The above picture is apparently of a man named James.
Unfortunately enough, but to the delight of a few I’m sure, he’s reported to be Canadian.
He was a teacher in Hsinchu but was fired and has been sleeping a broken vehicle down by the river for a week now.
His former school claims he … erm … took his pants off in front of the students.
And threw stuff around.
Or something like that.
Here’s the link
It’s in Chinese.
I’m sure a more precise translation would be appreciated by everyone.
Oh man,
I hope this guys gets some help. What an awful thing to have come unspooled and be homeless in Taiwan with only “journalists” as company.
[quote=“Yahoo.tw, via ET”]
加拿大籍老師遭解聘 流浪河畔睡車廂
東森 更新日期:2008/03/16 14:09 記者張君豪、郭淑靜新竹報導
一名加拿大籍男子詹姆士，在新竹縣私立雙語學校教英文，但3月初被校方以不適任為由開除，並將他趕出宿舍，這名加拿大籍老師沒地方住，只好跑到竹北河畔一個破車廂內，一連睡了6天。
拖著行李，加拿大籍老師詹姆士跑來竹北的河畔，看到這個破車廂，熟練的打開鐵絲門栓，因為這可是他連睡6個晚上的床。
睡在錫箔紙做的軟墊上，這幾個晚上，詹姆士都是拿著競選旗幟當棉被，每天餐風露宿，雙手被跳蚤咬，連鞋底都磨破了，但為何會這麼落魄？原來詹姆士是一名外籍老師，被聘來新竹一所雙語學校教英文，只是才來不到一個月就被解聘，沒地方住只好跑來這個破車廂，還嚇到車廂的主人。
從外籍老師變成流浪教師，詹姆士晚上睡車廂，早上就拖著行李來到市立圖書館，四處上網陳情，雖然學校認為詹姆士只教學一個月，卻在學生面前脫褲、摔東西，種種脫序行徑，學校才不得不解僱，但詹姆士仍認為自已沒問題，將尋求勞工局仲裁替自已討公道。[/quote]
Which, loosely translated, means:
[quote]Canadian Teacher Gets Fired, Now Homeless Sleeping in a Vehicle by the River
Dongsen Updated: 03/16/2008 14?09 Repoter Zhang Junhao, Guo Shujing reporting from Xinzhu
(sorry, I only do Pinyin…)
A male Canadian, “James”, was teaching English at a private bilingual school in Xinzhu County, but at the beginning of March he was discharged by the school for “unsuitability to the job” and was turned out of his dormitory. The Canadian teacher had nowhere to go, and could only go to an abandoned vehicle near the Xinzhu River, where he slept for 6 days.
Carrying his luggage, Canadian teacher “James” runs to the riverside at Xinzhu, seeing a broken-down vehicle. He opened the iron bolt on the door with practiced ease, as this is the place where he has slept for six nights.
Sleeping on a mattress made of tinfoil, these several nights, “James” has covered himself using a campaign flag as a bedspread. Both hands are covered with flea bites, and even the soles of his shoes are worn through now. However, how could he come to this end? “James” is a foreign teacher, after all, and was employed by a bilingual school in Xinzhu as an English teacher. However, just a month after arriving at the school, he was fired, and with nowhere to go, he could only take shelter in this abandoned vehicle. He even frightened the owner of the vehicle.
Going from foreign teacher to homeless person, “James” sleeps in the vehicle each night. In the morning, he carries his luggage to the Municipal Library, spending his time on the Internet reporting his situation. Although the school believes that after teaching for only one month, “James” removed his pants in front of students and threw things on the floor, so that the school had no choice but to fire him, “James” still believes that there is no problem on his side, and is seeking out arbitration from the Council on Labor Affairs to get fair treatment.[/quote]
“removed his pants in front of students and threw things on the floor” geez, i hope those are in order of importance. when i read something like that my bullshit counter starts clicking. that the guy has wound up sleeping in an abandoned car is weird though. not sure you could say “it could happen to anybody”
This story became a hot topic in my morning conversation class. Something seems a little off with this fellow and I hope he gets help.
[quote=“Josefus”]
The above picture is apparently of a man named James.
Unfortunately enough, but to the delight of a few I’m sure, he’s reported to be Canadian.
He was a teacher in Hsinchu (Xinzhu) but was fired and has been sleeping a broken vehicle down by the river for a week now.
His former school claims he … erm … took his pants off in front of the students.
And threw stuff around.
Or something like that.
Here’s the link
It’s in Chinese.
I’m sure a more precise translation would be appreciated by everyone.[/quote]
I don’t think anyone could be delighted with seeing another person homeless. Why doesn’t he just leave the country? Go to Korea, China, or Japan? He could be making money there instead of slumming it while he waits for labour arbitration. Surely, he can still fight his case from afar.
[quote=“Chewycorns”][quote=“Josefus”]
The above picture is apparently of a man named James.
