chengdu4me

I was talking to the Principal at our school today. He got a message from the Chairman of the Board that our school qualifies for a 0% profit tax under this new guideline. The school also qualifies for a .005% interest loan for expansion/improvements. Here comes our Olympic swimming pools (3), a auditorium, a science lab and perhaps even a high school wing. He is a very happy man today! Who says they don't have Christmas in China????

The market here in Chengdu has gone up. The new market has gone up so much that the used market, by comparison, is now a very good deal. Last month, 3 times more used homes were sold than new homes. (My SIL is a real estate salesperson) There are incentives right now to buy a home. These incentives have an expiration date and people are buying to beat the clock. On the other hand, everyone selling is raising their prices to make sure they get the lions share of that incentive away from the buyer. On paper, it looks like a great deal to the buyer, but the bottom line is that prices have been jacked up to take that advantage away. The same type of incentive is being given to car buyers. I see loads of new cars on the road everyday. The government is doing everything it can reasonably do to spur domestic consumerism. You can see the "stimulus" projects all over town. Renmin Nan Lu has just completed a major makeover with beautiful street lights, new bike lane dividers and full grown spruce trees lining the boulevard. It stretches for about two miles and now the second phase is starting on Renmin Mid Lu. The subway project is in full swing and there are about 30 other construction/beautification/safety projects going on. Hu says spend, they spend..Hu says build, they build....Obama says spend and the money disappears, Obama says build and they ask..with what money?

Agricultural Bank of China, EverBright Bank are all send/receive locations for Western Union. Postal Savings Bank of China are all receiving locations, but only selected locations can send. You can send in RMB and the receiver can collect in USD. Make sure you fill out the form correctly and let the receiver know the exact spelling of the name you used to send it, the exact amount in "sending" currency, and the Money Transfer Control Number. They should be able to receive it in less than an hour after you send it.

In character construction, the right hand side sets the pronunciation, the left hand radical sets the topic. In any case, the inside of the right hand character is "big". If you want to push forward with calling it a man, then I have to point out that the character then clearly indicates that [/u]marriage is women putting a (big) man into a small box. What more is there to discuss?...I think this one statement says it all!...and OMG the double-entendre!!!!

I-864 information is only those that your fiance is financially responsible for/ claim as dependents on his taxes. If he is currently filing as single, then his current household is 1. After you are married, then the household is 2.

I use a money changer outside the bank ever since I got here. I get a .02 drop...if the exchange rate is 6.82, then I get 6.80. The RMB he gives me is counted and scanned by the bank before I accept it. We call him to make an appointment before we meet and he shows up on time with the money we need. Very transparent and above board. We do the transaction inside the bank with the help of bank personnel. Risky? Not for us. But, there is a shady element that you must be aware of. Gotta love Chengdu! No rules...just right!

Front-loading is important for one reason. No matter what the issue or potential "red flag", if USCIS knows about it and still approves and forwards your application, it cannot be used against you later in the process. I know, I know, "cannot be used against you" is a stupid term. But that is their rules even though they don't follow them. The initial application is the time to explain short divorce-to-meeting times, quick meeting-to-first travel times, anything that may make anyone reading your file to feel that "something is wrong with this picture". Get it done and out of the way at the get go!

I don't know. I guess that I could tell if I spoke to you on the phone whether your English is clear enough. I do need to say this. I am not the hiring authority. I MAY get some input into the decision, but all I am doing is trying to get a jump on the search and getting the word out to you guys that may be interested. I know what they will be looking for, but I don't have any authority to hire or negotiate contracts.

Nope a BS is a BS. Anyone that is a native English speaker with a 4 year degree is eligible.

Yep, that's what I was talking about. The bastards are targeting Iraqis for mass murder. That's really scary; keep your head up and stay safe. Best of luck. That's really scary; keep your head updown and stay safe. Best of luck.

Who washes clothes hangers? You will! Well, that is..if you know what's good for you!

Yes, you need to have a four year degree..BA/BS...no exceptions on that. It is required to get a Foreign Expert Certificate, which is required to get the Resident Permit.

