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1月24日 Canada Poised to Kick a Little Butt at the OscarsIn a year of "No Country for Old Men", the 80th Academy Awards is providing a leap forward for Canadian artists, especially our young women. Thirty-three million Canadians are beaming with pride at the announcement of Canadian actress Ellen Page's Oscar nomination of Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her killer performance in Juno. She's only 20 years old. She's from Halifax. And she's awesome. Page's acting debut was in the Canadian TV movie "Pit Pony". She moved on to the hit Canadian comedic TV series "Trailer Park Boys". After starring in various Canadian and American movies, TV movies, and TV series, her big break came when she landed the lead role in the American film Hard Candy. She then landed a role in X-Men 3 (The Last Stand) in which she played Kitty Pryde (a mutant who could walk through walls). Her lead role in one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular movies of 2007 (currently rated by the general public as the 117th best movie of all time, according to the IMDb) has skyrocketed Miss Page to superstardom. Juno was made by Montreal-born Jason Reitman, who has received a Best Director nomination.
Beloved Canadian actress Sarah Polley from Toronto has been nominated for her screenplay for the Canadian film Away From Her. The film was adapted from Canadian author Alice Munro's story about an older woman who develops Alzheimer's disease. Polley also directed the movie which led veteran British actress Julie Christie to receive a Best Actress nomination. This is the first time in Oscar history that a performer starring in a Canadian movie has earned an Oscar nomination. Polley is only 29 years old. And yes, she's awesome.
Additional treats for Canucks are the nominations of two of the five films up for Best Animated Short. Toronto's Josh Raskin is nominated for I Met the Walrus, a movie based on the true story of a 14-year-old boy's meeting with Beatle-legend John Lennon. The National Film Board of Canada picked up its 70th all-time nomination for Madame Tutli-Putli, about a woman on a peculiar train trip. The film is directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski and won two awards at last year's Cannes film festival.
Finally, we have Viggo Mortensen's nomination as best actor for his mysterious chauffeur role in Eastern Promises. Viggo is a New Yorker, but the film is directed by Canadian David Cronenberg of Toronto.
1月20日 Summer Olympic Games, Part 2/2City, Country Year (Participating Countries, Athletes, Events)
Highlights
Rome, Italy 1960 (83, 5338, 150)
"Yugoslavia, which qualified for the final by winning a coin toss, won the football tournament after losing in the final three times in a row. Sante Gaiardoni of Italy became the only cyclist in Olympic history to win both the time trial and the match sprint events. By winning the silver medal in light-welterweight boxing, Clement 'Ike' Quartey of Ghana became the first black African Olympic medalist. Five days later in the marathon, Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, outlasted Rhadi Ben Abdesselem of Morocco to become the first black African Olympic champion. Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang were decathlon training partners at UCLA, but in Rome Johnson represented the United States and Yang represented Chinese Taipei. In a dramatic finish, they took first and second places and then, exhausted, fell against each other for support. Suffering from concussion and a broken collarbone after a fall in the endurance test of the three-day equestrian event, Bill Roycroft left his hospital bed to compete in the jumping test and ensure the gold medal for Australia. Cassius Marcellus Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali (USA-boxing), first gained international prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later turn professional and embark on a phenomenal career."
Tokyo, Japan 1964 (93, 5151, 163)
"The 1964 Tokyo Games were the first to be held in Asia. The Japanese expressed their successful reconstruction after World War II by choosing as the final torchbearer Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima the day that that city was destroyed by an atomic bomb. … By winning two medals of each kind, Larysa Latynina of the Ukraine brought her career medal total to an incredible 18. She is also one of only four athletes in any sport to win nine gold medals."
