Feed me, Seymour (Max time off; HK trips)

[Mr Nobody]

OK, finished the TEFL certificate, now officially have another qualification, but it seems to have made no difference. I seem to be the same. THere seems to be no saintly glow or sudden ability to turn water into beer.

Finished organizing the back yard and garages, sheds, etc. Now working on the house.

Why I am telling you all this? Millana asked, but if someone asks me to stop, I will. I am bored.

Nearly finished all things needed. Now, awaiting bits of paper, and a bunch of petty crap.

Latest headline: "Nobody is interested in working in China"

[George61]

It's getting closer. One day we will awake to the headline.." Nobody Hits China!"....and lives to tell the tale.

[Newbs]

followed by
"Nobody gets stared at"
"Nobody gets called laowai"
"Nobody gets ripped off"

Can't wait til you get here mate.

[Ruth]

We should be so lucky (to live in a China like Newbs described that is).

OF COURSE we'll be lucky once Mr. N arrives.

[Mr Nobody]

Nobody makes a move. (or the hippy gets it)

Ok, next installment. Booked tickets, coming 14th. Moved library. Now live in what appears to be a rubbish dump. All my audiovisual gear etc has been moved to the kung fu school. Thrown out all these clothes that appear to have shrunk over the years. Found all my medieval armour and weapons, and setting it up as a display for the kung fu school. The armour also appears to have shrunk. I didn't know steel did that.

I have lined up a job for six months, visa etc seems to be in order, picking it all up in a couple of days, no worries.

The girlie is madly making marriage plans, whether I am there or not. I still haven't found my cat. The other one gets picked up in two days. I will lose all contact in two days also, since my computer is also going to teh kung fu school, I think. If I can live for 3 days without a computer that is. Well, it would stop me wasting my non-existent time with displacement activities, rather than organizing. Just got new shoes, socks, undies etc, and tomorrow will get all the medicines etc for the year or so. One more docs appt I think for the last things, hope tomorrow.

Anything else? Not sure. Downloading massive amounts of audio material, comedy etc, esp british so i will have something to listen to.

Ready to jump soon. Hope my parachute isn't a backpack full of anvils.

Bond out for now.

[George61]

So, we'll see you when we see you...Have fun!!

[acjade]

great advice doodles

so now oh charming white knights in suits of squeaky clean silver maybe you might help me on this and (cough cough) please remember, that is to say, keep in mind, I'm not great with computers, READ I wouldn't give my students a pass to keep them out of hell , so tell me, beloved and great overlords what's the easiest road to martyrdom, I mean Master of ESL or Linguistics on the planet today. The brainwave energy I can just about cope with but what about the logistics which is being a bimbo from a previous long ...read... LONG ago life is, mightbe a handicap. Ha da?

[George61]

great advice doodles

so now oh charming white knights in suits of squeaky clean silver maybe you might help me on this and (cough cough) please remember, that is to say, keep in mind, I'm not great with computers, READ I wouldn't give my students a pass to keep them out of hell , so tell me, beloved and great overlords what's the easiest road to martyrdom, I mean Master of ESL or Linguistics on the planet today. The brainwave energy I can just about cope with but what about the logistics which is being a bimbo from a previous long ...read... LONG ago life is, mightbe a handicap. Ha da?

Shenma???

[Mr Nobody]

I am assured that a Masters in ESL etc is the way, and M in linguistics isn't. But what would I know, for I am not even here yet.

[Newbs]

IMHO the best training is to get in the classroom and teach, and see what works and what doesn't work. Having said that academic qualifications are a good idea, as I've said before on another post somewhere.

I'm shooting through back to Australia in a few weeks time and the possibilities for study are:
1. Just do a bit of Chinese this year and then enrol in an MA (Asian studies) at a uni near where I will be living.
2. Just do a bit of Chinese this year and then enrol in the MA (Applied Linguistics) done totally on line from Uni of New England. I'm told that as on line courses go it has a very high reputation.

I'll do 1 for interest sake if I can't land an ESL job and I'll do 2 if I can land an ESL job.

I've got a Grad Dip in TESOL and I'm not interested in continuing on to an M Ed in TESOL or whatever it's called, because of my opening comments.

For anyone in China the MA from Uni of New England could be of some interest. Check how much it costs. The Howard government has a deliberate policy of dumbing down the population, and ensuring that everyone is sooo stupid that they will always vote for Howard.

Newbs

[con's fly is open]

Bon voyage, Nobby. Pop back in for baijiu and beernuts at your first opportunity.

[Mr Nobody]

"Nobody wants to be alone"

OK, keeping computer a few more days, until the day of the flight. Now catless. visa, passport tickets etc ready to get picked up. Brother coming for the weekend to hold up the other end of heavy things. Things are going ok if hectic. Everyone wants just a couple of hours of my time. Adds up to about 8 hours a day.
Why can't everyone just go to the same pissup and the same dinner, and leave me alone? Why does everyone want their own?

