u/Down_Growth_2626

The end of my contract is approaching on 26th December. I teach EAP at a good university in China. I'm applying for other jobs because the pay/city could be better, and with my experience I expect to get a few good offers.

At what point do I notify my existing employer if I get an excellent offer? There is 30 days' notice built into the contracts.

NB I would also prefer to stay if they can offer me a good deal: do you have any tips on bargaining? Like, when and how would I begin this process?! I haven't done this before esp in a Chinese context. I know they want to keep me badly (they tell me this as much; I was assist' prof in UK before quitting to move here & they like the qualifications and experience). Many thanks.

The end of my contract is approaching on 26th December. I teach EAP at a good university in China. I'm applying for other jobs because the pay/city could be better, and with my experience I expect to get a few good offers.

At what point do I notify my existing employer if I get an excellent offer? There is 30 days' notice built into the contracts.

NB I would also prefer to stay if they can offer me a good deal: do you have any tips on bargaining? Like, when and how would I begin this process?! I haven't done this before esp in a Chinese context. I know they want to keep me badly (they tell me this as much; I was assist' prof in UK before quitting to move here & they like the qualifications and experience). Many thanks.

Lifelong HP fan rereading the books for the thousandth time. Going through Philosopher's Stone, it struck me during the first Quidditch match there was no investigation into the bucking of Harry's broom.

Hagrid himself says "nothing except powerful dark magic could do that to a broomstick." So somebody inside the stadium (or within Hogwarts prior to the match) was using powerful dark magic. But nobody seems to care. There is no investigation or any questions from anybody! Just Dumbledore rocks up to make sure it *doesn't happen again*.... Lol. If the school had suspicions about Quirrell (which they clearly did, hence Snape intervention - and because he was a new teacher) he should have been investigated. Really bonkers that didn't happen.

So I run these ESL classes at a big university. The point of these classes is basically to spark conversation between students, getting them to practise oral English.

It's easy for me: I set fun activities or just chat with students depending on who comes. It's a social space, and entirely voluntary for students. It's fun for me and I know the students love it. I'm new to ESL but was assistant prof in a previous life, so I'm an experienced teacher. There are two classes on Friday night, many of the students attend both (4.5 hours of voluntary ESL!). I also teach them how to use their mouth to produce English sounds, drilling them with pronunciation etc etc.

Anyway halfway through the course, "Charles", a student with very broken English, rocks up. He seems friendly but has a hard time engaging. He gets on with the other students though and seems to be having a nice time. Sure thing.

Sooooo, the last Friday of the semester comes around. Just before the second class, I get told the building will be shut for exams so class #2 is cancelled. All the students are trying to find another room for class #2, to no avail. Because they look distraught(!) I suggest let's go eat together and then split. The students are delighted so we do. At dinner Charles is more talkative than I remembered, but it doesn't really trigger with me until he starts translating for some of the other students. I'm like, wait.... what???!

Turns out this guy has Chinese heritage but is a Kiwi, born + raised. He came because he wants to make friends and enjoys the class, but didn't want to get found out so he feigned dumb for like 25 class hours 😂💔❤️ I taught him how to pronounce LLLLL dammit!!!!! 😂😂😂

I've been to public hospitals a number of times, for physical therapy, acupuncture and a skin contagion issue (which needed cryotherapy). All treatments have been $20 or less 😮 waiting in a hospital now for another I was expecting to pay 5-10x more....

I really cannot fathom how the costs are so low still even though I have been here a few months. (Yes I know labour costs are low BC rent is so low, but still my brain can't comprehend lol)

Asking for a non-white friend who wants to work in China. He has a TEFL, BA, and is a native English speaker. What are his chances of a job? He is a published & award winning author, and is exceptionally bright. What should he expect for pay & the type of offers? Are there better schools / areas he should target? Thanks.

I (35M) just got back from a date with a girl (28F) which ended really miserably. Looking for some advice about relational investments.

We matched on Bumble, both foreigners in China, her Morocco me UK. The banter + chat on Bumble was very good, she complimented me on my "beautiful voice" saying it was like a podcast voice/really interesting yadayada. So I made a 30-second pretend podcast for her, she loved it and thought it was super funny. But also, "be careful or I will get used to this." I thought it was a strange comment to make, especially since she then backed off a load. And didn't actually reply to the content of my original message. (Retrospectively I think her comment was "come chase me" vibes... even though she had previously initiated date talk and swapping numbers.)

We ended up meeting for the date, only just for me BC of this push-pull, but it started off lovely, a bit touchy feely, v good conversation. 3 hours over dinner, where she was projecting forward about "we will have to do XYZ together." I pay for dinner which she clearly wants me to do (no comments about this but it is the expectation).

We go for a walk afterwards, I'm new to China so she was helping me book a bike with my phone, I joke with her saying "okkk so you're scamming me now" type stuff (I thought this was funny & she was laughing, she had been laughing other parts of the night at my crap humour). Halfway through the walk I ask if she would like to kiss, she says "do you want to kiss me?" "Err, yes" "Why?" "Err, because you're hot" (I'd never been asked this before lol) "not right now if that's ok" "ok sure no problem"

So it's a bit awkward but I make some more jokes and conversation, & on my lead we start walking towards the exit. I try to make it easy with conversation but there is not much anything coming back. So we walk in silence for maybe 10 minutes. I get the sense she is fuuuming, like I am a threat here. My PTSD threat sense is very keen so I know this is the case, as far as I can know anything.

WTF is wrong with her? I think the more important question for me is, how do I avoid dramatic people like this? It was my first date in 18 months, after years dealing with the worlds sh*ttiest people & much related trauma. Maybe I shouldn't have gone on the date in the first place with that red flag, what would you have done? Tia

I've been teaching ESL at a high profile University in China, it's a part time job (20 sessions a week, 16k RMB). V easy work, just conversations with good students. I have been offered to teach my subject instead at the same university, with a significant pay rise - seems they are making a shift to foreign teachers.

How much should I expect/ ask to get paid? I have tonnes of experience teaching this subject in higher education back home (teaching/ research/ publications etc). TIA

I've been teaching ESL at a high profile University in China, it's a part time job (20 sessions a week, 16k RMB). V easy work, just conversations with good students. I have been offered to teach a subject at the same university, with a significant pay rise - seems they are desperate for foreign teachers.

How much should I expect/ ask to get paid? I have tonnes of experience teaching this subject in higher education back home (teaching/ research/ publications etc). TIA

Let's say the US initiates a final short-term round of active fighting, be it boots on the ground or long range attacks. Trump declares a victory, War Is Over, and decides to step back & wash hands.

What would the impact on the Hormuz Strait be (in terms of flow & future insurance), and would Ansar Allah close the BaM Strait, for more weeks/ months?

*Gulf States and Israel would hate this (because they would get hit badly), but it's a possibility IMO, so the US can declare victory & pretend the thing never happened. Then after declaring War Over, any future impact on oil flow is "just the work of enemy actors" etc etc

EDIT: from discussion in the comments, it seems even after everything so far, lots of people are still wedded to the idea of politics as existing as though empirics and rationality were its foundation (rather than interests or, more specifically, imperial brutality + gaslighting). I find this staggering!