all of yous.
agagagagag agagagagag
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Hello everyone!
I don't think that my case is that special, but why not post here and start making some new Internet friends? ababababab
I'm 22 and I'll be graduating from college (finally!) in a couple of weeks. I'm from the United States, but I don't really plan to return here once I've left. I'm looking to get into ESL teaching abroad for a few years, and hopefully teaching mathematics at international schools after that. For a couple of years I had my sights set on South Korea, but recently I've realized that China is a lot more appropriate for my tastes. I'm still not quite sure where in China I want to go, but I'm really looking forward to the experience.
I'm also looking forward to getting to know you all! Just like most others here, I've used Dave's for a while, but once I found Raoul's, there was no question about moving my focus over here.
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Welcome Edean! You will definitely return here once you need specific info on China there is only ONE place to go!
Good luck agagagagag
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Welcome edean! You have come to the right place!
If you're qualified/able to teach math you might find a job teaching that right off the bat, even without a proper teaching certificate. There are Chinese kids preparing to study abroad who need English medium math classes -- usually stuff like Statistics and Calculus. Usually they pay better than run of the mill ESL.
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Thanks piglet and The Local Dialect. bjbjbjbjbj
TLD, that's really helpful - I didn't know that I could do that without Mandarin ability. cheexyblonde I've posted a more general query about this in The Bar; I'd appreciate your input there, if you don't mind.
(P.S.: I promise that I won't become an abusive smiley user... I just had to get the "Pas ma faute! J'suis blonde!" one out of my system, even though j'n'suis pas blond(e) - it's easily the cutest/funniest one here.)
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Welcome, edean agagagagag Smiley away uuuuuuuuuu We'll tell you when you've overdone it aoaoaoaoao :wtf:
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Welcome edean! agagagagag There are some really genuine, helpful folk here. I love the smileys here and I probably overuse them, but how else can I show my sense of humour etc? I hope that you will find the time to keep us updated on your progress. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello, all! :) So excited and happy to be here. I was told Raoul's is infinitely more welcoming than Dave's...the last time I was on Dave's, the oldies were tearing a newbie a new...well, you get the general idea.
Anyways, I'm 27 and most likely moving to China sometime late August. I've lived in Korea for 6 years, but born and bred American, and am a little apprehensive about moving to China without having the faintest idea about the country.
Again, really happy to be here and hope to contribute to the forums in a helpful manner.
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Hello. Nice to see you here. agagagagag Pull up a stool, and order up a drink (on George's tab) and start asking your Questions. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello. Nice to see you here. agagagagag Pull up a stool, and order up a drink (on George's tab) and start asking your Questions. bfbfbfbfbf
Thanks! :) It'll nice to ask question without being accused of having less than half a brain. bibibibibi
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Welcome wakethenight! agagagagag Look forward to hearing about your experiences. bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks! :) It'll nice to ask question without being accused of having less than half a brain. bibibibibi
We could be real mean to you if that's what you're used to. aoaoaoaoao
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Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag agagagagag
We won't be mean to you for a year or so and then aoaoaoaoao ahahahahah ahahahahah ahahahahah
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Hello, all! :) So excited and happy to be here. I was told Raoul's is infinitely more welcoming than Dave's...the last time I was on Dave's, the oldies were tearing a newbie a new...well, you get the general idea.
Anyways, I'm 27 and most likely moving to China sometime late August. I've lived in Korea for 6 years, but born and bred American, and am a little apprehensive about moving to China without having the faintest idea about the country.
Again, really happy to be here and
I hope to contribute to the forums in a helpful manner.
Welcome wakethenight! We love newbies and we love questions! Ask away!
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Quick introduction on your latest Texan newbie.
I'm 34 with a BBA. I taught multiple subjects at an alternative school for trouble high school kids (drugs, violent, etc.)for a few years. I loved it but the $$$ wasn't there so I went into the retail logistics field which is where I'm at now and it pays good but I hate every single second of it. Teaching in China has been something I have been looking at a couple years now, but I am now taking a more serious look at it. I don't necessarily want to love my job but I do want to atleast like it, and east Asia has always been a place I would love to live. Now it's just a matter of finding out some more detailed information on the specific areas I'm interested in and then selling the house. I'll be bugging you vets with some questions in the upcoming weeks/months.
Glad I found this board.
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Welcome Tex. BBA = Big Bad Attitude?
You've come to the right place, what we don't know, we make up. But we'll always have an answer. Not always the right one.
Grab a cold one, George is paying. I took two
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That's cool, Jeremy. I think this board has a great collection of information and humor. Lots of good resources here.
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Welcome Tex. BBA = Big Bad Attitude?
You've come to the right place, what we don't know, we make up. But we'll always have an answer. Not always the right one.
Grab a cold one, George is paying. I took two
Actually big booty asian.....wait dont think those exist unless your in Tokyo at a sumo event.
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Hello Everyone!
Im David, 30, from England (up north). Im living in tianjin with my chinese wife of 3 years, as of 6 weeks ago when i arrived. i have no job, im living off my savings and collect my one year spouse visa/residence permit tomorrow. i like playing pool, xbox, ps3, wii u and would do exersise if it werent for this pollution, but i digress!
i will be teaching in due course but just living it up in TJ atm. well i would, but i dont know any westerners yet, im in a chinese area.
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Welcome EG! It must be nice just taking some time off and enjoying China. Glad you found the Saloon, hope you like it here!
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thanks, not wanting to gush but this saloon is far better than id hoped. systems to keep the riff raff out, good, honest advice and a rather hefty dose of humour to boot! im not just in china on a whim tho, we are doing the 'looking after parents in their old age' thing. i have a uk business degree and a full tefl all completed so job hunting is a case of whatever suits me best. there is a middle school next door, i might just go knocking!
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If you are trully an English gent, then we don't need your kind here ahahahahah
Actually, welcome aboard. The forums are somewhat well organized and on topic (unless the Escaped Lunatic enters). As for the riff-raff, let me introduce myself, I'm Mr. Riff. There are plenty who could rightfully call themselves Mr/Mrs Raff
:wtf:
On the front page we have a search engine where some of your questions may have already been asked, but if you're not sure ask away. We only lie about 33% of the time now, that's down 17% from this time last year.
And we take our comedy very seriously
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Welcome English Gent! agagagagag Look forward to hearing about what you are doing and hope that you will show us some photos of the different places you go to and the things that you see. I am an Aussie (my Grandparents came from Brixton and Manchester) and I see China through the eyes of folk like you, because I can no longer travel.
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welcome aboard.. we'll like you even better if that next round of spit-liquor is on your tab agagagagag ababababab
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Tianjin you say.
Well it could be worse. It could be ... uh ... well ..... mmm .....
Welcome to the Saloon!
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Hi fellow Saloon tipplers! Here's my sitch....
Newly CELTA-certified here. Less than 1 yr. teaching experience but I do have a M.A. in Training and Development. Looking for that first job in Asia--likely China, Japan, Taiwan.
I've been in contact mostly with recruiters representing schools in China and am finding out that they represent the shady (Web International, Meten, et al). Also it seems like if I find a more "desirable" public school or non-training center, then the salary drops from 10,000+ rmb to anywhere between 4-9000 rmb. bibibibibi
Based on ads at least, it seems that with one or more years of experience under my belt then the public school salaries can jump up nicely. I don't want to have a shitty first ESL experience, but is that the best route to take--deal with BS for a year before moving on to the Promised Land? llllllllll
Have at it boys & girls...
One note though: Like Eva Gabor in Green Acres I get allergic smelling hay. My plan is to end up in very large cities like Shanghai, Shenzen, Guangzhou, maybe Chengdu. No more cold winters for me (living in Northern U.S. most of my life) so Beijing, Tianjin, Harbin are out.
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Fabulous first post, anderguyil. I would suggest leafing through the teacher's thread to find some ideas. Most would tell you that recruiters are not the best, just a shade lower than snake-oil salesmen. Contact the schools directly, but be careful, some places can't hire foreigners so they must use an outside source. Also, you could land a great gig on your first go, or it might take scores of emails. Be patient. Don't be afraid to ask here about a certain city, school, or contract; somebody here will most likely have some knowledge.