Mexico City, Mexico 1968 (112, 5516, 172)
"The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics was a controversial one because of the city's high altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than at sea level. Sure enough, the rarefied air proved disastrous to many athletes competing in endurance events. … Bob Beamon’s spectacular long jump of 8.90m would last as a world record for 22 years. … The most popular female athlete of the 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska, the Czech gymnast. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia two months before the Olympics, Caslavska went into hiding for three weeks. She emerged to win four gold medals and two silvers. … The 1968 Games also saw the first drug disqualification, as a Swedish entrant in the modern pentathlon, Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, tested positive for excessive alcohol."
Munich, Germany 1972 (121, 7134, 195)
"They were supposed to celebrate peace and, for the first ten days, all did indeed go well. But in the early morning of 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended and a memorial service was held in the main stadium. In defiance of the terrorists, the International Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours. … The 1972 Games were also the first to have a named mascot: Waldi the dachshund. U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz won an incredible seven gold medals to go with the two he had earned in 1968. Lasse Viren of Finland fell midway through the 10,000m final, but rose and set a world record to win the first of his four career gold medals."
Montreal, Canada 1976 (92, 6084, 198)
"The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by an African boycott to protest the fact that the national rugby team of New Zealand had toured South Africa and New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympics. … Fourteen-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania caused a sensation when, for her performance on the uneven bars, she was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She eventually earned seven 10.0s. On the men’s side, Japan’s Shun Fujimoto broke his leg while completing his floor exercises routine. The Japanese team was engaged in a close contest with the Soviet Union, so Fujimoto kept his injury secret. But when he dismounted from the rings, he dislocated his knee and was forced to withdraw."
Moscow, Russia 1980 (80, 5179, 203)
"The Olympics were disrupted by another, even larger boycott, this one led by U.S. president Jimmy Carter, part of a package of actions to protest the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Carter engaged in extensive arm-twisting to gain support from other nations. Some governments, like those of Great Britain and Australia, supported the boycott but allowed the athletes to decide for themselves whether to go to Moscow. No such freedom of choice was allowed U.S. athletes, as Carter threatened to revoke the passport of any athlete who tried to travel to the USSR. In the end, 65 nations turned down their invitations to the Olympics; probably 45 to 50 did so because of the U.S.-led boycott. Eighty nations did participate - the lowest number since 1956. Aleksandr Dityatin earned medals in every men's gymnastics event to become the only athlete ever to win eight medals in one Olympics. During the closing ceremony, Misha the bear, Olympic mascot of the 1980 Moscow Games appeared with a tear in its eye."
Los Angeles, U.S. 1984 (140, 6829, 221)
"Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part. Archer Neroli Fairhall was the first paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event. She competed in a wheelchair." For the first time, the People's Republic of China took part in the Olympics. For 28 years, political matters had interfered with its involvement. It all began with the presence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Melbourne 1956 Olympics, which made the People's Republic of China refuse to participate. China finished the Los Angeles games in fourth place. The Soviet Union and 13 other nations boycotted the games and these 14 countries had accounted for 58% of the medals at the 1976 games. Canada won more medals at this Olympics than any other—44.
Seoul, Korea 1988 (159, 8391, 237)
"In a coup for the Olympic Movement, Korea (South Korea) turned democratic in order to welcome the world to the Summer Games. Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) boycotted, and was joined by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua. Still, records were set with 159 nations participating, 52 winning medals and 31 taking home gold medals. Although the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson was the biggest story of the 1988 Olympics [who broke the world record for the 100m dash], the Seoul Games were highlighted by numerous exceptional performances. Christa Luding-Rothenburger, who was also a speed skater, earned a silver medal in cycling to become the only person in history to win Winter and Summer medals in the same year. Steffi Graf concluded her Grand Slam tennis season by winning Olympic gold. Greg Louganis (USA-diving) qualified for the springboard final despite striking the board with his head on the penultimate qualifying dive. In the final, after this frightening event, he achieved his second consecutive Olympic victory in the springboard."
