Ajarn Forum - Teaching and Living In Thailand - Blogs http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ Living and Teaching in Thailand Expat Forum en Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:47:18 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/misc/rss.jpg Ajarn Forum - Teaching and Living In Thailand - Blogs http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ <![CDATA[How to stop foreclosure on you home & zero out your loan.]]> http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/re_fuse/252-how-to-stop-foreclosure-on-you-home-and-zero-out-your-loan.html Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:50:05 GMT Bank Loan Secret Exposed - Learn why bankers have forgiven loans


How to stop foreclosure on you home & zero out your loan.

Bank Loan Secret Exposed - Learn why bankers have forgiven loans

Retired CPA court expert witness, Thomas Schauf, exposes the bank loan secret resulting in bankers volunteering in forgiving loans. Learn the bankers secret that can significantly increase your weatlh. The bankers wrote the bank loan agreement but they cannot answer Thomas Shauf's questions. Thomas Schauf simply asks the bankers to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth in explaining the whole loan agreement, money and book keeping entries. All Thomas Schauf asks for is equal protection of both parties, no concealment and that the party who funded the loan per the bookkeeping entries is to be repaid the money. Thomas Schauf believe that if the voters learned the truth, the voters would vote to change the banking system and vote out the politicians who forced this banking system onto us.

Bankers want you to believe that depositors deposit money at banks, banks lend the money to borrowers and the borrowers repay the money and the money is returned to the depositors who funed the loan. if you think this is how American banking works you have been lied to and deceived. Fact is the economics of today's banking system is similar to stealing, counterfeiting and swindling and that is why the bankers cannot explain the loan details and answer Thomas Shauf's questions. Bankers are terrified that the details might be exposed in public court.

The banker's own publications admit and the bank's bookkeeping entries prove that when the banks lend money, the bankers create new money with economics similar to counterfeiting. If a counterfeiter counterfeits money and lends it to you, do you have any moral or legal obligation to repay the loan? NO, the laws says counterfeiting is illegal and that you do not have to repay the counterfeiter.

Bankers are too smart to counterfeit cash and go to jail. They are money masters and use another method to create new money with the economics similar to counterfeiting without going to jail. The secret involves two kinds of money. Legal tender-cash-money and non legal tender money like checks and credit cards. The bank's own publication claims that money does not have to be issued by the government or be in any special form. According to the bank's manual, money is anything that can be sold for cash and that the banks accept as money. The loan agreement you sign is sold to investors wanting interest. If you do not pay the interest, they foreclose and collect the money. The loan agreement can be sold for cash and the bankers use the loan like non-legal tender money. If you exchange $100 of cash for a $100 check the bankers acted like a money changer and lent you none of the bank's money. If the bank uses your 100,000 dollar loan agreement like money to fund a check like cash funds a check, the banker acted like a money changer without the bank using or risking one cent of their money to purchase your loan agreement The banker got your loan agreement for free which has the economics similar to stealing. the banker created $100,000 of new money which has the economics similar to counterfeiting. Would you agree to have the banker steal your $100,000 loan agreement and use it to create $100,000 dollars of new money and return the value of the stolen property to you as a loan? Did you agree to be swindled? The banker knows you would never knowingly be this stupid and that is why he cannot disclose the whole truth in court. The book keeping entries prove that the banker merely acted like a moneychanger exchanging one kind of currency for another kind of currency and charging you as if there were a loan. If you funded the loan to yourself, why are you paying the banker back the principle interest??

Bankers understand the difference between money and wealth. Money buys things. If you could counterfeit money, you could buy the whole world and control Congress. Wealth is anything that you can sell. You can sell real estate, cars, gold, silver and people sell their 40 hours a week for a payroll check. Yes, labor produces wealth. Labor produces gas for your car, food to eat and homes, cars and roads. The banker knows that if everyone stopped working, stayed home and counterfeited money, everyone would starve to death, and no one would have gas for their car because everyone stopped working. when bankers create new money and lend it to you, you must work for the banker for free to repay the loan or he forecloses and gets your home or car for free. The money creator gets more of your wealth for free using a suit and tie than a gunman does pointing a gun to your head. the banker says, repay the loan because the bank lent you money. We simply ask ONE QUESTION. SHOULD THE ONE WHO FUNDED THE LOAN BE REPAID THE MONEY? If they answer YES or NO, the bank must forgive the loan and zero out the debt. That is the one question that they do not want to answer because the borrower funded the loan as proven by the bank's won bookkeeping entries.

Ask yourself one question. Where did all the cash com from to make all the loans for cars and homes and businesses, nearly every business and family has huge debts. If they had cash, they would not have loans. The banks created the new money and lent it to you.

We are not calling the bankers criminals. We are showing you how intelligent, creative and genius the bankers are in developing this secret. Bankers have told Thomas Schauf that the American people are too stupid to figure it out. One of the biggest bankers in America told Thomas Schauf that the banker's money controls who is elected into Congress, the President and judges. He even boasted how the Banker's loan money and advertising money controls all major media to keep it a secret. He explained how lawyers judges CPA's politicians profit from the bankers by keeping this system going and keeping it secret. You lose and they benefit by understanding this secret. Want proof? Ask the banker to sign Thomas Schauf's affidavit proving Thomas Schauf wrong. The banker will not sign it proving us wrong.

This secret banking allows bankers to create economic booms and busts, makes the stock market go up and down as they increase and decrease the money supply. You lose in investments as those who understand the secret transfer your investment money into their pocket. You lose they win.

you can benefit from learning this secret.

