Living on a Narrowboat
Or water puppets, as they call them.
First developed from bored peasants in the paddy fields of north Vietnam, this is one of the unique attractions you might find in Hanoi.
The main stage is locate by the north corner of Hoan Kiem lake.
Showings start at 3pm, so there is no point in showing up any earlier.
Passed my kidney stone.
Picked it out of the toilet the other day.
I guess this means I can go back to resting.
Taken from New Life ESL. An article on teaching in China, and how much money you can make.
Ah, the golden question. Money makes the world go ‘round, indeed. But we always try to guide our applicants with the advice that you should absolutely not be chasing salary or city in China — you should be chasing trustworthiness in a school. While some are not as easily convinced as others, the truth is, there really is no one-size-fits-all guide to how much you can make here.Being in the recruiting game for around two years and teaching English for three, I’ve had the benefit of meeting all kinds of aspiring English teachers. There’s the person that read somewhere online they should be making 15,000RMB ($2,435) monthly with everything from their flight to China to their meals being covered by the school, yet they have no experience or degree. There’s the person who has been screwed over by so many schools and recruiters, yet for some reason, they still keep looking for jobs and constantly have their guard up with no matter whom they speak to. There’s the person that read all the online forums saying all agents are monsters robbing you of your salary. Which can absolutely be true for some, but luckily not for us, being that you’ll never sign a contract with New Life, only directly with schools we’ve introduced you to.And then, sometimes, on a really, really gorgeous day, when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, we get that one person that fully understands that salary = experience, qualifications, and city tier. When this person applies on our site, I often can’t control myself and end up putting on my guilty pleasure playlist (it includes INXS), dancing around just moments before our Skype meeting. I sincerely love this person.Unlike most countries that accept foreign English teachers, China is unique in that salaries are based off the tier of the city. They can’t have foreigners coming in and making 12,000RMB a month and working 25 hours weekly while the locals are working 40 hours weekly making 2,000RMB. It’s just not fair. So here, I provide to you a full break down of what salaries will look like throughout China based on experience, city tier, and qualifications.
Continue reading “How Much Money Can You Make Teaching in China?”
The Chinese firmly believe in hot water, or at least warm water. I’m not a great fan. I prefer mine chilled. Thankfully.
Looks like the woman at the Chinese embassy didn’t know what she was talking about and I actually DON’T have a valid visa for China.
Luckily, I’m one of those people that doesn’t believe what he’s told, and rather than chance it at the border, I decided to call it a day in SE Asia.
Had a good look around this city. Seems a cool place – in many ways, not least because the weather was about 11 °C.
I took some photo’s and mooched the streets.
On many days it was raining, at least in the afternoon.
There are many places to eat in Hanoi. Perhaps too many.
Shopping is also good. There are many nick-nacks to be had. Prices are cheap, bargains can be struck and there is an abundance of other shops to try if the price doesn’t suit. Continue reading “Chinese Hot Water”
Turns out some of my calculations with regard to Visa extensions were incorrect.
It’s now No Longer Possible to get a 1-month extension without paying $100+. You can get a 7day extension for $50.
This has come as a surprise, and changed my plans –
I took a visit to the Chinese embassy this morning, to check things out there. They told me I still had a valid Visa for travel to China.
Having spoken to the agencies, I’m not totally optimistic that I’ll be able to find a job there AND sort things out within 30 days.