Phil and I rock climbing back in 2008
I sat down with my friend Phil to talk with him about his experiences teaching English in rural Henan, China. Phil has been an English teacher at Xuchang University since October 2009. However, his experiences in China reach far back – from a brief month teaching in Xi’an, Shaan’xi during college to an abortive attempt to teach in Harbin. In 2007, Phil graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BA in History, with a focus on China. He also spent two of those years ‘attempting’ to study Chinese, which in Phil’s case meant routinely getting drunk with our Taiwanese-American friend Benson. As a bit of a disclaimer, I’d like to say that Phil is one of the few truly unique people that I have met in my life. I like to describe his life philosophy as, “If this isn’t going to make an interesting story, then it’s not worth my time.” (A description that he, undoubtedly, would find not completely accurate) Needless to say, Phil lives his life with a certain reckless courage that most of us are too meek to attempt. This interview is just like Phil – colorful, off-beat, and controversial – and I’m sure some readers will disagree with it. But if you don’t keep things interesting, then what’s the point? You can read Phil’s blog here: http://kozepsovilag.blogspot.com
Constantine: Why did you want to teach abroad?
Henan, China - Phil's current location
Phil: Because I was tired of the life I had at home! [laughs] No, honestly, after a great deal of introspection provided by the copious free time of this job [teaching English], I’ve realized that I left Colorado because I was terrified of the ‘failure’ of mundane life. [pause] Seriously, though, Chinese girls have nice bodies.
Constantine: What sparked your interest in China?
Phil: It was Japan, really. After a rough adjustment period in American middle school following my family’s move from Bermuda to America, I found that in high school Japanese animation cartoons provided an interest for me that I could share with other people. So, for all of high school I had a decent enthusiasm for Japanese history and ancient culture, which was almost entirely transferred to China. This gave my interest in China almost a two-year head start.
Constantine: Why did your interest transfer to China?
Phil: In college, I had a course on the combined history of Korea, China, and Japan, that presented events in a concurrent manner, and I became convinced, by my admittedly Chinese professor, that a great deal of the Japanese culture that I had idealized in my high-school fashion had in fact originated from China. That, combined with the general impression that China was the next major ‘horse to bet on’ as far as World Powers were concerned, allowed me to develop an intense interest in China.
Constantine: I think you were seriously duped by the Commies, but cool. So, you never considered teaching English in Japan (or Korea for that matter) instead of China?
Phil: No, never. I accepted China at face value, like you said, and pursued studies of its language and culture whenever I had the chance. Again, though, this was at least half motivated by the awareness that China was where the money was, so to speak. In fact, the first opportunity to teach in China came rather unexpectedly, through the language department that I had only recently joined. Teaching was never a goal of mine until long after my retirement, and then only in America.
Constantine: So, you taught in China before you graduated? What was the experience like?
Phil: It was only about a month long, in the city of Xi’an, Shaan’xi, and while overall it was a good experience of little responsibility combined with a large amount of leisure time, I didn’t get to experience Chinese culture the way that I have now.
Constantine: How did you learn about the program that you’re doing now?
Phil: Well, this university, the Xuchang University, advertises quite a bit on Dave’s ESL Café. I first paid attention to their ad in 2009, when I was attempting to find another employer other than the Harbin job I had committed to. After a year of recuperation and saving, I signed on with Xuchang University because they offered quite a good deal as far as responsibility versus remuneration. The reality is, of course, even better than the advertisement.
Constantine: You’ve told me some pretty funny stories about applying to teach English in China. It’s always amazed me how different your application experience was from my experience with the JET Program. What exactly is the application process like?
Phil, shaving off his hair to sell to a wig maker
Phil: Fundamentally, it’s a facade. You are asked to submit such credentials as your diploma, a doctor’s voucher for your health, and former employment, but in reality none of these documents will be verified in any way. A completely forged, photoshopped version of all of these documents will pass ‘scrutiny’ by the average Chinese university. Note that there is a difference between a Chinese University (meaning, public and partially funded by the government) and a private school, which may or may not actually care about your credentials. Universities mostly only care that you are ethnically WHITE.
Constantine: [laughs] Yeah, I know you speak from experience about the photoshopping!
Phil: Absolutely, a friend of mine and myself were accepted to a Chinese university in 2009 using photoshopped versions of my diploma. However, we unfortunately decided that our morals were a higher priority, and ended up accepting positions with an employer who knew that my friend did not hold a diploma. The result was, as Constantine well knows, our literal fleeing of the country, drunk, and in the middle of the night.
NOTE: Neither Phil nor I recommend or suggest that you should Photoshop a friend’s diploma to apply for a job in China (or anywhere for that matter)!!
Constantine: [snickers] I still can’t believe you did that! Why don’t you tell the readers a little more about that experience in Harbin.