1) Force the banker to explain all the bookkeeping details to you. Bankers wrote the agreement, have them give the details. They fear that you might expose this in public court for all to learn their secret. Ths could be the reason many bankers have forgiven debts giving people a zero balance owed. We look for a voting solution not a court solution because bankers might ask the bank owned politicians to change the laws to force you to stay in debt.

2) Learn how to profit from their secret system.

3) Join us so that voters will vote out the banker's politicians and judges and vote in honest Americans go give everyone equal protection under the law, stamping out the economics similar to stealing , counterfeiting ad swindling. Join us in exposing the whole truth and nothing but the truth, If we do not stop the bankers and their politicians, they will try and go to a national ID card and cashless society giving the bankers absolute control over you!

If you are ever faced with a foreclosure or a bankkruptcy proceeding in court-demand that the Lender (while under oath on the witness stand) answer this one question:

"Should the one who funded the loan be the one who is repaid the money?"

If their answer is YES, or NO, the bank must zero out the (false) debt on your fraudulently created-non-existent loan. That's right-there was NOT a (lawful) LOAN made to you!

All Bankers, Politicians and judges know this truth-and they Fear the Wrath of the public should know their dirty-secret ever become known by a critical mass of the people that they have for decades been defrauding YOU the socalled Borrower!

Bankers will not answer that one question in any courtroom in the world-because they know that the borrower is the one who actually funded the loan. They also know that the evidence of this FACT can easily be found within the bank's loan bookkeeping enteries ]]> re_fuse http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/re_fuse/252-how-to-stop-foreclosure-on-you-home-and-zero-out-your-loan.html Upgraded to 4.02 http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/250-upgraded-to-4-02.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:23:34 GMT Not much to report really, a relatively minor upgrade, but which has hopefully started to address some of the annoyances that us lowly IE 6 users... Not much to report really, a relatively minor upgrade, but which has hopefully started to address some of the annoyances that us lowly IE 6 users have been encountering since upgrading the system. I say us..because I can only use it at work and it hasn't been the prettiest sight looking at the forum.

There's a few search features fixed, but it's mostly looking the same.

As ever if you find any bugs please let me know. ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/250-upgraded-to-4-02.html Vbookie finally working! http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/248-vbookie-finally-working.html Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:54:49 GMT Sorry for the delay in getting your favourite virtual gambling mod working, but I finally cracked what was wrong with it....most of us are in a... Sorry for the delay in getting your favourite virtual gambling mod working, but I finally cracked what was wrong with it....most of us are in a separate usergroup that wasn't included in the default settings, and stopped us being able to bet.

That is now fixed and we can now gamble away! ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/248-vbookie-finally-working.html Guangzhou continued... http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/247-guangzhou-continued.html Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:27:56 GMT Sleep... Beautiful sleep... I can remember dreaming, about what I cannot remember, but sleep came quickly and I slept hard. Suddenly a... Sleep...

Beautiful sleep...

I can remember dreaming, about what I cannot remember, but sleep came quickly and I slept hard.

Suddenly a knock. At first I didn't know if it was in my dream or for real. The knocking persisted, until I was jolted awake, lying on my new bed in a sweat. When reality finally burst into my brain I slowly got off the bed when yet another sortie of hard knocks hit the wooden door.

"What the F***?"

Still shaking off that punchy feeling from waking too quickly, I began to feel anger at whoever it was on the other side of that door, knocking unnecessarily hard.

Forgetting to look through the peephole, I opened the door and was faced with several smiling Chinese.

"Can I help you?"

"We are here to visit! Can we come in?"

"No, I'm sorry. Can you please come back another time? I am very, very tired from my long trip and I was just sleeping when you knocked on the door and woke me."

Smiles vanished.

"Oh. Okay. We are sorry. Get some sleep. We will come back later..."

"Okay, thank you. I don't mean to be inhospitable, I am just very, very tired right now."

"Okay, bye, bye."

I could tell they were a bit upset, but I really didn't care. I just closed the door with a smile as they were descending the stairs, looking over their shoulders at me, and retired back to my comfortable bed.

I won't get into the rest of the afternoon / evening, but suffice it to say the same scene was repeated four more times. The next three were different Chinese visitors, and the fourth was the same first party that knocked on my door to begin with.

After turning them away for the second time, I waited a fair amount of time for them to leave, and then I put on some slippers and went downstairs to Derek's room. Luckily for me he was there, and invited me inside.

"You look tired."

"Yeah well, that's an understatement."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Look, can you make me up a small sign in Mandarin?"

"Yes, what do you want me to write on it?"

"Simply that I am sleeping and very tired and to please not knock on the door."

Derek grinned knowingly and pulled out a piece of paper from a pile of notes on his coffee table. I noted that his coffee table was the same as mine, but as I was looking around (Derek was a bit messy) I realized the wooden sofa we were sitting on, and the coffee table, were the only pieces of furniture in the room.

There was a phone in his room and it was lying on the floor. Papers and books were scattered everywhere, as well as some colorful paper he had been making something with, along with glue, scissors, and future board.

"Don't you have any furniture Derek?"

"No. The school provides me with only a bed, this seat and this table. Anything else I have to purchase."

"What about food? Do you have a refrigerator?"

"No. I eat only at the school cafeteria and bring home some snacks to eat at night."

While he was writing I got up and asked him if I could take a look around. When he said okay I went into his kitchen.

Nothing but a large thermos on the kitchen counter.

Then I stepped out onto the small patio, which was exactly like mine, but had no washing machine. Only two large plastic basins most likely for hand washing his clothes, and a long "stick" used to hang the washed clothes on the metal bar above.

