Personally, I dont think asking at the FIRST interview is appropriate. I believe that when you are considering multiple offers, or an offer is forthcoming, you then have to know what the deal is, and its fair to ask about the package at that point. If you have a second or third interview and an offer is imminent, I would ask then.
I wouldnt worry too much about wasting the recruiters time. Every interview is a learning experience...and should be seen as such.

WHOA there cowboy!!!....wish you would have said that you were not a teacher at the OP.
If you are not eligible for the jobs that are posted , in NO WAY should you call schools. You would be wasting your time, their time and your money.

Novice: CONGRATULATIONS...and it IS exciting and scary at the same time, isnt it? Be prepared for mixed reviews from family/friends...but stand firm in your desire for adventure and to live life a bit differently. :)

Yep, for sure that is the case-I agree with you that in world class cities, English is prevalent.
What my point was, that because it is starting to be everywhere, we start to expect it to be everywhere--and if it isnt, sometimes, the foreigner tends to get annoyed and frustrated because everyday life is so much harder when we have to navigate without English.
Everything is so much harder when you dont know the language of the country you live in, and its easy to fall into the trap of expecting English to be everywhere...and being annoyed that it isnt.

Just an observation--its China. Why should anything be in English?

Thats great Novice...so you emailed them first? Nerve-wrecking stuff for sure! Keep us posted.

I agree with Briz on the 'living in India' bit. India is not for everyone. I have no information about the school, but I have lived and worked in India...its an acquired taste and can be fabulous and horrific all in the space of a new york minute.

This situation reminds me of the other thread about whether or not you should CALL a school.
I dont think it hurts to email, what do you have to lose?
If they are not interested, they will just move on to the next candidate.
However, they DO have your information, and in fact scheduled you for an interview--so they know you are out there and what your qualifications are--it wasnt like they missed your resume in the 100's that they have received.
I get that you are curious though as to WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED???!!!! Its so hard not to take this kind of stuff personally--we just dont know what goes on behind the scenes....so my vote is to keep plugging away and being friendly, courteous and inquiring with ONE email.

Calciodirigore: I am curious to know--did you have a really bad fair experience? Did something happen with SEARCH associates that we need to be aware of? Why do you not like them/the fairs? In regards to SEARCH....I found the data base very helpful, but my associate was fairly useless. I got my admin job with a SKYPE interview, with a school that was advertising through SEARCH.
The fair I went to ( I already had a job so didnt have to go through the stress of the event) seemed to be well organized....but I am curious--why such a negative feeling towards the process? The more information we have about our choices, the better.
:)

Dawson--I love what you said, and I could not agree more. Sometimes, I find...that the whole tier thing smacks of elitism. One poster said its about 'the level of teacher it attracts". What does that even mean? To me--a great teacher is one who truly cares about each and every kid in his class, stays current, and forms a relationship with his/her students and parents--if possible. Just because the package is 'great', and you are in a 'great' country ( for me, I would never want to teach in Europe--yawn) does not make the teachers that work there--better. In fact, one could argue that a teacher who works in a small school, with no supplies/resources or infrastructure has to be a BETTER teacher, than someone in a Tier 1 school with all the gizmos/gadgets at their disposal....IMO

I find the concept of the 'tiers' very curious. I do understand its an arbitrary thing--and schools are not actually granted Tier status by anybody other than International teachers...but still, the idea is intriguing....the idea that tier 1 schools are the BEST and Tier 3 schools are the bottom of the barrel, and you'd have to be desperate to work there.
I find it curious, because what does "THE BEST" school actually look like? Isnt the opinion rather subjective? What makes a Tier 1 school, a Tier 1 school? And can one man's Tier 1, be another persons Tier 3? Is a Tier 1 a package thing? Can you have a Tier 1 school in say....the Congo? or Sudan? Can you have a Tier 3 school in Italy?
I have to wonder--is one mans ceiling, another man's floor?

I really like this thread. Thanks for asking this question CDNTEACH!! I am new to this forum, but not knew to international teaching or teaching in general.
Sometimes I think, we forget that at the end of the day its not about the money, or the country, or the principal or the parents--its about the kids in front of you. Third tier schools, or first tier schools, kuwait or Italy or Brazil or Hong Kong....its always, ALWAYS about the kids. I think that because we are also choosing countries, and changing our lives along with changing schools...its easy to lose sight of that.
Just because a school is international, or located in Singapore and not Chicago--does NOT make the teaching a better experience, nor does the fact that one is an international teacher make one a cooler person, or god forbid, a cooler teacher...its just another way to live a life. Perhaps another question to ask ourselves is " where can I make the most difference?" if that kind of thing is important to you.....to stir the pot a bit more--where DO you think you can make the most difference? Can a teacher make more of a difference in the richest school in Japan, or the poorest school in Malaysia..and what does it depend on?

I would NOT waste the one call on talking to just anybody. I would ask to speak to the Principal--if the principal is not available, I would NOT leave my name/number...in response to the question " would you like to leave a message?" I would say " No thanks, I will try again in a bit--when did you say he would be available?" and then call back again. If you STILL dont get him/her--wait a few days and try again.
I think calling at the end of the day or early morning is your best bet. Dont over think this....its just a phone call, not a blood sacrifice. :) :)

Maybe a combination of things? A native head-dress for the native american; Ray-Bans representing Hollywood, brooks brother shirt representing Ivy League and cowboy boots etc....?

Like so many things, this is not an EITHER OR decision. It is AND. If you dont want to go to the Fair--dont go. If you want to go to the Fair AND do SKYPE interviews..then do that.
But I think its unnecessary to make a big judgement on the Fair Process and SEARCH ( or any other recruitment agency) . Bottom line....f you dont want to go/join-- dont.
I dont see the point of making it seem like some big moral issue--as it was presented.