|
|
Post by gretch on Nov 18, 2005 9:34:03 GMT 7
Hello all, Got a few new "contacts" from schools, can't find anything on Nate's or elsewhere on area/school....so any info would be lovely!  Hunan Univ of International Economics (Changsha, Hunan) Zhuzhou Institute of Technology (Zhuzhou city, Hunan) Shandong Forgein Trade Vocational College (Qingdao city, Shandong) Well this is it for now, but have some more coming......I don't know if I start a new thread for each? Also, I need to poo or get off the pot w/ re: to choosing a school....I didnt' expect to get so many offers!  and ;D And I plan on going in Feb! Too many choices....But you all have been a great source of help! Later, Gretchen |
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Nov 18, 2005 20:48:06 GMT 7
Groovay!  Take all the jobs and make 3 piles: pays poo, pays great, and the milky middle. Throw out the bottom, look up the locations of the rest. Correspond with several and hear them out. I repeat: CORRESPOND WITH SEVERAL AT ONCE. You can't know what they're about until you hear them out. And don't get ethical on me: they're interviewing others, too- bet on it. Narrow it down to the ones that line up with what you want, then take the ones who sound the most honest. Dead giveaway: they nervously said no to one of your requests, then tried to find another way to make you happy. |
|
Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly 
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
|
Post by Ruth on Nov 18, 2005 21:04:15 GMT 7
Good advice from Con. In addition, ask if you can email current foreign teachers. If they hesitate to allow this it could be a red flag.
Sorry, I don't know anything about the schools you mentioned.
|
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Nov 19, 2005 2:25:43 GMT 7
Dead giveaway: they nervously said no to one of your requests, then tried to find another way to make you happy. Con, not sure what you mean...is that a good sign or bad? Thanks for the good advice! Also, to be able to get there for the Feb. semester, by when should I decide on a school...in order to have time for the letter of invite to get processed and sent to me? And to get my visa? Oh pooooooo....I'm getting a bit nervous..  |
|
|
|
Post by George61 on Nov 19, 2005 5:45:58 GMT 7
Talk to Millana. She went through all this anxiety,worry stuff quite recently, so it should be fresh in her mind. She will advise on the best medication!
|
|
|
|
Post by Raoul Duke on Nov 19, 2005 13:01:35 GMT 7
Hey Gretch,
My choice here would easily be the school in Shandong. I don't know that particular school, but Qingdao is definitely on the 'A' list of cities to live in in China. Delightful!
I once had a girlfriend from Zhuzhou and have made several trips there and to Changsha.
I was seriously underwhelmed by Changsha. Didn't strike me as a good place to live at all...kind of a southern Changchun in that it was the capital city of a very rural province. Enough industry to be dirty but not enough to be rich. I eventually came to love Changchun but it was the people and culture, and not the city, that made this happen. I guess the same is possible in Changsha. I like Hunanese people.
Hopefully Steiner will pop up...I think he and the Missus lived in Changsha. They seemed pretty underwhelmed too.
Zhuzhou is not too bad for an extremely small city, again, in an extremely livestock-intensive area. Life there will be pretty boring; you'll find yourself going to Changsha for a good time, which should speak volumes about Zhuzhou. However, you've stated a preference for a more bucolic Chinese experience (God help you) and Zhuzhou would be a nice enough place to have one.
Unfortunately, that uni in Zhuzhou has a terrible reputation for weaselly teacher treatment. Their positions seem to be revolving doors, with current teachers leaving as fast as they can hire in new ones. Beware!
Qingdao. Definitely.
|
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Nov 19, 2005 14:59:11 GMT 7
Dead giveaway: they nervously said no to one of your requests, then tried to find another way to make you happy. Con, not sure what you mean...is that a good sign or bad? Thanks for the good advice! Also, to be able to get there for the Feb. semester, by when should I decide on a school...in order to have time for the letter of invite to get processed and sent to me? And to get my visa? Oh pooooooo....I'm getting a bit nervous.. It's a good sign: if they balk at a request, it means they're not simply telling you anything you want to hear so that you'll come over... and they can change the deal. Read between the lines for shinola. If you come to agreement in December, you should have enough time to finish everyting and get over here by February, no problem. I've found the red tape moved pretty quickly: they want us here, remember. That being said, better to be set up too soon than too late. Get on it, for peace of mind. But worry more about getting by UNTIL you leave. |
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Nov 20, 2005 4:26:11 GMT 7
Great info Raoul! I got an email from a girl teaching at Zhuzhou now, and she said it is very dirty. She has only been there 3 months, but said that the school has been very helpful/accomidating. But she did mention a lot of problems were had in getting her physical/ medical exam dealt with. Thanks, too , con.....I've been working on all this since end of Sept. and seem like I'm not getting too far, considering the time I've taken! Maybe I'm just being too picky and trying to get "just the right place!" silly me, I AM going to China so that is a bit of an oxymoron, eh? |
|
Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
|
Post by Ruth on Nov 21, 2005 7:40:27 GMT 7
Gretch, we were able to have the letter of invitation sent to us by fax. The embassy accepted the faxed copy. Because of the time change, and the dicey phone lines from the school, it meant we were up in the middle of the night with the fax machine on. All the paperwork from the China side took only a couple of days. Paid extra at the embassy to get the quick visa turnaround (same day service!). We had to go to Houston, from Florida  and didn't know what to expect. You will want to get the paperwork from China well before Spring Festival. We were held up by 'October week' when all gov't activity stopped. |
|
|
|
Post by Stil on Nov 21, 2005 10:39:57 GMT 7
I live in Hunan in a town with no other foreigners. The closest city is 30 minutes away by taxi and that city has 7 FT in it. I really enjoy it here.