Then I took a look in his bathroom and bedroom. Bare, except for the occasional pile of paperwork on the floor of his bedroom near his bed. Also, no pillow.

"Wow! You really don't have much here. How long have you been living here?"

Handing me the completed sign with some amazing scraggly Chinese characters on it, he said, "I've been here for about seven months now. The school only completed these buildings about a year ago. I was the first to move into this building."

"Why haven't you bought any furniture? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

"I don't have much money after I pay the rent, and there is not any furniture stores close to this area that I can afford."

"Rent? You have to pay rent?"

"Yes (laughing), all the teachers do. Except for you. All foreigners are provided with an apartment free, as well as all the furniture and appliances."

"Wow. That makes me feel terrible. Derek, please feel free to come to my place any time and watch T.V. or cook if you'd like, okay?"

"Ha! Okay! But, I'm not very good at cooking."

"Never mind. I just can't imagine living like this. It would get terribly boring!"

"Oh, it isn't so boring. I have much work to do for the school."

"Well, the offer still stands. Please feel free to come up and enjoy watching T.V. anytime. Just not today, as I've really got to catch up on my sleep."

"Okay. The sign will work, just place it on your door."

Then I turned to leave, looking down at the sign in my hand, when it hit me that I didn't know which way was up.

"Uh, Derek? Which way does this sign go?"

Laughing, Derek got up off the wooden sofa and turned the sign over in my hands, as I was holding it upside down.

When I arrived back at my apartment I placed the sign on my door and went back to bed. Laying there I couldn't believe what I'd just learned. Another life lesson for me. I suddenly felt my friend Derek was persecuted by the school along with the other Chinese teachers.

Unbelievable!

-Jeeem- ]]> Jeeem http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/247-guangzhou-continued.html Guangzhou continued... http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/246-guangzhou-continued.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:24:13 GMT …looking out the van window was just too depressing, so I just closed my eyes and drifted off while thinking, “I did it. Here I am. This is it. No... …looking out the van window was just too depressing, so I just closed my eyes and drifted off while thinking, “I did it. Here I am. This is it. No turning back now.”

We arrived at the school and I was amazed at how new it was. It was so new in fact, there was still construction going on in certain areas. But, from what I could see, it was absolutely beautiful. It was exactly like the picture on their website, which was only a drawing.

We pulled up to a long set of buildings running up a hill, and hopped out. As I stretched, Derek and the driver of the van began chattering in Mandarin and removing my bags.

I took the opportunity to take a good look at Derek. He was very smooth skinned, a copper tan complexion, but didn’t look Chinese at all really. He looked more Middle Eastern, and was perhaps twenty, twenty-five years old. It dawned on me then one of the reasons I liked him...he was always smiling. Having come from that very unfriendly airport and a sea of unsmiling faces, Derek’s was the first smile I saw upon my arrival to my new home in communist China.

Derek walked over to me and said, “This is where you will stay. Almost all the teachers stay here. They are nice apartments. Only some of the married ones live elsewhere, but even a few married couples live here."


“In all these buildings?” I asked, since there were at least six, six story apartment buildings, and somehow it seemed a few too many.

“Well, not all of the apartments are occupied presently. You see this building over here?” Derek was pointing to a six story duplex set at the end of the teacher’s apartments.

“Yes.”

“That is where the students stay. Again, not all of the students live there, as some of them live with their family in the village.”

“The village?”

“Yes, well the school is located in a large village development. I guess you were asleep when we drove through the compound.”

“Ah, yes I was. Something I’d like to do more of very soon, so can we get packing?”

“Huh?”

“Err, can we get going?” I made a mental note to try and lay off some of my pre-programmed idioms.

“Yes, follow me.”

Well, you guessed it; I was on the sixth floor. I silently thought to myself, “Man, I’ll bet this is going to get old fast.”

Derek produced a key and opened the door. Once inside, all I could see were boxes. Television, microwave, refrigerator, rice cooker and warmer, washing machine, water boiler…the furniture had been unpacked already, and some still had remnants of plastic and Styrofoam stuck to them. I could see a very nice wooden couch of sorts, a coffee table, a locking glass slider bookcase, a large clothes bureau, and a stand for the T.V.

Derek dropped the luggage by the door and began showing me around. In the living room were two big sliding glass doors looking out on part of the school below, with large drapes covering them. Derek pulled the drapes aside to let some light inside. Then he showed me the bathroom, a very simple tiled bath with a shower wand in one corner and a drain hole in the floor between the toilet and sink.

The kitchen was very narrow, but nice and brightly lit since the far wall was all glass, looking out onto a small patio. “That is where you can put your washing machine. See, there is a hook-up there. The steel bar up by the ceiling is used to dry your clothes.”

“What’s that?” I said, pointing to a gadget on the wall near to where the washing machine was to go.

“That is a water heater. It is powered by gas. You simply turn the dial like so and…see the light? Now the water will be hot soon.”

“For the washing machine?”

“No, for the shower.”

“Oh.”

Then Derek showed me the bedroom. The bed was easily queen size and had a white sheet already stretched out on it. It looked very, very inviting. There was a brand new desk in the room, and a smaller side table with locking drawer and locking compartment beneath. A smaller sliding glass door was on the outer wall, with a tiny little patio. I made a mental note to pick up a barbeque grill somewhere.

“I’m impressed. I didn’t expect all of this.”

“Yes, it is very nice. With that I will leave you to sleep. Please feel free to come visit me in apartment number 1 on the first floor if you have any questions,” Derek said, as he handed me the apartment key.

“I have a question.”

“What is that?”

“Do you want to switch apartments? Ha! Just kidding.”

