First published Sept. 29, 2014] One of the dilemmas when looking for ESL work overseas is the question, "do I use a recruitment agency, and if so, which one?" The more you look around the 'net, the more confusing it becomes. There's usually at least one dissatisfied or disgruntled teacher slagging every agency out there. And a few hours of reading about people's unhappy experiences, especially in private schools, in China and South Korea can be very off-putting. But this coin has two sides, as the Chinese say -- the Koreans and the Chinese have had to put up with teachers who were immature, naive, parochial, eccentric, unreliable or who were otherwise not the greatest representatives of their home countries.

So folks, obey the visa rules of the country that you're travelling to. If you go abroad with a tourist visa and look for some "under the table" work you will have no recourse if the school stiffs you. In fact, it's a smart idea to obey the laws of the country that you're in. For me, that means honoring my contract and not mounting one-woman protests about aspects of China that I disagree with. For others, that might mean not smoking weed.  For some unknown reason, a 24-year-old ESL teacher recently traveled from South to North Korea, ripped up his visa and asked for asylum. He's now begging to get out as he begins a six year sentence at hard labor. Whatever this young man thought he knew about North Korea, it's clear he didn't know enough.

[First published August 30, 2014] For many teachers, I suspect most young teachers, the major drawback of living on campus is that the campus is often on the outskirts of the city. Here in Zibo, for example. bus service from the school to the city stops around 6:00 pm. If you go downtown for dinner or to visit friends, you're looking at a fifteen to twenty minute taxi ride home.

So I think that's the main drawback to moving to the campus -- we're farther away from all the things we enjoy in the city.  Just as we are really getting into the swing of exploring the city by bike, we'll be moving too far away to continue doing so. At least, it will take a long bike ride to get to the city and back again. We'll see what other drawbacks only become apparent after we move. 

Advantages are many. My commute (by foot and bus) is currently 40 minutes. If we move on campus, it won't take ten minutes to get from apartment to classroom. This will be especially pleasant come wintertime. We will get a better shower, instead of the weak gravity-fed trickle shower. I think we're getting running cold AND hot water.  The fixtures, fittings and furniture are all better. Goodbye to the tiny toy kitchen, goodbye to the evil sofa.  The campus will supply all the furniture we need -- bookshelves, desks, bed, sofa, television, washing machine. We'll be able to sit in a sofa or armchair and watch TV and read a book. Instead of three flights of stairs, there's only one -- easier on Ross's knees.

[First published  July 12, 2014] was recently invited to be a judge at a speaking contest for young children.  I was the only foreigner there and consequently I was made much of. Of the three judges, I was the one invited up on stage to present the awards to the first-place winners. Did I want a coffee? Presto, an intern was dispatched to Starbucks. That doesn't mean the organizers felt it was necessary to inform me of all the piddling little details of the contest.*

I knew one of the following things before the rehearsal started:

• The rehearsal is at 2:00 pm.
• (Why are we having a rehearsal? A rehearsal of what?)
• The contest will run all day for two days.
• The venue is near the main intersection downtown.
• Over ninety children will compete, aged from 3 to 12. 
• We will climb four flights of stairs in hot humid weather to get to the auditorium.
• The children will give a speech, sing a song or tell a story and then I will ask them a few questions to test their English comprehension.
• The first place winners will go on to compete in Beijing.
• The contest will be filmed for broadcast on television.

[First published July 23, 2014] One of the China expat blogs I follow is called "Writer, Traveller, Tea Drinker," and it's written by Becky Ances who teaches at the university level. She recently posted an entry on her blog describing her decision-making process for finding a new job in China. Good and valuable advice for anyone thinking of coming to China or switching jobs once here.

She notes that beautiful sea side cities like Qingdao or cities with great climates like Kunming attract so many applicants that the wages there are comparatively low. But other, less glamorous cities have trouble attracting and keeping teachers. I think some folks are nervous about going to any city they've never heard of -- and some of us have heard only of Beijing and Shanghai. I'd certainly never heard of Zibo, where I am now. But after visiting Beijing, I appreciate Zibo all the more. The cost of living is much lower here than in the big city. People are friendlier. And while I am amazed at how pervasive the Western influence is, it is very much a Chinese city filled with people carrying on customs and ways of life that stretch back for generations.  So give it some thought -- do you want to experience the real China?  Think outside the big cities...