Mrs. Jamieson advises that I only photograph crappy things and only comment adversely about China on my blog.

Occasionally, we Laowais (foreigners) in China are self-centred, rude, ignorant, fat, un-caring. I am NOT a do-gooder, a China sycophant.  No, here is proof otherwise.

On the contrary, I have certain views about China that I elect to avoid discussing, because these views may be hurtful to Chinese people.

After 4.5 years here, it is wisest to keep your trap (mouth) shut. Problems are self-evident, and due to increased State Media largesse, are gleefully or morosely reported in *Gasp* English Language newspapers.

I maintain a neutral ground in conversations. However, for the counselling meeting tomorrow, I WILL also assume a Buddha personage. Remember the Astronaut training program, me, the 2nd mission specialist?

Option 1 : I will say nothing, Buddha personage - or Option 2 : I will launch into an acidic attack on the mis-management of the Spider.  I will cut loose, fire shotgun shells out the window, scream at her. Nah, it will make her cry in front of other Western Teachers. Silence is Golden.

Option 1 is good, Chinese style.

I like blogs.

China reports rise in birth defects

 Chinese health experts say around one million children are born [in China] every year with congenital defects, and the number is growing.

A senior doctor says 6 per cent of births are affected - three times the rate in developed countries.

A new study reported in Chinese official media has blamed later pregnancies, unhealthy lifestyles and pollution.

- BBC

ABOUT INTERPLAST AUSTRALIA
Interplast Australia sends volunteer surgeons to developing nations to
provide free reconstructive surgery for children with birth defects. These
children often do not receive a fair go in life because they look different
to 'normal'. These talented surgeons offer up their time and skills to
operate on these children, making them more 'acceptable' to their
societies. To find out more visit: www.interplast.com.au.

******************************
http://www.prnewsnow.com/Public_Release/Surgery/89675.html

Representatives from the largest plastic surgical group in the U.S. and the largest plastic surgical group in China signed a memorandum of understanding last night that will bring U.S. reconstructive techniques to China. The agreement, between Long Island Plastic Surgical Group (LIPSG) of Garden City, New York and Evercare Medical Institute of Beijing, will create an exchange program for plastic surgeons to share the latest techniques in surgery, train doctors in those techniques, and perform cases in China.

Efforts will be focused on reconstructive surgery for cleft lip and palate due to high incidence of this birth defect in China. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 children per 10,000 births will have some form of cleft lip and cleft palate. It is the highest incidence of cleft lip and palate in the world.

*****************************

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/28/eng20060628_278223.html

Program helps more kids with cleft palates smile in China

Five hundred more Chinese kids with cleft palates are expected to be able to smile and speak as normal kids soon with the help of a charity surgery program.

Under the Operation Smile China program, the 500 kids will undergo free complimentary reconstruction facial surgeries at the Gulou Hospital, based in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, hospital sources said.

But, the hospital sources did not disclose the specific operation time because selection of kids who are suitable for surgery takes time.

Gulou Hospital, where the headquarters of the Operation Smile Center of China is based, has successfully conducted procedures on 1,796 kids with cleft palates over the past 10 years. Funds used for the procedures are from public donations.

Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital birth defects. One out of every 550 newborns is with cleft palates in China. WHAT ?

Initiated in 1991, Operation Smile China Program is under the support of the Operation Smile International, an international non-profit volunteer organization. The program operators have cooperated with hospitals in more than 20 Chinese provinces and cities in carrying out operations on Chinese children with cleft palates in the past 15 years. With the help of the program, 8,200 Chinese children  have been able to speak and smile like normal kids.

Operation Smile International has provided free operations to 100,000 children worldwide since it was established by U.S. surgeons in 1982.

Source: Xinhua
****************************

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/20/ln/ln20a.html

In its 22 years, "Operation Smile" has repaired birth defects in more than 70,000 children in 21 countries. Just this week a mission was launched in China with about 35 personnel who will operate in the next 10 days on cleft lips and cleft palates of 150 to 200 children.

**********************************

A plastic surgeon in the US, Canada or Australia can earn a minimum of USD $300,000 a year. Yet, they drop their scalpels and fly to China at their own expense to perform dozens of procedures on children from dirty, rag-poor families, kids with horrifying birth defects. For free.

The Overseas Surgeons even sometimes pay all costs, trainfares for all, to and from, taxis, accommodation for the parents, meals etc.

But most importantly, they show Chinese Surgeons practical and emergent surgical techniques to repair Birth Deformities, so that they can train chains of other Chinese Surgeons. FOR FREE.

