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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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 Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 2:41 am Post subject: |
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| Teacher in Rome wrote: |
| Um, Shmooj, Capergirl is no longer with us... |
Well I know that she doesn't post but who knows who lurks... 
I was on the phone to dad last night who himself is a nomad. He said that he went through exactly the same issues about holidays when he was my age as I am now. He didn't teach English but we lived the expat lifestyle. HE told me his solution (which I'm really tempted by), was to hire a pub or hotel function room or something and grab some caterers and throw a long party one day in the holiday. He invited absolutely everyone to this and, if they couldn't make it, too bad. Then he would take us on our own private holiday having done the socialising.
He did say that he was always grateful to be flying back to work after the hols - something I can truly relate to.
But all this brings up a major issue for teacher training.
How many of us every received any training on our certs/dips about dealing with the stresses and strains of living abroad. I dreamt up a module the other day and components would include:
Preparing to go/applying for jobs
Settling in and dealing with culture shock
Managing relationships including communicating with back home and developing friendships
Preparing to move on including packing up
Reverse/Trans-culture shock
What do you think? Bet you can add to the list...
BTW, we got 13 Christmas cards this year - our 7th Christmas since we left home. Not bad going considering... |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 7:40 am Post subject: |
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A few more to add...
How to read a contract and what to look for in one.
What to ask an employer (housing, visa...) |
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ShapeSphere
Joined: 16 Oct 2004
Posts: 386
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| Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 8:50 am Post subject: |
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Teacher in Rome:
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One thing that bothers me is that I'm pretty much unable to vote in the UK. The embassy just told me that after 15 years abroad, you can no longer vote (even by proxy) in the UK. Although I'm happy to live abroad, I still have ties to the UK and I feel a bit disenfranchised.
Does this aspect bother people at all? |
NO. I'm from the UK as well, but only been away four years. Although I have a vast interest in the welfare and political situation of the UK, there comes a time when we have to accept that it's no longer our home. This is where our nomadicity comes in - we remain a citizen but are travelling further away from our homes - in terms of mentality as opposed to geography.
However I don't wish to incur the wrath of shmooj and so will keep closer to the theme of the topic. Most teachers surely have nomadic blood coursing through their veins, hence the choice of profession.
On a China forum I wrote about a similar feeling to this, and with the help of Mr Copy & Mrs Paste then here it is:
In my opinion, we are all in 'limbo'. We don't fit in at home - for whatever reason - but we don't really fit in China. I'm not sure where my home is, at the moment there is no desire to return to England, and I'm not sure if I will ever find a 'home'. None of us are people who wanted to stay in the same job in the same town with the same wife for forty years. That sounds like hell to me, but if other people are happy with that, then fine.
But we're here in China, because we are a bit 'different'. I've said it before - living in China is a love/hate relationship. Some days are rosy and I'm as happy as a pig in sh*t (pigs seem to be in fashion right now), other days not so good and I look at Chinese behaviour with absolute disgust.
Most days are reasonably OK.
I've made my choice in life and am happy with it. |
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