Job Discussion Forums

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

Hey guys, I get off work from December 23rd to March 1st. I am looking to do just a little bit of work over the break. I do not want to work for the entire two months for 40 hours a week, something a bit less than that would be preferable. I know there are summer camps, are there winter camps also? I have done some searching and only came up with two ads, one of which I applied to and another which had a broken link. What other kinds of work could I try to get? Or if anyone could recommend some websites that would be nice too. I can't really stay in my town and do tutoring or anything like that because I live in a fairly cold area and pretty much all my friends are either teachers or students, so it would be rather dismal if I stayed here for the whole break.

Thanks.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

There are winter camps but I've never done one of them. Someone will post something soon I'm sure.

Your holiday is long. Mine's only from 22 Dec till 13 Feb (still not bad). You're obviously at a university. I know the start point of holiday's will vary depending on when people begin exams, but I thought all universities started back at the same time, in this case 13 Feb 2012?

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

december 23rd? sounds nice. dec 26-30 is the final week of class
here at the uni. jan 2-3 turn in the paperwork, vacation begins
on the 4th.

somewhere warm? anyone know if there are winter camps in
thailand, vietnam, cambodia?

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

Basically my most of my university's classes last until December 30th, then the students will have final exams for like another week, but the English department decided to make us work on Sundays for five weeks and cancel the last week so that (supposedly) the foreign teachers could have Christmas off. I believe they actually axed the last two weeks of the FT's classes so that the students have more time to study for their real exams, which is great since I get full salary anyways. I have not officially heard that March 1st is the start date but I thought the return date for spring semester was always March 1st, or around there, just like September 1st is always the first day in fall? I suppose I should check on that. I applied to a winter camp position a few days ago which looked very lucrative but have not received a reply. I suppose I'll wait a few weeks and if I still can't find anything online I'll start looking around my town or emailing people I know.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

Students return to the university I am at on Feb 13th also. Spring Festival relies on the lunar calendar (sure you know this) and comes early this year (sucks cause I will work on my birthday for the first time in years). I would check again.

As for pt work for the winter, not sure about camps, but you could check rates with the local mills.

keeperofpythons · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 152 Location: zhu san jiao

Yeah, you've got a real sweet deal there. My University's classes finish on the 16th but there's a make up week after that, then exams are the next week, and then there are two more weeks of exams and "extra classes" where the Chinese teachers and foreign teachers show up and sit on their rears while 3 or 5 students come through to chat and the other 40 are all doing what any normal human being would do after final exams: nothing academic.

I've never done any teaching after the final exams (it's not even in the contract), nor will I ever. There have never been any complaints.

Universities usually begin again ASAP after the red lantern festival, which I believe is the official end of the spring festival season. The Dean of the English department told me a week or two ago that the students will return to our school on the 19th and classes will resume on the 20th. I stressed to them that I needed a 100% official response because I'd be planning a 7 week-long cultural decompression in the U.S.

Guerciotti · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:22 am Post subject:

How's the weather in Guangdong in January? I want to go someplace warmer than Tianjin this winter. Dang it gets cold here.

My schedule is whacked. We have tests until January 6th and I have writing tests to grade. I guess we return February 7th or 14th. "I guess" because I ask and no one knows. Love this school. Only eight more months!

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

If you can stand to work in your own city, get the word out to the other teachers (i.e. the Chinese ones) that you are interested in holiday work. Chances are that some of them do the same thing. They might even pick up a bonus for bringing in a real laowai. Even your FAO is a potential source of outside work. Bring up the topic as just a what-if? unless you are sure he or she won't interfere with your plans. I'm occasionally approached by Chinese colleagues for just this type of thing. Should be plenty of work: Chinese parents can't let their children just enjoy their free time, can they? Tiger Moms!