**************************
Not to praise and glorify foreigners, but (No but, please) ......did you ever think that one reason we are here is to care, to equip our students and kids with useful skills.

We can do this very successfully in our home countries.

However, we choose to come to China. We like China.

You, in the street, do not know who I am. Surgeon ? Definitely not. Teacher? Yes.

I remember reading about how students in China would stand when the Teacher enterered the Classroom. How they would BOW to the Teacher.

One would shout out "Ke-Tou" (Kow-tow). Foreheads on the ground. they would all comply.

Remember the Teacher who stabbed himself in the thigh to stop from falling asleep while studying ?

The students who shivered and waited in the snow in the front yard of the house of the Teacher because the Bedroom lamp and Study lamp of the Teacher were extinguished ?

How when he noticed them invited them and called them in to the warmth. Commenced learning and teaching.  Apocryphil stories are larger than life !

Really ?

I am so lazy as a teacher. Olympic grade lazy.

No thigh stabbing happening in Jia Yi Yuan. I can assure you, Never having students shivering in the snow.

US President George W Bush confused APEC with OPEC and transformed Australian troops into Austrians in a series of blunders in Sydney on Friday.

Mr Bush's tongue started slipping almost as soon as he started talking at a business forum on the eve of the APEC leaders summit.

"Mr Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction," he said. "Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit."

As the audience of several hundred people erupted in laughter, Bush corrected himself and joked, "He invited me to the OPEC summit next year."

Australia has never been a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Later in his speech, Mr Bush recounted how Prime Minister John Howard had gone to visit "Austrian troops" last year in Iraq.

Mr Howard was visiting Australian troops. There are no Austrian troops in Iraq.

- Reuters (C) 2007
**************************************

Ah, for fuck's sake. The shithead barely knows wherely he is, or what is the agenda, the countries involved. Have you been drinking ?

This sort of crap purely galvanises me, infuriates me.

You come to MY Country, ramble on about 'the war on terror' and cannot even get the word 'Australia' correct, your guest country ? Idiot. Fuck you.

Oh, please. A 5 year old can point out America and Australia on a world map.

Well, perhaps not here in China, here there is only "one country in the world", that is why it is called 'Zhong Guo' = Middle Kingdom, middle state, Central Country.

I do not have a problem with this. It is about education, or lack of it, not explaining to little kids that there are hundreds of countries out there.

Even Adult students : Quick question :  What Chinese provinces adjoin North Korea ? Name at least one.

Answer :  Jilin and Liaoning Provinces.

Ahhhhh.....

Why is it that a Laowai (foreigner) knows more about China - than most of the Chinese ? Even my Adult students stumble.

After my rant, I would like to congratulate my wife for 50% returning to my honey.

Sorry, I am entitled, as are you to spit the dummy from time to time. Inter-racial Marriage is complex.

Love you.

And you, Dear Reader, I will shake your hand. Thank you for dropping by.

BTW. I was never aware of the Mongol conquest of most of China OR OF EUROPE !!!.

WHAT ????? WHAT ?

CONQUEST BY MONGOLS ?

WHAT ?


The Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368

http://www.stockton.edu/~gilmorew/consorti/2eeasia.htm

In 1279, Song China was overwhelmed by Mongol conquerors. Their leader, Kubilai Khan, was the grandson of the great Genghis Khan. For the first time, gunpowder used for celebration was now being used for the propulsion of projectile weapons. The Middle Kingdom succumbed to the invaders who took the dynastic title of 'Yuan'.
Kubilai Khan was determined to keep Mongol and Han Chinese tradition and culture separate. This was not to say that Kubilai did not admire Chinese culture and tradition. The Great Khan respected both Mongol and Chinese culture. This was probably in Kubilai' s best interest however. It bears mentioning that at this time the vanquished outnumbered the conquerors drastically. Though there were a few hundred thousand Mongols, there were approximately 90 million Chinese!

Near death, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo was asked to take back the "fabulous" tales of the things he witnessed in Yuan China. His reply was simply, "I have not told you half of what I saw."

http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h11mon.htm

In terms of square miles conquered, Genghis Khan had been the greatest conqueror of all time - his empire four times larger than the empire of Alexander the Great. The Mongol nation believed that he had been the greatest man of all time and a man sent from heaven. Among the Mongols he was known as the Holy Warrior, and not unlike the Jews, who continued to see hope in a conquering king (messiah) like David, Mongols were to continue to believe that one day Genghis Khan would rise again and lead his people to new victories.