With your qualifications, you can be a little picky, raise your bar. Speaking of which, have a drink on us. But only 1, its 5:30 in the morning
:alcoholic:
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Thanks for the warm welcome Day Dreamer. I actually am a pretty light drinker these days compared to my misspent youth and pre-middle age. aaaaaaaaaa
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Welcome Anderguyil, you've come to the right place here. :)
As to whether or not you should put in the time wherever just to get experience, that really depends on what you think you can handle. And even with a year of experience, don't expect most public school salaries to jump up that much. Despite what ads might say, it will be a very very rare public school that pays over 10k rmb a month in any case, and certainly outside of the 1st tier cities. You will have a lot more options with more experience, particularly once you're actually in China, but a year of experience won't necessarily lead to the highest tier of jobs because keep in mind, for those really prime jobs, you'll be competing with people who have 5, 10, 15 years of experience in China. You are in a good position with your qualifications to get a decent job in China as is, but what you're wanting isn't just decent.
If making money is your prime concern, you're better off finding a reputable school in the private sector and starting off there. Doesn't have to be a Kiddie Castle or the like, it could be a private university or a private high school or corporate training or test-prep. If you don't like the idea of making less than 10k a month, then skip universities altogether because holding out for that high paying university job will be like waiting for a unicorn to walk through your front yard.
Alternately, it is often mentioned that uni jobs give you a lot of free time to pick up freelance work, so there is that. Most/many uni or public school teachers don't live on their salary alone, they supplement.
No matter what you do, as DD says, apply to schools directly, ask for current teacher contact info so that you can get an idea of how they treat teachers, and ask lots of questions here on the Saloon. Really the people here are very good at vetting prospective employers and can be an invaluable resource.
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Also, as mentioned before, stay away from recruiters. They do NOT have your best interests at heart and have made life miserable for a lot of new teachers coming to China.
Please read the following thread. agagagagag agagagagag
http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=6827.0
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Hi anderguyil,
With your qualifications, you ought to be able to find some good jobs, although this time of the year is not the best for finding uni and other public school jobs because they generally recruit in April and May for the autumn semester. International schools also pay better than average.
Here's one suggestion that details a little bit of what TLD already said. A person can get a job in a university that gives them their permits and accommodations, let's say 7000 RMB for 12 months a year and some other benefits like once a year bonus and/or allowance for air travel 5-10K. A lot of these places only need you for 10-16 teaching periods per week, but there's also preparation and testing, but it leaves a lot of free time for extra work at nearby schools and also private tutoring (I'm not crazy about one on one, but small groups are cool).
With accommodations paid for, your only major expense is food, which is my biggest expense, and you can make 150-200 RMB per teaching period at the other schools, which works out pretty well because you'll likely be under the Chinese tax limit on those jobs, which is about 20% of whatever you make over 4800 RMB/month.
A one year contract with a university that treats its foreign teachers decently in any big city you mentioned would give you a lot of time to find even better jobs for later, and it's nice to have free time on vacation and whatnot for exploration. Uni's give you 4 months a year of this, paid.
In my opinion, one of the biggest quality of life issues is choosing exactly where you want to live and work in a particular city in order to minimize transit time for work and being close to the city's features that you appreciate the most. Choosing this correctly can take time, but the big cities have multiple uni's and other schools in lots of places spread around the city, at least Guangzhou certainly does. I've stayed in the same neighborhood for 8 years because I really like it and which school I work for is secondary to that.
Best of luck to you!
Michael
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Hi!
I'm a Colorado native recent-ish college graduate (December 2012) with a CELTA Certification. I have about 1 year private ESL tutoring experience (a Chinese student, no less) and one year Teaching Assistant experience at a private elementary school for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I have also studied abroad in Spain, Germany, and Mexico. I would feel comfortable teaching lower level courses in either German or Spanish (I tutored my German host sister in Spanish), but I don't have any certification nor am I a native speaker of either, so I don't know how helpful that would be.
Unfortunately, none of this experience (except for the CELTA and subsequent volunteer work) is "post-graduation". I should have graduated in 2011, but instead took some time off before getting my act together. bibibibibi I'm a bit nervous the lack of two years post-graduation experience is going to be an issue, but I've also been working since I was 14 and through college (5 years in Academic Technology Services) so I have a strong resume.
My goals for going to China are to have another immersion experience, hopefully learn some Mandarin (I studied a year in college), and ideally travel a bit. I've committed myself to a year stay in order to get past the blocks of culture shock before I make a decision, but I might be interested in staying longer if the year goes well. Long term, I hope to get into international business (ideally in tech) or translation and localization services. I was in the application process for Project Management positions in San Francisco, but I realized I wanted to travel more before I dive into a long term career. Additionally, I hope that Mandarin and experience in China will help me land the kind of job I want. So, essentially teaching is a way for me to afford to get the experience I want.
So far the cities that are high on my radar are: Kunming, Shenzhen, and Qingdao. I'm open to other suggestions, but Beijing and Shanghai are pretty big for me. I'm a city girl, but that city is Denver, so as long as there is SOME night life/culture, I don't mind being in a "small town" by Chinese standards (i.e. a city the size of Denver, haha). I also wrote my senior thesis on Urumqi, but it's not exactly an ideal location to travel from.
I have no idea what kinds of schools to apply to, so for now I'm basically going off of location, salary, and whether or not I fit their requirements. Halp?
My biggest concerns regarding location are:
1) Making enough money to pay my student loans (~$200/month) on top of cost of living and a bit of savings to travel. I'm not expecting to live like a Queen (or an American...) and I don't mind cutting costs elsewhere to be able to afford to travel. I do have a good amount in savings for the flight over, settling costs, etc, but I'd prefer not to dig into the rest except for emergencies.
2) Ease of learning Mandarin (as opposed to Cantonese).
3) Ability to travel both inside and outside of China.
4) Air quality - and yes, I realize the irony of saying that while I consider Shenzhen (or China in general ahahahahah). I have very bad sinus issues/recurring sinus infections that have required surgery, so I don't want to tempt fate. I'm planning on bringing a stash of sinus rinses and antibiotics.... </GrossNoseTalk>
Anyway, as you can see I'm very long winded, so I'm going to shut up and continue to poke around the forums. Any and all advice is welcome.
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Thanks for the suggestions and welcome--The Local Dialect, dragonsaver, Guangzhou Writer.
Actually Guangzhou Writer, you might be able to give me some info. since I can't PM you yet: A recruiter (ducks to avoid crap being thrown at me by Saloon crowd) has been trying to set up a Skype interview for me with Web International in Guangzhou (stays crouched for safety).
Since I've been told elsewhere that in the very large cities the schools are likely owned directly rather than franchise, is this "better?" (relative term I know) aoaoaoaoao
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Thanks for the suggestions and welcome--The Local Dialect, dragonsaver, Guangzhou Writer.
Actually Guangzhou Writer, you might be able to give me some info. since I can't PM you yet: A recruiter (ducks to avoid crap being thrown at me by Saloon crowd) has been trying to set up a Skype interview for me with Web International in Guangzhou (stays crouched for safety).
Since I've been told elsewhere that in the very large cities the schools are likely owned directly rather than franchise, is this "better?" (relative term I know) aoaoaoaoao
Without sounding too wishy-washy, a lot depends on what you want. They are what they are and you must weigh the pros and cons. For example, they offer stability, pay, and facilities. In return you give your undying love, devotion and your first born. You also give up a fair amount of free time.
Since I've been here for a bit, I don't need to rely on these types of schools. That doesn't mean they are bad, it's just that I no longer require that safety net
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Hi!
Hello LoveSasa. May I suggest when filling out a resume or job application, emphasize all your positives. You seem to have a lot going for you yet you sprinkled in self-imposed restrictions. Please don't worry about what you don't have.
Now it's time to narrow your search. Second tier cities offer a tad more money and are less expensive that Beijing, Shanghai, etc. I'm in Qingdao now. If you're intersted in this place, I could give you a heads up. We have members all over the country so any place you pick, there will be someone who can fill some gaps
Next, what do you prefer; a university that offers low money but easy work during the week, a language mill that is the opposite, or a private or international school that's somewhere in between.
You seem to be able to handle any of these, but you must do some research. Keep us updated and we can help, commiserate, or laugh help
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I'm going to pop the same note over on the Request for Info. on Schools section, but I thought I'd throw it out here for a start:
A recruiter (Horizon) has suggested a training school for me in Shanghai. Salary would be in the range I'm looking for. It's ReadingTown. bhbhbhbhbh One of those schools that seems to be a mixed bag. Not much comes up when I Google the name plua scams.
Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
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Welcome LoveSasa! agagagagag
I think if you're interested in Mandarin and don't want a big city, I'd avoid Shenzhen. It is pretty big, and part of the whole Hong-Kong/Guangzhou/Shenzhen thing that is almost one big mega-city at this point. Guangdong is full of people who speak Cantonese, not Mandarin, and while it is true both are spoken, the fact that the lingua franca among the people is not putonghua will be to your disadvantage if your main goal is language learning.
I live in Beijing right now, but am moving (back) to Kunming very soon, so I can speak to both places. Kunming has a very non-standard dialect that is not unlike Sichuanese, but the dialect is Mandarin based and if you don't mind picking up a bit of a Southwestern accent, it can be a decent place to learn Chinese and there are loads and loads of private Chinese language schools there, some better than others. It is difficult to score a high paying job in Kunming, but not impossible.
Qingdao is a good pick as well, and probably has more job choices than Kunming. DD can probably tell you all about it.
Both LS and ander -- stick around and you'll get PM privileges very shortly.
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Hello LoveSasa. May I suggest when filling out a resume or job application, emphasize all your positives. You seem to have a lot going for you yet you sprinkled in self-imposed restrictions. Please don't worry about what you don't have.
Thank you! I guess the reason I included the restrictions is that I'm not sure what is "legitimate" to emphasize. I've seen a couple of Foreign Language Schools that are looking for German and English teachers, so I think I could better sell myself since I am able to teach both, but I'm uncomfortable portraying myself as comparable to a native speaker. I do think I have the "2 years teaching experience" if you count my tutoring and T.A. experience, but not post-graduate. How much to schools actually care about the post-grad part/how fudge-able is it?
Now it's time to narrow your search. Second tier cities offer a tad more money and are less expensive that Beijing, Shanghai, etc. I'm in Qingdao now. If you're intersted in this place, I could give you a heads up. We have members all over the country so any place you pick, there will be someone who can fill some gaps
That's great to hear! I would actually prefer a second tier city, but I was worried that the pay wouldn't be commensurate. How much is the average cost of living in Qingdao (or comparable cities)? I've been having a hard time figuring this out, so I've been going with the average ~US$850/month that I've found for Taiwan and have heard from college friends who taught in Chengdu, which seems a bit high to me for other parts of China. I would happily learn more about Qingdao. Please let me know if there is a more appropriate place to ask about that.
Next, what do you prefer; a university that offers low money but easy work during the week, a language mill that is the opposite, or a private or international school that's somewhere in between.
I originally was very interested in private or international schools. I went to an IB school for middle school and high school, and have a number of friends who attended United World College Schools, so the format really appeals to me. That being said, I got the impression that I was underqualified for these kind of positions. I looked into getting a Masters/Colorado Teaching Certification, but the extra effort and financial investment didn't seem worth it for a year or two(+?) of work. I did score very highly on the SAT and SAT II English exams, so I'd be willing to kiss ass with that, if necessary.
Barring that, it's kind of a toss up. The salary of private/cram schools is obviously appealing. However, if I would be able to teach/tutor on the side in addition to a university position, the additional vacation time would be better for my travel goals. So... Money is nice bfbfbfbfbf, but if there's an option to flexibly earn on the side and/or compromise living standards in exchange for travel opportunities, that's what I'd be willing to do. I don't want to live in China and fail to see any of it.
I think if you're interested in Mandarin and don't want a big city, I'd avoid Shenzhen. It is pretty big, and part of the whole Hong-Kong/Guangzhou/Shenzhen thing that is almost one big mega-city at this point. Guangdong is full of people who speak Cantonese, not Mandarin, and while it is true both are spoken, the fact that the lingua franca among the people is not putonghua will be to your disadvantage if your main goal is language learning.
This is really good to know! I was worried about Guangdong, however my research indicated that since Shenzhen is largely a migrant city, Mandarin is just about as prevalent as Cantonese. I'm also personally fascinated by areas where cultures combine (hence my interest in Urumqi, Qingdao, and to a lesser extent Kunming), so it seemed like an interesting place. It's definitely the one "big" city on my list, and I've heard the pollution is pretty bad -- which makes sense, given that it's a production center. Another big draw was the ease of travel from Shenzhen, but that may just be something I have to compromise on to get a true language immersion experience.
I live in Beijing right now, but am moving (back) to Kunming very soon, so I can speak to both places. Kunming has a very non-standard dialect that is not unlike Sichuanese, but the dialect is Mandarin based and if you don't mind picking up a bit of a Southwestern accent, it can be a decent place to learn Chinese and there are loads and loads of private Chinese language schools there, some better than others. It is difficult to score a high paying job in Kunming, but not impossible.
I would LOVE to hear more about Kunming. To be honest, the information I've found so far is pretty sparse. I actually don't mind speaking with an accent - in a weird way, I've found that it helps build rapport with native speakers. I speak German with a very heavy East German accent and Spanish with a slight Mexican accent (mostly SW American anymore :(), and I wouldn't give either up for the 'standard'. How many people out of Beijing actually speak Beijinger (err... correct) Mandarin, anyway? True, as a business lingua franca the ideal would be Beijing dialect, but in practice I care about that less than attaining a practical level of usage.
I am fascinated by minority cultures and intercultural areas so Yunnan in general seems VERY interesting. The catch-22 is, as you said, the lower pay. If cost of living is low I'm fine with fairly sparse living conditions, but I'd really rather not have to defer my student loan payments or skip out on travel altogether. That being said, I'm a backpacker type (in both the hostel and camping senses), so if the areas around Kunming are worth it, that might be good enough for me. I would ideally like to be able to visit Cambodia and possibly Nepal as well, though I've heard it's very difficult to travel internationally from China. Would this be the case from Yunnan, despite it's closer proximity?
Qingdao is a good pick as well, and probably has more job choices than Kunming. DD can probably tell you all about it.
Qingdao is interesting for its own historical reasons (OK, and beer.... agagagagag), and I definitely have noticed the higher number of job offerings. The real difference between the two would be the cultural experience and travel opportunities. Kunming would be more interesting for local cultures, but Qingdao is closer (...relatively...) to some more well-known tourist areas.
Thanks so much to both Day Dreamer and The Local Dialect for your advice!! This is exactly what I was hoping for from joining the Saloon. bhbhbhbhbh
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Actually Guangzhou Writer, you might be able to give me some info. since I can't PM you yet: A recruiter (ducks to avoid crap being thrown at me by Saloon crowd) has been trying to set up a Skype interview for me with Web International in Guangzhou (stays crouched for safety).
Since I've been told elsewhere that in the very large cities the schools are likely owned directly rather than franchise, is this "better?" (relative term I know) aoaoaoaoao
If you want to contact me offline, you can send to: guangzhou-writer a-t g-mail dot com. No spaces, no dashes.
I've been in Guangzhou for 8 years and had acquaintances at Web International back in 2006-7. Haven't dropped in since. Like DD said, they are what they are, and they don't give you much vacation time except for the standard government holidays. Last I heard they also don't make your two days off contiguous. They have expanded to three offices, maybe four since I last visited.
IMO, with your qualifications, you could do a *lot* better. Most uni's have filled their quotas, but they always need someone last minute. The visa issues complicate this because it creates latency in the hiring process, but I wouldn't want my first job in China to be one of the big chains like Web, EF, Wall Street, etc., especially if I were over 35 y.o. Since you're referencing Ferris Bueller, LOL, you're a little old for the Web I knew in Guangzhou 7 years ago. It wouldn't be bad, it's just that I think you can do better.
Shenzhen has some of the best air quality in China for a big city, better than Guangzhou.
I can't teach kids, but you might be able to find a kid school with guaranteed small class sizes, high tuition, etc., hopefully high salaries for foreign teachers, and they might have a package for you that would let you get hired during the summer with a proper visa.
It's not really reliable, especially since visa regulations are in flux since two days ago, but EF tells candidates in Guangzhou to go to Hong Kong in order to send their Z visa papers back to an agent in the USA. What I'm suggesting is that *if* you wanted to take a risk, you could come to Guangzhou now on a tourist visa, find work (EF hires people here on tourist visas) while you're looking for a proper job, and you might strike gold that couldn't happen otherwise because of the time of the year. IMO, Guangzhou is the most lax city when it comes to visa issues, but that could change at any moment. Just saying.
Now everyone who's been in China for years will tell me I'm wrong for suggesting the above, but I've seen lots of people do it my entire 8 years here, including me.
One problem is that the uni recruiters are for the most part not even in the office during the summer. However, there are lots of summer camps that last about two weeks. All kinds of jobs to earn a little scratch while you're looking around for a job with a proper work visa.