Phil: When we arrived [in Harbin], we discovered that our ‘school’ was not so much a school as an office the size of a Volvo that pimped out foreigners to real schools all around the large city. It is illegal for a school or company to hire a foreigner as a teacher unless they have a college degree, and my friend had no college degree, so when we decided to be honest about our credentials we ended up in a very disreputable institution. Our ‘contracts’ meant nothing, and we were abused for a month before we worked up the cojones to leave. [pause] It’s difficult to summarize, but I think that how we left best describes the conditions. After four attempts in one month to discuss our contractual terms [with the employer], which were not the same as when we had signed our contracts, my friend and I decided that our only and best option was to call in sick for a weekend and leave the country without our employer’s knowledge, otherwise known as a ‘midnight runner.’
Constantine: Otherwise known as ‘fleeing the country.’
Karaoke - the great Asian pasttime
Phil: Yes, exactly, it was fleeing the country. We even were stopped by Immigration in the Beijing Airport, a terrifying twenty minutes of standing in a corner while a Chinese man made phone calls.
Constantine: ‘Cojones’ is an understatement! If I didn’t know better, I’d say that you were making that story up! …Unfortunately, I know you and I know that it’s true. So, after fleeing back to America, you were accepted to the job you have now. Did they pay for your ticket or China or help with your move?
Phil: They did pay in full the amount that I paid to get here, some several months after I had arrived. A ‘reimbursement’ is the term. Interestingly, they have also refused to pay for my journey back to America as it is different from my exact flight here. Instead, I am being ‘reimbursed’ some 5,000 Yuan, which on its own would come nowhere near to purchasing a return ticket to America. I was told that ‘this was how things were done here’ and that there was nothing I could do to change it, despite my contract being very clear otherwise.
Constantine: It sounds like you’ve had several issues with your employers refusing to fulfill your contract. I guess there’s nothing, as a foreigner, that you can do about this in China?
Phil: Almost absolutely nothing. There is no legal system at all to enforce contracts; both parties rely on ‘guanxi‘ or ‘face’ to gain superiority of demands on the other. Some schools will, for the most part respect, their contracts and that is why many foreigners still come to China, but ultimately a contract does not bind a Chinese the same way it would bind an American.
Constantine: That sounds pretty scary to me, and you are insane! So, you are teaching at Xuchang University right now. What is your typical day like?
Phil's 'work' attire
Phil: According to my contract, I am supposed to teach 16-18 hours per week of in-classroom time (with 45 minutes = one hour), for approximately $700 USD as well as my free apartment. In reality, at this point, I am not teaching any hours in a classroom. Instead I spend perhaps 2-4 hours per week with 2-8 students total (out of 30 per class, total of four classes) in coffee shops or restaurants, and sometimes in my own apartment teaching them to cook various Western breads. I estimate my hourly income of actual labor at between $20.00 USD to $30.00 USD, far in excess of my contract. This is due to the general gross incompetence of all Chinese systems. Nobody has ever checked on me to make sure I am doing my job and, as long as my students don’t complain, I can literally get away with murder.
Constantine: Please don’t try to get away with murder! It seems like you have a very well-paid job. In terms of yuan, how much money are you making?
Phil: 4,800 yuan is deposited in my bank account every month. The monthly value of my rent is estimated at twice that due to the modern insane demand for living space. [Pause] And, believe me, pregnancy is the worst that I think I am likely to commit while here.
Constantine: Have you been attempting to impregnate anyone?
Phil: Not trying, but every time you play the odds.
Constantine: I was trying to slyly ask if you’ve made any special lady friends since you’ve been in China.
Phil: Hmm, that’s not quite as straightforward as you might think. While Chinese girls have become more and more AESTHETICALLY attractive while I’ve lived here, they’ve roundly failed to become even slightly ACTUALLY attractive. The school system tries very hard to keep Chinese youth at the equivalent of 11-13 years old (US) until they graduate college, with none of the exploration and maturation that we are familiar with. As a result, Chinese girls, while slim and coy and Asian and all of that, are like dating middle schoolers, which I for one am thankful that I do not find appealing. I hold out hopes for Chinese Cougars, but regretfully have no firm data to report. [Laughs] Firm.
Constantine: Are cougars still firm? [Pause] Wait, don’t answer that, I don’t want to know!
Phil: Oh, very firm. It’s like Russian women, you know? They’re amazing until about 50, and then it’s a rapid downhill descent. Or maybe it’s the Cultural Revolution, time will tell I suppose.
Constantine: Thanks…
Phil: Oh, don’t tell me you’ve never reached the same conclusions.
Constantine: I haven’t been with many cougars…
Phil: Cough Cough.
Constantine:…or anyone over 50 for that matter.
Phil: Oh, well, if a cougar is over 50, then sure. But anyways…
Constantine: Yeah, anyways…that’s not too dissimilar from my experience teaching at a Japanese high school. My school tends to treat the students like they are still children, when (from my American perspective) they should be treated like young adults. They are shocked when I ask them if they have a boyfriend/girlfriend or have drunk sake…and then burst into giggles.
