You've Been In China Too Long When...

[yanpa]

Thailand is doing pretty well at the moment by all accounts.

[Samurai_Jerk]

You could probably buy a MA and PHD in China....but I still wouldn't want to work there. Try Korea or Taiwan?

I don't know. I've heard from some people who teach in China that you can make good money there. I think whether or not China is livable really depends on where you're based. I've only been to Shanghai but it's a modern clean city and the people weren't pushy assholes like I expected.

[matsuki]

Thailand is doing pretty well at the moment by all accounts.

...and Thai food is amazing

You could probably buy a MA and PHD in China....but I still wouldn't want to work there. Try Korea or Taiwan?

I don't know. I've heard from some people who teach in China that you can make good money there. I think whether or not China is livable really depends on where you're based. I've only been to Shanghai but it's a modern clean city and the people weren't pushy assholes like I expected.

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either? Chengdu was beautiful but the people were mostly assholes.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either?

It's all relative. I grew up in NYC.

[matsuki]

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either?

It's all relative. I grew up in NYC.

LOL, true that.

The thing that cracked me up the most was their collection of confiscated American and German cars that made up their police force...and distaste for "Japanese cars made of inferior steel."

[Samurai_Jerk]

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either?

It's all relative. I grew up in NYC.

LOL, true that.

The thing that cracked me up the most was their collection of confiscated American and German cars that made up their police force...and distaste for "Japanese cars made of inferior steel."

I can't say Shanghai struck me as a place I'd want to love either. However, I've heard that nightlife is pretty fucking nuts and it's easy to get laid. I was only there for a couple of afternoons in transit to and from Vietnam so I didn't get to explore that at all though.

[matsuki]

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either?

It's all relative. I grew up in NYC.

LOL, true that.

The thing that cracked me up the most was their collection of confiscated American and German cars that made up their police force...and distaste for "Japanese cars made of inferior steel."

I can't say Shanghai struck me as a place I'd want to love either. However, I've heard that nightlife is pretty fucking nuts and it's easy to get laid. I was only there for a couple of afternoons in transit to and from Vietnam so I didn't get to explore that at all though.

Unfortunately same experience here...though, judging by the hottie my frumpy/drunk/druggee friend had, I imagine it can't be that hard. (though I still imagine Taiwan is better)

[yanpa]

Shanghai was fun but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know that I'd call it clean either?

It's all relative. I grew up in NYC.

LOL, true that.

The thing that cracked me up the most was their collection of confiscated American and German cars that made up their police force...and distaste for "Japanese cars made of inferior steel."

I can't say Shanghai struck me as a place I'd want to love either. However, I've heard that nightlife is pretty fucking nuts and it's easy to get laid. I was only there for a couple of afternoons in transit to and from Vietnam so I didn't get to explore that at all though.

Unfortunately same experience here...though, judging by the hottie my frumpy/drunk/druggee friend had, I imagine it can't be that hard.

Oh, and it's a lot easier to get a "smoke" compared, if you get my drift.

Mind you I was only there for a couple of weeks for work so my experience is not exactly authoritative, but my co-worker has lived there for years. It was a lot cleaner than I expected, apparently because of the Expo or some major event that had taken place. Also if you do get "taken short" the next day due to overenthusiastic/forced consumption of Mystery Protein and/or Animal Genital Liquor, there is at least one facility in one of the new metro stations which is as good as any I've encountered in Tokyo.

[wangta]

Is China that bad?

It looks like Japan doesn't want my homeland higher ed experience or variety of jobs in Japan experience. I never worked for a chain school or sang the A B C song to kiddies. I'm really desperate not to go back to where I was last time. Is China a viable option for somebody who is older, is experienced in curriculum preparation, has worked at senmon gakko and one of the biggest name companies in Japan teaching English?

I suppose the no MA, Phd thing is going to fuck up my chances in China as well.

You could probably buy a MA and PHD in China....but I still wouldn't want to work there. Try Korea or Taiwan?

Thanks for the response. What one of the problems is Korea was the last place I worked - and I just don't want to work there again but it looks like I don't have any real alternative now. I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say. There are some great things going on there - convenient lifestyle, cheap internet, wireless hotspots everywhere, interesting and cheap people's markets everywhere, fruit sold on the street that helps you snack on food that's actually good for you, cheap public transportation especially trains, etc.

