Shanghai...The First 48 (Part 2)

(This is a two part post-read part one for the full story)

As you already read in the first part of this story, I arrived in Shanghai just fine.  Upon locating my room and filling up on a massive bowl of soup, I immediately went to sleep with a full day of work ahead of me…

Friday, September 7:

I woke up Friday morning feeling refreshed and a bit anxious since my first day of work loomed ahead of me.  I got ready with coverage of the Democratic National Convention as background noise (the television in my hotel room has CNN).  After a couple of outfit changes, I managed to find something professional, yet chic, then I made my way to the hotel lobby to wait for my ride to company headquarters. I was surprised to find that there were many other people eagerly and anxiously waiting their first day.  My fellow co-workers hailed from various parts of the U.S. and the U.K. and all of us exchanged our Shanghai arrival stories.  Our transportation finally arrived and I managed to secure a window seat of the van. I looked out the window in sheer amazement at all of the people, noise, traffic and large buildings that whizzed by me that Shanghai morning. 

After pulling up into company headquarters, we were immediately escorted to the Bank of China to open up bank accounts.  The bank was clean, modern looking, and very efficient.  After filling out some paperwork, I went to a teller who instructed me to choose a six digit pin number (much different from the U.S. four digit pin) and after signing my name on several documents, I received a bank card on the spot for future use.  Once everyone completed the same process, it was back to headquarters for training.

Training went pretty smoothly that morning.  The morning consisted of housing matters, money matters, contract and workplace matters and even a Chinese lesson on how to order food (we were expected to order our lunch in Chinese).  After several hours it was time for lunch and upon exiting the training area, I noticed that the sky was incredibly dark with not a ray of sunshine in sight. Once I got downstairs, I noticed that it was raining hurricane style and people were running all around the street trying to duck and dodge the downpour. The trainers managed to find us some umbrellas and they were anxiously on the phone arranging taxi cabs.  Upon exiting the building and making my way to one of the available taxi cabs, I noticed that there were puddles of water as high as my ankles!  I managed to stay somewhat dry and after a ten minute ride, we pulled up to the restaurant.

The restaurant was very busy with lots of shouting, patrons, and waiters running around (which means it had to be good!).  Due to time constraints, we were unable to order our meals in Chinese; however, we were escorted to a back room full of food dim sum style.  There were a variety of dishes that were set up on rotating table.  I dug into all the selections without hesitation (okay I was not going to try the squid), and to my delight, everything tasted delicious. The conversation flowed and I spoke to the trainers about life in Shanghai and anything else noteworthy.  Lunch came to an end and then it was back to headquarters for part two of training.

So Much Food!!!

The second part of my training day involved going to my future teaching center.  I learned that my center was very far out (at the end of one of the metro lines to be exact), which I was not too thrilled about but I had to remember this was big city living.  I was escorted to my center by one of the employees of that center and we eagerly talked the entire time about the job, life in Shanghai and our lives. 

The near empty subway...at the end of the line

Exiting the Metro

We finally arrived to the center which was located very close to the metro.  Another major plus location wise was it was located inside a new and modern shopping center.  I was excited to see that there were some of my favorite international stores such as H&M, Marks & Spencer’s and Carrefour.  I was given the tour of my center and all of the local teachers and students were pleased to meet me.  I tried to make small talk with some of the foreign teachers but I was given an icy welcome and dismissive responses in return.  I settled into more paperwork and training for several hours then it was the end of my day. 

I'm Working next door to a soon to be Weight Watchers...must be a sign...

Just some of the awesome shops in my shopping mall...bye bye paycheck!

I had a one hour commute ahead of me back to the hotel and later that night, I had dinner with some of my new co-workers.  We decided on an Indian restaurant and it was very delicious.  Laughter and more stories were exchanged as we shared our meals.  The idea of going out came up, but I was much too tired to commit to a full night of going out and I assured them that maybe I would be up to it tomorrow. 

Thus concludes my first 48  hours in China.  Keep up for my upcoming posts in the future!

How I'm Going to China (Part 3: Paperwork, Planning, and Planes)

***This is a three part series, click on Part 1 and Part 2 for the full update***

As you read in Part 2 of this series, I secured employment despite some setbacks in my job search.  I managed to land a job with a global company that matched everything I wanted in an ESL job (teaching adults and southern China). 

 Paperwork:

Once I obtained employment, I had to submit additional paperwork in preparation for my visa.  I procured several important documents (copies of my passport, university diploma, TESOL certificate, resume/c.v., head shot photograph).  In addition, I had to undergo a background check (this was quite harmless, it pretty much verified that I had no criminal record and that I attended college); and lastly, I had to obtain references from two individuals (If you’re reading this, thanks for your expedient and awesome recommendations!).