There was that look again. A puzzled look. I was to see that puzzled look many, many times during my stay in China. Once Derek left, I locked the door and peered out the little peephole. Nobody around, and I could see four other doors besides mine. There were five apartments per floor.

I then turned from the door, plucked the pillow I’d spotted on top of the clothes bureau and put it under my arm, and then weaved my way around the boxes and into the bedroom where I fell asleep almost immediately.

-Jeeem- ]]> Jeeem http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/246-guangzhou-continued.html Guangzhou... http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/245-guangzhou.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:41:18 GMT It would be impossible for me to write an article about Guangzhou in one go of it, so I'll be stretching this one out over several posts.

If you've ever traveled from the states to China, you know the feeling once you finally depart the airport at your final destination...total confusion and burnout. Fourteen some-odd hours in the air somehow wears on you, no matter all the Dalmane I swallowed, attempting to sleep through it.

If you've never traveled a great distance in a plane (or several planes, which is more like it), take my word for it, it really wears on you both physically and mentally. Forget trying to think much once you arrive, because fourteen hours in the air will have taken away that ability from you.

So, I'm not surprised as I sit here in front of this computer some seven years later, that I cannot, for the life of me, remember much of my arrival at Guangzhou airport.

I remember dodging the touts, as when you're as tired and burned out as I was, it is just too easy to end up pissed off and attracting attention by acting like a pompous American. I've always managed to keep that little reminder in the back of my mind, however, that I'm in a foreign country and my "rules" I'm used to living by often don't apply here. Yet, it's impossible to cross over the border into a foreign country and just forget your cultural values in lieu of theirs.

I remember looking everywhere for the man the school called Derek Zhong, who was supposed to meet me. I had no picture of him, and at that stage of my new venture, most Chinese looked the same to me anyway. I was naturally stared at, which according to my cultural values is just damned rude, but I just tried to ignore it and eventually wandered over to some counter meant for checking in items.

"Excuse me? Can anyone tell me where the departure lobby is? Does anybody speak English?"

Fruitless.

More wandering around. Two security guards now taking notice of me and speaking to one another while looking in my direction...:wanker:

Suddenly a door to the outside world opened, with some tiny Chinese man dragging a pallet into the room. Behind him was another man looking inside, but it was difficult to focus on his features as the sun was very bright outside. But, I noticed he was holding a placard while craning his neck and looking about.

The door closed and I, feeling rather bold and basically tired of waiting, advanced to the door and opened it. There was the young man holding a small sign that had my name written on it in bold, black ink.

My name was misspelled.

I walked out into the bright sunlight into a country so very different than my own, and shielding my eyes from the glare with my left hand, I dropped my baggage and extended my right hand to him.

Hi, I'm blah, blah. You've spelled my name wrong.

Derek's English was surprisingly good, however it took me a bit to get used to his accent before I could fully understand what he was saying. Thank god for small favors, Derek wasn't one to dilly-dally around, and escorted me to a waiting van, taking my baggage from me while I held onto my laptop case for dear life since it contained all my important paperwork, money and credit card, and my passport.

Once inside the van and comfortable, I began to reflect on just how dingy Guangzhou airport was. Not friendly at all, no smiles, only stares and dirt. Everywhere I looked, things were in disrepair. Huge dents in the soda machine (possibly a disgruntled expat who didn't get what they paid for), things held together with tape and a prayer, Chinese graffiti scrawled on the back of the luggage carriers. Everything a dull silver, brown, or black. Even the potted plants looked sad.

Outside the van window it wasn't much different. Dusty and dreary.

Once we reached the confines of the city, it was nothing but a chaotic tragedy to me. Crumbling buildings, dirty streets, pollution so thick you could reach out and feel it. This was to be my home for the next year, at least.

Interesting.

I tried very, very hard not to think about too much. I just wanted to allow my hosts to cater to me for awhile, which they surely did, and I wanted to find the nearest bed and crash...soon.

Derek seemed to sense I was very tired, and made only scant small talk. The usual questions, "Where are you from? What did you do in America? How is the weather there? Do you have family?"

I answered his questions in short sentences, but I liked him. I could sense Derek was a good man on several different levels, and my senses didn't let me down. We were to become very, very good friends.

-Jeeem- ]]> Jeeem http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/245-guangzhou.html The Process... http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/242-the-process.html Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:59:17 GMT I would be terribly remiss if I were to leave out "The Process," as that is what I called it prior to actually moving to Asia and teaching ESL.

When I finally made the decision to shit rather than get off the pot, I sat down in earnest and began to prepare a plan. I'm one who always needs a plan, as well as a plan B, and in some situations an alternative to plan B.

While I've met individuals in this field of work who claimed they just did it, it fully amazes me how anyone can just jump into something as extreme as this and come out unscathed. So, I highly suspect there was some serious alcohol fueled bragging going on.

I am very organized. I was an intensive care unit nurse for several years as well as an E.R. nurse, and you just can't survive in that field of work unless you are organized. I, however, came close to taking my organization to a new level called obsessive / compulsive disorder.

Anyway, I basically sat down with a notebook and began categorizing things. I knew where I wanted to work, which was Asia. But, I knew I needed to take a closer look at exactly where in Asia, which, when broken down, gets into sub-categories such as salary offered, housing, weather, safety, and, well you get the idea. And ideas are what I wrote down.

Researching online, it didn't take me long to figure out I needed a TEFL certificate. There were many different certificates and programs to choose from, so I took into consideration the money I had to spend, the availability of schools, and the type of courses.