Phil: Yes, the giggling is ubiquitous. That is a large part of the reason for my very first comment on the loss of respect for Chinese culture, because once they outgrow the curiosity of their young adulthood, they seem somewhat stuck that way for the rest of their lives.
Constantine: So, how have your perceptions of China changed in the past year?
Phil in the mountains of Yunnan
Phil: Well, like I said before, I’ve lost almost all respect for modern China. I love their history – love it to death – but from what I can tell after living in the country itself for seven months, the country today is one of the most misguided and idiotic in the world. Not as idiotic as North Korea, for example, but still terrified of its own populace and extremely cowardly in its attempts to deal with that fact. I’d say that one phrase sums up modern China: China is terrified of its own people.
I took it personally, really, having staked a good portion of my own future in being some kind of bridge between modern China and America, only to discover that I absolutely LOATHED modern China in almost every way possible. Modern China is an illustration of fear and low self-esteem. Sad, really, but at first glance contemptible.
Constantine: It sounds like a lot of what you’re saying has to do with Communism, or ‘Communism with Chinese characteristics,’ to quote Deng Xiaoping. Is that a correct assumption?
Phil: Yes and no. I would say that primarily it has to do with China’s fall from being ‘zhong guo’ or ‘middle kingdom’ (of the entire world) during the Opium Wars during the Qing Dynasty. Both Sun Yat Sen’s democratic ideals in the ‘Nationalists’ (or Gou Min Tang/Kou Min Tang that now rule Taiwan), and the Communist rule strive to place China back in its unattainable position center-stage for the world. That fall from grace, not unlike the observed tendency in France to reclaim their past status as a dominant power, has been a defining chip on the Chinese shoulder.
And I don’t blame them, really – I am thankful to live in a time where America is the singular world power; one that may be declining but has yet to be humiliated and defeated by another power. It would be, and seems to be, a huge psychological burden for a percentage of the populace.
Constantine: Absolutely yes. I feel that Japan experienced something similar with its defeat in WWII. I often feel that many Japanese people I meet [Note that I said ‘many,’ not ‘all.’] seem to have what I call a ‘national inferiority complex.’ They aren’t intensely interested in their own culture and can’t fathom why an American would be so interested in Japanese history or culture. Part of this, of course, is due to the fact that the Japanese state hasn’t really attempted to instill nationalism in its population since 1945. What are your thoughts on modern Chinese nationalism?
Phil: I wouldn’t say that there is an inferiority aspect to modern Chinese nationalism; instead it seems to be an overwhelming faith or desire to see China returned to the status where all culture flows from China. There are a lot of aspects to this that I just don’t have the data for, but I have observed how this intense desire for Chinese superiority over all other cultures has synced with individual male lack of self-esteem (as observed in interactions with females). The Chinese government has never stopped its propaganda campaign against its own populace, with fairly clear results in rural areas like Henan, where I live. For example, all Japanese are hated here, without question, even though I am fairly sure that the Japanese army never made it to Henan. This is a result of deliberate government-inspired animosity towards the Japanese through the media, which is, as you know, entirely state-controlled. Overall, my impression on Chinese nationalism today is that it is EXTREMELY influenced by a successful propaganda department, and is thus very ignorant and very passionate. China is Number One. China is unified. There is simply no question otherwise here.
Constantine: Yes, I have many thoughts on how the Chinese government has been basing much of its nationalism on an anti-Japanese foundation and how I think this is a very bad idea. But, I guess this is getting a little off topic… Have you experienced any negative reactions to your presence in China? Or any racism for that matter?
Phil: Hmm, that’s actually kind of hard to say after all this time here! If I were getting the kind of treatment I get every day here in Henan in America, it would without a doubt be racism and be roundly condemned. But since its China, the fact that I am constantly being singled out and identified, and made to feel so, perhaps doesn’t count as racism? Nobody hates me because I am an American, like they would if they knew I was Japanese, or be superstitiously scared of me if I were black. But I am constantly reminded by the people around me that I will never fit in, if that answers your question. I think one time a bar owner tried to start a fight with me over China-US relations, but I was too drunk to notice, and he was too drunk to do more than fall down. Other than making me feel uncomfortable (coming from my Boulder, Colorado, everyone-is-exactly-the-same-by-god mentality), there has been no actual hostility whatsoever.
Constantine: Well, that’s good to hear. You have been working at a university. What are your thoughts on the Chinese education system?
Phil: Well, you’ve already heard how it is designed to preserve ‘innocence’ throughout its entire length, which I have personally verified by being fired for challenging my students to think like adults. Otherwise, I have heard a decent amount of second-hand information from my students about their education, primarily that it is based largely on memorization of meaningless facts, and overall designed to keep a large amount of students from scoring highly despite intelligence. And who can blame the Chinese, really? They simply don’t have jobs to give to students who score well. So they design tests that don’t have anything to do with anything, knowing that most Chinese students are both smart and work hard studying, and leave the high scores up to those who randomly select the correct answer. I took the CET 4 for fun, the test of English ability required by almost all schools in China for almost all majors. That test had very little to do with actual English, being full of grammatical and spelling errors, along with a generally incredibly poorly designed question structure. Being fully fluent in English, and having scored quite highly in the equivalent standardized tests in America, I can honestly say that many questions in the CET 4 were simple random chance.