Barcelona, Spain 1992 (169, 9356, 257)
"Men's basketball was open to all professionals, and the US sent a "Dream Team" that included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. … Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won the 10,000m run to become the first female black African Olympic champion. Her victory lap with silver medallist Elana Meyer, a white South African, symbolised hope for the future of the Olympic Movement."
Atlanta, U.S. 1996 (197, 10318, 271)
"The 1996 Games were given a dramatic start when the cauldron was lit by Muhammad Ali. On 27 July during a concert held in the Centennial Olympic Park, a terrorist bomb killed one person and injured a further 110 people, but the Atlanta Games are best remembered for their sporting achievements. A record-setting 79 nations won medals and 53 won gold."
Sydney, Australia 2000 (199, 10,651, 300)
"Birgit Fischer earned two gold medals in Kayak to become the first woman in any sport to win medals 20 years apart. Judoka Ryoko Tamura lost in the final in both Barcelona and Atlanta, but came back to win the gold medal in Sydney. Steven Redgrave became the first rower to win gold medals at five consecutive Olympics. The US softball team won in stirring fashion, losing three games in a row and then coming back to defeat each of the teams they had lost to. Cathy Freeman (AUS-athletics) had the honour to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Games. She symbolized the desire to reconcile the white and Aboriginal populations of Australia and was the aborigine medal hopeful. Ten days later, Cathy Freeman won the 400m final which was a clear victory before an ecstatic crowd."
Athens, Greece 2004 (201, 10625, 301)
"In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, the home of both the ancient Olympics and the first modern Olympics. … Popularity in the Games soared to new highs as 3.9 billion people had access to the television coverage compared to 3.6 billion for Sydney 2000. Women's wrestling was included in the program for the first time. … In team play, Argentina won the men's football tournament without giving up a goal, and the U.S. softball team won by outscoring their opponents 51-1."
1月17日 Summer Olympic Games, Part 1/2City, Country Year (Participating Countries, Athletes, Events)
Highlights
Athens, Greece 1896 (14, 241, 43)
"The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. On 6 April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. Winners were awarded a silver medal and an olive branch."
Paris, France 1900 (24, 997, 95)
"The Games of 1900 were held in Paris as part of … the Paris World’s Fair. The exposition organizers spread the events over five months and de-emphasized their Olympic status to such an extent that many athletes died without ever knowing that they had participated in the Olympics. Women made their first appearance in the modern Games. The first to compete were Mme. Brohy and Mlle. Ohnier of France in croquet. The first female champion was in tennis: Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain." George Orton won Canada's first Olympic medals—Gold in the 3,000m steeplechase and bronze in the 400m hurdles.
St. Louis, U.S. 1904 (12, 651, 91)
"The … organizers repeated all of the mistakes of 1900. The Olympic competitions, spread out over four and a half months, were lost in the chaos of a World’s Fair. Of the 94 events generally considered to have been part of the Olympic program, only 42 included athletes who were not from the United States. The 1904 Olympics did have a few highlights. They were the first at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for first, second and third place. … Marathon runners Len Tau and Jan Mashiani, Tswana tribesmen who were in St. Louis as part of the Boer War exhibit at the World’s Fair, became the first Africans to compete in the Olympics. One of the most remarkable athletes was the American gymnast George Eyser, who won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood."
London, U.K. 1908 (22, 2008, 110)
"The 1908 Olympics were originally awarded to Rome, but were reassigned to London. …Oscar Swahn, aged 60, was the oldest ever competitor to earn an Olympic gold medal, winning the running deer shooting, single shot. … The event that caught the public imagination around the world was the dramatic ending of the marathon. After 42 kilometres (26 miles) of running, the first man to enter the stadium was Dorando Pietri of Italy, but he collapsed on the track five times and was disqualified when officials carried him across the finish line."