TEFL was the general one that was required by most schools in Asia, so I decided to go with that one. I lived in the Northeastern U.S., and picked a school in Boston to attend. They offered a slam-bam course that ran a short period but was offered every day. Driving to Massachusetts everyday and taking the orange-line into Boston and back every morning and afternoon was not my cup of tea, so I decided upon a weekend course that stretched over several months.

The class was excellent and very relevant to me since my two instructors had previously taught in Asia and one taught children. Teaching children was my only choice since I didn't have the necessary documents or experience to teach in a University. During the course I also learned that my grammar was piss poor and I would need to continuously work on it if I wanted to hold down a decent job and not look too stupid. So, courses in CELTA and TOEFL were out of the question for the time being since I really needed a grammar refresher course.

While at home I decided I'd better get busy and nail down a job toot sweet lest I get caught hanging around having to spend more money, which was rapidly dwindling after the sale of my house.

It's tough selling your house, all those repairs and that loving care. Leaving the security of your home to flounder around in a strange and distant land where people don't speak your native language. But, I did sell it, and was promptly handed a check for $12,000 dollars and change.

First on my agenda was paying off all my debts...credit cards, loans, the remainder I owed on my truck prior to selling it, library dues, paying off memberships, then canceling them...what a mess! But, timing had to be impeccable because I had to have possession of my vehicle right up to the week before I left the U.S.

My decision was finally made. I'd chosen a new bilingual school in Guangzhou, Guangdong PRC.

I downloaded several forms from the school online, filled them out, scanned them and e-mailed the image back to them. Then came the contract. I read it over, asked a few questions via e-mail, got my answers, and even showed the contract to a friend who knew a thing or two about the law. The contract was adjusted to my liking and I finally had the final copy in hand via a local stationary store who received the fax. I signed the contract at the store, had them co-sign and witness the signing, and then we faxed the contract back to the school where I was to work, in China.

It was a done deal.

My last few weeks in the U.S., were spent relaxing. I had ordered several used books online through Amazon, to keep the expense down, and would spend long hours a day reading about China, about Guangzhou, learning basic language, and perusing the Internet reading posts like the ones here on Ajarn.com, from other expats teaching in China presently and those that had taught in the past and had returned to the states.

I read many horror stories online, which at the time only made me smirk, but paid off in the future when I was facing similar circumstances. Most people didn't stay in Asia long, returning after a year or two. My plan was to try and live in China at least three years, then take inventory and see where I stood.

I read a rather long and involved piece in a book about "Culture Shock," an actual syndrome that most people suffer when moving to another country very different from their own. I read it with interest and in full humility, especially after coming upon a sentence that said something to the effect of, "No matter if you have traveled to the country many times before, it is time that is important in culture shock, and the time period is different for everyone. Sometimes culture shock rages on for months, with an individual crossing through several distinct phases."

The suggestion given, in which to deal with culture shock, was well written and very basic. Avoiding shutting yourself up somewhere and staying away from people, forcing yourself to get out and about and be around people no matter how difficult it may seem. So, I resigned myself to follow this advice and as I write this second post, I am damn glad I did.

I also remember reading about "Reverse Culture Shock" and thinking, "Ha! That would never happen to me!" Yet now, after having lived in Asia for going on nine years, I can easily see where that could happen to me.

I read and read, and read some more. I practiced speaking Mandarin. I read about the population numbers, which was astounding. I made an appointment at the VA hospital for shots at the Gold Clinic, coming out feeling like a pin-cushion...Japanese encephalitis, malarial prophylaxis, a three-shot rabies series, one of which I had to administer to myself while I was in New York to get my Chinese visa stamp in my passport, cholera, a yellow fever booster, flu shot, and walking away thinking, "Jeez, don't these people practice basic hygiene?"

Visa in place, books read, truck sold, bills paid off, luggage packed, computer notebook under arm, money firmly in my bank account with one Visa card in my wallet in order to access it, $952.00 airline ticket in my passport case, certificates, degrees, resume, photo, passport photo, letters of recommendation from two University professors, TEFL certificate from the Boston School, and college curriculum all scanned and saved on my computer hard disk, and a CD just in case, as well as the originals packed away.

The only thing on my check-off list that I hadn't accomplished was getting an International driver's license, but it was one of those on the bottom of the list that really wasn't that important.

I was ready.

I said my good bye's and I remember very well turning around as an airport security lady fanned her hand scanner around my body and seeing my last familiar American face who'd brought me to Logan airport, fading into the crowd of people in the airport lobby.

Next, "Guangzhou..."

-Jeeem- ]]> Jeeem http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/242-the-process.html Keeping sloths in Thailand http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/241-keeping-sloths-in-thailand.html Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:36:33 GMT Congrats to DJ pat on winning bizarre thread of the week award....Sloths in Bangkok....surely he's referring to the boys sat at the back of class and not the real thing.

Quote Originally Posted by DJ Pat View Post
A few years ago I had two kittens that bred as quick as they were able and I had eleven cats before I knew it. As much as I love cats and think they are cute, eleven of the bastards is just too many. So I gave most of them to the temple at Sena Nikhom.

Anyway, I now have aquired two sloths and they are no trouble at all. They just hang on branches and make pretty much no sound at all, unless I torture them which I have only one once.

But I was wondering if any other members here keeps sloths and would like to share tips on giving them a healthy upbringing.
]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/241-keeping-sloths-in-thailand.html Beginning a life as an ESL teacher http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/240-beginning-a-life-as-an-esl-teacher.html Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:26:55 GMT I will try to keep the theme of my blog on track and separate from my personal blog online, which is private. If you are interested in reading my... I will try to keep the theme of my blog on track and separate from my personal blog online, which is private. If you are interested in reading my private blog, then…well, I’ve got to get to know you.

