| Expats - Why Are U Here ? | |
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| Jun 4, 2006 23:47 |   |
 | It seems that more native English speakers are heading towards China mainly for teaching jobs. I have just read thro the recruitment advert here and notice that the remuneration/perks are very attractive - by Chinese standard. It's 3-5k + free housing + food + tour vouchers, etc. We have quite a lot of English language teaching members here. No malice intended but please tell me, what makes you guys/women leave your beloved countries to come to China ? I am sceptical that it is for the love of this beautiful country - I know many caucasians don't really accept China/Chinese, if there are no benefits for them. I can accept that there are exceptions, of cos. Just take the case of these 2 enquiries from members who were offered jobs here. They are understandably hesitant about coming to a new country for the 1st time. Then why applied for such a job then in the 1st place ? I can only assume that most members who come to China are not really for the love of this country++ but more for economic reasons. In the process they found out the beauty of this country & its people. What do you say ? |
| Jun 4, 2006 23:50 | #1 |
| And do not get me wrong. I am all for the import of good English language teacher as it can only be better for China if it is their policy to improve the standard in the language of her people. Just curious to know the views from the expats' side. Thanks. |
| Jun 5, 2006 05:56 | #2 |
| Hi Pinetree, As a teacher here in China I guess I should tell you my reasons. I have travelled in Europe and lived in other countries. I love travelling. I wanted a challenge both for my career and for my spirit/mind/heart. I wanted to go somewhere very different from my home (England) to experience the culture/language/life of others. I believe travelling is one of the greatest ways to learn and develop, it changes you in many ways and helps you achieve a greater understanding of other people. Yes, my life in China is comfortable, but I am not here for the money. I could and did earn much more back in England but I gave this up. The exchange rate from RMB to £ is so bad that it's not worth me taking my money back from China to the UK. There are many things in this world more important to me than money. I spend all the money I earn in China on living and travelling and experiencing more of this country that is so diverse and fascinating. I also try very hard to help my students (not always easy), to motivate them and to increase their understanding of English so that they might have brighter futures. This is my job, after all and it helps me to feel I'm doing something worthwhile. I love the Mark Twain quote which covers why I am in China and why I love travel in general: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness" |
| Jun 5, 2006 06:08 | #3 |
| I feel very much the same as Lemoncactus. Not here for the money. I love to travel and the challenge of experiences that build character. As a teacher I hope I can inspire a small percentage of my students in all aspects of thier lives, not just learning a second language. And as one of my other 'Hua Qiao' friends (20years in China)commented just this week. If you spend more than one year in China, the people, culture, etc get into your system and try as we might we just cannot suitably explain what keeps us coming back. There are also many Expats here who are working in fields other than education and are often posted here with little choice. If they have never lived abroad before, then China can seem a daunting destination. Years of western propaganda have painted a curious picture for many of us hence the sense of apprehension and many questions. It's not until we arrive that we realize that all people want are the same basic needs met in thier lives and that we are not too different from each other dispite the differences in culture. China holds a certain amount of mistique in the west. It is mostly good but sometimes leaves us with the wrong perception of many aspects of life and culture here, especially that of the larger cities. |
| Jun 5, 2006 07:00 | #4 |
| Thanks ladies for the response. Yes, am sure that you can earn much more back home than in China - though the cost of living here is much lower, u cannot save substantially enough to bring back home. I envy both of you gals for your spirit - really. Unfortunately, I am not a native English speaker - else would try to sign up too ! Yes, I am aware that many foreigners are in China not to teach only. China needs a great variety of expertise for many years to come & we will see a bigger and biger influx of foreign expertise for many years. I hope that the time will soon come for Chinese to go abroad too - to contribute or even to learn. They need this too to "see the world". |
| Jun 5, 2006 20:15 | #5 |
| Pinetree, I would live in China because of the people and culture,money is not everything:)) |
| Jun 5, 2006 20:17 | #6 |
| I think I know your real mind,Lemoncactus:-) Support!! |
| Jun 5, 2006 20:27 | #7 |
| Impressive! |
| Jun 5, 2006 21:37 | #8 |
| All of the words here are thoughtful and impressive. Thanks for your contributions! |
| Jun 5, 2006 23:59 | #9 |
| I am a mature age foreign teacher nearing the end of my first year here. I came because finally I could! I seemed to be free of family commitments (in the nicest possible way); I had had enough of working in IT; China has so many jobs it is a great place to return to my first profession that I love, teaching; and I have had and still have many Chinese friends in Australia and on the internet and I have wanted to visit China for many years. Like others have said, we are not here for the money..the salary is high by Chinese standards but savings are not worth much. True, I can live well here, though in fact I save most of my money. So what will I use it for? Travel, of course, to see more of China! To be honest, there are many things wrong with my environment over the past year, but I stayed on because of my students, and because I know that my situation is not typical of much of China. I look forward with confidence to the coming year (or years). Next stop, a summer school in Shanghai, after that I head south, I hear Hainan is warm :) |
| Jun 6, 2006 00:22 | #10 |
| Thanks Apault. Your background seems quite similar to mine !! |
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