Unfortunately enough, but to the delight of a few I’m sure, he’s reported to be Canadian.
He was a teacher in Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) but was fired and has been sleeping a broken vehicle down by the river for a week now.
His former school claims he … erm … took his pants off in front of the students.
And threw stuff around.
Or something like that.
Here’s the link
It’s in Chinese.
I’m sure a more precise translation would be appreciated by everyone.[/quote]
I don’t think anyone could be delighted with seeing another person homeless. Why doesn’t he just leave the country? Go to Korea, China, or Japan? He could be making money there instead of slumming it while he waits for labour arbitration. Surely, he can still fight his case from afar.[/quote]
It may be that he doesn’t have two nickels to scratch together to buy a plane ticket and get set up elsewhere. It would take about US$3,000 for a frugal person. How many English teachers in Taiwan have $3,000 in their bank account? I’d venture to guess that the number is much lower than you’d think.
[quote=“Tomas”][quote=“Chewycorns”][quote=“Josefus”]
The above picture is apparently of a man named James.
Unfortunately enough, but to the delight of a few I’m sure, he’s reported to be Canadian.
He was a teacher in Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) but was fired and has been sleeping a broken vehicle down by the river for a week now.
His former school claims he … erm … took his pants off in front of the students.
And threw stuff around.
Or something like that.
Here’s the link
It’s in Chinese.
I’m sure a more precise translation would be appreciated by everyone.[/quote]
I don’t think anyone could be delighted with seeing another person homeless. Why doesn’t he just leave the country? Go to Korea, China, or Japan? He could be making money there instead of slumming it while he waits for labour arbitration. Surely, he can still fight his case from afar.[/quote]
It may be that he doesn’t have two nickels to scratch together to buy a plane ticket and get set up elsewhere. It would take about US$3,000 for a frugal person. How many English teachers in Taiwan have $3,000 in their bank account? I’d venture to guess that the number is much lower than you’d think.[/quote]
Yeah, I’m sure a lot of foreigners here aren’t good savers. I certainly wasn’t until I started letting my wife handle everything (now I just get an allowance like I did when I was 10). However, jobs in Korea and some in China often pay airfare over for the teachers. He should by applying to those while he uses the Internet. Might be able to get back up on his feet.
Good point, as long as the poor guy isn’t a nut job. I hope for his sake that he isn’t.
I see a lot of mental illness out there these days. Very sad.
That’s assuming this school paid his taxes…if he’s looking at a tax bill before he can leave the country, plus he had no savings when he started out (I came to Taiwan with US$300 and ate a whole lot of baozi that first month!) and maybe the school didn’t pay him his salary being as how in its opinion he was dismissed for cause – who knows.
Either he has serious issues or he’s making a point.
They keep on saying 6 nights…but how can the soles of his shoes wear out so fast? And if the school cancelled his ARC surely he must be on the verge of being deported? And he’s bumming in someones van that he took without permission, and scared the owner away?
how is he getting away with this?
I hope he gets helped soon.
He could start by pitching in himself.
Why doesn’t he have any friends that are willing to let him couch surf (or even floor surf) until he gets straightened out?
Maybe he needs some help. Professional kind.
I was going to say the same thing about the worn shoes. Does he not have family somewhere that could wire him some money? Plus, why would someone in their right mind allow Taiwanese news to take pictures of themself in that condition? If the news people just showed up, why would you be wearing a tie?
Well, where is this guy? Is there no forumosan close enough to roll up and check things out? Offer a lunch box and find out if he really flashes children? I’d say he’s got to be playing this out for a reason.
I have seen a trully homeless foreigner in Taipei, years ago, but he seemed a few bricks short of a load and was very obviously homeless. He said something to me about being some sort of a horrible person, don’t remember the exact insult, as I was waiting for a bus. He was in the bus station to grab drinks and snacks offered to customers and he was told to leave almost before I realized he’s spoken to me.
I agree with with housecat. Does anybody know this guy? Do we have any idea where he is?
Edit Last part deleted by myself.
Hell, there are loads of women in this country that would take him on, in my time here I have seen plenty of white guys, coincidentally often Canadians! livin well off a local gal!
Don’t you love it when Taiwanese look at people like this guy, then look at you, and you can see them making mental comparisons?
“Hey, you’re a foreigner too! Do you sleep in a van?”
[quote=“Lil’ Slugger”]Don’t you love it when Taiwanese look at people like this guy, then look at you, and you can see them making mental comparisons?
“Hey, you’re a foreigner too! Do you sleep in a van?”[/quote]
It does help perpetuate the stereotype that foreign men are all in Taiwan because we couldn’t find jobs in our homelands.
You’ll never see a news report about a foreigner who goes to work all day, comes home to his family, and goes to bed at night. Far too boring to make it onto tv.
I don’t know what’s worse: sleeping in a van down by the river or getting an allowance, like a child, from your own money.