My personal blog was put out there for the general public to peruse and over approximately 12 years, garnered over 85,000 hits. However, once I moved to Asia, I began getting immature ‘stalkers’ if you will, who would leave nasty comments on the site, leaving me to decide to limit my audience to only those I know well, my friends.

Although my various occupations over the years involved some form of teaching, they were far from the world of elementary school instruction. In fact, I always felt uncomfortable even visiting the little people’s world, a world starkly different than my own.

Like many of you out there in the world I’m sure, I was working in a job that I hated. At first I enjoyed it, but eventually certain aspects of the job began getting to me, and in the end I was looking at a good dose of burnout if I didn’t do something quickly.

During that period I began taking a lot of leave time, since I worked for the state and had accumulated a lot of overtime, which could be used two ways. I could take the money as cash at time and a half, or choose to turn my hours into leave credits, which I ended up doing, as I really didn’t need the cash. Eventually I was approached by my boss who told me I had to take some time off or risk losing some of my accumulated time, of which there was a lot.

Where to go?

I had been corresponding with a very fine woman on the Internet during my free time, and wanted to visit her, only to find out she lived in the Philippines. So, I made my plans, purchased my tickets, grabbed my passport, and left the U.S., bound for the tiny archipelago floating out in the Southeast Asian tropical waters.

Upon my return, I reflected on probably the best experience of my life. It didn’t work out with the girl, but Asia was under my skin. No sooner had I set down on U.S., soil, than I wanted to return to Asia. The women in the Philippines were some of the finest I’d seen, and an exotic treat indeed, but it was the lush paradise that hooked me, and I couldn’t get it out of my head.

So, I sat out working again, making my bank account swell for only one purpose…to return to Asia. Next destination: China.

I grew up in the desert southwest, an Army brat to a highly decorated war hero who was a retired officer. Both my parents had filled the house with Asian antiques and baubles, products of their seventeen-year hiatus in Japan and Korea. I grew up listening to stories about their travels and experiences and I always wanted to be a part of it when I grew up.

In three weeks vacationing in Beijing, I participated in every tour imaginable. I walked the Great Wall of China, went on a convoluted hutong tour of narrow passageways between ancient buildings, some built out of the original bricks from the Great wall. Not much of an opera fan, I attended the Beijing Opera, which in itself has a marvelous history behind it, having to go underground during Chairman Mao’s reign. The Ming dynasty tombs, Chinese traditional medicine schools, the Forbidden City tour, eating Peking duck, traveling the subway…I can’t think of much I didn’t do. My hotel room was only used for sleep and showers, as I was always on the go. It was a wonderful experience!

Then one fateful morning, I left my hotel and ventured out to the photo shop to drop off yet another roll of film for developing, stop at a local bakery and pick up a sugar bomb, my affectionate nickname for a glazed donut-like pastry that probably weighed a good quarter pound, two bottles of tea, and a China Daily newspaper.

While reading the newspaper I was startled to hear a female voice say, “Excuse me sir? Do you speak English?” Looking up, a beautiful Chinese woman was standing before me with a delightful smile. Surely this was a dream! Regaining my senses, I quickly acknowledged that I spoke English and she asked if she could sit down and practice her English with me.

I laid a piece of newspaper down on the concrete hedging for her to sit down, and we began chatting. She divulged that she had recently returned to Beijing with her daughter after living in Ankara, Turkey for several years with her husband who had been transferred there on business. She learned to speak English while there, and after her daughter was born, missed her family and set out to return to Beijing. But, as she traveled, she was sidetracked in Paris, France as she found the city intriguing and wanted to practice her English some more. After several months in Paris, she hopped on a plane and returned to Beijing, feeling disappointed because not many people spoke English in Beijing.

“Do you like Beijing?”

“Yes, I like it very much! Your culture is so rich here and the architecture is astounding!”

“Would you like to live here?”

“Yes, I would, but I don’t have the means. I will have to return to America soon.”

“Why don’t you stay here and teach English?”

“I can’t do that! I’m not a teacher. I work in a prison back home. I’m a parole officer.”

“But you can! Do you have a bachelor’s degree?”

“Yes, but…”

“If you have a bachelor’s degree and are a native speaker of English, then you can come teach here. There are many, many job opportunities here. Come, follow me, I’ll show you.”

I would have followed this woman anywhere. She was so beautiful, well-dressed, poised, and wistful that she could have led me around with her little finger and very little effort. Married? Yes, but she made it all-to-clear that she left her husband’s side in Turkey because their marriage was falling apart. Crappy morals aside, I was in yet another holding pattern after a failed marriage and several failed relationships with American women.

Her nickname was Lily, and she led me down the road to a large University near the Beijing Zoo and the Xindadu hotel where I was staying. Inside the lobby Lily showed me the job board, listing several English teaching jobs. Then she led me upstairs and down a long hall to the office of an ex-pat teacher she knew.

It wasn’t long while sitting down listening to this guy, before I began to think, “I can do this,” but I’m also quite familiar with how my mind tends to work and how it often leads me down the wrong path. He was one of those bucket mouths’s who barely stopped talking in order suck in breath for his next onslaught. Much of what he said I just tuned out, daydreaming about living and working in Beijing with Lily at my side.

Then something he said caught my attention. “If you decide to come here and teach, just remember one thing. Stay far away from other foreigners, because they are a strange bunch. They won’t think twice about causing harm, stealing your lesson plans, stabbing you in the back, borrowing money from you and then disappearing, and such. They are a bunch of riff-raff I’m telling ya.”

