" Felicity Walker "

" Hayley Urquhart "

" Hi to all those past, present and upcoming TESOL graduates.

My names Is Jarred Hopkins I graduated from the Australasian Training Academy back in April 2006 and four months later found myself in Changchun City , Jilin Province situated in North East China.

After getting the necessary inoculations , travel VISA , travel insurance and a one way air ticket I flew To Changchun Via Singapore and Beijing.

I was met at the airport by a jovial Aussie women named Skye who had been in China for three years and was engaged to marry and a young Chinese man named Oscar who has now become one of my best friends.

I taught for Victoria Foreign Language School a private language school that had me teaching at two local kindergartens during the week, another private language school on Friday and Sunday afternoons , an adult discussion class Tuesday and Thursday nights and a number of one to one tutoring classes.
I loved the variety of classes but most of the students they are such a happy smiley eager bunch of people and teaching the little children for the first time really warmed my heart. No offense to the mothers out there but before teaching these beautiful children I really had no interest or liking for kids.

In Changchun a developing city of 27 million people I witnessed some ‘far out’ scenes, found love, tasted amazing and very different foods, had my first white Christmas and the list goes on.
Changchun is a city caught in a modernisation transition with the automotive industry as it’s major employer. You will see Porsche, Mercedes Benz , BMW and Audi all pull up next to a farmer with his Donkey and cart full of fresh produces from the surrounding farmlands including peaches, corn , mandarins, grapes and watermelons.
I saw very unusual foods, homeless and limbless street beggars, School and University students who either study, study, study or were playing Basketball. They love basketball!

I went to countless banquets, feasts and home dinners as the locals are so hospitable.

The music , the dance , the fireworks and fire crackers on Chinese new year were a lot of fun to get involved not to mention being involved in a local Chinese theatre production, starring in a national television commercial for China Netcom and also making an appearance at the North East Asia Trade and Economic Summit , shaking hands and dining with the Mayor of Yushu City.
There was plenty of time to go ski-ing , witness the Asian winter games which were hosted by Changchun city, visit Harbin City in the Neighbouring province for the Snow and ice festival and learning Kung fu with the personal body guard of the last Chinese emperor whose final palace was in Changchun. This man was 88 or 90 and full of power and vigour from an ancient art called Gong Chi.

There are so many stories appropriate and inappropriate that I cannot fit them all in but briefly let me say that I met people and had experiences that have changed my life and impacted me so much that I will definitely be returning to China.

Happy school hunting and take my advice ………..”let the Journey begin”.

Jarred Hopkins "

" Hello to TESOL classmates and staff,
 
I am in Hailar, China. 
It is a very cold city near the Russian and Mongolian borders. 
Tomorrow I will have been here 2 weeks. 
So much to tell but I will try to keep it brief.
 
Everything TESOL said has been true. 
I put my resume at http://www.eslteachersboard.com and removed it after two days because I had enough offers to make a choice. 
(Tip: do not use main email as I received much spam).
 
I chose to come to a frontier town in China because I thought their greater need for teachers would cancel out my inexperience. 
Although it is cold (sub-zero all day, every day) it is not a big problem as the apartment is warm and close to college and markets.
 
I have taught 17 lessons so far.  Going OK, better than I might have expected. 
The training has been ideal, though there is not much room in the classroom for activities, just role plays in twos or threes.
 
I teach college/university students (they call themselves both), 10 classes are English majors, one class is studying tourism. 
7 are oral English lessons, 3 are listening skills.  Total 340 students, 15 hours per week.
 
It has been enjoyable. 
The students are 90% enthusiastic, 10% just putting in an appearance. 
Yesterday I was asked to also work Saturdays and Sundays teaching years 6 and 7 at the local school. 
I am ambivalent about working 7 days, but it is not many hours and I feel I am doing something worthwhile.
 
I attach some photos of frosty Hailar. 
1. Standing in front of the building where I do all my teaching 
2. With the Dean of Computers on the football field and
3. The football field and student dorms.  It is a cold Saturday morning. 
These taken on the Dean's digital cam, my photos of apartment and students are still in the camera.
 
Well, I tried to keep it short. 
Hope you all are successful in your chosen careers. 
My contract is until December.
 
Zai Jian
 
Richard "