After working in government for 30 years, Kate Fennell, decided to throw in the towel and teach English abroad. After toying with the idea of teaching in Vietnam for a while, she decided to teach in China and hasn't looked back since! It’s been an amazing experience for her and she’s been blogging throughout her time there, so if you're wondering what life teaching English in China is like Kate will reveal all!
June 12th 2010 – Countdown to China!
“Well I seem to have talked about it, read about it, discussed options with people etc etc BUT it is finally becoming my future reality.....I look forward to sharing everyone's countdown as we start to get nervous, excited, apprehensive, happy and probably the full gamut of emotions!!!!! Stay in touch and we can help each other maintain our sanity... Bye for now.......to be continued as the weeks go by!!!”
Take a look at her countdown blog here
July 28th 2010 – Almost China Time!
Well it seems that the tension is building as we all get closer and closer to departing our respective homes and head to China. A sense of excitement, trepidation, nervousness, happiness...oh what a mixture of emotions. I seem to be making lists for everything and I bet I will still forget something!! I'm working on the principle that if I've got the important things then everything else will sort itself out. As I try to pack what I think I need and check the scales....oops..more clothes seem to be taken out (figure I can buy). Not sure how many more "farewell' drinks, lunches, dinners etc I have but its been a joy in between packing and sorting.
August 31st 2010 – China... At Last!
I am now at my school and settled into my apartment. I am in Baise city which is in the Guangxi Autonomous Region SW China. I have a great apartment with 2 bedrooms, a study, lounge room, bathroom and kitchen.....very spacious for 1 person!! Needed a bit of a clean up but nothing a bottle of bleach couldn't fix. My apartment is on campus at Baise Qifu High School where there are 4000 students - about 60-70 in each class!!! The school is being expanded so it’s a bit like a construction site atm. Everyone has been very welcoming and as the only foreign teacher I am a bit of a "superstar"
I was introduced to the students at an assembly which was a bit daunting being faced with 4000 faces but they all clapped and cheered.....have taught 4 lessons so far which have all gone well. A few students have "braved" coming to my door with little presents to welcome me - mainly fruit and photos.
September 2010 – Settling into China Life
I have now been at my school for about 10 days and gradually finding my feet. I am at Baise Qifu Senior High school. I teach Senior 1 one week and then Senior 2 the alternate week. I have 22 senior 1 classes and 16 senior 2 classes....needless to say I am not even going to attempt to learn the students names. I have 70+ students in Senior 1 and 60+ in senior 2 so by reckoning I teach about 2500 students!!!!!
Check out the full blog here!
October 2nd 2010- You’ve got to love Chinese Celebrations!
The last month seems to have been one of celebration here in China. First we had Happy Teachers Day- receiving many good wishes, beautiful cards and gifts. Last week was Mid Autumn Festival and Mooncake day. I have been given a truckload of mooncakes and will be eating them forever I think. They are very rich so you cant eat too many at once. How does one describe mooncakes...hmmm.....well some taste delicious, some are downright ghastly AND as for what they look like...well they go from traditional to modern to completely bizarre!!!
Find out more about the Chinese celebrations here
October 14th 2010 –There’s Never a Dull Moment in China
I was also privileged enough to be invited to attend one of the teachers nephew's wedding. Having never been to a Chinese wedding I was absolutely delighted by the invitation and accepted immediately. I then did a quick internet search to ensure I was aware of Chinese wedding customs and traditions....and of course any do's and dont's. Having chosen an outfit in appropriate colours I then looked at the gift giving - well that was easy to go with tradition- so into the city I head to buy the "red envelope" to put the money in. All set to go....and what an adventure just getting to the village!!
Take a look at the rest of this story here
November 10th 2010 – How Time Flies...
“The Principal invited us to join him and some senior staff for lunch which turned out to be a veritable feast in a private room at a local restaurant. They were delighted to find out that yes I would drink with them (I am an Aussie after all). Oh little did I realsie just how many Gambei's this was going to involve AND this was before I went to visit the school!!!!