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Yǐngzi the Cane Corso says hello.
(http://changshanotes.smugmug.com/Portraits/Yǐngzi/i-Zfw73ck/0/L/20130703-DSC00818-L.jpg)
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LoveSasa if you're interested in backpacking type travel then Yunnan is your place. The whole province kept me busy for about five years and there were still places I hadn't seen. It is also a good jumping off point for exploring Sichuan and T and other places farther West. As you probably realize from your research, Yunnan is home to 26 of China's 56 minority cultures, and while a lot of those cultures have been pretty well Han-ified, it isn't too hard to get out into rural areas and find places where people are speaking their minority languages and adhering to the old ways. The landscape is really amazing, the weather is awesome, and it is a very chilled out place in a lot of ways.
Urumqi is a really cool city too, I went out to Xinjiang last year and really liked Urumqi a lot, even though it was more "Chinese" than the other places we visited. I think there are a couple of posters here who have lived and taught there before, so if you're interested you might make a separate post about teaching in Xinjiang. The region has a very very interesting (and sometimes volitile) mix of cultures, an incredible history (the freakin Silk Road, doesn't get much more hardcore than that) great food, great scenery, great music, and some of the friendliest people I've met in China. I'd look for a job out there myself if my Chinese husband weren't totally and completely opposed to it, heh. I also really liked Turpan, but not sure if there are teaching positions there are not.
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anderguyil,
The Spainish girl I know at the language uni, whose credentials are merely being a native speaker, she describes her job as a "privilege" because all her students are personally motivated to be in her class and learn the language of her choice.
English is a require class and most people in those classes have no potential for learning more languages and people who aren't interested in English. Teaching a language other than English would be much, much, much, much more fun for the teacher.
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bhbhbhbhbh I got an offer!! Simultaneous to my inquiries and responses with the schools mentioned here and elsewhere, I've also been in communication with a representative of Y&Z Education, which is a U.S. organization that has some cooperative arrangements with Chinese schools.
Long story short, I Skyped with their internal recruiter last night and they made me an offer for one of the schools they work with: Hainan Overseas Chinese High School in Haikou, Hainan. Range in their info. sheet was 4-8000 rmb/month, they're offering me 7,000. They provide health insurance and apartment near campus. Also, since it's an actual high school, vacation & time off policy is on the generous side. Start date is Sept. 1.
I haven't answered them yet--just read the offer email. Of course I need to see the contract etc. This is less money than I had been hoping for (would prefer 10-15K range), but I know high schools & universities are not as high in salary. I still want to end up in a bigger city and may go the private language school route the following year, especially to build networking contacts to do corporate training work so I can utilize my Master's in Training.
So....whadda y'all think? My vibe says it's probably the best I'm going to get without going the private training center route and dealing with recruiters, bad managers, and other shysters my first time out. agagagagag
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7000 is VERY high for Haikou. It's pretty desirable location, so employers tend to pay less (I've seen jobs in the 3500 range there) because they know many people are willing to make less to live there.
Try and find out about where exactly the school is in the city, too. Haikou could mean in the city center, in a county under the jurisdiction of the city, or off a highway in the middle of nowhere.
Without knowing the teaching hours and whether or not more is required (office hours, English corners and so on) it's hard to say, but the preliminary report sounds good bfbfbfbfbf . Good location, good salary and no horror stories popped up in a quick Google search. congrats!
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What decurso said plus beaches
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Thanks decurso and Day Dreamer.
There is reference to an English Corner twice a week in the info. sheet but not mentioned in contract. From what I've read about the chain schools, it seems to be de rigeur. Don't know the exact location of the school, says it was founded in 1938 but I don't know if they still use original building.
They are giving me the option of arranging my own travel with a $1500 allowance, so I may be able to give myself that Biz Class treat after all!
Still having trouble getting the contract attachment on the Contracts board (45 KB .doc and I did try compressing it into Zip file but still got error message. Actually says I submitted my post already. Have been advised to take out private deets and put it into message body, but don't know how unwieldy that might be.
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I haven't been able to attach any documents on the forum either.
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hey all,
Been reading the different threads on here for a few days now, it is something that I think could be very useful to people looking at coming over to China (such as myself) or people already there needing assistance whilst they are there.
I have already applied for a few jobs over there and have had two offers, but they are unfortunately not in big cities so a little sceptical, anyhow, just wanted to introduce myself to you all, currently in South Africa waiting for the right job to come along, which the saloon has already been beneficial to me. Any good recommendations on a starting city or town from people who have already done so.
Cheers,
Coetz
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@coetz, welcome! I'm pretty new around here myself. As you might have read elsewhere I'm accepting an offer for my first ESL job ever, in China. I definitely used the advice of others on here to get a sense if they felt it was a good one. I also threw a few possible sketchy offers at them too.
It sounds like a typical cliche, but the "right" job will come to you and the social and heavy drinkers in the Saloon will be happy to expose it for the prison or Valhalla it may be.
gggggggggg
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@anderguyil Yeah I did a fair bit of research but nothing actually beats peoples actual experience, I do understand that each person has different expectations, but clearly the people on here have heaps of experience, even since reading past threads I have learnt a fair deal from here. Has anyone on here been to or taught in Dongying City in Shandong province or Longquan Province?
TBH I would prefer to wait for something in a bigger city, such as Xi'an or Shanghai, but also dont want to miss an opportunity of going somewhere off the beaten track that is actually a great place to begin.
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I would look at the air pollution indexes for the different cities. You might not be able to even imagine how bad some of these places are. After you rule out perhaps 80-90% of the tier 1 cities, you get a better picture.
Recent news article said smog in Chinese cities reduces lifespan by 5 years. It *might* only reduce the lifespan of people who survive by five years, but how about those who get lung cancer and don't even survive?
You'll need to look at some long-term statistics to see the real trends. Because I've been living all this time down south, I've paid some attention to the stats here over the years. Shenzhen seems pretty good, Guangzhou not terrible, Hong Kong the best in Guangdong.
http://aqicn.org
http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=8110.45
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Cheers GW, that was something that I didn't even think of and after reading the link you sent, it is definitely something that needs to be considered. I have lived in the big cities before (Johannesburg,London and Auckland) but I am sure none of them compare to some Chinese cities with all the factories. Will definitely keep that in mind when getting job offers
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I'm 24, American, just graduated with a comm degree and couldn't wait to leave behind all my friends just circlejerking in bars.
Love hockey and talking to random strangers then writing about the dumb shit that I get into. So China felt like the perfect place to go. I can do a lot if really dumb shit in China I think.
I'm really just gonna grab China by the haunches and *multiple crotch thrusts* hump it into submission....Can I change my username to Patches O'Hoolihan? I'll have to do something about that...I have much yuan! I will give very much money to Raoul to make happen!
Plan on taking a contract for September 2013
I'll either be the new emperor in a couple years or run home in the first month. This is how I imagine things going over there. Culture shock less likely if you're already f*@$ing weird.
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Welcome Anonymous. That was certainly a spirited introduction!
By the way, if you really want to change your name, you can actually do it yourself in profile settings.
See you around the Saloon!
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Welcome Patches O'Hoolihan! agagagagag I really look forward to hearing about your adventures in China. May I offer a bit of advice, being an old lady with years of life experience? You sound like a lot of fun, but please take care and remember that there are a lot of opportunists out there. I'm an Aussie by the way and have never lived or worked in China, but I have visited. There are a lot of very smart and helpful and trustworthy people here at the Saloon, so please don't be afraid to ask questions. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Cheers GW, that was something that I didn't even think of and after reading the link you sent, it is definitely something that needs to be considered. I have lived in the big cities before (Johannesburg,London and Auckland) but I am sure none of them compare to some Chinese cities with all the factories. Will definitely keep that in mind when getting job offers
By coincidence I was in a suddenly excellent electronics department store called Sundan and they had a section for air filters. There was an American brand (IQ Air? Austin? can't recall) and they went for 5000 - 18000. If I lived in a place like Beijing, I'd think about having one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Then again, close statistical analysis might show me that Guangzhou is much worse than I think.
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After a decade of saving and putting myself through college, coming back to China is now appearing to be a realistic option for me!
Back in 2004, I taught at a shady school in Taiyuan for 4 months (Mercan), having to leave due to differences of opinion between myself and the owner. I am happy to see it on one of the lists of bad schools! Reluctantly, I packed my bags for Beijing to head home (Canada), but not before I blew every last RMB on seeing everything there I could. I couldn't even come up with the money for the airport improvement fee! Despite my poor experience at that school, and the fact that Taiyuan isn't a particularly interesting city, I loved the people, the food, and the craziness of the country.