After collecting all of the aforementioned items, I emailed everything to my assigned recruiter for processing (sidenote: this individual is the same person that interviewed me and she’s  been awesome about answering all my questions and assisting me when needed despite the 12 hour time difference!).  From there, I had to wait for the Chinese government to approve my paperwork and award me the following documents-my Invitation Letter and my Work Permit which I have pictured below:

My Invitation Letter

My Work Permit

 

After a month of waiting, I received my golden tickets!  Now that those documents were in my possession, it was time for me to go process my visa. 

Since the Chinese Consulate is quite a way’s away from my hometown, I looked into different visa agencies that would go to the consulate on my behalf.  I was somewhat discouraged at the prices, but once I read the fine print, I was happy to learn that the prices included the visa itself.  In the end, I chose Oasis China Visa for my visa processing and I was very content with the service I received.  Everything was very efficient and they answered all of my questions in a courteous manner.  After 10 days, they returned my paperwork and my passport complete with my entry visa.  They even enclosed a nice envelope thanking me for my business.  I recommend anyone who needs a visa for China (which is virtually every American, even if you are visiting) to use Oasis China Visa for all of your visa processing needs!

 Planning:

In order to keep myself organized, and most importantly sane, I devised an outline of everything I needed to accomplish before my departure.  This list ranged from medical appointments, to apartment matters, to shopping.  I sat down for two hours one evening and put pen to paper on virtually everything I needed to get done by September.

 Over the course of several weeks, I made calls, scheduled and made appointments, and shopped whenever I had a few, free hours for each item on my list.  I can honestly say that this outline was one of my best ideas when it came to preparing my Chinese journey.  

Planes: 

Besides my visa, the next important thing I needed to do was book my flight.  Once my recruiter gave me the go-ahead to make the booking, I searched several flight sites to find the best prices. I tried bing.com/travel, since they have a price predictor to advise me on purchasing a ticket.  Unfortunately, there was no price predictor for my flight, so I just went to the Delta website to book it directly (apparently, Delta has cheaper flights than any other airline due to their best price guarantee). 

Unfortunately, things did not go my way during the booking.  Firstly, I learned that the airline would charge for a second checked bag (and yes, I will need two checked suitcases).  Secondly, I would have two lengthy layovers at two different blah airports (Laguardia and Detroit).  Lastly, I booked a bit too late and the only seats were middle seats.  I could have opted for business class and paid the $5500 difference (end sarcasm);  but on some real talk, I was not trying to max out my credit card for some comfort even if the flight will be over 14 hours.  So alas, I will be stuck in Coach, squeezed in between two  passengers with crappy inflight entertainment and bland food.  I’m sure I’ll be making the Edvard Munch scream face by the time the 6^th hour rolls around...

Photo Credit: http://www.edvard-munch.com/gallery/anxiety/scream.htm

  I can only hope that things pick up from here….

 

How I'm Going to China (Part 2: Job Hunting )

 ***This is a three part series click here for part one.***

 As you read in part one of this series, I managed to find a Mandarin course in my area that fit my time and schedule. A month into the course, I decided it was time to start my employment search in China.  I was pretty set on going the ESL teaching route for reasons that ranged from career interest to ease of obtaining a long term visa.

Before applying for jobs, I knew it was necessary to secure a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate of some kind.  After searching the internet, along with obtaining advice from my friend Jo Gan,  I found a TESOL course that covered lots of material at a great price (As you can see, I’m always deal hunting :)

I dove headfirst into my job search despite an already packed schedule of working full-time, Mandarin classes, as well as, studying for my TESOL certificate.   I started my job search with high hopes, but after several weeks, my high hopes were sinking. This was not due to patience (ok, I can be a bit impatient), or unrealistic expectations; in fact, my expectations were quite realistic when one compared my qualifications and work history.  After reading a number of books, blogs and internet sites, I discovered the uncomfortable truth….

It turns out, obtaining ESL employment could be difficult due to my race.  Apparently, a disproportionate number of employers in Asia are very hesitant to place a black instructor in the classroom for two compelling reasons-ignorance and money.   Many natives wrongfully assume that a native English speaker cannot be Black since a native English speaker may originate from the U.S.A., Canada, Ireland, Australia or the United Kingdom-countries with a white majority population.  If a native encounters a Black instructor, there's an automatic assumption that this person must be from the African continent; thus, they must not be a native English speaker (despite several countries having English as there national language).  If a parent discovers that there is a Black teacher in the classroom, they may question the instructor’s credentials and some will go as far as pulling their children from the class or petitioning for that teacher’s termination.  This places language schools in an awkward situation and a potential loss in revenue; thus, many schools find it less complicated and more financially advantageous to hire a White instructor over a Black instructor despite qualifications.

I understand race is something uncomfortable to discuss in today’s “color-blind” society; however, race still matters to many employers in Asia. I experienced this prejudice first hand when I applied for several jobs that were eager to grant me an interview; but, upon submitting my picture, I would receive  several “thanks, but no thanks responses”  if they responded at all (and no, I’m not ugly :p ).