Read more about Kate’s adventures here
December 28th 2010 – Kate’s First Chinese Christmas
“Firstly I have to say that while the Chinese don't celebrate Christmas they sure know how to party!! I started off on Christmas Eve with the arrival of the senior teachers to my apartment just as I had finished work with a bloody big Xmas tree complete with decorations, tinsel and fairy lights! Lots of photos taken for the school and the head No. 2 made a speech in Chinese (hence I understood very little) but apparently he was wishing me a Merry Christmas on behalf of the school.”
Read the rest of Kate’s Christmas story here
January 3rd 2011 – Kate’s Secret is out....
“I had cause to celebrate my big 50 on NYE. Thought I had managed to keep it a secret from my students so off to work I go (first year I've worked on my birthday in years!!) with the first lesson at 0730. Not being a morning person I'm never at my best with the early class but I was well and truly woken up....75 students standing up singing Happy Birthday at the top of their voices will do that...”
Check out Kate’s birthday blog here (but shh it’s a secret!)
January 12th 2011 - Another Adventure Beckons
“Well I have taught my final class here - although I didn't know it was my final class till afterwards when the school said I dont have to teach this week as students are preparing for yet more exams - mind you the students sat through the class and not one bothered to tell me I didn't actually have to be there!! When I asked them why nobody told me they all said they just thought I was giving them extra English practice!!!!”
“Now for a few weeks well deserved holiday and the chance to see some of this wonderful country - Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai, Yangtze River, Beijing - and then a quick trip home to collect some more belongings (warm clothes being top of my list!!) and additional teaching materials”
March 25th 2011 – The Dream Run Continues
“I've got a complete class schedule for the whole semester, have already planned what I'm going to teach in each session and am now working my way through developing my lesson plans!! I so LOVE being super organised!!! My students are all great. Many of them have the dream to go to Australia to finish their studies so I'm trying to help them with their IELTS as well as teaching the curriculum.”
Read more about Kate’s dream run
April 28th 2011 – Is Kate Turning Chinese?!
"I really baffle myself sometimes. I am enjoying living and teaching in China SO much that I simply want to absorb all the culture at once! Of course that is not humanly possible but I've made a promise to myself that every lot of days off I will go and explore more”
May 12th 2011 – Never in Kate’s Wildest dreams...
“When I set off in August last year to teach English in China I really had no idea of where it might lead me. I was hoping that all would work out, I'd like the lifestyle and make this my career. Well all of those things have happened. I've had some amazing adventures as I've described in previous blogs, I'm LOVING the lifestyle despite the challenges of the language barrier...who ever thought how hard Chinese is to learn???”
“I am definitely making this my career for as long as I can but NEVER in my wildest dreams would I have imagined where this could lead.....I have been working at the Nanjing Medical University this semester teaching both Nursing and English and thinking to myself...'how much better can this get?"
Read more from this blog here
June 26th 2011 – From Teacher to Professor to TV Star!
“Well in the space of a few months I've gone from being a teacher to a Professor and now a TV star apparently. I was asked to judge the Provincial Final of the CCTV Outlook English Talent show which I was happy to do in the interests of promoting the English language. Unbeknown to me it was being filmed and my students saw me on CCTV!!!!!”
Find out more about Kate’s TV appearance here
September 19th 2011 - Looking Back on the Past Year
“It is so hard to believe that I have now been living and working in China for over a year....13 1/2 months now to be precise! Where has the time gone......as I sit and contemplate all that has happened in the last year it is with joy and happiness.....this just confirms my thoughts that making this big move was the best thing I've ever done!”
Read more of Kate’s reflections
October 22nd 2011 – From Professor to Freshman
“Having lived in China for over 12 months and not picking up the language via osmosis I made the decision to take lessons. I am not looking to become an expert I just want to be able to communicate freely with the local people and be able to read a menu so I have some idea of what to choose to eat. Fortunately the Uni I work for has allowed me to join in the "freshman" Chinese classes so the teacher has become the student as well. My students - who have developed a wonderful sense of humour - think it is quite funny and have started calling me Professor Freshman!!!”
Find out more about how Kate went from a Professor to Freshman in this blog here
And Kate's adventures don't just stop here (we're just running out of room!) so feel free to take a look at all her wonderful blogs and pictures on her profile - Katieloudreaming.
We hope you've enjoyed reading about Kate's adventures in China...if you're now craving your own adventure in China, take a look here to see how you could be heading out there yourself:
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