Constantine: That’s amazing. You mentioned that you were fired for challenging your students. Have you ever felt like your freedoms (of speech, for example) have been restricted?
Phil: [Laughs] Honestly, there are so many restrictions to freedoms imposed by lack of fluency in the local language and culture that it’s not as simple an answer as I first thought. I will say that after I was fired from my first department and (subsequently) hired by my current department in the same university, I was sat down by the Dean and told that the ‘Chinese way’ was to deliberately keep students at the mental level of children. Immaturity, as America defines it, is key to education in China. Since then, I have restricted myself from even mentioning issues like Taiwan, Tibet, Falun Gong, and the like. It also stands to mention that I was fired the first time, not for saying anything NEGATIVE about China on these subjects, but for being PERCIEVED by my students to be saying something negative about China on these subjects. In reality, I don’t believe that I was badmouthing China at all, but rather trying to find a topic that all of my students would care enough about to talk about. The language barrier, in this case, contributed to my offense against Chinese pride and nationalism. To be fair, though, I knew better and was to some extent prodding the metaphorical anthill.
Constantine: [Laughs] Prodding metaphorical anthills is definitely a hobby of yours! Well, has your command of Chinese improved over this past year?
Phil: Hmm, I haven’t learned very many new words other than swear words, but I have certainly practiced what I knew already to an almost fluent extent. Benson would not be proud of me, if he ever could be, but I would say that I am about the equivalent of a very creative and enthusiastic four-year old in Chinese. Most concepts are within my ability, assuming that my listeners are willing to work with me.
Constantine: I like to describe my Japanese ability as that of a retarded 10 year old, so I guess we’re about even.
Phil: There’s a big difference, if I may say so. You actually LIKE your host culture, whereas I made the conscious decision about halfway through my stay here to no longer invest any time or effort in China.
Constantine: Well, I have definitely had my fair share of difficulties, but I think that has less to do with the Japanese people or culture and the fact that I am an intellectual elitist.
Phil: I must not have been reading your blog that closely, because I never got the impression that you were an intellectual elitist. For what it’s worth though, from my own experiences with Japanese people/culture and yourself, you two are a much better match. Ugh, maybe that is because I am intellectual elitist also, and I just don’t even notice these things anymore. I’ve been watching too much Frasier!
Constantine: Don’t worry, I’ll buy us a bottle of some disgusting alcohol and tell you all the problems that I have had with teaching in Japan in July. I only have two questions left. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you since you’ve been in China?
Out for a night on the town
Phil: Oh jeez. Well, there was that time I was in the mountains of Yunnan making pizzas for the native ethnic minority’s guesthouse, with a headlamp because they didn’t have enough electricity, serving said pizzas to a Korean tour group in cowboy hats and camouflage as well as Australians, Brazilians, French, and Swedes. I made the pizzas in a toaster oven with yak butter.
There was also the time I was at the local single club here in Xuchang watching a midget break cinder blocks with his head and do two-finger pushups, which I have never been able to do.
Honestly it gets pretty hard to define ‘crazy’ after living here. I am sure that you can relate to this.
Constantine: I am practically an insane psychopath, so that stuff doesn’t really phase me anymore. Alright, last question, would you recommend teaching English in China to anyone? Or do you have advice for people who are interested?
Phil: Sure, there are conceivably people I could recommend this to. Mostly retirees, and then I would lie about a lot of stuff, but I would honestly mean it. Otherwise, fuck no. I said at the beginning, and I’ll say again, I’ve lost respect for myself because I’ve lived with the Chinese way of doing things for so long, and that is because I consider myself a rational person. The Chinese are not rational. They are kind, and nice, and sure all of that stuff on a personal level, but their society and culture is insane and retarded. They’re working through it. It’s kind of their fault but not really.
Come here if you want to get paid for doing nothing, which I cannot personally respect myself for doing. The students don’t think what you do is important, and neither does the school employing you. You are paid to be white. [Pause] As a valuable, perhaps invaluable, caveat to every single thing I’ve said here tonight, I live in Henan, which even other Chinese people regard as backwards and ignorant. It could be that I am living in the Chinese equivalent of rural Alabama, and everyone should keep that in mind regarding my impressions of modern China, because frankly I haven’t gotten out that much. Most of my free time, which is ample given my 3 hour work-week, is spent by myself or with my highly-racist American friend, in my apartment or in my small local city.
