Monday, July 31, 2017

Off to Cebu

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving Nanning early to get a flight to Xiamen, and from there on to Manila. Despite being a short distance, my flight in Xiamen has been delayed, and so I will not get in to Manila until around 1130pm. Ah well.

I'll be meeting Darren and probably crashing early. I'll fly down to Cebu on August 4th, and hopefully get there in time to meet with the coordinator at 430. Yen gets in at like 6am though, so if worse comes to worse she can deal with it.

It is going to be a very busy, but also very fun few days.

Mike will be showing up late on Aug 4th, so will get filled in on best man duties on the 5th. I think it'll be low key. It is also cool because the last time I saw him was over a year ago in Chilgok. Also, with him possibly off to Miami this year, it may be the last time we see each other for a while. I have other friends coming who I haven't seen in a while, and a few that couldn't make it but have sent well wishes.

My Mom and sister leave soon and my Dad and his whole side are currently in Hong Kong (technically Macau at this exact moment) so it is cool to see everyone else having fun.

I am excited as well.

For today, I just need to exchange some RMB in to USD, pack, get a haircut, and do all the other fun stuff to get ready. Tomorrow I leave here at 9am, which isn't bad at all, but it means I don't have time for much else. I also know that I don't get to settle down until almost midnight. A few hours of Travian and Civilization in Xiamen may be in order :P

Friday, July 21, 2017

July

A busy month.

Officially the semester ends the first week of July, but for some there is an option of overtime work with the College. Most teachers have opted out and decided to head off on vacation, but a couple of us have stayed and agreed to do it.

And boy is there overtime.

I have not had a day off since last Saturday, though I should get Sunday off. I then have a very busy 6 day stretch before I too am on holidays, with a nice little bonus that will disappear in wedding costs almost as soon as I get it :D

ah well.

I then have 3 days here before I fly out to Manila on Wednesday Aug 2nd.

Of course the reason I am doing all this is so the wedding is as good as it can be. I have had to say no to a few things that I just can't afford, but a lot of it seems like stuff that we don't need anyway. I think some people blow 40-50k on a wedding, which seems a sure way to ensure that you will spend that again on a divorce :D. We are having a good wedding, but I hope it is remembered more for friends and fun than for the tacky crap.



It is actually strange being on campus in the summer. Most of the staff have left and it is oddly quiet, or as quiet as China ever is, and it is nice. I'll be here for part of next summer, but my visa expires on July 20th and I am sure that we will be back to Vancouver then, even if just for a visit and a visa renewal to wherever we are going next. Still, it means I'll only really get this month to live like this in Nanning. Kinda cool.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Semester Done

This week I handed in final grades and said goodbye to year one at the university. It was a neat feeling. I have worked very hard over the last 4 years to get to a point where I can do this job, and to have done my first year here has been great. I have learnt a lot, and it has been good. I made a few learning mistakes, but I think overall I did alright. I am already contracted here for another year, and at the end of that time I will have my two years experience, and the world opens up to me.

With that being said, I think two years in Nanning will be enough. Not that this has been a bad experience, because it has been great, but after two years I'll be setting my sights a bit higher I think. Frankly because I can. Yen is fairly adamant that if we don't stay in the Philippines or Canada then she wants to go back to Korea. I don't blame her either. Korea has great jobs and I can't imagine a better country to have a child in, which is another goal of hers for next year. With good friends working there I feel like I am in with a chance (you reading this Mat, Darren and Tobe? :D).

Also, and this is a China thing, the visa requirements for teachers don't guarantee the best results. As an example. To work in Korea as a university teacher I usually require and MA and 2 years experience. For public schools an education background (and in Seoul increasingly teacher certification), and for the cram schools a BA in anything. I am okay with that. In China to work at a cram school you need a BA and either two years experience or a TEFL certification (approx 28 days). To work at a university? A BA in anything and either two years experience of a TEFL certificate. The result is that, while I work with many great people, the backpacker crowd is still alive and well at the university level. I am also not crazy about the way in which Chinese schools are run. Very communal and almost paternalistic. Add to that the housing situation, internet censorship, and in general everything just being less efficient than it could be, and I think two years will be ample.

So for the summer, I am in Nanning for July doing IELTS exam training. Then on August 2nd I leave for Manila where I'll meet Darren. Then on the 4th I fly down to Cebu to meet Yen and get married. This wedding has stretched the budget a bit (a lot), but it will be well worth it. I am also looking forward to a few weeks in Cebu just relaxing. Then it is back at the end of August for my second year in Nanning.

For next year, I would like to see a bit of China, as once I go I am not sure how much I'll be back even if I live in Korea (Hong Kong/Macau notwithstanding) and especially if I live in Canada. Mostly because the visa process is such a hassle. However, I mostly want to save and get more experience. I am actually looking forward to next year. Having a year done feels like a real accomplishment, and even though it may not be where I want to settle down, I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had in Nanning. It certainly won't be a time in my life I will remember badly.