I was born in China, but had seen very little about it. That's why I wanted to pay her a visit after my retirement.
In the last 5 years, I taught in different schools in a different province for a year, and since had travelled many places. From the south to the north. From the east to the west. And deep in the interior. What I found, for your information:
1. The Chinese people are very friendly and helpful to foreigners. They may not be like that to their own, but friendlier to foreigners close to flattering.
2. Most of the people in the countryside are poor. The poverty is beyond our thinking by North-American or European standards. With only 3% cultivatable land to feed such an immense population, it's a miracle itself. Yet, most of the global investers are still trying to milk from this land. They pay the people a survival rate, and take the huge profit away.
3. Due to the ideological differences in the past, westerners, especially the American politicians and militants, still treat the Chinese region as pagan and evil state, and wanted to conquer. All kinds of names have been used. All kinds of ways have been used to deprive this sleeping giant of its land. So Mongolia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Tibet were aimed to be taken away from its domain.
4. Westerners want to keep the land as it was for their enjoyment. So they claim Tibet supposed to be kept away from Chinese control. Most of the foreigners who said this hadn't seen Tibet. Those visited didn't see the truth. Can we anyone believe that Tibetans will have a better life without the helps from the other parts of the country? I witnessed the facts. By saying this, I'm on the inhabitants' side.
5. The government has too much to do. The bureaucrates corrupt under the enticing of the investors. Its people want to improve their future through learning, lots of great educators like you come to teach them western languages to broaden their scope of vision, but their are also some who are wasting their time by fooling around under the name of foreign teachers and keep a lofty gesture here, too.
6. Most of the administrators are ignorant. They know nothing about education. They want to have foreigners to teach in their schools to glorify their deeds. The good recruiters might know who is better, but they have no power to make the decisions. So they get lots of the cheap, inexperienced, better looking ones.
7. The standard of living in China is very low. You may save some, but might not be much. But, if you are dedicated, you could contribute a lot to these poor but ambitious people. They might not know you,now, but they'll remember you always.

Alex Wu

No.

I'd assume it was a joke.

Well the cockney rhyming slang would be 'merchant banker'

please enlighten me then because i missed the play on words.

You are definitely right about that. The key, I think, is being willing to bend but not break.

A true story: the first time I came to China three years ago I was single and I went on a date with a Chinese woman the night before I left to return to the USA. We had corresponded online, but only on this last day would we actually be int he same city at the same time.

She took me to a duck restaurant and I got my first Beijing Duck in Beijing itself. She was and is a delightful lady. After the meal, she asked me how I liked it. I looked at her and said the food was great and the company was even better.

If those damn foreigners hadn't been so loud! Is what I said next. A group at the next table of Americans (I am American, too) were obnoxiously loud. I never realized until several hours later what I had said and the irony of it.

In four months I had started to think like the best of the Chinese. Two years ago I met my wife and now I know exactly how the best of the Chinese thinks every day.

I am blessed.

I actually think there were some points raised (views of Westerners, experience equals good teacher etc) although it did get rather childish towards the end, I agree.

By the way Michael / Boots, I think Isobel WAS correct with her spelling of bating. A joke was being made. I don't have to spell it out any further I hope.

Isobel never once answered any of the points I made but simply attacked me. Despite this, I continued to help her with the questions she asked in the original post. She can,of course, write anything she wants about me. A person is free to make ad hominem atacks if they wish. I certainly have been the victim of some at this site. Though I never made any myself.

Isobel's accusations of me are rather sad. But I don't know her and I am not about to attack her ad hominem. I pray to God that she realizes that I was only trying to answer her original question and that she gets over what seems to be a need for ad hominem attacks.

Notice please that every reference she makes to me is a perjorative term while eevry reference I make to her respectfully calls her by her chosen screen name.

Notice that I did all I could to answer her original question despite her constant ad hominem attacks.

Then tell me, in what way did I treat her unfairly? In what am I to be faulted with here?

I do pray for you, Isobel.

Dear fellow readers,

Well, I've had my sport now and am going to sign off. It's all gone a bit childish and as Boo Hoo will never get my point, I'm beginning to tire.

I'm off to find a good ESL class, as Michael suggested.......as we all know by now that he always has to be right. I can add it to my ever growing list of qualifications.

Boo Hoo- I'm even going to let you have the last word. I know how much this will satisfy your very small mind.

tata!

P.S Thanks to 'an observer', whoever you are.

Again, you have missed my point. Something you seem to do regularly.

You insult everyone with the way in which you belittle those who challenge your opinion. I should re-name you Michael Boo Hoo.