SIncerely Yours,
Mr Harried.


OK, a story. Mum came around to pick up the cat. She sat down at the computer and saw the front pic. She now thinks -
a) I am a pervert
b) you are all perverts.
c) this is a pervert site.

So I had to explain about the site. I am not sure she believed me, though. Too many weird names and threads.
She wanted to know why anyone, for example, would apply for jobs with the title "wankers wanted".

Mothers. No sense of humour.

[Lotus Eater]

Don't go home for holidays until you are ready to live there permanently again. Same thing happens - you end up feeling like a bone with lots of dogs wanting bits of you!

Are you sure we aren't all perverted one way or another?

[Arlis]

*sob* True - I felt like such a bone when I went back home for 2 weeks in April. If you go back home for 'holidays' your only time to relax will be on the plane! Better to get out a restriction order for family and friends if you actually want to relax as you'll be swarmed.

There are different sides of course, and the idea of going home could just lift your spirits and carry you over the line. Ah well.

This here is a saloon though. Bunch of drunks in here only, no perverts. Unless they've been drinking heavily of course... which is all the time...

[Mr Nobody]

Cheers! Hic! (leers down cleavage) Preverts? Here? Unlikely! This is Uncle Raoul's Place - he wouldn't tolerate us. I mean them. Whatever.

[con's fly is open]

Nobby, you have to schedule a couple of days down the stretch where you turn the phone off. Never mind the schedule crunch; think of your health.

[Newbs]

OK, a story. Mum came around to pick up the cat. She sat down at the computer and saw the front pic. She now thinks -
a) I am a pervert
b) you are all perverts.
c) this is a pervert site.

Sounds like your mum's a good judge of character.

Mothers. No sense of humour.

Couldn't agree more.

[con's fly is open]

JADE: I don't know much on the subject of upgrading qualifications, partly because to pursue it means I'd have to admit I'll be teaching for many years to come.

But I've noticed that anything Western carries a cachet in China. It also carries a Western price tag.

Are you wondering what will beef up your resume? Or make you a better teacher? There's a lot of overlap between the two, but not as much as you might think.

[acjade]

CON:
I'm thinking more along the lines of outrunning my eldest son who has overtaken me with his PHD and now his MBA from Cambridge. Started my masters soon after the youngest was born but just couldn't cope with leaving the little tucker with the mother-in-law who really believed screaming his little lungs out instead of feeding him was in some way beneficial.
But now I guess I want to challenge myself and make use of the experiences in a positive way.
The western price tag is

[Mr Nobody]

Ok, this is the last post (I think) before I soar off into the wild blue yonder. China, here I come, ready or not. (China, ready, me - not!)

See all you guys on the other side. Don't take any wooden Kwai while I am gone!

[Newbs]

Ok, this is the last post (I think) before I soar off into the wild blue yonder.

Thank goodness. It's been pretty noisy around here. Now maybe some of us can stop typing and get on with some serious drinking. I mean, look at the time, it's after 7am already.

[Mr Nobody]

I'm BAAAACK!

The world is just too small a place to hide.

The trip was a nightmare. 2am, get ready, do final packing etc, drive car to brother's place. 3am, start drive to sydney. Great run, make it in 2 hours instead of usual 3. so I am at the airport 5 hoursbefore the plane flies.

only really supposed to be 3. Hmm what to do? Sleep, haven't had any for a few days. That wasn't working. Ok, finally able to check in. then went to waiting lounge. Lineup for internet bar. OK, sleep? not working. Ah, announcement, plane is leaving 1 hour late. Sigh, Try to sleep, not working. China Southern is living up to it's reputation. entertainment on plane disastrous. Try to sleep. Not working. food, inadequate. tastes ok. but then, only breakfast. Ok, try to sleep, not working. lunch. half a sandwich and a matchbox sized cake and an apple the size of a plum. WTF? ok, sleep. actually get a little, then arrive. hassles hassles finally get it all done, just in time for connecting flight. Oh, board on time. A first for me for China Southern. WOW, going to be on time!!
Storm breaks, wait in plane on runway for 1 hour. Sigh.

Sleep. suddenly at Nanning. great!
picked up, taken home, showered, fed, cared for.

(Edited in later: It was 23 hours since I left home, 45 hours since I have been in a bed, when I walked in through the door in Nanning.)

Happy New Expat. Now, rest for a week, until the holidays.

This par of my life has drawn to a close, and now a new life beckons.

I await with head held high, boldly facing the uncertain future with eagerness tempered with a certain amount of trepidation.

[Ruth]

Fortunately the horrors of travel disappear with the thrill of being here. And you arrived into loving arms.

Glad you're finally here.

"Welcome you to China. Can you use chopsticks?"

[Jollyjunklass]

Looks good on you Bond

[Newbs]

HELLO