KAsE STUdY:
EnGLisH TeaCHer J
English Teacher J made a brief stab at being an old China hand, and he breaks off some factoids about life behind the Bamboo Curtain. Whatever the hall that means. He answered some questions by Email on September 28, 2004
Where have you taught, and for how long?
I taught in China for 2 years. One year in a
rural location, one year in a more cosmopolitan place.
Was it slightly less painful than a nail in the eye, or not?
The first year was horrific, at least teaching
wise. No experience, no books, no knowledge of Chinese. Just a blackboard and 50
kids waiting for "Edutainment" (fucking around). Surprisingly I got my shit
together by the end. Second year was better at a private school. It was well run
and the boss was a nice guy who was genuinely interested in good teaching. It's
called "Robert's" and it's in Kunming if anyone's interested. So mixed
experiences.
Were the students more entertaining than the average department store
mannequin?
They were nearly all kids, so I suppose yes. Very lively and hard workers. I taught some adults, and they were dull as dishwater, but there were some cute ones so it was bearable.
What were your living conditions like?
I think China is an under-rated location. Living conditions were very good. In the second year I was getting a very good salary by local standards (about$800 per month). I could afford my own appartment, eat out every night, take taxis everywhere, and buy as many DVDs and CDs as I wanted. Which makes me think, why exactly did I leave?
Any particularly horrible stories you'd like to share?
Nothing really awful, but I would say try not to get sick in rural China because the hospitals are horrific, and they might want to see the colour of your money first. A colleague got burst stomach ulcers out there, and it wasn't pleasant.
Well, I wouldn't think burst stomach ulcers would be pleasant anywhere, but point taken. Boff any Chinese women? Is that an easy thing to do or not?
I "boffed" quite a few Chinese women, as there are a lot of English Groupies. Some women are attracted to foreigners because they know we are all immoral bastards who don't want to settle down, unlike clingy Chinese blokes.
Yeah, they've got more men than women out there, so I hear. No wonder they're clingy. Never underestimate the pulling power of a pale complexion in Asia though. What were the other teachers like? Drunkards or whiny kids off the Internet?
Again mixed. I think China attarcts a more wholsome crowd than sleazy places like Thailand or Cambodia. China is perceived as being hardcore, so I think that puts a lot of slackers and stoners off. Most people were recently out of education, not your stale old drunkard types. That said, I met a few real sad cases, especially in the remote areas. It takes a very "special" kind of person (ie misfit) to survive long in the sticks.