Stockholm, Sweden 1912 (28, 2407, 102)
"Held in Stockholm, the 1912 Olympics were a model of efficiency. The Swedish hosts introduced the use of unofficial electronic timing devices for the track events, as well as the first use of a public address system. … Sweden would not allow boxing contests to be held in their country. … If there was an unofficial theme of the 1912 Games, it was endurance. The course for the cycling road race was 320km (199 miles), the longest race of any kind in Olympic history. In Greco-Roman wrestling, the middleweight semifinal match between Russian Martin Klein and Finland’s Alfred Asikainen lasted eleven hours."
Antwerp, Belgium 1920 (29, 2626, 154)
"The 1916 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Berlin, but were canceled because of what came to be known as World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honor the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war. The Opening Ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag…"
Paris, France 1924 (44, 3089, 126)
"At the 1924 Paris Games, the Olympic motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius", (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) was introduced … Johnny Weissmuller of the United States won two gold medals in swimming on 20 July alone. That same day he earned a bronze medal in water polo. He later went to Hollywood and starred as Tarzan in twelve movies. American swimmer Gertrude Ederle won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. Two years later she caused a sensation by becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel (La Manche) - and in a time almost two hours faster than any man had ever achieved."
Amsterdam, Netherlands 1928 (46, 2883, 109)
"Perhaps the Games were best exemplified by the experience of Australian rower Henry Pearce. Midway through his quarterfinal race, he stopped rowing to allow a family of ducks to pass single file in front of his boat. Pearce won the race anyway and, later, the gold medal as well. At the Opening Ceremony, the team from Greece led the Parade of Nations and the host Dutch team marched in last. Greece first, hosts last would become a permanent part of the Olympic protocol. Athletes from 28 different nations won gold medals in Amsterdam, a record that would last for 40 years." The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of these games.
Los Angeles, U.S. 1932 (37, 1332, 117)
"Because the 1932 Olympics were held in the middle of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes took part as had in 1928. Nevertheless, the level of competition was extremely high and 18 world records were either broken or equalled. The crowds set records too, starting with the 100,000 people who attended the Opening Ceremony. The 1932 Olympics were the first to last 16 days. The duration of the Olympics has remained between 15 and 18 days ever since. Between 1900 and 1928, no Summer Olympics was shorter than 79 days. … At the victory ceremonies, the medal winners stood on a victory stand and the flag of the winner was raised."
Berlin, Germany 1936 (49, 3963, 129)
"The 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin, are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games, was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. During the long jump competition, Owens’ German rival, Luz Long, publicly befriended him in front of the Nazis. 1936 saw the introduction of the torch relay, in which a lighted torch is carried from Olympia to the site of the current Games. … Thirteen-year-old Marjorie Gestring of the United States won the gold medal in springboard diving. She remains the youngest … gold medalist in the history of the Summer Olympics. Inge Sorensen of Denmark earned a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the age of 12, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event. Hungarian water polo player Olivier Halassy won his third medal despite the fact that one of his legs had been amputated below the knee following a streetcar accident."
London, U.K. 1948 (59, 4104, 136)
"The 1948 London Games were the first to be shown on home television, although very few people in Great Britain actually owned sets. … Karoly Takacs was a member of the Hungarian world champion pistol shooting team in 1938 when a grenade shattered his right hand - his pistol hand. Takacs taught himself to shoot with his left hand and, ten years later, he won an Olympic gold medal in the rapid-fire pistol event."
Helsinki, Finland 1952 (69, 4955, 149)
"The Soviet Union entered the Olympics for the first time. Although their athletes were housed in a separate "village", warnings that Cold War rivalries would lead to clashes proved unfounded. Back in 1924, Bill Havens had been chosen to represent the United States in coxed eights rowing, but declined in order to stay home with his wife, who was expecting their first child. Twenty-eight years later, that child, Frank Havens, won a gold medal in the Canadian singles 10,000m canoeing event."