I returned home with yet another dose of Asia under my skin. I was addicted. I wrote to Lily often, but lost track of her after the SARS epidemic. As soon as I returned from Beijing I began researching ESL teaching online, and in November of 2002, I did two very bizarre things…

I quit smoking for good (over seven years now). And I quit my job with the state, something everybody who knew me well, thought totally insane. I then had all the time in the world to devote all my thoughts to leaving the U.S. and becoming a teacher in China.

For a short time I was in a fog of sorts, then the fog began lifting and I started to see the extreme factor of what I was setting out to do. I’d have to sell my house, pay off all my bills, sell my truck and all my possessions except for what would fit into a couple suitcases and a carry-on or two, and set about a life that was so different from what I was used to, I wasn’t convinced that now was the time to take part in this idea of mine.

So, I tried re-entering the job market at age forty-seven. I soon found out that “Equal Opportunity Employment in America,” wasn’t what it claimed to be. Getting written off as, “Over-qualified,” was one which left me incredulous. After that was the age-old, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,” then being passed over for younger applicant’s with less qualifications than what I presented.

I also experienced an incredible deluge of rudeness. It suddenly struck me that America was changing dramatically before my eyes. No longer were there polite, gracious people during my rounds of job-hunting. Now I was running into people hiding behind yellow happy-face stickers on their lapel who didn’t think twice about being rude and / or hateful to me. I again decided that I’d just soon risk it all and leave the U.S., than have to put up with any more bullshit from rude people.

Next on my blog “The Process.”

-Jeeem- ]]> Jeeem http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/jeeem/240-beginning-a-life-as-an-esl-teacher.html Google Phases Out Support for Internet Explorer 6 http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/238-google-phases-out-support-for-internet-explorer-6.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:57:51 GMT *Interesting timing, just as I am starting to fume at the lack of compatability for this browser with our new software. * *I guess it lasted as... Interesting timing, just as I am starting to fume at the lack of compatability for this browser with our new software.


I guess it lasted as long as it did, due to Microsoft's utter neglect in keeping it updated and having a definitive way of doing it automatically. Crazy, how this neglect has lead to 9 year old software stifling further web development, and forcing developers like myself to compromise next-gen usability for dumbed down backwards compatability. I understand the problem well, as my workplace will only use IE6 to run it's ridiculously expensive CRM software. Perhaps Google's bold move may start shifting some very thoroughly entrenched goalposts.


Google phases out support for IE6


Microsoft has already released versions 7 and 8 of Internet Explorer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8488751.stm

Google has begun to phase out support for Internet Explorer 6, the browser identified as the weak link in a cyber attack on the search engine.
The firm said from 1 March some of its services, such as Google Docs, would not work "properly" with the browser.
It recommended individuals and firms upgrade "as soon as possible".
Google threatened to withdraw from the Chinese market following the "sophisticated and targeted" attacks, which it said originated in China.
Hackers used a flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser to target the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.
'Key functionality'
Following Google's revelations, the French and German governments advised their citizens to switch to a different browser until the hole had been closed.
Microsoft reacted by quickly updating the browser, nearly three weeks ahead of its regular security update.
However, Google has now said it is going to phase out support for the browser "starting with Google Docs and Google Sites".
It said that as a result, some "key functionality" of the applications would not work when used with IE6.
Google Docs is the firm's answer to products such as Microsoft Office, whilst Google Sites allows people to create web pages.
"The web has evolved in the last ten years, from simple text pages to rich, interactive applications including video and voice," wrote Google's Rajen Sheth in a blog post.
"Unfortunately, very old browsers cannot run many of these new features effectively."
Threat downplayed
Around 20% of web users still use the nine-year old browser, including many UK government departments.
But many developers want to see the browser phased out as soon as possible.
The online campaign ie6nomore, supported by more than 70 web firms, says that because the browser does not support modern web standards it restricts what developers can do and is "holding the web back".
Microsoft has said that it will support the browser until 2014.
Microsoft has released a fix for Internet Explorer and recommended that customers install the update as soon as possible or update to the latest version of the web browser for "improved security".
Microsoft normally issues patches monthly but the high-profile nature of the attacks led it to act more quickly.
Market share
The UK government played down the threat and said there was "no evidence that moving from the latest fully patched versions of Internet Explorer to other browsers will make users more secure".
However, Microsoft took the unusual step of patching the hole nearly three weeks ahead of its regular security update.
The new patch is available via the Microsoft Update site and will also be fed out to those who have their machines set to update automatically. All versions of Internet Explorer will receive the update.
Microsoft has admitted that it has known about the vulnerability "since early September" 2009 and had planned to patch it in February.
The bad publicity has allowed rivals such as Firefox to gain market share.
According to web analytics company StatCounter, Firefox is now a close second to Internet Explorer (IE) in Europe, with 40% of the market compared to Microsoft's 45% share.
In some markets, including Germany and Austria, Firefox has overtaken IE, the firm said.
Mozilla, the foundation behind Firefox, has just released the latest version (3.6) of the open-source browser. ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/238-google-phases-out-support-for-internet-explorer-6.html Why I Love and Hate this Forum http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/236-why-i-love-and-hate-this-forum.html Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:51:35 GMT I like this 10 month old post by Lotuslevi, really kind of sums the place up and is fair and very balanced!:clap: ---Quote (Originally by... I like this 10 month old post by Lotuslevi, really kind of sums the place up and is fair and very balanced!:clap:

Quote Originally Posted by Lotuslevi View Post
Obviously, I like posting here because I do it regularly, even though half the time, I'm just bullshitting with people.