But yes, most of the jobs do suck like a deep black hole. You just can't get good jobs even if you've got a good experienced cv. They don't have the eikaiwa thing going where you can teach middle school kids one class and then teach a professor at a highly regarded uni in the next class, or teach a businessman from an international oriented company the class after. It's really segregated there the way they structure their hagwons (eikaiwa/juku).

You can't do anything but teach on the usual E-2 visa for native English teachers. Full stop. You can't do editing, writing, whatever like you can on the Spec. in Humanities visa. The best English teaching jobs go to those married with a Korean partner or to those who have an E-7 visa. To get that fucking visa you have to present the Korean version of 'Employment Certificates' and that means ALL your fucking jobs on your cv have to be proved by signed employment certificates a la the way Koreans do it. They don't give a shit what you can prove by other document or referees' personal numbers, letters etc.

Koreans absolutely enjoy making you jump like circus monkeys higher and higher. Koreans themselves nearly all of the time get teaching jobs easily at hagwons with no fucking referees or references whatseover. They also can do this with other jobs. I'm stuck working at jobs in Korea that are too low for my cv and skills.

When there are adult teaching jobs available for E-2ers the hours are disgusting - sometimes 5.45/6am start, work til 12, go home then come back and teach again til 10pm/11pm if you're unlucky, 8/9pm if you're lucky. For these trashy split shifts you don't get any additional money, just the usual 2.1 - 2.3/2.4 million won which worked out last time I changed my money to around 1,800 Aussie bucks per month.

Seoul's good to hang out in, but the other 'major' cities are very limited. A city in Korea with 1 million to 3 million people is not going to have the advantages of one in Japan or back home. Koreans aren't bad people but you'd be surprised outside Seoul how some Koreans will see you as a wealthy westerner and try to scab some money from you. Japanese culture encourages more pride and self respect - in a longer time in Japan I never once had any Japanese person ask me for money straight out or ask to borrow money from me. It happened in Korea.

Koreans think they are 'generous' but I haven't seen that in the real sense by contrast to Japan. The generosity of Japanese including strangers who gave me lifts when it was bucketing down and I was weighed down by bags will always stay with me. The lack of classy behaviour that's not unusual in Korea isn't a problem that would prevent me from going back but the shithouse jobs is.

[Samurai_Jerk]

though I still imagine Taiwan is better

Almost every dude I know who has spent time in Taiwan says the chicks are ugly (please no model/actress/singer's photos as they don't count) and the country is boring. I've only heard good things about the food.

I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say.

People have been talking shit about living and working in Korea since at least the late 90s when I first came to Japan so I wouldn't call it a trend. If anything, Korea's image is improving drastically (ok, maybe not as a place to teach English, but overall).

[matsuki]

though I still imagine Taiwan is better

Almost every dude I know who has spent time in Taiwan says the chicks are ugly (please no model/actress/singer's photos as they don't count) and the country is boring. I've only heard good things about the food.

Weird, I know plenty of decent/good Taiwanese chicks...but plenty of fuglies too. I've never been there though, just had a little Taiwan in my backyard growing up. The food is good for sure.

I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say.

People have been talking shit about living and working in Korea since at least the late 90s when I first came to Japan so I wouldn't call it a trend. If anything, Korea's image is improving drastically (ok, maybe not as a place to teach English, but overall).

I guess if English teaching sucks there, it sucks for English teachers...I liked the Thailand suggestion. If you factor in cost of living and the pay is about the same regardless of where you go, Thailand would seem like a winner. (or Vietnam?)

[Samurai_Jerk]

though I still imagine Taiwan is better

Almost every dude I know who has spent time in Taiwan says the chicks are ugly (please no model/actress/singer's photos as they don't count) and the country is boring. I've only heard good things about the food.

Weird, I know plenty of decent/good Taiwanese chicks...but plenty of fuglies too. I've never been there though, just had a little Taiwan in my backyard growing up. The food is good for sure.

I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say.

People have been talking shit about living and working in Korea since at least the late 90s when I first came to Japan so I wouldn't call it a trend. If anything, Korea's image is improving drastically (ok, maybe not as a place to teach English, but overall).

I guess if English teaching sucks there, it sucks for English teachers...I liked the Thailand suggestion. If you factor in cost of living and the pay is about the same regardless of where you go, Thailand would seem like a winner. (or Vietnam?)