Melbourne, Australia 1956 (72, 3314, 145)
"Melbourne won the right to host the 1956 Olympics by one vote over Buenos Aires. Australian quarantine laws were too severe to allow the entry of foreign horses, so the equestrian events were held separately in Stockholm in June. Prior to 1956, the athletes in the Closing Ceremony marched by nation, as they did in the Opening Ceremony. In Melbourne, following a suggestion by a young Australian named John Ian Wing, the athletes entered the stadium together during the Closing Ceremony, as a symbol of global unity." 1月12日 January UpdateCarolyn and I obtained a certificate from the local police stating my new residence. There were no glitches and it was quick and easy. We need it in order for my new school (EFS) to get a residence permit for me. I submitted this, along with a recommendation letter from my previous employer in China, to EFS. I learned that it is standard procedure for a Chinese employer to cancel an employee's work and residence permits and get a one-month tourist visa for him when he leaves. Strangely, the Chinese authorities assume that when a foreigner leaves a company here, he will return to his home country; that's why they give only a one-month tourist visa - to enable him to leave the country. It seems that they don't have much confidence in China's lure on foreigners and think that they would never want to stay in China and change their jobs. My tourist visa expires on Monday. EFS had to send a letter to the Chinese authorities to explain to them that I want to stay in China and take on a new job and that the one-month tourist visa doesn't give them enough time to process my work visa. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Working at EFS (The Shanghai French School) has its pros and cons like any other school. The pros are that it is insulated, heated, and air-conditioned which is a huge luxury in China. Unlike teaching in public Chinese schools, I don't have to wear layers of clothing, and watch the children shiver in their down jackets. The staff is nice and know how to treat each other respectfully (a big change). The pay is good and the holidays are great. The shuttle buses to and from the school are free and the lunches (fairly decent western food) are subsidized. There is free coffee available. The management is fairly professional and courteous.
The cons are that the English Department (there are five of us teaching in the Primary School) does not have a curriculum. We are pretty much on our own in creating lesson plans class by class. The levels of the classes vary very much. You have to prepare materials for older kids who are fluent in English and then, right after their class, you have to prepare materials for younger kids who speak no English. Another con is that the kids' behaviour could be better. To be fair, in some classes, all of the kids are pretty disciplined, but some have a few unruly ones, and others have most of the kids running around uncontrollably.
The organization is as follows. There are five "grades" in French Primary School. They call them (from lowest to highest) CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, and CM2. There are four classes for each of these grades. Yes! There are that many French children in Shanghai! But for English class, the kids from various classes within a grade come into one English class according to their English level. The levels are 5, ranging from the beginner level (the kids don't know any English) up to Advanced (the kids are fluent). So, for example, within Grade 2 (or "CE1") there are four classes A, B, C, and D, each with its own homeroom Primary School teacher who teaches them all the subjects (except music, Chinese, and English). For the Advanced English class (taught by one of the five of us English teachers), a few kids, fluent in English, from each CE1 class (A, B, C, and D) come together to attend their English class. The English classes are 45 minutes daily, from Monday to Thursday.
I have agreed to take on three kindergarten classes a week starting on Monday. After Chinese New Year we will have to teach an extra geography class in English every week. Olympic Fever Sweeping ChinaOlympic Fever is sweeping China, as its capital city will host the Games this summer from August 8th to 24th. The Games in Beijing will play host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic program. Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in the Games. I'll be putting stuff up on the site over the next few months. First I want to post a review of some of the past Summer Olympic Games.
As you can see from the stats below, the Olympics have come a long way since the first modern games in 1896 when only 14 nations participated and only 241 athletes, none of whom were women.
ATHENS 2004
Participation
Nations: 201
Athletes: 10,625 (4,329 women, 6,296 men)
Events: 301
Results
Nation: Medals Total (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
1. U.S.A.: 102 (36, 39, 27)
2. China: 63 (32, 17, 14)
3. Russia: 92 (27, 27, 38)
4. Australia: 49 (17, 16, 16)
5. Japan: 37 (16, 9, 12)
6. Germany: 49 (13, 16, 20)
7. France: 33 (11, 9, 13)
8. Italy: 32 (10, 11, 11)
9. Korea: 30 (9, 12, 9)
10. U.K.: 30 (9, 9, 12)
Greece, itself, finished 15th. India with the world's second largest population acquired only 1 medal. Canada finished 21st winning a total of 12 medals (3 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze).