Well, there you have it. One American guy’s experience teaching in China. What are Phil’s plans after his year of teaching are up? According to his blog:
“So currently, the plan stands as thus: Spend two to three weeks in Xinjiang, traveling around the driest and hottest desert in Eurasia during the hottest month of the year, and then attempt to cross the China-Mongolia border at a point that is ‘rumored’ to have allowed one or two foreigners through in the past three years, but is primarily crossed only by trucks bearing Chinese goods or oil from the Xinjiang oilfields. Once I’ve successfully charmed/bribed/annoyed my way through over the border, I’ll be three hundred miles south across the Altai Mountain range from the nearest Mongolian city of 90,000 people, Khovd. Khovd is almost 1,600 miles from Ulaanbataar, and according to Wikipedia, ‘is considered remote even for Mongolian standards.’ The middle of nowhere for the most sparsely populated country in the world. Once I make to this part of the plan, I’ll have about twenty days or so to make my way to the capital in order to catch my flight on time. I have no idea what will occur during this time period, and I am making no plans, but I am bringing a fair amount of cash, a tent, a sleeping bag, and things like vodka, cigarettes, and candy in order to make friends.”
Good luck Phil! I just hope you make it back to America alive, in one piece, and ready to spend some time with me!
Click here to read the next interview – about teaching English in Sendai, Japan.
A microcosm of Phil's Xuchang Adventure (summarized by Phil as: "Ugh. Jesus, China").
Tags: ALT, China, Chinese, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Harbin, Henan, teaching English, teaching English abroad, teaching English in China, teaching in Japan, Xuchang
Richard
Great interview and discussion. Phil’s experience in Harbin was just like what happened to a friend of mine whose organization sent her there to teach. Alone and mentally distraught over the conditions of the institution, she lasted almost three months before becoming a “midnight runner” herself and fled to Taiwan. Many times her horror stories deter me from even trying to teach abroad, but like a masochist I feel like I want to experience that for myself firsthand anyway. But the fact that she’s bounced from Harbin to Taiwan to Jakata and soon Australia, I feel a little concerned.
constantineintokyo
It’s interesting, from the people I’ve spoken to it seems like teaching abroad is a real ‘hit-or-miss’ experience. People either love it (and possibly end up living in the country for years) or absolutely hate it and can’t wait to get out. I’m going to do a series of interviews with some of my friends who teach abroad, so there will be a good mix of good stories and bad stories Hopefully it will portray the experience from a variety of perspectives.
One thing that I believe everyone experiences, though, is that feeling of being an ‘outsider’ who can’t break into the group. I think that if you’re capable of dealing with that, then the experience won’t turn out to be overwhelmingly negative. Even back in my home country, I’ve always struggled with feeling like an outsider, so I can’t really tell if I feel more like an outsider here in Japan or if this is just how I normally feel. Hmmm.
I definitely think that if you want to teach abroad, you should do it! Don’t let other people’s experiences influence that decision. Certainly you can learn from them and be aware of the challenges you might face, but you could end up being one of the people who has an absolutely amazing time. =)
amannin
Phil definitely sounds like an interesting character, as do you Constantine.
I have never been to China, but I do work with Chinese people (at a Taiwanese/Chinese company mind you), have dated a Chinese girl for little over a year (she was from Dalian, a Russian built city near the ocean–very modern and nice) and currently live in a Taiwanese household in Monterey Park, Ca US (right next to L.A.)… basically have been in a rather large Chinese community (San Gabriel Valley) for about 5 years now…
And from my experiences with Chinese people (at least the ones in America, which keep in mind, it’s like little China over here) I would mostly agree with Phil on all his observations (especially about the school system, based on the stories I’ve heard). The only thing I disagree about, as shallow & trivial as it may be, is the attractiveness of the girls. So even though I’ve been rather integrated in a Chinese community and have had plenty of Chinese friends to guide me around and teach me many different cultural aspects / traditions, if I actually had to rely on “their” community, with my “American mindset” I would probably end up just like Phil (well, similar enough) — though, instead of fleeing the country while on sick leave, would likely just drive a few hours back to “normal” civilization (as it were). But don’t get me wrong, I like my area, I like my co-workers (most of them) and I very much like my friends, but then again, I wouldn’t say I’m very close with any of them (the Chinese ones) and I don’t think I ever could be for some/most of the reasons Phil mentioned / touched on. (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).
Anywho, sorry if I didn’t exactly offer much in the way of intellectual insight with my short autobiography, but thought I would share in case I might strike some interesting conversation or at least steal 5 minutes of someone’s life.
Oh, and if anyone was curious, I am currently waiting for this year’s application to become available so that I might apply for JET, hence why I’m here.
BTW Constantine, I very much enjoy reading your blog — I look forward to reading more!
constantineintokyo
I’m really glad to hear that you like my blog, amannin! I hope you’ll continue to post comments on it.
I, myself, know very little about Chinese culture. But from the little I do know, I get the impression that it would very hard to integrate into a Chinese community if you have a typical ‘American/Western mindset.’ Sure, living in Japan is hard, but let’s keep in mind that Japan is an advanced industrialized country that has made a concerted effort to modernize/Westernize for over a century (though the practical meanings of ‘modern’ and ‘Western’ have fluctuated during this period, at times being virtually synonymous and at others being quite different). I can only begin to imagine what it’s like to move to a country that is still industrializing and hasn’t really wholeheartedly embraced the concept of ‘cultural understanding.’