I spoke with some English teachers when I was in Saigon and apparently they can pull $1500 - $2000 a month. To put that into perspective I met a Vietnamese guy in his 30s working for JVC as an offshore oil rig engineer and he makes about $2000 a month.

[matsuki]

though I still imagine Taiwan is better

Almost every dude I know who has spent time in Taiwan says the chicks are ugly (please no model/actress/singer's photos as they don't count) and the country is boring. I've only heard good things about the food.

Weird, I know plenty of decent/good Taiwanese chicks...but plenty of fuglies too. I've never been there though, just had a little Taiwan in my backyard growing up. The food is good for sure.

I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say.

People have been talking shit about living and working in Korea since at least the late 90s when I first came to Japan so I wouldn't call it a trend. If anything, Korea's image is improving drastically (ok, maybe not as a place to teach English, but overall).

I guess if English teaching sucks there, it sucks for English teachers...I liked the Thailand suggestion. If you factor in cost of living and the pay is about the same regardless of where you go, Thailand would seem like a winner. (or Vietnam?)

I spoke with some English teachers when I was in Saigon and apparently they can pull $1500 - $2000 a month. To put that into perspective I met a Vietnamese guy in his 30s working for JVC as an offshore oil rig engineer and he makes about $2000 a month.

$2000 a month in 'nam goes a loooooooooooooot farther than $2000 here. All the offshore oil rig guys I know in the middle east make crazy $$$$$$

[Samurai_Jerk]

though I still imagine Taiwan is better

Almost every dude I know who has spent time in Taiwan says the chicks are ugly (please no model/actress/singer's photos as they don't count) and the country is boring. I've only heard good things about the food.

Weird, I know plenty of decent/good Taiwanese chicks...but plenty of fuglies too. I've never been there though, just had a little Taiwan in my backyard growing up. The food is good for sure.

I know it seems some kind of trend to hate on Korea but it's really not as bad as many foreigners who worked there say.

People have been talking shit about living and working in Korea since at least the late 90s when I first came to Japan so I wouldn't call it a trend. If anything, Korea's image is improving drastically (ok, maybe not as a place to teach English, but overall).

I guess if English teaching sucks there, it sucks for English teachers...I liked the Thailand suggestion. If you factor in cost of living and the pay is about the same regardless of where you go, Thailand would seem like a winner. (or Vietnam?)

I spoke with some English teachers when I was in Saigon and apparently they can pull $1500 - $2000 a month. To put that into perspective I met a Vietnamese guy in his 30s working for JVC as an offshore oil rig engineer and he makes about $2000 a month.

$2000 a month in 'nam goes a loooooooooooooot farther than $2000 here. All the offshore oil rig guys I know in the middle east make crazy $$$$$$

He was a local. I'm sure the foreign engineers are doing well. Plus I'm not sure if he actually worked on the rigs or just worked on parts design for the rigs at a factory.

Anyway, two grand is certainly a lot in Saigon but it might not be as much as you think. Trying to maintain a lifestyle you're used to in a major third world city isn't as cheap as a lot of people assume. It's definitely a hell of a lot better than living on the standard eikaiwa wage in Tokyo though.

[Coligny]

Can't find the price list... that can't be good...

http://www.audi.vn/

[shindays]

I use to live in Japan, love it but in terms of stable life it was so hard. Then I was just visiting China with no intention to stay there and BAM. I have a VISA, good business, no taxes, sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. Japan is a dream if you have those things but in China it's still a battle.

[Taro Toporific]

You've Been In China Too Long When...

...You think this anti-Japanese war drama is "Vulgar."

20120704102852239.jpg

China's Anti-Japanese TV War Dramas Knocked for Vulgarity
Global Voices / 14 April 2013 / by Oiwan Lam
The Chinese entertainment industry's incessant production of anti-Japanese TV dramas, under the scrutiny of netizens for a while now, has hit a nerve with China's state-controlled media after two photographs from a war drama showing a nude girl saluting...more...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I use to live in Japan, love it but in terms of stable life it was so hard. Then I was just visiting China with no intention to stay there and BAM. I have a VISA, good business, no taxes, sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. Japan is a dream if you have those things but in China it's still a battle.

Sorry to be pedantic, but do you have no taxes, nor any sex, drugs or rock 'n roll, or you don't pay tax but get sex, drugs and rock 'n roll?