Now, I'm finishing my degree (finally), so I'm actually qualified to work legally over there, and am looking forward to going back. Definitely intend on doing some research on here to find a better school/city to live in. I don't like small towns or extremely cold weather, and would prefer if Mandarin is the main language as I have been doing my best to remember what I picked up.
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Good luck Bacon (what a splendid handle) hope you make it back. bfbfbfbfbf
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I suspect things have changed a lot since you were last here in 2004, and probably not for the better. asasasasas
I would expect so. However, things in Canada haven't exactly improved either as far as I'm concerned. Anything super major (besides actually needing a degree now), or is it a combination of little things?
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...
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Welcome and good luck with the job search! agagagagag
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Thanks for the link redirected Dragonsaver!
So, hi everybody, I'm Ross, a 24 year old English bloke and I'm shortly finishing a year long contract with EF in Wuhan.
Wuhan is boring, it's not very gentrified and consists mainly of malls and alienating Chinese clubs.
BUT I'm moving to Shanghai in the next few weeks (pending visa) and have a new job as In-house writer with OUP - the sort of job I've wanted for a long time and left the UK in the first place having not found in a year long search after graduation. To be fair I did study joint honours creative writing and film studies - subjects I love but ones next to geography as least employment- worthy!
I'm excited, this is the opportunity I've been waiting for - teaching was never a strong interest (although it developed my public speaking skills which I value) and was just something I did so I could live in and experience China.
Big interests (here we go usual! Haha I haven't used a forum in a long time...) jazz music, travelling, cooking, film, writing.
I'm glad to have come upon such a good looking forum and hope to enjoy many conversations with you all :)
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D'you hear that folks we are a "good looking forum" ! Welcome Ross and kudos on studying what you love.
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Truly a forum of startling beauty ababababab
Oh why thank you, the pleasure was all mine! I've always just thought, why not, life's too short to compromise.
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G'day Reawake and welcome to the forum. agagagagag All the best for your move to Shanghai and for your new job. I really look forward to hearing about your experiences in China. bfbfbfbfbf Just as a matter of interest, on 9th of this month was the 100yrs anniversary of my Paternal Grandmother's arrival by ship to Australia, from England and her marriage on the same day. My Grandfather had arrived here a bit earlier. She was a milliner from Brixton and he was a barber from Manchester. On my Mum's side, we started with two Convict brothers who were transported from England. oooooooooo May I ask where you lived in England?
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Thank you Granny Mae!
A significant anniversary for you, no doubt.
Oh the country of convicts! In theory it'll have bred a smart race of people, of course I mean lefties, most common thieves, gays, and GENIUSES! bhbhbhbhbh
You may! I'm from a smallish town between Cambridge and London, but I spent my university time in Liverpool. Manchester is actually the better city, I ended up wishing I'd studied there instead!
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Reawake, you mentioned that you had studied film and you know that we have a thread here on films. As a matter of interest, Angelina Jolie is here in Oz producing a film. You may also be interested in seeing the film "Red Dog" which I watched again last night. It is based on a true story and it shows the types of blokes who lived in the mining camps in Western Australia about fifty years ago. The main "character" is the red dog who died in November 1979. You would probably appreciate what went into making a film about a dog. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi Guys, I'm Stephanie, nice to meet you all. I currently live in France but I got a teaching position in Changchun. I'm leaving early next year. I always dreamed to go to China but never had the opportunity to get there before. I'm quite excited and a bit nervous at the same time.
The Saloon was really helpful to gather info about schools. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
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Hi Si Mao, congrats and good luck. I lived 3½ years there. I totally loved it. I am now somewhere else because my wife had a promotion here. If there's anything you want to know about the 'choon, let me know. There are a few others who
did time worked there too. Our beloved leader Raoul (RIP) was stuck there as well
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Thank you Day Dreamer. I'm happy I got a position there, I was looking for a smaller city than Beijing or Shanghai but still good for a newbie like me. Even through I already been living abroad I'm asking myself so many questions haha, thanks to the internet to make this kind of forums happening. Thank you for your offer, I have indeed some questions to ask later. agagagagag
And I'm sorry for the loss, Raoul truly seemed like a great person.
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Welcome Si Mao! agagagagag Keep us up to date on what you are doing. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi everyone! My name's Edwin and I just booked my ticket to China--Jinan in particular. I'm 26, from New York, and am heading out in January (the morning after my best friend's wedding!) to work with Best Learning as--you guessed it--an English teacher. 15 month contract, whew boy! Leaving it all behind and heading West...to the East, but I have to go West to get there...globes are weird.
A little extra about myself: I'm a former professional circus performer (specializing in unicycles and fire eating/breathing) and magician, published writer (not terribly much, but it's a start), and eager adventurer. I've spent the years since high school bouncing around the world, not getting much done, so I'm hoping to use the next however long in China to get my self figured out. The only downside to all this moving to China business is that I have an incredible 1,500 volume book collection that I'm rather sad to be selling off/giving away as I head off into the future--but it's all for the best.
Anyway, I suppose that's enough of an introduction. Glad to be here :)
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Leaving it all behind and heading West...to the East, but I have to go West to get there...globes are weird.
I blame Christopher Columbus. East was East and West was West until he invented America.
(http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/xwarrior6/junk%20-%20odds%20and%20ends%20from%20other%20places/eastandwestclip_zpscf9a8575.jpg) (http://s953.photobucket.com/user/xwarrior6/media/junk%20-%20odds%20and%20ends%20from%20other%20places/eastandwestclip_zpscf9a8575.jpg.html)
xkcd knows these things.
http://xkcd.com/503/
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Welcome... agagagagag agagagagag Working in China is, actually, much like working in a circus, except the Sprechstallmeister has been koshed and tied up behind the elephant pen and the clowns got into the fireeater's brandy and are now running the show agagagagag agagagagag I hope your stay in the Big Silly will be enjoyable. Please, please, eat fire in front of your students...I can assure you that, if you do, you will, hands down, win the Coolest Teacher of the Millenia Award at the school. agagagagag agagagagag
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Welcome jomteon! agagagagag Sounds like you have had a lot of fun. bfbfbfbfbf Keep posting at the Saloon and you will get a lot of help and good advice from people who know what they are talking about and who will freely offer you that help and advice which is vital to your living in China. Sorry to hear about your books. alalalalal
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Welcome... agagagagag agagagagag Working in China is, actually, much like working in a circus, except the Sprechstallmeister has been koshed and tied up behind the elephant pen and the clowns got into the fireeater's brandy and are now running the show agagagagag agagagagag I hope your stay in the Big Silly will be enjoyable. Please, please, eat fire in front of your students...I can assure you that, if you do, you will, hands down, win the Coolest Teacher of the Millenia Award at the school. agagagagag agagagagag
OMG this. If you eat fire in front of your students the other jokers might as well just pack up and leave. There will be no topping it and you'll go down in school lore for at least the next 5 years or so.
Welcome to the Saloon!
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Don't worry jomteon, it'll all come back to you in no time. Before you know it, you'll be saying:
- "Hey! Who's running this circus?"
- "What are you, a fricken clown?"
- "Where's my whip?"
- "Damn, I don't want to do this but the show must go on"
And that's just from home! Wait until you start working ahahahahah
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Hello everyone,
Bahamoth here. The name is a pun, kinda. It's like 'behemoth', but I'm from The Bahamas.
Someone called Fox sent me a PM to spur me on to post an intro, I suppose. I couldn't response to the PM for some reason so here's the next best thing.
A little background: I taught ESL in Yongzhou, Hunan for 3 months a few years ago. I was employed by Buckland International Language Group (or some such name) who operate out of Yangshuo, Guangxi.
I'm now applying across the board at IB schools.
Very excited to face the prospect of returning to China with a job that might actually pay...
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Welcome Bahamoth and welcome back to the land of silliness. Good luck on your search. The "Teacher's Board" has a wealth of knowledge.
BTW, I've been to Bahamas a few years back. I have a thing for island nations, that's where I seem to go most of the time I travel
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Welcome Bahamoth,Edwin and Si Mao! Wow the Fire eating thing is getting me now! I would love to do that in front of my students! aoaoaoaoao
Good luck in the Muddled Kingdom to all of yous. agagagagag
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Hello Bahamoth agagagagag Nice to have you on board
PM privileges come once you begin posting a bit more and join in on conversations ... or simply start Asking Questions bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello Bahamoth agagagagag Nice to have you on board
PM privileges come once you begin posting a bit more and join in on conversations ... or simply start Asking Questions bfbfbfbfbf
Okay, why is the sky blue?
