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Kate's Chronicles
Where have I been you may wonder....well I've spent the last 3 months back in Australia packing up my old life. Most of my time was spent preparing my house and garden ready to sell - yes it is now on the market. Unfortunately that took a lot more time than I anticipated and therefore I did not catch up with as many friends as I would have liked to. If I did not get to see you I'm sorry but do not think I have forgotten you :) I will be returning for a visit in July 2013 and will be spending all my time seeing family and friends then and sincerely hope you don't give up on me in the meantime. Really the main reason for my delayed return to China was my eldest sons wedding. Matt and his beautiful wife Bianca were married on Saturday 27 October in a glorious ceremony at a wonderful old estate on the outskirts of Hobart. It was a wonderful wedding and I have included a few pictures to share some of the memories of this special day. November 1 saw me out at the airport ready for my epic journey back to China. Managed to keep my luggage within allowance this time so no excess baggage fees was a good start to the trip!! Luckily they didn't weigh my hand luggage as I think that might have blown it. My 24 hour trip saw me going through a variety of airports - Hobart, Sydney, Singapore then Shanghai - before being picked up by private car for a 3 hour car journey to Nanjing. To say I was exhausted upon arriving at my apartment would be an understatement!! My dear friend Roshan met me at the University gate and was on hand to help me with my luggage. Such a lovely welcome back......this was not to last as my Facebook friends can attest. I got back to find the paint and plaster falling off the walls of my apartment ,a bathroom which looked like it had been hit by a tornado and a toilet that would not flush properly and threatened to spill everything out of the bowl all through the apartment!! NOT what I was expecting and was even more horrified when i was told it would be Monday before things would be fixed (it was now Friday)!! Well I threw the biggest dummy spit, threatened to leave immediately and made it quite clear that I was not prepared to put up with "China time" on this one. Needless to say I at least got my toilet fixed immediately and the place replastered the following day. A week later and I have to report that the said plaster is again falling off the walls even before they have been back to paint it...guess it's time for another complaint session tomorrow!! This semester I am not working for the School of Nursing but the College of International Studies and what a contrast I am finding in the way they treat their teachers. Guess I was spoilt by having such wonderful administrative staff within the School of Nursing for 3 semesters. I had been told verbally that I would probably only be teaching a few classes as I was returning so late in the semester but that there was plenty of work needed in editing publications that the University are trying to get printed so I've returned ready to do this type of work......met with the new Dean on Monday and am still recovering from the shock I find that I am now teaching 14 periods a week with more to come (in contract to my 8 periods/week with the school of nursing) and my wages have been dropped back to the basic level. I have one class of 28 students who I am teaching listening comprehension in readyness for them to sit their CET band 6 exam on 22 December. This exam is of critical importance within the Chinese University system and they must pass in order to receive their degree (irrespective of what their major is). HELLO.....as I only see them once a week I have 6 classes in which to get them exam ready!!!! Talk about the impossible dream..... Then I have a group of Y5 undergraduate students. Well I have 30 different classes to teach - no idea how many students per class - but I only see each class once but am expected to cultivate their interest in English study. Holy hell the lesson planning alone is a nightmare given that I have been offered no idea on what the Uni hopes to achieve with these lessons.....yet alone work out how I'm supposed to get any job satisfaction!! Additionally it is planned that I will be teaching Medical English to Doctors from various hospitals across the Province in intensive English weekend workshops. This is a mandate from the Mayor of Nanjing city and is deemed as a very important program with great reputations riding on the successful outcome. Well I have to tell you they are in for a hell of a shock as I have worked out if they want thuis done then they are going to have to pay me a lot more money to make it happen......guessing our next meeting will be a form of shock therapy for the Dean etc of the college. If I am sounding somewhat jaded and ****** off...well that hits the nail on the head. I've been back 10 days and am already starting to look for another job. I always said when I left the corporate jungle that was DHHS in Tasmania that I would never stay in another job that did not acknowledge and respect my skills and expertise or that did not offer me job satisfaction. Well so far the University is failing on all fronts. I will see out this semester with gritted teeth but am not prepared to continue under their current working conditions. SO unless there is a dramatic improvement in a short space of time who knows where I might end up???? There are plenty of opportunities across China so I won't have any difficulty finding work...the trick will be to find the job that can give me the lifestyle and satisfaction that I figure i deserve at this stage in my life :) Here's hoping that life has taken a turn for the better when I next write to you all. Bye for now. xx
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