I would also like to add that I love the exchange of ideas with how different everyone who posts here is. Somehow, you don't see such a varied thought flow on most other forums. Who'd a thunk it, some of the most interesting topics on a forum for teachers in Thailand. I know that posting on here had helped me tremendously in writing and teaching matters. And I have picked up numerous insight from the other posters. But I sometimes I hate myself for the time I spend here when I know I could be doing more productive things

I love how there are people here who have amazing insight and techniques for classroom teaching, conduct, and projects. But I hate it when certain people act like the sun shines out their asses because they're white and in demand in Thailand.

I love how there are some amazing philosophical and religious ideas passed around between posts. But I hate how some people try to push their religions on people here as much as a hate how some people push their angst against reasonably religious people, simply because of their own intolerance to all religion, in all shapes and sizes.

I love how people can talk about the difficulty of being married, dating, trying to meet, or in a relationship with somebody from a completely different culture. Hell, I even love how people can openly talk about prostitutes and bar girls, but I hate how some people put themselves in stupid situations or treat Thai women like pieces of meat, and then expect sympathy when it all goes to hell.

I love how some people can freely talk about controversial and culturally/ethically/racially sensitive issues maturely and objectively, but I hate how other people use it as an opportunity to troll or use it for their own agendas of hate.

I love how people give each other travel advice here, but I hate how the moment the word "backpacker" gets tossed in, everybody replies with scorn.

I guess it's the good and the bad which makes this such an interesting place to read and post, as you have to take the good with the bad. But, it doesn't mean there aren't things worth noticing.
:ban:


With all that being said, I would still like to thank LMDA and Phil for moderating and creating such a great forum.

So how about the rest of you, what do you love and hate here?
]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/236-why-i-love-and-hate-this-forum.html <![CDATA[Gettin' there...]]> http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/234-gettin-there.html Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:08:56 GMT Things today....forum is kind of behaving itself, but still have lots to tweak and colours still not quite right. 8b'6 looks crap on the content page, but really I can only do so much with it, without the higher rezzes looking rubbish too.

Need to get VBSEO working and have search engine friendly links again, but it makes things go silly, has more bugs than buggery.

There's load of little things like users in last 24 hours I need to add, but still think I need to be acreful as another bug fix upgrade is out next week so I'd only have to uninstall them all again.

Going to blog some more while I do it, as I need to organise my thoughts on the upgrade.. ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/234-gettin-there.html Cross Browser Nightmares http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/233-cross-browser-nightmares.html Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:14:25 GMT So I get to work today and decide to see what the lovely forum skin looks like on my crummy work PC....oh dear it looks shit...where's my nice header gradient gone? Is this what everyone is moaning about? Well, ho hum, I get home thinking it's the end of the earth and then think how damn cool it looks. I've long learned that I tweak so much as the tiniest setting on teh forum it results in a 10 page thread....a radical upgrade like this?

A deafening chorus of I hate it, followed by frenzied activity in the games room...all is well then.:grin: ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/233-cross-browser-nightmares.html Phew! We survived the upgrade! http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/232-phew-we-survived-the-upgrade.html Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:30:27 GMT It's bloody nerve wracking doing forum upgrades on a site of this size, so it's always a relief when having altereda squillion database tables, and over written the main files on the server that the forum just pops up as if you'd never touched it (albeit strangely coloured). The skin went on like magic and most of the work I had done offline was instantly transformed online.

I appreciate we are not up to speed yet. Still a lot to do, such as make alternative stylesheets, add mods that have not been added yet, and sort the advertising out, I realise it looks like it's just been piled there, but I have to overcompensate our sponsors while their normal slots have not yet been catered for by the new software.

Things may start slowing down as we head into another week. I work full-time in an office that does not allow me the time to mod the forum, oh for the easy days in Thailand when i could lounge around the staffroom all day with it.

Please give your feedback, do not assume that just because you can't do it now, i can't fix it and please be constructive..I have not spent the best part of 2 weeks upgrading this site just to 'put it back to how it was' on the say so of people who won't explore these exciting new facilities.

Please also be aware that good contributions can land on the front page as articles, and we will be now looking to sort our content into categories as we take the best of the site and showcase it's content. ]]> LDMA http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/ldma/232-phew-we-survived-the-upgrade.html The relationship between gendar and watch wearing http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/xuemiaoping/230-the-relationship-between-gendar-and-watch-wearing.html Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:45:33 GMT The traditional Chinese medical science once gave a report that there was a position called pulse in man’s double wrist . this position connected the... The traditional Chinese medical science once gave a report that there was a position called pulse in man’s double wrist . this position connected the three important places of human’s body. the three points had the interpersonal relationship to human’s health . they respective located in the righ and left wrist which below the thumb .

In the past , the doctors replied on the pulse diagnosed the patient’s condition . and there is a pules among the three is the access of heart . through this pules can know the heart condition .
the reson why men and women have different way of wearing watch . because men’s blood is flowed from the end of the heart to the left of the heart . while women have the oppsite direction . So we can get a conclusion from this principle , Men should wear the watch in the right hand , women should wear it in the left hand . if you wrong the wrong position ,it is harmful for your health . whatever the watch was made from . So dear friends please take care of this small minutia when wearing your watch . please remmber that men wear it in the right wrist ,women in the left .

At last ,i have another advice that every friend please don’t wear your watch go to bed . if you wear it sleep ,it will not only reduce the life of your watch but also affect your health . ]]> xuemiaoping http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/blogs/xuemiaoping/230-the-relationship-between-gendar-and-watch-wearing.html