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[/quote]
Okay, why is the sky blue?
[/quote]
What fantasy magical not located in China land do you live in? bibibibibi
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Okay, why is the sky blue?
Photoshop
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Ah, that makes sense then!
Thank you for the welcome.
I've primarily been using the website as a way of doing research on schools that have vacancies.
I don't have TOO much to say yet. I'm sure once I've got my job in China then I will start to have more to say.
I experienced a lot when I was in China before, but I think I have erased much of it from my mind. I'm sure as soon as I'm back, it will all flood back! In the mean time, I will try to be as vocal as I can and trawl through the threads looking for ones I can contribute to.
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Welcome Bahamoth! agagagagag I look forward to hearing about your experiences in China. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi all! I'm coffeepresto, but I'm technically not new to the forums. At the risk of sounding creepy, I will admit that I have been lurking this forum for a while because there's a plethora of info about China, the community here strikes me as way more supportive and down to earth than other places, and I miss China so much!! I lived in China for two years. Now, I'm back in the States with my husband, who is studying here. It's been pretty interesting, but the China life is special, isn't it? And it's hard to shed the expat identity. Anyway, reading the forum is a pleasant nostalgia trip. I look forward to continue reading about your experiences, Salooners!
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Welcome! Glad you came out of the shadows.
When were you in china and what part?
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Love the moniker, welcome (again I guess) We didn't see you there in the shadows the first time
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Thanks! I lived in Dalian from 2010-2012. I went back last summer, though; it's convenient that my husband is from there, we always have a reason to go back. As for the moniker, it's my drug of choice.
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Then you should check out http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=8237.0
I think I have personally kept both the Kenyan and Costa Rican economies afloat
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I've been finding a wealth of information here, and just wanted to officially introduce myself and thank you for providing clear, forthright information. I'm currently in the US but hope to start teaching in September, preferably in a university.
I don't have a lot to contribute at this point but hope to soon.
Cheers!
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Greetings. I'm one of the oldest hands, but while I'm not in China anymore I'm still involved in what has become "the industry". University is a good, supported starting point in China. Not great - some lazy students, crazy and corrupt administration etc, but a realistic introduction to a fascinatingly maddening society.
Keep posting!
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I've been finding a wealth of information here, and just wanted to officially introduce myself and thank you for providing clear, forthright information. I'm currently in the US but hope to start teaching in September, preferably in a university.
I don't have a lot to contribute at this point but hope to soon.
Cheers!
Welcome to the Saloon, it's a fun friendly place with tons of good people and....Stil aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao beware, he lurks around.
Uni is always a good place to start teaching IMHO. easy hours, enough time to discover and learn new things, good for a first year if money is not the highest priority.
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Good day, hope everyone is alright. Just decided to migrate myself to a more China-Centric forum.
I'm an American in Changsha, teaching at a highschool.
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Welcome to the Saloon bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag
I hope you enjoy it here agagagagag agagagagag Have a drink on George's tab. agagagagag agagagagag
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G'day redoctoberblack! Nice to hear from you. Are you Male or female? How long have you been teaching in China? I look forward to hearing about your experiences. You may have read that I am an Aussie and that ill health prevented my going to China, so I am not much help to you, but there are a lot of good folk here who have a lot to offer. bfbfbfbfbf Have fun! agagagagag
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Teaching at a High School? So allow me to say yaaay, your semester must be over this week. Enjoy your holiday and welcome.
R
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We start summer vacation in about two weeks.
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Welcome redoctoberblack.
I too am in Changsha.
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I'm at the highschool attached to Hunan Normal University, international department. ::D :wtf:
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Just wanted to say hi guys. Occasional reader, first time poster.
I'm 23, British and hoping to head over to China at the beginning of 2015. I have a degree and currently in the process of procuring a TEFL certificate. Just need to pay the student overdraft off!
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agagagagag redoctoberblack
agagagagag wawaw
Nice to see you here!
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Welcome wawaw! agagagagag Hope everything goes well for you. bfbfbfbfbf I look forward to hearing about your experiences. Take care and have fun. :candyraver: :dancemj:
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Thanks folks.
October now; still no TEFL certificate and a student overdraft the size of a small mountain. I've got a job in a call centre and still hoping to find a gig (preferably university) at the beginning of 2015. Hope all is well on here!
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The Saloon continues agagagagag Hope you make to PRC as planned bfbfbfbfbf
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Thought I'd introduce myself prematurely.
22 female Year old who is very interested in teaching in China. Opportunities seem rather scarce for people my age, it seems the only option is to ship myself off to a language mill. :(
Majored in Journalism (If I could do it again, I would have gone the English route) and in the middle of getting my TEFL certificate.
Things I love: Football aka Soccer, Reading, trying new sports and writing.
Swimming in student loans.
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welcome to all of those 22year old females!
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Nice to have you here, Cynicd05 agagagagag
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Welcome Cynicd05! agagagagag I hope that things work out well for you, so please keep us updated.
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Going through a career change of teaching skiing/snowboarding and other outdoor recreation the last ten years to tefl. Looking forward to learning from the forum and hopefully can contribute.
It all started with reading In China With Green Day a few years back, then The River at the Center of the World, now can't get country off my mind. I have a job lined up in shenzhen this spring.
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Welcome to the Saloon bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag
I look forward to hearing about your experiences in China agagagagag agagagagag
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G'day and welcome to the Saloon sbco! Would you tell us a bit about yourself such as Country of origin? I'm sorry that I can't be of much help as far as China goes, but there are lots of nice folk here who have a lot to offer. All the best mate! bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Hey everyone!
I'm a 27 yo Aussie guy, just graduated from a BA majoring in international relations and Chinese, and am planning to teach English in Shanghai next year. I don't have a TEFL/TESOL yet. My heart is pretty set on Shanghai, so any advice about that city and in particular good schools there would be much appreciated!
Cheers!
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Welcome to the madhouse, JamesP87! agagagagag Shanghai rocks but you need a well paying job as it can be pretty expensive!
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Hello. Welcome to the
madhouse lunatic asylum Saloon agagagagag
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Generally speaking (and in China even 2 and 2 only add up to 4 generally speaking) I think that employers in Shanghai look for a bit of teaching experience. Technically you need a couple of years experience to get a Foreign Experts Certificate anywhere in China. You can drive a coach and horses through that requirement most places, but Shanghai not so much.
That doesn't mean you won't be able to get a job in Shanghai. I'm sure you will. A job that anybody in their right mind would take? Not so sure.
I would suggest that you at least consider other cities, as this will greatly increase your chances of getting a good job.
Is there any reason why you have your heart set on Shanghai?
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I recently got offered a job at a Uni which purported to be in Suzhou but on consulting Mr Google turned out to be just between Suzhou and Shanghai and nearer to Shanghai.It was a good gig and with easy weekend distance of both those fair cities. You might be interested?? It was a good gig for sure,good money for few hours,nice apartment etc etc etc PM me if you are.
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G'day and welcome JamesP87! agagagagag I'm in Brisbane, where are you from?
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@ Piglet
JamesP87 is - at present - not able to receive PMs. As soon as he's Posted a bit more, he will upgrade to Member status and be able to send/receive private communications agagagagag
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Ok Amonk thanks for the heads up!
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Thanks for all of your replies, and sorry for not responding sooner. Just like Mr. Bean - not really, just seems like a cool city and I like that it is very cosmopolitan and international, but also has authentic Chinese parts. Piglet, that sounds really good, I would definitely be interested! I like Suzhou as well. Could you give me the details? Granny Mae - from Brissy!
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The college is in a place called Taicang you can find it on google map this is their website http://www.wjxvtc.cn/.
I think you have to post more for me to be able to send you more details by PM.
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Thanks for that lead Piglet, I will look into that. An employer recently wrote to me and said that the you need a 120-hr TESOL qualification before you can apply for the Z-visa. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so which TESOL qualification do you need to have? Can it be an online course, or does it have to be a specific course? Thanks!
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Not really true, (at least not in China as a whole).
Here's the deal. technically, as I said before, you need to be qualified to get a Foreign Experts Certificate. How strictly that's imposed and what kind of qual you need depends on where you want to work, and Shanghai probably is one of the places where this is important. Employers may very well want a CELTA, Trinity TESOL or other qual of that ilk.