The school I work at has two full-time oral English teachers. I teach the 8th grade. The other teachers has all of the 1 - 6 grade. This is 18 - 40 minute classes spread across a five day week. It is also possible that we might hire a full-time 7th grade teacher, but in the schools history of four years, this has not happened yet. The 7th grade is taught by fill-in college students from S.U. The teacher that has just joined us to fill this primary school position will most likely only teach one year. He has a desire to return to the U.S. and go to law school. He may stay longer, but I get the impression he won't. I am looking for a full-time elementary school teacher to fill this position next year if it comes available. Requirements are: B.A./S. or higher Teaching experience (This means you have taught somebody something, not that you worked as an credentialed teacher. Could be as simple as you trained three employees on the use of the coffee machine) Native English Speaker Love kids and the wild and crazy issues that come with it. If you are single, you would live in the dorms. Married and you get a home off-campus. Salary would be a maximum of 7,000 RMB per month, paid cash by the fifth of every month. It is possible to get a school year(Sept - June) contract or a 12-month contract. You must arrive in Xinjin/Chengdu by the last week of August 2010. The school is located in a suburban area of Chengdu. It is in a city of about one million to the SW of Chengdu. The name of the city is Xinjin. It has its own city name, but it is considered part of the Chengdu administration area. Please contact me if you are seriously interested. It is important to me that we have good teachers and good people. Please don't waste your time if you are not seriously interested. I can answer just about any questions you may have. If you decide you want to do this, then we will get the official paperwork started next spring.

Congrats! Happy Days! The wait will give you more time to wash clothes hangers, hanger rods, get your damn stuff out of her closet!

Larry, His study habits are improving, although I suspect it has more to do with getting his privileges back than actually wanting a good education. Whatever his motivation is, I'll take it. Short of beating him half to death, this is really about the end, not the means. Whatever his motivations, his weekly exam scores are improving a bit, so we have a long way to go, but we are going in the right direction. I can't say what his teachers are doing/not doing because I'm not in his classes, but he he tells me that he does ask questions now.

Well, they can throw you in jail, they can deport you, they can just put your ass in a re-education camp and forget about you for the next few years...but...one thing you learn by living here rather than visiting, the local police are about as energetic and ambitious as a State of California DMV employee. It was a calculated risk. It is more advantageous for them to try to negotiate a solution that to get all Deputy Dawg on you. It wouldn't look good to anyone to have an altercation at the gates of a school. Perception is more important than substance. The smart thing for them to do is to resolve the issue without having to fill out all that paperwork. They did exactly that. As far as them understanding English, yes they did. The Principal did and spoke very good English, the English teacher the same. The Science teacher needed to have interpretations by the Principal for him to understand the conversation. But I got my point across effectively enough.

What I didn't do was lay into them. I was assertive, but polite. I was insistent, but I shut up and listened when any of them tried to speak. I spoke of the teachers long hours and high classroom population. I spoke of the teachers pay. I gave them their excuses for not being able to do a good job as educators. Then I asked them to do better. I told them that this is my son and I am worried and I need their help. I told them that if they felt that teaching was too much of a burden, then they should think about other careers. I asked them to be teachers that students can look back on after their education is over and be able to say that these teachers were helpful. I gave them the ammo to save face, but at the same time forced them to look inwards at themselves to find the problem and the solution to it. I did tell them I would be watching. I told them I would be talking to other parents and students. I told them that I and my son were customers and that our money must be spent on value. I told them I had every right to take my money elsewhere. I told them I had every right to let others know what to expect for their son and daughters at this school. I told them that they alone would determine our next step. I thanked them for listening and for their time. It's not cannonballs...it's heart...I love my family. I love my son.

Brian, it isn't a matter of big ones. I love my family. I refuse to accept that he could miss out on a secure future because of incompetent teachers. Regardless of country of residence, I think every parent would do the same.

Don, everything except the welfare of my family and the education of my son will continue to roll off my back. I know what the competition here is like for school children and without proper education and focus, they don't stand a chance. I understand that I am automatically on the losing end of anything and everything here, but when it comes to those two things, I can and will raise enough hell that the odds will change in my favor. I will do it the nice way if I am able, but the hard way will come and come fast if I don't see results. When it comes to my sons education, I don't give a damn who loses face or who I humiliate in public. I went to the school today and my wife spoke to the security guard. He still said "no entry". Then my wife told him that he better call the police, because I was going in! So, he called the police. The police came and we talked to them and then an officer of some kind came and I talked to him. His English was passable. I told him he had three choices. 1. Arrest me. 2. Accompany me into the school. 3. Get the Principal and all my sons teachers out here right now. He called the school Principal and then accompanied me into the school offices. I didn't yell or get rude, but I did tell the Principal and his teachers that they can either do their job and teach the students or I can get the press to talk to some of the parents and students. I can also talk to the Minister of Education for Sichuan Province. I told them that they can take their mandatory school attendance laws and shove them. I told them either they do their job and stop worrying about whether my sons hair is 1mm too long, or whether he is wearing a shirt with a hood and start teaching these students or I would take him out of school and home school him. I pointed out to them that after an entire term of his teacher not having enough teaching ability to explain square root multiplication that it only took three minutes for a non-teacher to explain it to him so that he understood it. I told him that he can either stop hiring lazy and inept teachers or he should expect to lose students and money. I told him that I would be talking to every parent of every student that my son knows and that we may all be back in his office if things doesn't change for the better very quickly. Then we left. The police officer that accompanied us into the school said he had never heard or seen such a thing. No one would dare talk to a school Principal that way. I told the police officer that when someone doesn't do the job they have been trusted and paid to do, they deserve an ass-chewing. He agreed and said that he would keep that in mind when his daughter is old enough to go to school. Then he laughed. He said he couldn't wait to see his superiors face when he told him this story! After we got home, my wife's phone rang. It was the Principal. He apologized for his teachers poor performances and promised that my son would get the help he needs in the classroom. We'll see... I'm done playing by their rules....This crazy laowei is going to raise hell if need be to get my son a decent education! My wife is on the phone to some of my sons classmates parents right now. I seem to have gotten her fired up! She has called about 50 parents so far since we got home and she has a big, long list of numbers to call. She has set up a meeting at the community center for this weekend so the parents can get together and discuss this school and it's performance.

