From the March 1 issue of the NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/world ... 89610&_r=0

Unfortunately my experience is with a Tier 1 school, not acting like a Tier 1 school.

The difference between 2005 and today is that the Chinese government has required schools to pay salaries in RMB, so as the RMB devalues those of us who are US based are actively losing money. I would love it if we were still paid in USD and the RMB continued to fall but sadly that is not the case.

What irritates our staff is that our admin made bold predictions about the strengthening of the RMB and of course those predictions have failed to materialize. Then they, in not so many words, said "tough" when staff began to ask questions. Ironically admin didn't even hold the traditional "next year's package" rollout faculty meeting, they did it by email I suspect to avoid the embarassment of having to answer pointed questions.

I know its all about personal responsibility and making wise choices so please no lectures on like it or leave, which many have. My partner and I are grinning and bearing it now but our resignations are all but in the mail.

Posters can say what they want about the UNI Fair, but my wife and I landed jobs there on two different occasions at schools that provided us with a great experience both professionally and personally.

HereThereEveryWhere is bang on. While Beijing is attempting to replace old home based coal heaters they aren't being as successful as they would like to be. Here is a pretty good opinion piece written by a resident

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/opini ... .html?_r=0

I would hesitate to bring a young child to a major center in China. I live in Shanghai and while I don't think our pollution levels are quite up to Beijing's, there are still days when we don't go outside and I can't imagine bringing my kids here to live through that. Having said that we have had three glorious days of blue skies and relatively clean air, knock on wood for at least one more.

Hong Kong is mostly green space. It may not be organized into playgrounds with slides and swingsets but the ability to get out of doors and away from people is amazing.

Where would your kids go to school? Would you fly them over, as well as your wife, on your own nickel? I can see your train of thought but there are multiple benefits associated with dependents that you need to make sure are covered. Plus, I'm not so sure a school would appreciate you advertising yourself as a single and then showing up with a ready made family.

tommypizza wrote:
> Psyguy? DDT? are you serious? Do you know why the Bald Eagle is no longer endangered...because
> of conservation and the discontinuation of the use of DDT...a known cancer causer.
> It's ok though...I know no one could get that if they wanted to.

Not defending the stuff, but it is very effective against mosquitoes and there is an argument that banning DDT causes more harm than it solves. I know when I was a Peace Corps volunteer it was given to me as a deterrent against insects in my home.

I would be interested in knowing if this is an isolated case or whether people are noticing a gradual erosion of benefits/salary in other schools. Of course some changes are out of control of the school, the devaluation of the RMB is having a noticeable impact on us, but if schools are making cost cutting decisions on purpose then that might change the game for us.

Just brought one back yesterday, we also use the soft sided "Rubbermate" type boxes with great success. We use zip ties through holes drilled in the corners with great success.

I want to echo mamava's comments. Our children found it a very difficult transition from International school student to university student. They had a hard time connecting with other students who have very different life experiences. It was also difficult because many students, while not commuter students, lived close enough to go home on weekends and shorter holidays and this wasn't possible for our kids. Every kid and experience is different, but I am happy that our experience with college aged kids is coming to an end.

Nine years so far when we thought it would be five. Good school, pays well but maybe its time to move on.

The investigation is limited to determine what the school's response is, not whether there will be criminal charges. Our CPP defines abuse in such a way that in some cases no laws are broken, even in North America, but if a parent wants their child to attend our school then they need to follow the policy.

We have a child protection policy and it is very similar to ones I was familiar with in North America. We are reintroduced to it every year and basically it states that if you suspect any abuse you are to report it. The counselors take the lead role in investigating the allegations and decisions are made up on high. They can include expulsion from the school and reporting the abuse to embassies and employers. In practice I'm not so sure it works as well as hoped but its better than nothing.

Its not the speed that will kill or hurt you, its all the other crazy behaviours that might do you in, and if it not the cars then its the electric scooters, motorcycles or bicyclists that sneak right up on you that will.