However, as I also pointed out before, (implicitly), Shanghai is a very big place, and China more so. You might be able to get a job legally in Shanghai without a 120 hour cert, (though you'll have lots of competition).
However (again), there's a scam where employers say that you have to do their 120 hour certificate, which has the advantage of being not only expensive, but also completely useless with any other employer.
There are of course benefits (above and beyond getting the FEC) of getting a good teaching qualification, but that has been discussed to death on multiple threads.
Without a teaching qualification or experience, you're making things a lot more difficult for yourself trying to get a job in Shanghai. Even if you do a CELTA, which would considerably improve your options, technically you might also need 2 genuine years of ESL teaching experience for many if not most of the jobs in Shanghai.
I know that Piglet posted a link for a job, but Piglet is one of the most experienced and qualified people on this site ESL-wise. The jobs that each of you would get (and there's some employers that would prefer you as you're all young and bushy tailed ananananan) probably wouldn't have an awful lot of overlap.
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I'll take that as a compliment,Just Like Mr Benn bjbjbjbjbj
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Hey there salooners,
My name is Juan and I am dashing, witty, charming and above all modest. I am a recently province certified primary school teacher, to which I can eternally thank a Chinese McSchool. If they hadn't wanked me so hard, I'd still be there, instead of coming to the realization that it was time to qual up; I'm not getting any younger, perkier, buxom or blonder after all (these being, as far as I can tell, the prime hiring criteria in N.E. Asian ESL). Before that I had done far too long a stint teaching English to uninterested South Koreans of all ages.
I'd really like to head back to Asia, China particularly. I really love the place, which often gets wry looks from people. Since I have no Canadian classroom experience other than my practicums (and don't really want any either), I will probably going to have to work at an "international school". Ideally one that isn't run by crooks & nitwits (one or the other, please).
I'm looking for French teaching work locally now, and may stay a year doing supply to beef up the resume, but would definitely like to go to China for at least the summer. English camps are their own special kind of hell, I know all too well, but I am hoping to find one that at least would make monetary sense for me to make the voyage. In reality I need little inducement, I am throughly infected with the lifer expat sickness, and I don't mean alcoholism (well, a wee bit of alcoholism). I can't ever see myself staying here longterm, I made that decision many moons ago, and nothing has changed much in the interim.
I hope to get to know all of you and maybe one day soon meet up, share some bottles of baiju and wonder where it all went wrong.
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Welcome to the Saloon. agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
If you taught in Korea then you have teaching experience. bjbjbjbjbj
Teaching experience after getting your provincial certificate should not be a problem in getting a position in China.
There are other members at the Saloon that can give you advice on good International Schools. Good luck as that is the best teaching gig for you. bjbjbjbjbj
Summer camps would not be a good alternative because the majority are looking for people already in China and I doubt they would assist with your airfare or living accommodations. bibibibibi agagagagag agagagagag
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G'day Juan and welcome to the Saloon. I look forward to hearing about your experiences. bfbfbfbfbf
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Sounds like you and I followed similar paths - welcome!
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Do you mean they 'worked you so hard' as 'wanked you so hard' sounds like something else!
Either way, wanker or worker, welcome!
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"I hope to get to know all of you and maybe one day soon meet up, share some bottles of baiju and wonder where it all went wrong."
sounds like u gonna fit right in,Mr Juan agagagagag
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Allow myself to introduce myself... From 2006-2013 I lived in Hunan and Guangxi. I've met many members of this forum in person and I'm happy to be here to share the photos I accumulated while in China. Semper laowai.
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Hi Ricardo and welcome to the Saloon. agagagagag I look forward to seeing your photos and to hearing about your experiences. bfbfbfbfbf
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Hello all,
My name is Raul. I am new to this great forum and to teaching in China (well I'm in the process of obtaining my visa). My contract starts in September. Honestly, I am really skeptical of what is going to happen in China. I hope I don't struggle much. I look forward in meeting most of you. I'm from the beautiful state of California, but was raised in Mexico until I was 12 years old. I have a masters in education and a teaching credential. No actual teaching experience, besides my one year long student teaching, and a few years tutoring ELLs students.
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Hi, Raul. Welcome to the Saloon agagagagag This is a GOOD place to bring your questions, queries and concerns.
Pull up a stool, and have a jug of your preferred tipple. First one's on me agagagagag
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Welcome Raul. Don't be "skeptical" (okay, a little is healthy)... but instead embrace the craziness that is China. bfbfbfbfbf
Are you going to be working at a uni, public school, international school or language mill?
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Welcome Raul! I'm the one sitting at the corner of the bar (Don't sit on my stool afafafafaf). Welcome to the Saloon bjbjbjbjbj
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Welcome mate, glad to have you.
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Thanks for the welcoming all! I will be working at a University in Jiangxi. I indeed have thousands of questions.
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G'day Raul, I seem to have joined the welcoming committee a bit late. I'm an Australian who has never taught in China, however you have lots of good folk here to help you. bfbfbfbfbf agagagagag
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Maybe I am the latest newbie..
My user name comes from my Chinese name.. it is unofficial but maybe I should have made it official (just got my Chinese drivers licence).
Originally from Perth, Australia, been here in Tianjin 3 of the last 3.5 years cos I got married to a local girl. No kids yet... The 0.5 years difference was to finish off my Grad Dip Ed. And I have no intention of ever living back in Oz... especially now.
I was working in an English training centre in TJ for a year and a half - but next week start a new adventure as an English teacher/Accounting lecturer at a college in TJ. (I also have both B Commerce (in accounting) degree & a BA in Chinese - but I am a perfect example of what NOT to do when learning a language - which is what I tell my students! It is a good icebreaker!
I am looking forward to many robust discussions!
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Welcome to the
madhouse crazy place funny farm Saloon agagagagag
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Welcome to the Saloon GuangLei88! agagagagag There are a lot of folks here who have a lot of useful information to share. bfbfbfbfbf
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Thank you for your kind welcome! I have some info of my own that I will contribute when I a) have time, b) remember to c) find a topic that I can contribute something meaningful to. agagagagag
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Hello all,
Just joined, and I am looking forward to the exchanges here. Really love the Primer on Chinese Contracts post. Essential reading in my opinion.
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Welcome to the
Madhouse Loonie Bin Saloon agagagagag
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I see that there is a nice combination on this thread of people who either post here and then disappear, or get fully sucked in to the place. Will do what I can to be the latter.
I was once, long ago, a rather active member of a forum about Korea that has a prominent D in its name (until I realized how reading that forum caused me to lose brain cells at an exponential rate). Not because I was particularly interested in Korea, but because I spent 3 very long years there enduring Koreans, kimchi, Dokdo, high heels in the EMarts, crazy bus drivers, spitting, noraebangs and Girl's Generation songs (okay, that last one was kind of a love affair). On the upside, and due to no particular talent or capability of my own, I had one of the easiest and highest-paying PS jobs you could imagine, until they finally wised up and cut it. Then I found my way to a low-stress hagwon (a real thing), before I couldn't stand the ROK any more and came back to the US, whence I presently perch.
I know about this place from somebody who rec'd it on another Korea forum that has a prominent W in its name (a sad story about that place, it used to be a pretty great forum). I decided to take the plunge and attempt to contribute here due to a 'certain member' called cruisemonkey, as I recall him from the W forum and (I think) the D one as well. So when you are looking for someone to blame for the likes of me, it's his fault.
All my other detailed ramblings and questions I will attempt to confine/quarantine outside a general spot such as here. Thanks for being such a welcoming bunch!
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Nice to see you made it here agagagagag If nothing else, we have some really cool icons bfbfbfbfbf Several of our Members like to expound yyyyyyyyyy and demonstrate their wisdom ababababab whilst others of us just like to par-tay axaxaxaxax Mostly, we're just normal folk xxxxxxxxxx interested in China vvvvvvvvvv
Please feel free to join in a conversation, and chat with us bjbjbjbjbj
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Modernist - Are you considering coming to China to live and work?
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Modernist - Are you considering coming to China to live and work?
Ah. Guess I should add the follow-up. Yup, am indeed. I am presently enduring the unique misery that is ESL in the USA, juggling an adjunct position at a local juco with a slot at a for-profit place that calls itself a school but actually specializes in selling student visas to college-aged foreigners and requires 'teachers' in order to demonstrate to USCIS that said visas are being used in accordance with the law. Needless to say, motivation, curriculum, pay and many other things are sadly lacking at this place (although the students are sweet and I like most of them). And I thought Korean hagwon bosses were bad in terms of money. At least they are honest about their greed.
