Posts Tagged ‘Asia applications’

Ein Anfang mit Deutsch

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Will ich doch gleich auch einmal einen Eintrag auf Deutsch verfassen. Es ist ja auch der Anfang eines wieder neuen Kapitels…

“Ab nach China”

So könnte man das wohl nennen. Der Monat Juli begann mit Absagen, einer für ein weiteres Studium in Japan, einer für eine Lektorenstelle im Bereich Germanistik in China.
Aus der zweiten Absage erwuchs allerdings eine Möglichkeit - die ich zuerst gar nicht für wahrscheinlich hielt - aus der nach einer Bewerbung und etwas Hin-und-Her tatsächlich Realität wurde: Das Germanistik-Institut der Universität Xiangtan in Hunan suchte Lektoren und ich bekam (m)eine Chance. (Die dritte Bewerbung dieses Jahres, im Rahmen des Chinese Government Scholarship Programme, EU window, wäre auch erfolgreich gewesen und hätte mich auch nach Hunan geführt. In die Provinzhaupt- und Nachbarstadt…)

Der August ist jetzt natürlich vollgepackt mit Vorbereitungen, sowohl an Formalitäten als auch an Notwendigkeiten - inklusive der Kleinigkeit, zu überlegen ob ich nun weiterhin auf Englisch (als lingua franca) oder doch auf Deutsch (als Sprache der wahrscheinlich meisten meiner Leser und meiner zukünftigen Studenten) bloggen sollte…
Mal sehen ob ich es irgendwann während des Jahres schaffe, auch Chinesisch zu nutzen.

Heute jedenfalls - nicht mehr rechtzeitig um nicht meinen Flug ändern zu müssen, aber immerhin endlich - habe ich erfahren, dass die Dokumente die für den Visumsantrag notwendig sind nun endgültig zu mir auf dem Weg sind.

The road ahead…

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

… leads East again.
Far East, in fact: Since I last wrote, what was a possibility then, has now become reality.

Mid-July, I was told that I could still apply for a position at the German studies department of Xiangtan University, Hunan. At the end of July, there was further inquiry about my qualifications (since I hadn’t done German studies). Soon after, I got the job.

The same day that I went to the doctor’s to get the health certificate necessary to apply for the visa, I received word that I would also have received a scholarship under the Chinese Government Scholarship Programme’s EU Window (and also for Hunan). Through August, I was busy getting everything necessary in order and preparing lectures.

Today, after a pretty long wait (bureaucracy, especially with the Olympic Games… you know how it is), I learnt that the documents I need to apply for my visa/work permit are finally on their way. By now, I need to change my flight date to make sure it all works out time-wise, but at least I’m getting there. (The reason I had not written in a while is because I don’t like writing about that sort of waiting game.)

I’ll be teaching German, this blog started out in English mainly because English is the lingua franca for Campus Europae (and anyways)… so now I’m wondering if I should switch to German, go bi-lingual, or just mix it… I’m really more curious to see if I’ll manage to mix in some Chinese by the end of the year, though.

Wrapping Up, and Looking Ahead

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Been writing up a little reflection on my experiences with the Campus Europae exchange studies in Latvia: http://www.positive-ecology.org/cv/CampusEuropae-Latvia.html

Also, inquired about accreditation of courses for English. Went better than expected; with a little luck, it will go pretty well.

Out of the one China application that was futile, another opportunity has opened up. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but at least it is one more chance.

Between Times

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

So, two of my three applications for going to East Asia have amounted to nothing; the decision on the last one will only become known mid-August. I’m not really hopeful anymore, but still waiting.

Meanwhile, this week I have started organizing accreditation of the courses I took in Latvia, and also of former lectures in biology for a potential teacher training in biology at University of Salzburg. I’ve been finding that I need to have biology, not only (but along with) languages and associated cultural issues be part of my work even in teacher training/teaching.

Should I really not make it to East Asia, the application for the second year abroad with Campus Europae will be handed in this summer… and I should have the money necessary for a little research trip in Europe.

Work is progressing with writing, both where publications and where my (planned, started, and immediately “resting”) professional blogs are concerned. Planned timeframe: Finishing the first of these things this month. Let’s see if I really manage that. Sure would be good to finally get a sense of progress… I’ve recently not felt like a researcher, even though I did some research and have been working on writing it up. It would be a lot better if I had a job (i.e., earned money) with that, but getting something published would be a step to breaking through my impasse, too.

Where training is concerned… that’s another post today.