Anyways, I found your experience very interesting and would be curious to know how you agree and disagree with Phil’s assessment of certain issues.
Thanks again!
kotaro
This guy is typical white trash,so-called ‘Loser Gaijin’．
crap．．．Poor China．
Now,Japan also overflowing with a dubious Gaijin like this dude．
We Japanese peoples look down upon these Gaijin.
China,Japan must sort out rubbish for better future．
you should get rid of scum．
BTW,On May 21,the screening process so-called 事業仕分け order a review of jet programme as part of administrative reform．
http://www.shiwake.go.jp/data/shiwake/result/B-36.pdf
That means,yes,japan has decided to give up the jet programme because it’s wasteful expenditure．
we’ll see the end of the jet programme in not-so-distant future.
you had better find next job．
Richard
kotaro,
Why the racism? I highly doubt you are part of a Japanese majority that feels the same way about all gaijins. Did you even read the post? Your ignorance on foreigners teaching English in other countries invalidates all you have to say about your personal frustration over “dubious gaijins.” Way to jump the gun too about the administrative reform. Japan hasn’t decided anything yet. It’s a review process. I highly doubt they would completely eradicate a program that is more than just about teaching English to Japanese students.
Well, I actually wanted to reply to ask a question concerning a certain issue about race in teaching abroad, but I think I should ask that more private manner later.
MalaysianBoleh
You fucking retard monkey , stop screw up with the local women whilst using the name of teaching in foreign lands. In fact, you are just notoriously known as an inept douchebag, which is the lowest class in your own soil land and flee to foreign countries to gain the advantages with your white’s identity.
Stop spreading your AIDS to Asia. Apparently, Thailand is the victim.
In the same vein, Phip is just a Yankee with a fake cert crook. It appears that people with low moral will always unwelcome from every countries. All his resentment and whiners only shown he was right and others people were wrong. How a ridiculous acumen. Man, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Go back to you own country, you dirty scum trash .Or meet up with me vis-à-vis, i will give you a lesson, i promise.
constantineintokyo
I know that the subtle nuances of what I’m going to say will no doubt be obscured when you run this through a free internet translator, but here we go:
Are there loser foreigners in Japan, China, etc.? Of course, just like there are loser Japanese people in Japan and loser Chinese people in China. The sad fact is that there are plenty of losers in the world, regardless of whether they are ‘gaijin’ or not. I’ve encountered plenty of gaijin who have moved to Japan because they couldn’t quite ‘cut it’ back in their home countries. But I have also met plenty of phenomenally intelligent and successful gaijin as well. You grouping all gaijin into the same category of ‘losers’ would be like me saying that all Asians can’t drive well and smell like soy sauce. In other words, it isn’t a particularly compelling argument.
I’m afraid I’m going to have to point out that the reason why Phil is leaving China is because he can no longer RESPECT himself for being in a job that is so mindlessly easy. It’s very simple to condemn all foreign English teachers as being lazy, rather than look at the problems within the system that cause them to become disillusioned. No one is going to move halfway around the world because they want to sit around and do a half-assed job. Everyone who applies to be an English teacher was a some point quite enthusiastic about the job and wanted to do their best.
Let’s face it, concepts like “wasteful government program” and “inefficient bureaucracies” aren’t exactly novel to the Japanese government. Before you try to argue that the JET Program is single-handedly driving the Japanese government bankrupt, I suggest you take a look at some of the public works programs that are annually stuffed into the budget. Trust me, you’ve got more serious problems to worry about than the JET Program.
That said, JET does have flaws that have gone unaddressed for too long. I think there are many things about JET that should be fixed and changed. But, if the program is completely phased out, it will be because JET failed to remain cost competitive and was muscled out by less-expensive ‘dispatch’ English companies.
But before the advocates of sonno joi 尊皇攘夷 break out the sake and celebrate the expulsion of the barbarians, I’d like to remind you that those pesky English teachers that you dislike so much won’t disappear. The JETs will be replaced by more ALTs hired by private companies – companies will less rigorous selection processes and who pay lower salaries. You know what this means – the quality of the English teachers will steadily deteriorate. Who wants to spend four years at a university, study, and work hard to go to a country that pays them next to nothing to do a job that people devote their free time to disrespecting? Not intelligent, hardworking people, that’s for sure. So before you rejoice that the (supposed) downfall of the JET Program, take a second to think about what will replace it.
