It was too bad you had to find work in a tier 5 city. Some foreigners go the cheapest route and I have no doubt you did. You got the level of care you paid for. I was in a tier 2 city Dalian Liaoning and a tier 3 city Weifang Shandong and both cities had modern hospitals which compared well with Canadian cities. ... Full Comment>>

Ihd lived in China for 12 years and I felt I had pretty good treatment from the hospitals and their staff. There are different levels of care in the hospitals in China, so if a patient is going to the cheapest hospital there could be problems. I had staff from the Foreign Affairs Dept. or teachers who mde sure I ... Full Comment>>

In Vancouver, I have seen the cocker spaniel on the blanket with the violin player in his 30s on Robson St. I saw this guy in an alley later and followed him to the entrance to Stanley Park where he drove a late model Toyota to the pricier homes on that side of the water. Other people asking for larger amounts of ... Full Comment>>

One aspect of renting in China is that in many situations the landlord will rent the apartment "as is" and the cleanup is yours to do. Sometimes a university will rent apartments belonging to staff and these are usually fully furnished. One rule meant to keep women from renting ground level suites is an ... Full Comment>>

I've gradually learned what "traditional Chinese woman" and "family oriented" mean to women over 44 - and it doesn't mean they are ready to have your child. You have been absorbed into group think and your ship may be turned around 180 degrees by a septuagenerian captain.If you are a journal ... Full Comment>>

Maybe the censorship committee will have second thoughts about "The Good Wife" since Will was shot and killed (his contract ends and he asked to be let go). Writers could push an old college infatuation only so far anyway before the tension drains out of that relationship. There are already so many dead ... Full Comment>>

When does an expat know enough is enough and can that progression be expressed in yearly increments? I think it depends on the stage of life of the expat and what motivated this person to come to China. Perhaps if you are in your 20s or 30s the above patterns may fit. Using western values and psychological ... Full Comment>>

I agree, get out there and visit cities on your own without the tours and "get lost". Take a bus or a subway and see the people and walk the beat. I've found paint, plaster, tools, wood and screws for my projects by just poking my nose in the stores and looking for what I need. It's there if you look for ... Full Comment>>

No, I am saying the argument of those who are devising curriculum from the Social Efficiency ideology is based on scientific instrumentalism. A child's behavior is to be changed or shaped according to what society needs and the growth and development of the child is not an issue. It is a value neutral position that ... Full Comment>>

Dr. Michael Davis is not listed on the staff of ULink school in Suzhou. There is a vacancy for (1) history and (2) English teachers for that staff. Jay Knox is right that the discussion of the main article does not involve college students. However, teachers who are members of a professional association are held ... Full Comment>>

I think Murphy's advice is a very good place for a newcomer to start. I found my problems with taxi drivers ended when I worked out the shortest route to the new site of the university and give simple directions like zhi zou or yizhi (straight ahead), zuo guai (left)or you guai (right); my mnemonic trick is it is a ... Full Comment>>

I'd like to respond to comments #11 primarily and #12 as well. I agree with some of the calls that #12 made about being set up by disgruntled students. I saw a teacher immediately suspended by a superintendent because of a 16 year old girl's complaint about sexual harassment at 3 p.m. on a ground level classroom ... Full Comment>>

There are many people here in China, Thailand, and other countries in Southeast Asia who are teaching English but they are not trained teachers. "Instructor or tutor" would be a better description of their status. Some of these instructors are quite close in age to the college students they teach, and they ... Full Comment>>

Wait until all the states implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) that involve frequent batteries of tests throughout the year from kindergarten to grade 12. These standards are really federally mandated and enforced through withdrawal of funding in public schools. Bill Gates and Pearson Publishing are two ... Full Comment>>

In 10 years I've been to 36 cities in China on my own and got robbed in only two railway stations: Guangzhou North and Shanghai North. "He who wears backpack frontwards doesn't get robbed at train stations." The only habit I just cannot get used to is the multi-tasking by clerks. I was booking a hotel in ... Full Comment>>