I am close to both Changsha and Zhuzhou. I absolutely despise Changsha. It's a large dirty city. I find there are 2 types of people in Hunan, those that live in Changsha and the rest. Changsha people are quite unfriendly compared to the people in the reat of Hunan.
Zhuzhou is a common small to middle size city in China, pretty friendly and boring. Treatment of FT in general in Hunan is pretty good and the surrounding area outside the major cities is beautiful.
The food here is great. It is quite spicy though. but most FT cope with that without problems. Cost of living is very low and even Changsha is nowhere near as expensive as for example Guangzhou.
Changsha is a train hub of sorts (Zhuzhou is only an hour south) so it is easy to travel from here. 8 hours to Guangzhou, 8 to Guilin, 12-15 to Beijing, Xi'an no problem etc. It's a good base.
People are small here so depending on your size it can be difficult to find clothes. They are bigger up North.
I don't know anything specific about those schools, but I'll ask around if you haven't made a choice yet.
One thing about coming to China. For me, my school and flat are much more important than the amenities of the city. China is so different and wonderful/terrible that anywhere you go will feel warped. By focusing on a good job and my living arrangements I found I am much happier than being in a so-called better area.
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Nov 22, 2005 2:21:14 GMT 7
Thanks Stil,
That is great info! I'm still deciding, but your point is well taken about anywhere being a bit "weird". I've been to Beijing for a semester, and I did spend all too much time in my apartment! So it was good it was a nice one!
I do love spicy food but not rude people!
Later
Gretch
|
|
|
|
Post by Raoul Duke on Nov 26, 2005 15:35:16 GMT 7
The Hunan food is definitely spicy- on a par with Sichuan- but most of it is wonderful.
One evening in Zhuzhou I was stunned to find a bakery selling nice big cinnamon rolls. I eagerly bought a couple and took them back to my hotel for breakfast.
Next morning I fixed myself a cup of coffee, sat back, and bit into one of the cinnamon rolls.
The filling was NOT cinnamon, sugar, and butter. It was pure red-hot chili paste. Quite an eye-opener...
|
|
|
|
Post by Jollyjunklass on Nov 29, 2005 18:17:01 GMT 7
VALIUM George, much VALIUM  Gretch has been talking to me. I agree with the rest of you. I go to Changsha often. It is nothing great. If I could switch cities I would and maybe I still will. The worse thing, I think, is Hunan's weather. It is very cold and damp, it gets into your bones and nothing but a shower will warm you up. Make sure you ask the foreign teacher about the hot water at the school if you choose Changsha. Way too hot in the summer and way too cold in the winter. Changsha really has nothing of interest, most people shop for entertainment. Stil is right about the clothes, unless you are tiny bring plenty of clothes. The nightlife in Changsha leaves little to be desired. If I knew now what I didn't know then, I would not have chosen this province. There are a lot of beautiful little spots around, but you need time to travel to them, as they are quite scattered. |
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Nov 30, 2005 4:15:34 GMT 7
The beauty I hear of about Hunan province is very appelling, But i think I can be just as happy traveling to them. I'm really leaning towards the Uni in Xianyang, city about hour out of Xi'an.
Gretch
|
|
|
|
Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 30, 2005 7:13:05 GMT 7
Gretch, just check first where the university is in any place - is it close to the town centre or a 20/40 minute or so bus ride from the town itself. Some of them can be, even in Xi'an, Dalian or other places. I know Jade's university in Xi'an is located a 40Y taxi ride from the centre of town, and friends in Dalian are also located outside the city - makes shopping and eating a little difficult.
|
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Dec 3, 2005 12:26:07 GMT 7
Advice taken Lotus, I never even thought to ask that. ???And I have been asking and found one was an hour out of the city, not much in the way of shops near either.
The others, if out of city by any distance, have food shops, resturants, etc very near.
|
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Dec 6, 2005 8:12:20 GMT 7
Thanks for that heads up Lotus,
I did ask and the uni has plenty of shops-food and household/ toiletry- in walking distance.
|
|
|
|
Post by gretch on Dec 6, 2005 8:14:33 GMT 7
Opps, I didn't realize I already posted on this....Oh my god...it's happened.....my mind is now mush!!!! |
|
|
|
Post by Jollyjunklass on Dec 17, 2005 7:06:38 GMT 7
Trust me, I hear ya!  |
|
|
|
Post by Mr Nobody on Jan 1, 2006 8:13:52 GMT 7
China has that effect. So does Raoul's booze - it's the ether uses.
|
|
and ;D And I plan on going in Feb! Too many choices....But you all have been a great source of help!
and didn't know what to expect.