China schools can make any rules they want. I think it is ridiculous to kick him out of class. Even in this authoritarian ruled society, the smarter course of action would have been to tell him to get a haircut before coming to school tomorrow. But then again, here...it is more about conformity than education.

Now I'm really pissed! Last week, my son did a great job of studying all evening and he understands to ask questions at school. I am having a bit of trouble finding tutors for him right now. Seems like everyone that wants tutoring jobs has them... But...today, the school called my wife. My sons hair is too long. It is about two inches long, but apparently the teacher thinks it is too long because it just slightly touches his ear. They kicked him out of school for the day so he can get a haircut! He cannot come back until he has a "proper" haircut! WTF!!!!! So much for thinking that he could possibly get an education at that school. Trying harder and asking questions only gets you kicked out because your hair touches your ears. Oh, the idea of a private school is out the window. All private schools have an entrance exam. They (even my school) told me if he is failing, there is no way he could pass the exam. They (the private schools) only want the best students so they can show off the great results as a recruiting tool.

Websites like ELong do not actually "book" tickets online. Your booking request is just that...A request. They will contact you after you book letting you know what flight they can get you on. Chances are it won't be the low price you thought it was going to be. If you read the booking policy, you will see that nothing is confirmed until after they reply to you. And while they are wasting time contacting you and you them, the seat will be gone and they will quote you a different flight/price in the middle of the conversation.

I'm not about to give money to his public school teachers. Here, in China, that would be seen as paying for higher grades. I don't want my son getting any grade he didn't earn. By the end of this term, he will not only know the Algebra that he is being taught, but he will be able to find the answer to any algebraic problem at his level of school. The tutors mandate will be just that. Teach him how algebra works. Teach him the theories and principles of algebra. His science courses will be the same mandate. Teach him about the laws of physics and how to figure out what naturally occurring entities do when interacting with each other. Many students here buy or cheat their way through school and then they end up in college with no idea how they got there or what to do next. As I said earlier...what he does with his education as an adult is up to him. China is full of college graduates with no job right now. That will change. He has 8 years before he is done with school and college. I want him to be able to make the world his workplace. Go anywhere, do anything and he will be able to succeed if he really wants to. Part of the problem is the Chinese students reluctance to ask questions or ask for help. I asked him if he ever asked his teachers for help or if he ever said to them..I don't understand. He said no, he hadn't. I told him that school teachers are teachers because they want to help and that it is up to him to make them earn their pay. I asked him what would happen if he went to McD's and ordered a cheeseburger and they handed him two pieces of bread. Would he accept that and pay full price? He said no. I asked him why I should pay for his education and not get my full value? I said that it is up to him to ensure that I get my full value. He is the negotiator in this transaction. Are you willing to allow your father to be cheated? My money is also your money, we are both being cheated. As usual, he just nodded and laughed. After three hours of studying last night after dinner, he wasn't laughing when he finally went to bed.

Most navigation routing GPS systems use on-screen indicators of when/where to turn. She just needs to learn a little English to use them. By getting her a Chinese language GPS, you are enabling her to avoid using English. I would try to talk her into a GPS system that will help her, not hold her back. You can help her with the more complex programming, but the day to day use should help her with her reading/listening skills as well as tell her where to go!

That's the hard thing, isn't it? It's not gratitude I am seeking. It is his independence and success at whatever he does. The paradox of parenting is that you must put them in prison to be able to set them free. I will be a total hard-ass and completely unfair just to ensure that he never wonders about anything. I want him to have the knowledge and the confidence to dive into anything and know that it will turn out as he planned...just because of what we do here this year and the remaining years of his education. When I see that he gets it, when I see that he can take on the world without fear, then I know he will be alright and I can relax. It all starts with education. It all starts with learning how to learn. It all starts with knowing that you have conquered whatever you have tried, so the future is not scary.