[MSL]

An answer to two Canadians (with HK origin) who wanted to pay me only RMB 1200

(in 2007)

 Well, that time my English wasn't very good but I made my point clear. So, have a direct copy-paste of that e-mail here and learn how to have some self-respect when it comes to working for (nearly) nothing. (It was about a job that they suggested to me and an ex-partner).

 "
   Well, we are ready with our decision. First - thank you very much for the opportunity to work there. Second, we think like this way: She is working for a CANADIAN company with CANADIAN children and CANADIAN parents. Therefor it is good to receive some CANADIAN standard. The same as your other teachers. We do not mean a CANADIAN SALARY, because we are living in China, but we mean A CANADIAN STANDARD: Here we are - A CANADIAN teacher gets 20 CANADIAN DOLLARS (it is like 20 beers), in China 20 beers are 20 RMB. So, we think that "180 hours x 20 RMB = 3600 RMB". Otherwise 1200 RMB are just nothing:
We will show you : 1000 RMB - rent-a-house.
                    ~150 - 250 RMB - electricity & water, etc.
 So, if she is working only for 1200 RMB we have no enough money to EAT and to DRINK and to WEAR something.
 Also, we STILL have no OUR house. We have to collect some money. 1200 RMB are not enough even to EAT & DRINK AND CLOTHES, how we will be able to collect?! AND OF COURSE you know how expensive are the HOSPITALS in China. We have no insurance; if we are ill, how we will pay our medicines and hospital services?
 So this is the reality and we are trying our best to provide ourselves if NO RICH at least A NORMAL life :

-house
-food
-drinks (water, soft drinks - we DO NOT SMOKE and do not drink ALCOHOLIC DRINKS)
-clothes
-hospital.

 This is the reality. We are sorry if some sentence "sounds" rude. You know we are friends and we never sound rude in our talks. So, please excuse us, if really some words/sentences are not polite .
 "

[MSL]

 Btw, notice that it's written in 2007. Currently the cheapest beers in China are at least RMB 4.

[Haapala]

 I got this "We understand your position and appreciate you taking the time to explain it to us. We also understand why you feel that the salary offered should be commensurate with the Canadian standard. We would be willing to discuss a higher salary that is more equitable to the Canadian standard and yet still reasonable for the cost of living in China. We are open to further negotiations and look forward to your response."

[SEO]

Hi, there new friend!

You mean that you also had a similar situation and you got this answer from the employers?

[MSL]

 Hey, thanks for reading this long-time-ago memory of mine.
 I wish that they answered me something like the text you posted above. But they said something like "Well, okay." or even nothing (I have no memory of any answer) but I remember well the next situation which I had after a month or two after my answer. We were in an English corner in Sanya, Hainan. There was a Chinese young woman with pretty good English (her ex-boyfriend was an Australian man, who informed me that she is his ex-girlfriend.  Maybe she improved her English during their relationship.) and she started to participate in the English chats and when I asked her about her occupation she said she's working for a Canadian company. I was like "Wow! This is really something! Probably high standard job and high salary." and then she shared that her employers are exactly these Hongkongese Canadians and her salary was exactly RMB 1200. In a word, they didn't raise the payment, they just found a local Chinese woman who'll be okay with this low payment. Real capitalists, no doubt.