seasons are changin...

Well, it looks like cath and tiff have had it here. They have given their notice and will not be teaching at EF anymore as of next week - it's sad to be losnig two good colleagues, but at least they will be staying in the city of Urumqi.

Tiff was going crazy teaching the off-the-wall kids, and they were also fed up with the hectic schedules and the extra duties... the mood in the office is a bit shit and it's frustrating. i guess i'm still in the beginning stages of oooh-happy-job-everything's-hunkydory, but i am beginning to see the realities of an ESL contract teaching job in China, but the fact is i'm not bitter. Not yet. I'm more aware, tis all.

The second EF school will be opening in the north part of the city in Urumqi. There is talk about who is going where, but it's all begin conducted in a sort of behind-doors way, which none of us is too appreciative of.

I have been approached to go there by Kenneth, the senior teacher for that school. He's an older guy from England with a lot of corporate experience, has been here for about 6+ months so far. Susi will be the sr. teaching of the current school, which i hope won't make it awkward or tense because it's already starting to be like that, although nothing is set in stone. i'm supposed to talk to ken tonight and discuss thigns and i'll be letting him know what i think of it all.

Susi's a bit stressed with this drama, and.. um, ok, i won't use this journal to complain, but there you have it, a bit of management and corporate tension at work, which exists everywhere. i just hope we can all pull together as a TEAM and make it positive and learn from it. THat's the only healthy way out of this mess. THere's more, but i need not bore y'all. I am planning on doing a fun spontaneous energizer this saturday between classes. We all need a group hug or something.

Tonia (the centre manager of EF) has been giving chinese lessons to the teachers every tues and thurs. It's pretty basic, but it just shows how they do want us to learn and will help. It's nice. She is busy ALL the time, and so just making a few hours of her week available to us is very kind of her.

Sometimes we wonder how huge the cultural divide is between the foreigners and the chinese local staff. I mean, language is one thing. But expectations and standards are completely different.

We all have our own social priorities, work responsibilities and our own manner of conducting certain things. It's the cultural jungle maze that can get really frustrating, and i'm not so certain that one or the other can actually 101% be sensitive to the others' culture. Sometimes i feel that as long as we are happy and content with how life is going right now, and our colleagues and boss is satisfied with our work, whether or not we feel communication and understanding was achieved is irrelevant. Sometimes you just gotta go through the mud, grind your teeth, and just concentrate on getting out, knowing that it will be messy no matter what.

I'm off. It's my day off today and tomorrow! Lots to explore in this city... coffee stop first! :P

Pics of birds in People's Square, a foggy day, and Peta kissing camel statue.