BootsnAll Travel Network



Fall semester 2014

I haven’t posted an update since the end of the end of the summer vacation because I’ve been working really hard this semester and because some of the things I’d like to write about I’ve had to self-censor to keep from causing any trouble for myself or my wife. The Big Panda is watching everyone very closely these days and I don’t want to chance wearing out my welcome here. My teaching load this semester was the heaviest it’s ever been. I had 22 periods per week which is technically in excess of the maximum according to my contract. I accepted it without too much complaining since overall the school has been pretty good to me. My teaching load for the spring semester is supposed to be back to normal.

I finished this semester a few days ago and am now enjoying 7 weeks off before the spring semester begins. This past semester included 3 Reading classes, 3 Speaking classes for non-English majors, a Writing class for juniors with no textbook and 65 students, and a Listening/Speaking class for a group of freshmen Engineering students that are part of a Sino-American program. The Engineering students are supposed to study here for 3 years then go to Central Michigan University for 1 year after which they will get a BS degree from both schools. This class was the worst group of students I’ve had in my time here in Nanning. They were quite different from all the other freshmen classes I’ve had here in that they were lazy and often late for class. Some of them could barely speak a simple sentence. I can’t imagine them being successful at a US university. The Writing class was also a big challenge because there was no textbook to follow and with so many students there were so many papers to grade each week.

We recently decided to sell Bonnie’s new apartment on campus back to the school. There are many problems with the buildings and the school did a poor job designing them and having them built. We don’t need the apartment as long as I’m teaching here since the school provides an apartment to me for free as part of my contract. They are in the process of increasing the retirement age here to 65 and I will want Bonnie to retire several years before that. I am concerned that if she retires early then the school will require her to return the apartment to the school. The apartments on campus are always owned by the school and you only buy the right to use them as long as you’re employed here or retired from the school. To use the apartment we would have to spend $25,000 to $40,000 to finish the decorating of the apartment including buying cabinets, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, appliances, flooring, heating and air conditioning, furniture, etc. If we sold the apartment back to the school later, they would not reimburse us for those costs. Thus, the decision to return the apartment.

We are leaving soon to go to New Zealand for a 19 day tour with a tour company called Grand Pacific Tours. We will be seeing both of the main islands and most of the transportation will be by bus but also some of it by train or boat. Until next time….



Tags: ,

Comments are closed.