Mongols to the Gates of Vienna
Late in the life of Genghis Khan, members of his family fought over who was to be his heir. To end the dispute, Genghis Khan chose his third son, Ogodei (pronounced oh-go-day). And in 1229, after Genghis Khan's death, a great Mongol assembly confirmed the succession of Ogodei as the Great Khan. Ogodei began his rule aiming to live up to his mandate as ruler of the world.  In earnest he began drafting conquered people into his armies. Around one in ten young men from agricultural societies went into the Mongol infantry or to assist in siege warfare against fortified cities. And tent dwellers (nomadic herdsmen) joined the Mongol cavalry.

In 1231, Ogodei sent an army to police Korean defiance of an agreement made in 1218 to pay annual tribute. In 1232, the Koreans rebelled and a struggle ensued that was to last for decades. Ogodei also sent his armies against the Jurzhen, and in 1234 his armies completed the conquest of northern China. In the mid-thirties Ogodei sent armies against Slavic principalities in Eastern Europe, but resistance by the Asiatic tribes between the Volga and Ural rivers was greater than he had expected, delaying his plans of conquest west of the Ural Mountains. Finally, in 1237, his army pushed against the Russians, conquering the cities of Vladimir, Kolmna and Moscow in 1238. In December 1240, Ogodei's his army entered the city of Kiev and reduced the city to ashes. The Mongols would dominate Russia into the 1400s.

In Hungary and Poland the Mongols were outnumbered but tactically superior. They defeated several Hungarian armies. In early April, 1241, at the Battle of Lenica (Liegnitz), in Poland, they defeated an army that is said to have included heavily armored Teutonic knights. Dying in the battle was the most powerful of Polish dukes, Henryk II (Henry II). In December the Mongols crossed the Danube River, toward Vienna. Then, mysteriously to Europeans, the Mongols retreated from central Europe. To the Europeans it seemed they had been saved by a miracle. A myth was to rise among the Poles that their brave warriors saved Europe from the Mongols. In reality, the Mongol withdrawal was in response to Ogodei's death, on December 11. High ranking Mongol army leaders believed they had to return to confirm the selecting of a new ruler.

*******************************************
Hundreds of years ago.

No wonder I find Mongolian women so attractive. Square jawed, small chins, nice even teeth, warming smiles.

I know I am from Norwegians, then bastard Irish, then to a line of drunks in Australia.  Making babies from Malaysia, Greece. Isn't that interesting? It is for me, to understand and learn about life, migration, warfare, travel :

I am now living in China, married to a Chinese woman.  Same Caucasian features, with a nice mix, non-Chinese body shape, slim, buxom, but with overpowering Mongol/Han Chinese genes.

If they got to Vienna, then you can imagine war crimes, and subsequent transmission. No visa necessary. Perhaps they bought them back.

It piques my interest. My latent interest as to why ? Why her ? Do some research and surprise myself.

Who knows ? Perhaps it is a circle via a Boeing 747, or an Airbus.

"I have not told you half of what I saw."

Me too.

I have had a very good day in China today. I had a good sleep,
Satellite TV worked fine,

Mrs. Jamieson did not criticize me yet and emails about subjunctive verbs were....fuck off !

As a Native speakerof English, these polite, grammatically
correct speech components are to me, irrelevant.

My main concern is correcting the he/she has/have is/was live/lived fuckups.

Gently, comfortably, warmly, slowly, smiling ,whispering to
students the correct sentence form.

"I lived at Xu Jia Bang"

So, where do you live now ?

"Xu Jia Bang !"

Ahhhhh.....Did and Now. Let's talk about: I lived and I live, was married and am married.

"I was married"

So, body language dividing hands.... you separated ?

"No, no, no." We still together. ( I hate beginner classes and I particularly dislike threshold salons. ) Just be very patient, speak slowly in simple english mate.

Patience. Be very patient. I am, I changed and washed shitty nappies for 2 of my baby girls ?Surprised?. Patience is my middle name.

However, I really enjoy Advanced and Business Intermediate. Gosh, we often cover the course material in 3.5 minutes to satisfy the spider's requirements.

Then we talk about stuff, in semi-academic manner. I ask questions, they answer.

Remember the Brain Surgeon I had as a student ?

What was your most difficult procedure ?

"Intra-cranial tumour, primary brain tumour, very 'nege',(ah) rare, exerting pressure of central nervous centre and spine cord
she is not walk, write - patient is girl, 'nege',(ah) 12 year old.