I have been to China multiple times (Qingdao, Suzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen etc), and although I've only seen a fraction of the country and am reasonably well aware of the problems and issues with working there, I also know I prefer Chinese culture a LOT more than Korean. That's not even to speak of the food (I HATED Korean food).
My actual middle-term goal (along with a good amount of traveling) is to become a certified teacher in the US, which requires a Master's, sadly, which in turn requires savings that I'm not gonna get if I keep working here. So to the uni positions of China I duly turn. My 'please help me find a decent uni job in China!' thread will be posted soon enough ahahahahah
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Welcome Modernist
Grab a stool and a pint agagagagag
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Welcome Modernist! agagagagag You sound like an interesting person. bfbfbfbfbf As you may have read, I'm an old fart (lady) from Oz. Have you ever been to Australia? Whatever you do mate, have fun; life gets away too quickly. :candyraver: :dancemj:
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I decided to take the plunge and attempt to contribute here due to a 'certain member' called cruisemonkey, as I recall him from the W forum and (I think) the D one as well. So when you are looking for someone to blame for the likes of me, it's his fault.
Modernist,
EVERYTHING on Raoul's is to be blamed on Escaped Lunatic.
Sincerely,
CM
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If you want to become a certified teacher in the States…
Find a gig in China at an "international school." There are all sorts of these, and without and MA or a teaching credential you probably can't get in to a really well paying one. But that's OK. Of the ones that offer you a position, find one that has certified teachers working at it. You can then do a teacher training program through the state of Florida and have your teaching in China observed by one of the certified teachers and thus counted as students teaching. This isn't too expensive (~$7k I think).
Then after you've got your teaching credential in hand, you can either go back to the US or just get on the international school circuit.
If you happened to study Economics or, basically, Anything But English, try to get a position teaching that subject so you can get a cert in something other than ESL/English. There are many fewer subject area teachers, and thus good jobs are easier to come by.
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Then after you've got your teaching credential in hand, you can either go back to the US or just get on the international school circuit.
That is the goal! Either I find a decent American teaching job, or given that the various political nutjobs in my country are spending great heaping amounts of their time trashing our education system, hello international schools!
If you happened to study Economics or, basically, Anything But English, try to get a position teaching that subject so you can get a cert in something other than ESL/English. There are many fewer subject area teachers, and thus good jobs are easier to come by.
Indeed. I studied Geography and History, ie, Social Studies, which of course is the most difficult subject area to be hired in America (and probably ISs, too). But, my real hope, and I guess this is considered odd by many people, is actually not to teach Secondary but Elementary. I actually like teaching kids, although not as much in ESL aoaoaoaoao so the idea of working with the upper elementary grades in an environment where they mostly speak decent English is very appealing at this point. Teaching MS or HS isn't something I'm that interested in. It's weird, too, as from what I can tell very few American graduate programs are set up to train 'second-career' EE teachers. The assumption seems to be that people who teach EE knew that in undergrad and got their B.Ed. back when they were 22, and anyone who comes to teaching later in life 'obviously' wants to deal with older kids (and/or martyr themselves in poor ghetto schools or dealing with the torment of Special Ed...or both...but don't get me started on that!). Not me. Besides, something like 85 or 90 percent of EE teachers are female, and I think there needs to be a better gender balance there. Kids need to see guys in their classrooms, too.
For sure planning on an ESL/ELL endorsement, though. I would strongly recommend anyone going back to school do it, it's easy to get and it helps your resume stand out in immigrant-heavy communities.
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I am a 56 year old Texan, whose taught for 30 years. 27 for the large and disfunctional DallasISD. I retire in June to lock in my pension and am hoping to be off to China in August as I am too young to quit working and have always wanted to do something like this. I have pretty much seen and done it all in my career. I hope my long career and knowledge sets will help me in China but am aware that it could also be a burden as China is no doubt different than Texas....
anywho I have taught middle, high school and adults. written curriculum, conducted inservice trainings etc. The best years were when I taught sheltered Math (maybe because I wrote the curriculum and was given a lot of free range as back then the esl kids "didn't count" for tests etc...
I will talk shop with anyone as I love teaching and have enjoyed mentoring my younger colleagues.
feel free to chime in and guide this old dog who hopefully will be off for an adventure soon.
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Hi Frosty,
After you have been in China for a while, I would encourage you to reflect on the following:
I have pretty much seen and done it all in my career.
I am sure China will change that and this is coming from one fellow Texan teacher to another.
Have fun!
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Welcome to the Saloon, frosty agagagagag
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Hi Frosty,
After you have been in China for a while, I would encourage you to reflect on the following:
I have pretty much seen and done it all in my career.
I am sure China will change that and this is coming from one fellow Texan teacher to another.
Have fun!
I hope so after 30 years teaching
I need to shake things up and China should do that
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Welcome to the Saloon frosty! agagagagag I look forward to hearing about your adventures. bfbfbfbfbf I'm an Aussie with health issues, so I travel through you guys. Have fun mate! jjjjjjjjjj bhbhbhbhbh uuuuuuuuuu agagagagag :candyraver: :dancemj: afafafafaf bfbfbfbfbf
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Hi everyone, I'm DongDong =D I'm not really good at introductions but here it goes, I'm from California and have been working in Shanghai for six (and a half) years. I am fluent in Mandarin and have relatives in Shanghai, but it still took quite some adjusting to settle in. Most of my friends are in Cali, a couple moved to HK and Taiwan, so keeping in touch is not the same as it used to be *sigh*. I came across the Saloon while searching for reviews of a tutoring center, and I'm very thankful for the info from the posts (definitely made a note of places to avoid). Everyone here seems so nice and funny and helpful! Anyhow, a big hello to all, if anyone needs any Shanghai related info (metro lines, general directions, etc) I can be of help =)
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Welcome to the
madhouse loony bin funny farm Saloon agagagagag agagagagag Pull up a stool, and get comfy.
Barkeep! This round's on ... ME ahahahahah
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G'day and welcome to the Saloon dongdong. Am I correct in assuming that you are male? I look forward to hearing about your experiences in Shanghai or in California for that matter. Do you know any Aussies (Australians)? You may have read that I am an older Aussie lady who lives in Brisbane, so I can't contribute anything helpful about China. Have fun whatever you do! bfbfbfbfbf
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Thanks AMonk xD (btw the emoticons here are mesmerizing, i'm staring at one in particular and it's so distracting lol)
Hi Granny Mae, I'm female and no unfortunately I don't know any Aussie in person, although... a distant cousin of mine lives in Australia and I'm hoping to get invited ababababab Kangaroo and koala are awesome!
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dongdong, very few Aussies get to see Kangaroos or Koalas in the wild. I used to see them out on our sheep and cattle property in Western Queensland. Unfortunately, the Koalas are dying out. alalalalal
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Hello, I am new.
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Hello, I am new.
Hi esl2017looking,
I'm old (but not as old as George). ahahahahah
cruisemonkey
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Welcome esl2017looking. agagagagag Are you male or female?
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Welcome to our 2 newest
victims Members agagagagag
Say "hello" to
RamiroJuh
and
CharlesBoomo
Please pull up a stool, and tell us a little about yourselves. We promise not to tell anyone else kkkkkkkkkk
Bartender. Civet juice all around. My tab.
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Hello Ramiro and Charles!
Are you already in China or are you still having fun with the pre-departure paperwork?
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Welcome y'all
Choose you stool/chair carefully for there's a lunatic in the house agagagagag
Welcome to our 2 newest victims Members agagagagag
Say "hello" to
RamiroJuh
and
CharlesBoomo
Please pull up a stool, and tell us a little about yourselves. We promise not to tell anyone else kkkkkkkkkk
Bartender. Civet juice all around. My tab.
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Hi everyone! I'm back (found my old profile and password, yay!) because I'm moving back to China after 17 years away. Can't wait! I used to live in Shanghai, now I'll be in Chengdu (end of September). Happy to be back, both here and in China!
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Welcome back! agagagagag agagagagag agagagagag
What are you going to be doing in Chengdu?
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Never too late to return
to the scene of the crime come home hang out with the reprobates for a jug at Raoul's agagagagag
Pull up a stool, and get EL to pour you a long, tall one!! agagagagag
Welcome Back axaxaxaxax
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w00t...
welcome back..
Was starting to feel like no one here was left in China.. good to get some returns