Finally, you seem to assume that I am doing JET because I can’t find any other job. That’s not true. I purposefully picked JET over a number of different options because I was passionate about Japan, Japanese culture, and had faith in the general decency of Japanese people. I hope that people like you won’t make me regret that decision. For me (and for the vast majority of JETs) the JET Program is a temporary job that we do for a few years before using it as a stepping stone to more influential things. Things like working in both the American and Japanese governments, earning PhDs and teaching at universities, or working for large companies. The experiences that we have on the JET Program will influence how we think about Japan in the future. Whether our opinions about Japan turn out to be negative or positive is largely in the hands of the Japanese people. I suggest you think about the way you came across in the above comment. (I’ll give you a hint, it isn’t good.)
Takeshima
Hey, stop your rubbish excuse, don’t talking so much, how many Japanese women have you screwed up so far?
Claire
Kotarro, poor thing, why so bitter? You do not speak for Japanese people, so shut up you ugly, ignorant moron. Your English proficiency is a joke and so very poor. You are an underachiever who could not cut the mustard in Japan so you must make porno movies with schoolgirls. You are the weak failure of your society. Japanese people are wonderful You are the exception, as you are a criminal and a loser.
Takeshima
what the heck Claire, are you a girl with pussy hole? your English is like a joke in front of me. Your comment is teeming with white’s arrogant. Its pathetic.
amannin
(Please keep in mind these are just my thoughts based on my experiences)
I wouldn’t say it’s so much the school system that keeps girls/boys maturity level low, but the culture itself. Dating, drinking, partying, etc., are pretty non-existent until around / after college. But based on your comments as well, it sounds like Japan isn’t all that different, at least in regards to students / school life.
Phil’s thoughts on Chinese Nationalism were spot on. I couldn’t agree more, especially with “[…] is that it is EXTREMELY influenced by a successful propaganda department, and is thus very ignorant and very passionate. China is Number One. China is unified. There is simply no question otherwise here.”
I have yet to find a Chinese person who didn’t fit into this category. I’ve learned to avoid certain topics as they can become rather heated simply because of ignorance and passion. Not that I have anything wrong with loving one’s country, but criticize China in front of a Chinese person and it’s on — forget about logic and rationale, you just seriously offended that person. Or at least, based on my limited experience thus far.
And about Phil’s closing paragraphs — I have to agree that Chinese rationale is very different from American rationale, but I would say this is true just about anywhere in the world, especially in Asian countries. And yes, most of the Chinese people I have met are very nice and full of smiles, at least at a superficial level. But I will say this, American’s tend not to care so much about superficial perceived hapiness / kindess, whereas Chinese do, and to much greater extremes than you (as an American) might imagine.
Though in writing all this, I can help but wonder, in what ways is/has Japan been similar to everything, Phil or myself, has mentioned? Honestly, I would expect my experiences with Chinese communities to give me a sort of “heads-up” for preparing for Japan / the JET program — so please kindly share your thoughts and opinions.
constantineintokyo
I agree – the innocence/immaturity of my Japanese students comes from the culture, the school system is just one aspect of that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this (in fact, it might be better than what’s going on in America. Teenagers should not aspire to be like their favorite character on Gossip Girl), it’s just surprising when I compare it to my high school experience.
Hahahaha, Chinese nationalism. I will never forget when I tried to have a conversation about Mao Zedong with my Chinese TA. I should have known better, considering he was an outspoken and proud member of the Chinese Communist Party. Live and learn.
The ‘superficial happiness’ thing is something I struggle with in Japan, where the concept of honne and tatemae is VERY important. Sometimes I sit around and worry that all of the teachers I work with are completely unhappy and miserable, but don’t show it. I think that’s just me being neurotic though…
Personally, I do think that being in a Chinese community has helped you prepare for the JET Program. At least now you have some idea of what it is like trying to assimilate into a different culture. It’s not as easy as it first seems. I’m fairly certain that I am blind to 80% of what goes on around me because I don’t even know what to look for!
MalaysianBoleh
You fucking white monkey only want to bring the sexual life to China students, you want to poison Chinese student with your drug and AIDS?
Taro
It must be very hard experience to adapt to the logically/mentally different system.
…I’d probably end up being run over by their tank three times…lol
My grandpa was introduced into their culture in a form of POW over 2 years. (surprise attacked by Hachiro Army, he was the only survivor)
The funny thing is he loves China very much and pays great respect. (revisit there several times…much better China back then)
Everyone can hide their ego but can’t completely throw it away…however it’s manageable.
Being a process of forcefully becoming an espionage…the communism study sucked but Chinese people had a heart and treat him as a human being.
If my grandpa was chosen to just pretend to hide his ego all the way then he would have not liking China after all.
“Adoptability” also means “acceptability”…if you genuinely try to understand it, it shows.
I honestly not knowing so much about China but I strongly believe that its the government, not the nation.
Everyone can be or call themselves as a LT but teaching is not just about themselves.
The “midnight run” is happening in Japan. Some class had replaced 4 different LTs in a single semester. (LTs from a private company)
Is it money? discipline? ego? being spoiled? or don’t have much to do?…whichever it is, there are some student counting on you.
At any rate,
good or bad, those precious experiences will pay off… I’m up for the idea of get out and do something interesting while you can especially, when you are still young.