Jamieson drops his pen on the floor.

Radio-therapy is no good. Is large tumour, I do
operate, have 4 surgeon helps.

Girl recover well. She leave hospital in 3 week."

Mate, your English is awesome, couple of dropped eggs but your vocabulary is stunning.
***********************************

Stay or go ? GO to kindy is good, but part-time with these guys is good too. I enjoy classes with stock brokers, bank managers, surgeons and doctors.

Accountants and high school kids are well, nice people, but perhaps another western teacher could take the class.

Jamieson

                                    

If we examine the culture of lying, it seems there are 3 distinct areas, across the world.

Option 1. One involves the spoken lie, one designed to defelect blame for an incident on to a co-worker. One totally designed to avoid any punishment, tribunal or Court.

Option 2. The Half Truth.

"Well, I thought he had turned off the power before he went down the shaft"

"I thought she could read English before she slipped on the wet floor and broke her C3 Lumbar verterbrae......"

"DO I have to look after every new pussy, comin' on to my work site ? So he fell off the gantry. Did ah push 'im ? No siree."

Option 3. The Bald Faced lie.

"We have world-class safety protection for our coal miners."

"The subterranian methane gas warning systems are tested weekly. They work well"

"We have alternate escape routes if there is a cave-in. We guarantee at least 2 alternate tunnels, with ladders - and lights. We provide the men with shovels to dig themselves out if necessary"

"Our policy is to provide water and food for 50 men for 1 week, that is ahhhh, well, we are generous : 2000 litres of fresh water"
***********************************

Toss the coin and it comes up "heads".

That means I have to tell you about the 2 brothers in China, trapped in a mine cave-in, that managed to dig themselves out into sunlight and fresh air. It was a miracle.

Now, THAT is a good story.  Mrs. Jamieson often grumbles that I only report the bad things about China.

No, honey. Good things happen to good people, Bad things happen to good people.

An axiom well learned, J knows.

Obviously good, illierate miners made it to safety. Pity about their fellow miners down in the flooded mine.

J.has spoken.

The "Institute" I am teaching at seems to encourage a culture of COMPLAIN at the drop of a hat.

Four years teaching in Suzhou before this never raised even 1 complaint or concern ,in fact they lauded me as a model Teacher, ?fake? praise yet when I am at the Spider there is an avalanche of complaints.  It seems that I am not alone in the shooting gallery.

We had a Spider's whipping boy, B, he was in his early 20s - been in China few years but failed to realise the difference between Brisbane and Suzhou. Boy, did he get it ! After 1 month he was released from his contract after an angry conflict with the centre director. Clear out your drawers, sonny, pack yer bags. (He had already lined up, signed up a gig in Shanghai to be near his Girlfriend).

Again, picture Ducks,water and duck backs. Same as F. Bailed.

Comment in the Staff Room : "Guess they weren't as stupid as they played !"

Every Foreign *huh, foreign* Teacher has had both barrels. Miffed a little ? *Maybe*

*Maybe* we might get a little tired of student complaints. *Maybe* they could prepare for a class the next day. *Maybe* they could do their homework, as assigned. *Maybe* the joint could have its walls sanded and re-painted during the National Day festival interregnum, with the windows open to ventilate the strong cheap paint aroma.

There is an exodus of Laowais from the Spider. One Scottish Teacher refuses to speak to the 'Academic Director'. Cool, that will keep you on the payroll. I AM NEXT.

Going positive now.

Mrs. Jamieson ordered home-delivered pizza, the Large, thin crust, Supreme. She knows my pizza preference. Even pulled a little scam (not now for you to know).

Jamieson arrived to a chant of "we bought you pizza" ! J. beams at the Missus and Miss J. Profuse thanks.

***********************************

There is an innovative, sometimes slightly dangerous comedy program on the Australian Government funded TV network, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, called "The Chasers war on everything".

Hugging the Prime Minister of Australia on his morning jog, assailing him with a chain-saw (not running) that sunset.

The fake security ID worn by Chas Licciardello in a fake APEC motorcade on Thursday

Chasers 'might have been shot'
 
The team wore fake security IDs like this one. (Shown)

Chaser stunt raises questions about APEC security The New South Wales Police Commissioner and the man who ran security at the Sydney Olympics have both warned that the APEC stunt by The Chaser's War on Everything team could have ended in violence. Including the actor dressed as Osama bin L**en.

Yesterday The Chaser team breached APEC security by driving a fake *Canadian* motorcade into a restricted zone.