Canada's first gold medal ever was in the Paris 1900 games, when George Orton won the 3000 metre steeplechase. Canada's best placement was in the 1904 St. Louis games when it came in 4th. Canada's highest medal count was in the 1984 Los Angeles games when it won 44 medals and finished in 6th place.
Canada's Placement and Medals in more recent Summer Olympic Games:
Munich 1972, Canada placed 27th, winning 5 Medals (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
Montreal 1976: 27th, 11 Medals (0 G, 5 S, 6 B)
Los Angeles 1984: 6th, 44 Medals (10, 18, 16)
Seoul 1988: 19th, 10 Medals (3, 2, 5)
Barcelona 1992: 11th, 18 Medals (7, 4, 7)
Atlanta 1996: 21st, 22 Medals (3, 11, 8)
Sydney 2000: 24th, 14 Medals (3, 3, 8)
Athens 2004: 21st, 12 Medals (3, 6, 3)
The medals Canada won in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games were:
1. Kyle Shewfelt—GOLD—Artistic Gymnastics, floor exercise, men
2. Adam Van Koeverden—GOLD—Kayak Flatwater, 500m, men
3. Lori Ann Muenzer—GOLD—Cycling Track, Sprint, women
4. Alexandre Despatie—SILVER—Diving, 3m Springboard, men
5. Marie-Helene Premont—SILVER—Mountain Bike, Cross-Country, women
6. Karen Cockburn—SILVER—Trampoline, women
7. Tonya Verbeek—SILVER—Wrestling Freestyle, 48-55kg, women
8. Team Canada—SILVER—Rowing, four without coxswain, men
9. Team Canada—SILVER—Sailing, star - keelboat, men
10. Adam Van Koeverden—BRONZE—Kayak Flatwater, 1000m, men
11. Caroline Brunet—BRONZE—Kayak Flatwater, 500m, women
12. Team Canada—BRONZE—Synchronized Diving, 10m platform, women 1月1日 THE NEWBEAT STORY PHASE 18: FALL 2007Foreign Teachers
Me - resigned
Hans
(several new teachers)
Kim (consultant)
Chinese Teachers
Alice
Barb
Kathy
Nina
Susan
NO MORE FREE TAXIS
The Shanghai Jazz English Training Institute managed to hire several new foreign teachers to replace the ones who'd left. Apparently they signed a deal with a headhunting company who would send them teachers whenever the need arose.
Many of the new teachers were curious as to why I was leaving. They usually asked me in front of Dewey. Of course, I couldn't tell them the real reasons. But they seemed to get the picture not after too long. One of the new teachers started complaining to me about Dewey, really angry at her.
Last time I wrote, I mentioned that, Jazz had asked us to move into a new apartment closer to Keji. We stayed in our apartment but I was told that, from now on, The Shanghai Jazz English Training Institute would no longer be paying for my taxi fares. What was suspicious about this was that, shortly after taxis were no longer covered, Louie bought himself a BMW. Certainly there's nothing wrong with the owner of a business buying himself such a luxurious car, but at the same time he stopped paying for employees' taxi fares? (Things that make you go "hmmmmmm…")
LEGAL STUFF
My contract stated that when either of the two parties fails to fulfill the contract obligations according to the terms stipulated, that is, breaks the contract, it must pay a breach penalty of US $1,500 (or the equivalent in RMB). Jazz broke my contract by not allowing me 30 days paid vacation around Chinese New Year and did not pay the breach penalty.
My contract also stated that three months' notice is required if either party wished to terminate the contract before the agreed term. Even though Jazz had broken my contract, I still gave them a 3-month notice.