Life is way way too short to be apprehensive.
Btw, the mountain and lake picture is out of this world!
wong
I agree 1000 % with Phils take on both the education system in China ( modern China ) and it’s students maturity levels . Uni students have the mindset of 5 year olds gorking at an empty beer bottle while 5 year olds have the uniform discipline of maos 4th Army running through a mine field .
Since when do kids read politics before hansel and Gretel ? why do Chinese Universities rank slightly above the Taliban Madrass ? and what in the hell does “Peace and Harmony with Chinese Characters” mean any how ?
As an ESL Teacher in China for the past 12 years I’ve seen enough to fill Congress Library and more should I not be in a straight jacket after I make my “midnight run” !!!
The most powerful department in China is the Dept of God Propaganda . The quality of education in general in China is as bad as the cubicle for doing ones “business”
Racism is rampant . If your’e a white Hill Billy with a rap sheet longer than this forum with Crystal Meth tattooed on your forehead and up against an African American fresh from harvard with a citation for Scholarly Excellence ….the Chinese in all their peculiar wisdom will choose the White Hill Billy .
As the saying goes ” 2 wongs don’t make a white ” ………
Dave Menon
Greetings, my name’s Dave and I recently worked for a voluntary organisation in Gansu, rural China, for a year, with my partner. I can totally relate to the interesting points made by Phil and Constantine. Whilst the average person you meet in the street is wonderfully thoughtful, considerate and helpful, and you can largely go about life without any acute racism (obsessive amounts of staring and fascination from people generally stem from an overriding curiosity and stares quickly turn to smiles), working within the Chinese system is practicaly impossible for any European or American. The Chinese take it for granted that you must do your job in an unquestioning way, and respect your superiors without exception. This means that impractical decisions are continually made from above and everyone below in the work hierarchy is simply forced to comply. There is no real process of information being passed up from below on what is needed.
I worked within primary and middle schools as a teacher trainer for Chinese teachers to introduce participatory methodology, i.e. activities that allow the children to actually communicate with each other. In general, students learn by rote, sitting at seperate desks and shouting/chanting words and phrases. There is no creative thought whatsoever. Although you do meet some teachers who care for the children and make their lessons a little more fun, the vast majority are disillusioned and jaded. Most teachers live in the schools and will work from around 6.30 a.m. to 9 or 10 at night or even later. The school and education leaders mostly seem to have little or no interest in changing this system, and many volunteers in rural parts of China have spoken of incredible levels of frustration in trying to improve the situation. Everyone has already absorbed the idea that only people with authority have a right to decide what changes and what stays the same.
After a year working with these people, I came to the conclusion that communication between adults in rural China is appalling. I would suggest that this is largely due to the psychological effects of the education system. Sitting in a room, chanting words and phrases many of which you have failed to understand loudly and repeatedly for 13 years of your life is likely to have an extremely numbing effect on the brain. In their breaks, the children would spend most of their time sweeping and scrubbing the schools. The exams are indeed riddled with mistakes. There is no groupwork, collaboration or creative thought. We struggled to introduce many European teaching methods, with some limited success.
However, having also spent a few years living and working in Japan, both in Tokyo and Kochi, I would have to say that despite some minor similarities, the Japanese education system is far more progressive that that which we witnessed in rural China, and the culture has been far more open to outside influences in a positive way. The levels of control, the lack of commitment to cultivating individual thought and the unblinking subservience within rural Chinese society scared me.
constantineintokyo
Wow, thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful (and thought-provoking) comment. I agree very strongly with most of what you wrote and it sounds like you’ve had your fair share of experiences…perhaps I should be interviewing you next! Thanks again~
Fuckyou_constantineintokyo
Hey, you fucking white monkey, you also need to invite me for interview next time to take many divergent perspectives into account. I think that should be a delicate moment. i waiting for your reply. Cheers.
Arizona
A bit late, but I want to chime in.
I am an American who studied Business and Mandarin in college and I will fly to Tokyo in July to join the Jet Program later on this year.
I agree with many of his points, and it’s refreshing to find another Westerner with experience with China. I love the Chinese language, and have worked very hard at it in order to obtain a proficient level. However, although I have Chinese friends that I get along with well, I have to admit their mindsets are in serious need of reshaping.
They are more prideful in their country even compared to Americans during times when nationalistic propaganda runs high. They also seem to have a completely ignorant perspective on the rest of the world.
It’s different than the Japanese, who are just naturally undecided. Japanese people strive to be indifferent, while most Chinese people believe in their strong, distorted, censored views. The difference between these two mindsets is enormous.
I was also similar with him in the sense that I fell in love with China while many of my friends were very interested in Japan. However, I realized early on that I wouldn’t be as compatible with Chinese people compared to people of other East Asian countries (including Taiwan which I consider to be a different country, without their distorted visions of eliteness)
I will always like the Chinese language more than the Japanese language by far (and I am proficient in both) but I will always like Japanese behaviors and mindsets more.
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