Eleven people were arrested and have been charged with entering a secure area. Police say they are considering more charges.

Commissioner Andrew Scipione says he is still angry about yesterday's stunt.

He says the comedians did not think through the full consequences of their actions when they drove into a restricted zone full of police snipers.

"The reality is there were people that, through their actions yesterday, put security services in a position where they may have had to take an action that no one would want," he said.

"The people that were involved were told - we told them, we sent them maps.

"We made it very clear that they shouldn't do stunts, particularly those that were going to be dangerous.

"We had snipers deployed around the city. They weren't there for show."

That point has been underlined by Neil Fergus, a senior executive for Intelligent Risks and former intelligence chief for the Sydney Olympics.

"People can talk over each other on radios and there can be confusion, so the police response - I think - was terrific," he said.

"And thank God it was what it was. You've only got to look at the experience that a very professional police service had in London when a young Brazilian was tragically shot by anti-terrorism forces."

"As that motorcade approached the InterContinental Hotel, if the call had gone out on the encrypted radio that it was bogus, if there had been any miscommunication, any misunderstanding, any lack of professionalism or just confusion - unlikely as it is - somebody might have been shot.

"So I think the police are to be commended with the professional way that they did identify the incursion, the restraint that they showed in handling it and the fact that what we're talking about today is a bad and irresponsible joke, instead of a more tragic set of circumstances."

'Bloody idiots'

Mr Fergus says the comedy team's antics do not reflect poorly on APEC's multi-million-dollar security cordon.

He says the stunt reflects badly on The Chaser team.

"My thoughts were that they're bloody idiots, self-indulgent, self-centred and obviously hadn't thought through the potential ramifications of what they were doing," he said.

"My major concern was not that it was a bad joke, but that they could have put somebody at risk. Firstly themselves, but then someone else - either a member of the public or a member of the security forces."

He says police should be praised for their response.

"This is the most complicated security operation that Australia has seen since the Sydney Olympics - $250 million, several thousand people, it involves airspace protection corridors, maritime corridors, venue security," he said.

"Somebody getting through an outer vehicle checkpoint hardly impacts or reflects on the standard of the entire security operation."

In a statement released last night, The Chaser team said it had no intention of entering the restricted zone.

Today the show's executive producer, Julian Morrow, told an ABC TV news crew that the team did not endanger anyone.

"Was it irresponsible? I wouldn't think so. Hard to say," he said.

"No, no. We had no intention of harming anyone. Sorry guys ... Lucky it was us and not Al Qaeda."
Aidan:
07 Sep 2007 2:54:15pm

******************* COMMENTS ON THEIR WEBSITE *************
 
OK - I'll go along with the police view that they were a self indulgent group of idiots, but the very sad fact of the matter is that they did reach Bush's hotel.
If they had been a finely tuned terrorist unit, as opposed to amateurs, they could well have killed and maimed hundreds of "strategic" targets. (i dont go along with the notion of this for a second BTW)
We could have had a major incident on our hands and it looks like the holes in the security perimeter are big enough to be one of the only two man made objects visible from space.

Aidan Sydney

Grant:
07 Sep 2007 2:54:07pm
The police rhetoric on this event is contradictory. If it was only a minor breach of an "outer vehicle checkpoint", if it doesn't reflect on the standard of security, why are they saying snipers could have been used?

Either the Chaser were responsible for a minor security breach, in which case the police are over-reacting with the charges they are pressing, or it was a major breach, in which case they highlighted an important weakness in the security, and the police should be asking themselves some serious questions.

As far as I can see, the Chaser crew didn't breach anything - they were invited to pass into the restricted area by people responsible for that area's security.

rat k:
07 Sep 2007 3:06:07pm
The Security system did not in 'fact' work - they got through two security check points with bogus identification, would you call that a competent response? Obviously yes.

I'm suprised and pleased they weren't shot. The Chaser team are political satirists - the product of a healthy democracy.

My 2 cents worth, but limited due to server size at the ABC, apparently. Hundreds of comments.
-----------------------------------------

I live and teach in China *spewing that Australia Network is off Dream Satellite TV* however, I still have unlimited exposure to world events at my fingertips from the Web, and from CNN on the wide-screen.

The fact that the Chasers could fake ID passes and get through APEC checkpoints is a SERIOUS indictment of security personnel.

Surely, Security would have been issued with a timetable of motorcades.

Not carefully checking the vehicle occupants.  Utter incompetence.

An actor dressed as Osama ? Don't you think that might get a police officer's adrenalin flowing and a weapon cocked and "off safety mode"?

