Working in China

Before we dive in and start writing posts about our latest trip, we feel like a bit of an update is in order. Mainly so that when we’re farting away in a rest home with questionable mental faculties left, we can piece together parts of our travelling life more easily.

Unlike at the end of our last big trip around Europe, where we had planned to move to Taiwan but ended up moving to China instead, this time we decided to just go straight for China. Our previous year there had been the best job we had ever had in our lives, and only the cold and polluted location caused us to return to Korea for 3 years. But ever since then we knew that we wanted to return. Not only was university level teaching massively rewarding, but the hours were simply amazing: 3.5 months of holidays a year, and 18 teaching hours a week. Not bad!

After returning to China last September and finishing our first semester, we already have a 1.5 month break looming. It came around so quickly that it took us a bit by surprise…we were still settling into our new city, and suddenly had more time off than we had had for an entire year in Korea (and 1.5 years worth of holidays if we were working in New Zealand). Plus, as it was only 5 months since our 12 week Europe jaunt, planning another 6 week trip almost made us feel guilty. 4.5 months of travelling in the past 12?! We gotta be dreamin’!

However, all that travelling isn’t exactly cheap. And with another 2 month trip on the horizon 4 months after we finish this one, we had to be somewhat frugal. So we decided to stay close to China and go cheap and check out northeastern Thailand, and a few spots in Laos that we haven’t explored.

So to sum up: we have an amazing job in Nanchang, China, with fantastic students, 2 decent apartments, and 18 teaching hours a week ~ which equates to 13.5 hours of actual work with no office hours. Meaning a lot of free time! …oh, and 14-15 weeks of holidays a year. Sweet 😀

Now we will haphazardly attach pictures of our first semester in China.