As some of you know, I've been looking for a job as an English Teacher. I can't really say I've been looking hard. I've sent out about 8 or 9 resumes, and called a few places. Without much success. Then I sent out a resume yesterday (along with 4 others). This morning as I was reading a book, I got a phone call. They wanted to know when I could show up. I had no idea who they were, where the job was, what the specific details were, or anything like that. But I wasn't about to let them know that. So I asked them to e-mail me the contract, and making the excuse that I was in the middle of something important (the tenth reread of Harry Potter #7), asked if they could e-mail me and I'd get back to them. So now I just have to head back to my hostel with its overpriced internet, and download the contract, I forgot I can't do that at the cheaper, and more comfortable internet cafe. So Yay me. As long as I like the contract, I'll be teaching small groups of adults, good pay, 20-25 hours a week, for one year, free housing, free net access at the school, in a city near Shanghai I believe. I hope everyone else has as good a day as I'm having.
That is excellent to hear Domoviye, I am so happy for you. I hope that it turns out well for sure. I think that you'd do an excellent job at it anyways. And that has to suck about the downloading though. But yes good luck Dom and I hope that the contract suits you. You better spend more time on here when you get the job too or you';; be in big trouble Mr! jokes but yeah lol Tor
Well I've looked over the contract, and it could be good or it could be bad. If they play nice it will work out. But if they decide to pull my chain, I could be working every single day. Not long hours, but having a full day off is appreciated. So I sent it to my Dad to look over. He's worked for the biggest union in Canada, and early in his career, he effectively headed a local union. So I'm more then willing to lean on his expertise. Hopefully it works out. Cheers
Domoviye that is excellent to hear and glad that you have someone who can look at it for you! Goodluck! (Not that you need it)
Thanks everyone. Tomorrow morning, I'm phoning two places that seem a lot better. I couldn't send them e-mails for some odd reason. If I get a job with either of them I'll be a lot happier. Ones a government job, easy hours, less pay, but according to a former employee the worst thing I'll have to worry about is boredom as the city is small. So more time to write. The other job is a private company like the one that wants to hire me. But their contract is a lot more concrete and detailed, so I trust it more. And I like how they're set up. But even if those two don't hire me. I'm fairly certain I'll demand the first company put it into the contract that I have at least one day off a week. That will solve my biggest problem with the contract. Cheers
Mostly at an internet cafe down the street from my cafe. It costs 2 yuan (8 yuan equal 1 US dollar) an hour, and other then being hot is very comfortable. When I need to download or upload something I use the internet at the hostel/hotel which costs 10 yuan an hour and is not nearly as comfortable.
They supply a one room furnished apartment, I have to pay utilities though. Or I could accept a 1500 yuan a month housing allowance. A 2 bedroom apartment in Beijing (one of the most expensive cities in China) costs about 1500 yuan. As long as the apartment they supply isn't a dump, I'll live where they place me. It should be within a reasonable distance of the school. With most teaching jobs here housing or a housing allowance is almost always supplied. So many places are desperately looking for Native speakers they throw in a lot of perks. The problem is making sure the perks are exactly as promised. Because once you've signed a contract its really difficult to prove they're breaking it.
Ah. Question. Why would you choose to live in a one room furnished apartment? when you could live in a house or flat in a different country. What interests you about Beijing?
With the housing it comes down to this. If I get a place through them, any problems I have I just phone up my contact who I know speaks English and have him or her deal with it. If I get a place by myself I phone up my landlord, who may not speak English and try to explain to them what the problem is. It's a matter of convenience. And as long as I have a bed, a kitchen, and a place for my computer I'm happy. A larger place would just mean more to clean. I'm not really interested in Beijing at all. It has some nice history here, but its a little crowded for me. The job is in a much smaller city close to Shanghai, so I'll probably feel more comfortable there. Being in a crowded city of several million is a far cry from the two small spread out cities I've lived in, in Canada. As for other interests. I was bored where I was living, and travelling seemed the best way to relieve the boredom. Its worked so far. The teaching is just a way to get money.
I can say thank you, no, see you later, Good day, water and road. I think I also remember how to say I, you, they, but I get them confused fairly easily. I just haven't been in one place long enough to really learn. My pronunciation sucks, so I need someone there to make sure I say it correctly.
Come in the fall, its bloody hot here. My Dad looked over the contract and he likes it. His only concern was the money, the 6 weeks it would take to terminate the contract, and to make sure I get everything in writing. So I sent two questions to the contact, asking for the termination of contract to be shortened to 3 weeks (I didn't like the length of time either), and to make sure the apartment is within a reasonable distance of the school. It looks like in all likelihood I'll accept. The moneys average, and as long as they're willing to negotiate on the contract termination I'll be happy. I'll still take the job unless they come back and tell me I'm being impertinant with my demands, but I'll be happier if they give in. So it looks like I'm heading off somewhere that I couldn't find on a map, with no idea what awaits me, and very little money. This is getting to be a routine.
Internet is provided free from the school. So lots of access. So I'll be spending a lot of time abusing that privilege. Even better I can write stories on my laptop again (finally got it working somewhat) and put them on the web using memory cards and their computers. I love it. I also accepted the job. The more I look at it the better it sounded, also my contact put my few concerns at ease. And if anything bad does happen, I can run away and get a teaching job in Vietnam, I always wanted to go there as well. So I'm moving to a major port city near Nanjing and Shanghai on the weekend. Hopefully I won't be moving again for a year. Having a steady paycheque is going to be nice. Cheers
Ok this is annoying. It sounded like they needed me ASAP. So I got a ticket already that would let me be there by Monday morning. Beijing's planes, buses, and trains are packed, so you usually need to wait five days to get a ticket. This morning I got an e-mail that they might not have a house for me, and to hold off on heading there. I was suppose to have an e-mail this evening telling me if they have accomodations and when to expect them. Haven't gotten it yet. So I have a train ticket waiting for me at my hostel, that I don't know if I can return. So I may have to go to Nanjing which is a 40 yuan train ride away from the city I'm going to be working in and renting a room at a youth hostel there. Since the city I'll be working in only has hotels which are more expensive. So I don't know when my job starts, I don't know if I can return my ticket for full price, and I may have to move to another city I don't know anything about so that I don't lose several hundred yuan on the train ticket. Its enough to make me want to scream.
Wow you really don't seem to be having the best of luck at the moment I hope things pick up for you and that this teaching job (and its accommodation) get sorted out quickly. I'd love to travel... but don't like being in areas I don't know and wouldn't cope in situations like this.
My luck is usually weird. I have bad luck and dumb luck. Right now I'm in the bad luck phase. Nothing too bad, just enough to keep me on my toes. Soon I'll be into dumb luck, and no matter what I do things will work out. This isn't too bad actually. Like I said I can go to Nanjing and hopefully stay at a better hostel then the one I'm in right now. And Nanjing is cheaper all around then Beijing. And if the company I'm hoping to work for doesn't tell me soon, or have an opening by the first week of September, I can apply elsewhere. I never phoned some places I was planning to. And I'm in the second stage of an offer for a job in Indonesia. So things aren't bleak yet. Just annoying. Edit: I'm not coping that well either. I've screwed up somethings, and at the beginning I was in a nice fugue state of mind. I'm just too bull headed to admit total defeat (retreating and asking for help is acceptable though) so I keep moving forward until something happens. It also helps having very nice parents, and occassionally being oblivious to all my problems.