If there was a 1000 kg bomb in the boot of one of the vehicles and it rammed through barricades and road blocks, detonating in the foyer of a building where APEC negotiations were occurring....

I do not support many of the views espoused by attendees at the Sydney 2007 APEC Conference. However, the much-touted expensive and disruptive high security has been proven to be useless by a group of well-planned amateurs.

If they were professionals, bent on martyrdom ? Armani smells very good on a pilot of a 737 who does not care how to land it.

From China.
 

All copyright material stolen on this extract belongs to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, used without their consent.

Yeah, it is easy to whine. But... just learn English and shut the F*ck up

I just got an hour lecture from Mrs Jamieson, and I now it is best to hold your tongue.  With Mrs. Jamieson, I shut up.

Then I get this email :

Mainly want to talk about the classes you given these days. 

I think to some extent teaching here is a matter of of attitude. I think sometimes you are doing well but some other times you are not working wholeheartedly enough.

 I do not know why, but i think I should tell you directly. 

Take yesterday's class as an example: you did not finish what was supposed to be covered in that topic( there was still another page with a lot of verbs).

And you started playing the game, which lasted for 20 minutes and was finally stopped by the student named Bill.

They know clearly what they are here for.If you talk about too many other things in class, the students would complain a lot( in fact, they have already complained this).

...in fact after several emails from you I do believe you can make yourself a good teacher. So I'd like to say more about this: please explain the difficult words to the students, you can know this easily by eye contacting with the students. And emphasize the important words, for example: suggest and propose, both are special. Subjunctive mood. 

I finished this in a hurry and I hope it will not hurt you. You know that I am frank and really want to give my suggestions.   Anyway, thank you for your hard work. i will talk to you next week and you can also say what you'd like to say. 

Yep, subjunctive mood. Hey, bro, wassat ?

I will reform myself.

I will write a self-criticism, and read it aloud in an English Corner, you know, the popular one, where I get 80 students, many standing for an hour? You know, I ask reception to copy an extra 50 handouts ?

Shan't say that that I am married to a lovely Anhui lass. Shan't talk about life, since we do not have hobbies or wives/husbands that we talk to.

Oh, ah, did I mention she and I went to University, like you ? Am I China Positive, or China-Negative ?

Usually Positive.

++++++++++++++++++

Emails like this really light my fucking boiler.

Think we are utensils in China. No.

Cheers!  Best regards (Name deleted)

My reply :

OK, thank you for your advice and feedback. It is always good to get feedback, as it does help me to become a better teacher.

I will follow all your recommendations in future.

Cheers,
Jamieson

*****************************************************
I will also join the NASA Space Shuttle Astronaut Training Program as a mission specialist, and run for Election in the 2008 election as a Democrat Senator for Iowa. Moreover, I will learn to grow corn, and learn to operate a combine harvester.

I will vow to learn to write software in Visual Basic 6, Configure 32 bit Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to a Network Server on my Oracle database... ahhh, sorry no vow, already done that.

I vow that I will not write .asp and VB script applications that run on Internet Information Server 3 on client applications, connected to the web throught a nice firewall.  Ahhh, sorry no vow, already done that.

I definitely promise not to develop, test or deploy anything in Java on the Internet. Really ! Nah.

Gees, sometimes I wonder if these people have any idea of what is, and what actually is behind our potential. Then we also have questioning our motives for coming to China to teach English. Questioning our performance ?

Is it a nice relaxing break ?

Yeah re-doing verbs that I did in Middle School is valuable from a Laowai.

Sweetie, could you explain the white-board marker throwing incident in the "Foreign Teachers Staff Room".(Not me). MAYBE  the desk pounding incident. (Not me, the Texan with the M.A.) maybe get down and boogie. Bit of public anger.

*Maybe* you could leaf through your dictionary, or try the web for the 'egregious'  (extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant.

Anger Management 101

Students want perfumed perfection. Whine because their Spoken English is quite frankly dismal. The overseas teachers - will face complaints at the drop of a hat. And we get blamed. FUCK THIS.

Classic Passive-Aggressive behaviour. Spider at Suzhou is dropping teachers like sausages at a barbecue.

Classic.

You think we are all stupid ? Nope. As a coalition we make up about at least 40 years teaching experience. Students swing by Spider, we do our best, sometimes semi-best... tired, sick, bored.

Spider for me will be history.
*****************************

FUCK, I did an extra hour on this blog and lost it. That's it, I'll do all my updates in WordPad. Fuck.