With Jane now gone, Barb took over her role at Keji. I received via Barb a document from the Shanghai government concerning businesses that had foreigners working for them who demonstrated very bad conduct or who left before their contracts expired. It suggested the business fill out a form recommending that such foreign employees not be granted work visas in the future. This was the same document that had been given to Lisa when she had asked for a recommendation letter. Like her, I interpreted it as a threat as well.
I received a phone call from Kim, still working as a consultant for Jazz and still teaching a few classes for them. She said that Dewey was very upset that I was leaving and that Louie was even more upset. She said I was in danger of not being able to work in China in the future. Louie wanted to recommend to the government that I not be granted a work visa in the future because I had ended my contract early. It turns out there is some partial truth to this. By this point many of you reading this are wondering why I waited so long to leave the school after all their abusive treatment. Well, in China, in order to get a new job, the company you leave must give you a "release letter", a letter stating that you are released from your contract and that you no longer work for them. An employer can refuse to give you such a letter. Without this release letter, your new employer cannot apply for a work visa for you. Kim suggested I suck up to Dewey and Louie by buying Dewey a gift and inviting Louie for dinner to talk with him about my future.
I bought Dewey a gift and a card and wrote my thanks mentioning many things she had done to help me during the past four and a half years. I have indeed been mentioning in this blog many terrible things that she had done: entering my apartment without warning, harassing my wife, lying to me about holidays. But she did do some nice things as well (though more for the school's sake than mine). One time I forgot my knapsack in a restaurant that had my NewBeat stuff inside. She went all the way there to get it for me and bring it to me at home.
Louie was busy opening another branch of the school and wasn't around. I wrote a card thanking him for all his help and inviting him for dinner whenever he had time.
At the end of October, I gave the gift to Dewey and asked her to give Louie the card on my behalf. She reminded me that I needed to remain teaching until the end of November (end of the 3-month period of notice). She said that, in two weeks (middle of November), I'd be receiving a letter from Jazz "for reference". I took it to mean that Jazz would be giving me a reference letter.
In the middle of November I received this letter from Jazz that was anything but a reference letter. It said that the school would cancel my work visa and give me a tourist visa. I would have to pay for the tourist visa. I needed to vacate my apartment by November 30th (my last day of work).
On November 28th, my third last day with Jazz, I received an email of forms to fill out evaluating all the classes at Keji. The next day, my second last, Barb informed me that she'd be emailing me a "To Do List" to finish off my work. Among the items were:
Fall 2007 Classes Taught and Observed Sheets
Monthly Work Report – November
Summary of this semester
Books, CDs, and Graphics Return
Desk Cleaning
Written Suggestions for the new teacher about the Keji classes
Of course I didn't have time to do all the things, though I did some of them.
On my last day, I went to Jazz to collect my salary. Dewey did not give it to me; instead, she demanded that I give her my passport. The letter that I had been given stated that Jazz would be canceling my work visa. In order to cancel my work visa, NewBeat does not need my passport. I took it to mean that they wanted to cancel my residence permit.
It wasn't until they'd cancelled the work and residence permits and gotten me a tourist visa which expired a few days after I got my passport back that I finally got my salary. Jazz deducted fees for cleaning my apartment and the cost of the tourist visa.
Finally everthing is over with The Shanghai Jazz English Training Institute and I can begin enjoying my life. During the four and a half years I was there, one-third of the foreign teachers were fired and one-third quit before the end of their contracts. Of the third that stayed to the end of their contracts, only one teacher in the entire period renewed her contract for a second term. The Chinese teachers didn't fare much better. One-third of them were fired and a quarter of them quit before the end of their contracts.
My final blog about the school will be a more professional evaluation of them. I think it wise to write such evaluations to give foreigners planning on teaching English here a heads up before travelling all the way to China and getting involved with a school.
For a general evaluation of Jazz English as an employer, click here: EVALUATION
For a summary of my personal experience working for Jazz, click here: PERSONAL |
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