I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, so I dug deeper into my search and found a minority friendly company.   I submitted a stellar application and I was a tad aggressive in my sales pitch, but this payed off since I received a response quite quickly.  After exchanging several emails, I arranged an interview via Skype that went very well.  During the interview, I expressed my desire to be placed in the south of China (specifically Shanghai) and teaching older teens or adults.  I played the waiting game for several weeks and when finally, I received the “congratulations” email!  Not only were they offering me a position, but the position would be in my choice city (Shanghai) and age level (adults)! I cried tears of joy and waited another week before I accepted the offer (I received several other employment offers despite my race that I reviewed for consideration). The only downfall was that I needed to be there in a pinch (by the end of August, but now early September), so I had to act quickly with everything that needed to be done before that time (which I'm actively doing each and every day).

Thanks again for tuning in and come back for part three!

First days and heartache...

Today, I started my first day at a real job ( I guess career would be the better term to use) after months of boredom, annoyance, anger, and a genuine loathing from my other "job" (which I will continue to work at on the weekends to supplement my income). It was music to my ears and literal tears to my eyes when I got the call last week saying I had got the job. I thought the job was far from my reach since I thought the interview went o.k. but not incredibly well and I left a bit ambivalent about what my future would be. However, everything happens for a reason and the same day I got the call was the same day that an expat friend and I were praying for my future since I needed this job to build my resume, get out of debt, and above all, possibly live out my dreams (which I will discuss in another post).

So today, I arrived very early... heals on, lunch in hand, and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. I was greeted by the friendly receptionist who told me they were waiting for two others for the new employee tour and orientation. In case you are wondering exactly what this job is, I will be working in the legal realm however due to confidentiality and privacy rules, I can not discuss in detail the nature of my job, nor the details of the firm. Finally the others arrived and my new head boss escorted us off for a mini tour and some videos.

After the the videos we were taken on the grand tour of the offices which are actually various rooms of an old mansion from the early 1900's (the bathrooms still have the bathtubs in them!) The rooms have since been made into offices but it's such a beautiful place and there is a gorgeous garden behind the mansion. I learned that the first Thursday of the month during the summer the firm will get together for a company picnic in the gardens complete with free and delicious catered food from a local gourmet eatery (This happens every month, but it will be nice being outside). In addition, everyone was incredibly friendly and warm and I loved that there was a great mix of both male and female employees ( Note: I by no means "hate women," and I have a disdain for girls who openly make comments of that nature; but, I find that after working in several jobs where it tended to be more female than male, it tended to be a bit too gossipy and catty for my taste and I tend to shy away from work drama since I can't be bothered and get annoyed very easily). I was finally introduced to the team that I would be working on and I settled into my project for the first time. Everything was going so well until a bomb dropped on me...

As the head boss checked in on my first day progress, she informed me that she would need my vehicle information in order to assign me a parking spot and also for liability reasons. My stomach dropped and I felt immediately ill, but I managed to sputter out the information of my mother's car without any emotion in my face or cracking in my voice. You see, I continue to live my European lifestyle here stateside and by that I mean I am sans car. Yes, I know it sounds crazy to many readers out there (minus my NYC, DC, and Chi town readers), however, after living between the states and Europe on and off for the past few years and with perfectly good and cheap public transport in my city, a car was more of a hassle than a necessity to me and I decided to "rough it" without one. My mother does have a car, but due to a last minute snow storm combined with snow driving amnesia at the end of March, my mother was hit from the side and her beloved car now sits barely drivable in the parking garage (there were 100 driving accidents that day...apparently people also forgot that this is upstate New York after all).

My great first day quickly turned sour and I went home angry and defeated. I'm angry because I am sick and tired of this "need a car" b.s. that surrounds me in this city and I am sure in many other areas across America. I understand that yes, some people do need a car since their job and/or shopping needs maybe many miles away from where they live. However, I don't see the problem in taking the bus since I get to this job perfectly fine via the bus for the fraction of the price of gas (since it currently hoovers at $4.00 a gallon in my area) and honestly in the same amount of time. I am defeated because I honestly want to stay at this job and I feel like this car thing may impede this dream. It's times like this why I miss Europe...there is no "public transport discrimination" since a large number of the population rides the bus in the major cities and even small towns. Here in America, cars are king and bus riders are viewed with a mix of disdain and even pity. People tend to typecast public transport takers as: poor, uneducated, migrant, unmotivated, and even criminal and I for one am none of the above (not saying there is anything wrong with being a migrant).

As I sat in my fury of emotions, I got up to retrieve something and out of nowhere my heart began to race and then it literally started to hurt. I thought for a quick second that I would have to go to the emergency which only made things worse since I have no health insurance ( this job would allow me some after 90 days...yet another reason why I miss Europe and that good ol' socialized medicine). After sitting down for a few minutes, my mini anxiety attack subsided and my heart went back to it's normal pace. All I can do is think about what will I say or do to get thorough this situation. I guess as the saying goes "the truth shall set me free" and I will only have to go to my head boss within the next few days to tell them about my situation. I can only hope they will let me stay cause lord knows I can no longer take being poor or the "muzak." I will keep you posted as the events unfold...