2006-04-30 - 11:01 a.m.
So I am sitting here in shock. We were just told we are "not welcome" at SIAS next year because the school is "moving in another direction."
Now if we had been bad teachers I could easily understand this. But our teaching reviews have both of us listed as excellent teachers. So when I look at this, the only direction I can see is bad.
I know why it happened, I'm just shocked that this became such an issue. as Rodney king once said "can't we all just get along?"
In fact during the discussion I was told that if Hays keeps Christine here (they can, it is their call) that I am not welcome. In fact, I have no job, but if hays keeps criss, then the school can do nothing about it, but they would like us to "move on to something better."
Ah, and to think I actually like the school, just not the people. It is a very interesting list of people not being invited back, some are not great teachers (in fact about 4 are terrible teachers) but the majority are great teachers. (mary alice, john moll, jean whitt, nigel and jo brown, and now us) I honestly don't want to be here next year, but it would have been nice to be notified we don't have a job with more than a month left in classes.
I'm so tempted to go to classes now in cut off jeans, flip flops w/ beer in hand and say "I don't know what the f* we are doing today, so lets just watch some movie {hic}" and then stagger around and fall down. But I won't because I respect my students too much, and they deserve so much better than what they are getting from the "christian" majority here at SIAS. Well I can only see one direction the school goes, and unfortunately it is DOWN.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Voice of Will: 10 Year Renewal of Vows
2006-04-25 - 11:15 a.m.
I love this time of year. It is april, it is warm, lots of school work to do, lots of students who want to visit.
In three weeks criss and I are renewing our marrage vows. It will be a small private ceremony. You know, 100 foreign teachers, 13000 SIAS students. Tiny, cozy.
We have ordered 10 custom fitted tuxedos, 9 custom brides maid dresses, 1 custom white silk wedding dress. There will be more flowers than you can possibly imagine , we have arranged an amphitheatre on campus, we have the minister ( two of them actually, non demoninational using buddhist vows), we have the sound system, we have arranged the hall for the reception, and have dinner paid for for 100, we have a band, and we have a professional photographer. The damage? $2250 US.
Yes you read that right. I am amazed at how far the US dollar goes here.
so far a lot of students are getting very excited about this ceremony. personally I'm getting a bit anxious. I'm worried that criss will say "no" or "go away" or that my fly will be unzipped.
I'm pretty sure this will be very anticlimatic, but I'm worried about it.
I'm also worried about the plans for the future. Criss has not been offered that job contract from tokyo (yet), and we haven't been invited back here. So the waiting game is getting me a bit anxious.
Oh well. Just keep the chin up, and all things will work out, and the renewal ceremony will be beautiful and fun.
But I still worry.
I love this time of year. It is april, it is warm, lots of school work to do, lots of students who want to visit.
In three weeks criss and I are renewing our marrage vows. It will be a small private ceremony. You know, 100 foreign teachers, 13000 SIAS students. Tiny, cozy.
We have ordered 10 custom fitted tuxedos, 9 custom brides maid dresses, 1 custom white silk wedding dress. There will be more flowers than you can possibly imagine , we have arranged an amphitheatre on campus, we have the minister ( two of them actually, non demoninational using buddhist vows), we have the sound system, we have arranged the hall for the reception, and have dinner paid for for 100, we have a band, and we have a professional photographer. The damage? $2250 US.
Yes you read that right. I am amazed at how far the US dollar goes here.
so far a lot of students are getting very excited about this ceremony. personally I'm getting a bit anxious. I'm worried that criss will say "no" or "go away" or that my fly will be unzipped.
I'm pretty sure this will be very anticlimatic, but I'm worried about it.
I'm also worried about the plans for the future. Criss has not been offered that job contract from tokyo (yet), and we haven't been invited back here. So the waiting game is getting me a bit anxious.
Oh well. Just keep the chin up, and all things will work out, and the renewal ceremony will be beautiful and fun.
But I still worry.
Friday, April 7, 2006
Voice of Will: Should we go to Tokyo?
2006-04-07 - 10:05 a.m.
So while criss was away at the TESOL confrence in Tampa Bay she was offered a job to teach in tokyo.
In a way I am torn, do I want to stay here, or go to tokyo. At SIAS I knwo what to expect. It's the Devil I know. Simple work, large housing (albeit cold in the winter, but that is where the weather stripping comes in handy, and caulk too!!) Criss gets a incredible salary by chinese standards, and I get a very NICE chinese salary. WE can pay off student loans, and see china. I know all the foreign teachers and like about 25 of them enough to hang out with. WE have a gaming group and most of them will be back next year, and I don't have to see the people I don't like.
Now on the ohter hand there is TOKYO!!! OMG!! I would love to live there. In fact it was first on our list, but there were no jobs there that paid as well as here so we came to china. The unofficial job offer has 2x her salary, with housing included for less hours. Sounds great. but this is TOKYO and it is sooooo expensive, crissy didn't tell them about the family.
1. so housing included may only be a 1br flat. then what do we do? If we have to pay for a place, it will cost over 1/2 of her salary then we actually lose money to go there.
2. we also don't know about the kids schooling. Here we have hired a private teacher who teaches each kid for 2 hours a day (in english, our materials, all subjects) for 2000rmb a month ($250) out of my salary (which is 3600 rmb a month). NOt sure about the schools. Have heard horror stories, and have heard lots of praise. NOt the expat schools (we can't afford those) but local japanese public schools.
3. we have a cat named Jonas. Well in order to get a cat into japan you need writ from GOD basically. They need an ID chip implanted into them, they need about 6 different shot series 3 months before you want to go. Not so hard in America, but in ZZ china? this may be impossible to get. Not sure.
4. Hurricanes (typhoons) and earthquakes are very common in tokyo. Not sure I like that.
So while criss was away at the TESOL confrence in Tampa Bay she was offered a job to teach in tokyo.
In a way I am torn, do I want to stay here, or go to tokyo. At SIAS I knwo what to expect. It's the Devil I know. Simple work, large housing (albeit cold in the winter, but that is where the weather stripping comes in handy, and caulk too!!) Criss gets a incredible salary by chinese standards, and I get a very NICE chinese salary. WE can pay off student loans, and see china. I know all the foreign teachers and like about 25 of them enough to hang out with. WE have a gaming group and most of them will be back next year, and I don't have to see the people I don't like.
Now on the ohter hand there is TOKYO!!! OMG!! I would love to live there. In fact it was first on our list, but there were no jobs there that paid as well as here so we came to china. The unofficial job offer has 2x her salary, with housing included for less hours. Sounds great. but this is TOKYO and it is sooooo expensive, crissy didn't tell them about the family.
1. so housing included may only be a 1br flat. then what do we do? If we have to pay for a place, it will cost over 1/2 of her salary then we actually lose money to go there.
2. we also don't know about the kids schooling. Here we have hired a private teacher who teaches each kid for 2 hours a day (in english, our materials, all subjects) for 2000rmb a month ($250) out of my salary (which is 3600 rmb a month). NOt sure about the schools. Have heard horror stories, and have heard lots of praise. NOt the expat schools (we can't afford those) but local japanese public schools.
3. we have a cat named Jonas. Well in order to get a cat into japan you need writ from GOD basically. They need an ID chip implanted into them, they need about 6 different shot series 3 months before you want to go. Not so hard in America, but in ZZ china? this may be impossible to get. Not sure.
4. Hurricanes (typhoons) and earthquakes are very common in tokyo. Not sure I like that.
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