My response was humorous, but your famed sense of humour seems to have deserted you temporarily.

My point was that you cannot assume that experience = good teacher. Of course it's not a negative thing. Nor is education (and I have experience and am educated, thanks, but don't feel the need to press the point. My ego doesn't need massaging and I am confident enough in my own abilities, so refrain from 'bragging').

Rather than address my issue, you took it as a personal affront and got very angry. As I said, your defensive response takes me aback.

And as for proverbs....well the proof they say is in the pudding. It's action not words (or pieces of paper with MAs on it) that counts. Can you actually hack it and get the results you've been employed to do? If not then all the years and degrees mean very little. Especially to students. (By the way, this isn't a perosnal attack, just reiterating my point).

NOW do you get it??!

Isobel, I never say anything insulting to you - I respond to the gist of what you are saying. Instead of doing this, you say insulting things to me in return. I find that to be provoking and yes it does create a sense of anger, which you do not seem to understand.

It is easy to make snide remarks and rude coments. Why don't you try making comments that address what I say for a change?

Experience - you feel it is somehow a negative thing.

Education - you also feel is somehow a negative thing

What do you consider to be positive? Inexperience and ignorance?

I will stick with the experienced teacher over the inexperienced one, the educated one over the ignorant one every day. The proverb to the contrary, ignorance is NOT bliss.

Although it does enable one to continue ad hominem attacks rather than address the point of the matter

Are you actually bragging about your lack of education and your inexperience?

exactly my point....which you seem to keep missing

learning and reflecting is the key and training and experience helps this process

but experience can also mean repeating mistakes and continuing with poor teaching and behaviour for many many years

do try and keep up.....and keep that sense of humour. it's well hidden at times.

you sound so angry and defensive and I have no idea why.

Feel intimidated? Nope that's not it....but bragging?

You mean ostentatious pretense or self glorification.....arrogant or boastful speech / manner?

You've hit the nail on the head- thanks.

I'm not belittling experience and yes of course, inform your employer....but why would anyone else need to know? What do you need to prove? Just get on with the job you've been employed to do.

These things don't automatically make you a good teacher. From what I've seen, the good experienced teachers just get on with it and do their job well. The bad ones tell you at all opportunities and then when things don't work out, blame the school....the students ....the water....anything, but rarely do they look at their own shortcomings.

I'm glad you have a sense of humour. No doubt you appreciate my exaggerations and cycling proficiency test joke.

Good one!

Much has ben said on the "my 2 cents" thread.

People come to teach abroad for many different reasons and while Mary Choi's posting caused much gnashing of teeth (amusing really), she did have a point. There are those who would find it difficult to find work at home. I've met some of them.

Ironically, it is often people who wear their PhD, Masters degrees ...cycling proficiency test ....etc etc on their sleeves and talk about it at every opportunity who are the ones who just can't hack it. Usually citing the students or the school as the problem.

It's like 'experience' is a smoke screen that hides their own lack of confidence in their abilities, which is a shame. So.....beware someone who proclaims stuff like this....you know....750 years of teaching experience and by the way, did I tell you I have a 3 Masters and a PhD?

What matters is that you can teach, are willing to be flexible to meet your students needs (I think the term is reflective practitioner)and behave in a manner that is appropriate. We are guests after all.

All I'm trying to say in reply to the first message (from CYL) is, please don't assume that just because you're a Westerner that they'll automatically love you. We are guests here.

The very fact that you've posed the question shows that you have some sense of this, which is a great start. My comments were based on my own experiences with Americans too. Sadly, they didn't have the same mindset and quickly left.

Chinese like Americans!! I assume you mean with a little soy sauce?! (joke)

Let's face it, the US and UK are pretty much in the dog house after events in Iraq and rightly so.

I've had a fantastic time in China and yes, people are friendly and incredibly welcoming. Just don't ask them about Bush and Blair and what the commonly held views are about people from these countries. You might not like the answers you get.

Unfortunately, we've had a number of teachers from the US that haven't done well here. So much so, that students have very negative feelings towards Americans in general and why shouldn't they? Their experiences have been of arrogant, rude and unprofessional people who time and time again, forget they they are guests in China. If they want restrooms like Mom's, then go back home, okay.

Of course all of us try and point out that not everyone from one country is the same, but stereotypes stick. So my advice would be to remember you're a guest here and show some humility and you'll do fine. Have a great time. I have.

I have received an offer in Shenzhen, China and am seeking information about teaching there. How is the city? On your ESL teacher's pay, have you been able to save any money? How challenging was getting to know Chinese people? What are their perceptions of Americans? Anything you would like to share would be most helpful. Thanks!