Got my medical exam results back, scanned, and sent in along with everything else. My contact at the school handed it all over to their visa handler, and so far I haven't heard that anything was missing (though I haven't heard that everything was correct, either).
On the home front, I gave my landlord my notice this week; he's already started lining up the next resident, so he asked me to get the place in showable condition. This meant clearing out a lot of shit, boxing and donating and throwing away piles and bags and totes of stuff. It turns out that I won't actually have anything to put in storage or leave behind, and that everything I'm not taking with me will just find a new home or be discarded. It's an odd feeling to reduce my life to two suitcases, but it's reminiscent of my earlier adult days when I could fit everything I owned into my car. I guess I haven't changed that much over the years; something feels...right about having so little. About being able to pack up and move whenever, without needing a moving truck to do so. It's in stark contrast to my ex, whom I helped move across the country - she had part of a semi trailer, a large moving truck, and a smaller trailer atop that, as well as her car chock full. And that was still leaving some things behind or throwing them away. I'm not saying either is right or wrong. Just different.
Today, I find myself kind of restless. Most of the work I can do is done. I have an errand or two later, but most of the day is mine to relax.
But I've been working so hard and doing so much this past few days that I feel like I should still be working. There's really nothing left to do right now - everything is pretty much arranged, and the remaining stuff will either go to the new tenant or will be packed up later to move. For the next few weeks, what I have done is all I need done. And it feels lazy or wasteful to do nothing.
The brain is a funny thing.
'til next time
-L
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Friday, August 24, 2018
Z Visa - Z for Zounds!
...Damnit, L, what the hell is that title.
So I figured, partly as result of Julie's comment, that I'd delve a bit into the visa process for TEFL in China. There's a whole flood of information out there, but it's hard to research because it's all over the place, and many sites just link back to the Chinese Embassy site which isn't always clear either.
A bit of background: in years past, shortly after the online TEFL certificate came into existence, there was a lot of controversy around them. They were unregulated, cheap, and often had no actual interaction with a tutor or feedback from educators themselves; instead, they'd have a list of multiple choice questions or something similar, no in-class live interaction, and boom. Certificate granted. Worse, these certificates were awfully easy to produce at home, and a decent photoshop familiarity could make a believable document. This led to a wave of awful teachers.
Combine this history with the developing political situation in China, and you have a much stricter visa process now. Perhaps too strict.
There are three core documents required for any reputable company in China: a Bachelor's degree (in anything), a TEFL certificate (online is fine for visa purposes, though those with in-class experience will look better on resumes), and a criminal background check (state or federal level, either is acceptable). Once you have these, you can start applying for jobs. When a school wants to hire you, you scan your documents and send them over, along with a medical exam form that shows you're healthy and not bringing any diseases into the country. The school will send all that in to obtain a work permit. If that gets approved, they'll mail it to you, and then you take that to the consulate in your jurisdiction, along with all those documents, passport, etc. They'll dilly dally over it for a bit, and if all is approved, give you your Z Visa.
Simple enough, right? Ish?
Well here's the fun part. Thanks to all those sketchtacular individuals who forged documents for so long, the process has become a bit tedious. First, you have to take your certificate, diploma, and background check to a notary in the jurisdiction where they were issued. Then, you have to take that to an apostille, which is basically someone who says "yep, this is a notary." Then you take that to the consulate where they say "yep, these steps were taken." My TEFL was issued in the UK, so I had to pay a company to do that part for me and mail me the stuff. My diploma and background check were both from CO so I got off light on that...but the nearest consulate is in Chicago. So I wound up having to hire a visa agent to do all that on my behalf. I perhaps could have handled it myself by mail but this is the kinda thing I *REALLY* don't want to mess up. So it's worth it to dump a bit extra.
I've gotten back everything the visa agent sent away. My medical exam is almost done, just waiting on some bloodwork. Soon as I get those back, I can send the school my work permit stuffs. A few days to a few weeks' processing there, and they'll mail it to me. Then it's back to the visa agent to have him handle the Z Visa application, since the process often takes several days minimum and I'd have to be in Chicago that whole time. How about nope.
Soon as I get my Z Visa, I can head over. Gave my landlord notice, I've been keeping my work updated frequently on the status and can basically give them an end date whenever. If all goes well, I'm slated for a mid-October start at the latest, with a late September start even possible.
...now to face the mountain of shit I have to get rid of before then.
As an aside; I realized a couple days ago that I mis-typed the URL for this blog, so rather than being the 'everydayimteflin' that I intended, it just says 'everdayimteflin' which was...not intended. And may make my blog harder to find in future times when someone wants to find it. Whoops.
Til next time!
-L
So I figured, partly as result of Julie's comment, that I'd delve a bit into the visa process for TEFL in China. There's a whole flood of information out there, but it's hard to research because it's all over the place, and many sites just link back to the Chinese Embassy site which isn't always clear either.
A bit of background: in years past, shortly after the online TEFL certificate came into existence, there was a lot of controversy around them. They were unregulated, cheap, and often had no actual interaction with a tutor or feedback from educators themselves; instead, they'd have a list of multiple choice questions or something similar, no in-class live interaction, and boom. Certificate granted. Worse, these certificates were awfully easy to produce at home, and a decent photoshop familiarity could make a believable document. This led to a wave of awful teachers.
Combine this history with the developing political situation in China, and you have a much stricter visa process now. Perhaps too strict.
There are three core documents required for any reputable company in China: a Bachelor's degree (in anything), a TEFL certificate (online is fine for visa purposes, though those with in-class experience will look better on resumes), and a criminal background check (state or federal level, either is acceptable). Once you have these, you can start applying for jobs. When a school wants to hire you, you scan your documents and send them over, along with a medical exam form that shows you're healthy and not bringing any diseases into the country. The school will send all that in to obtain a work permit. If that gets approved, they'll mail it to you, and then you take that to the consulate in your jurisdiction, along with all those documents, passport, etc. They'll dilly dally over it for a bit, and if all is approved, give you your Z Visa.
Simple enough, right? Ish?
Well here's the fun part. Thanks to all those sketchtacular individuals who forged documents for so long, the process has become a bit tedious. First, you have to take your certificate, diploma, and background check to a notary in the jurisdiction where they were issued. Then, you have to take that to an apostille, which is basically someone who says "yep, this is a notary." Then you take that to the consulate where they say "yep, these steps were taken." My TEFL was issued in the UK, so I had to pay a company to do that part for me and mail me the stuff. My diploma and background check were both from CO so I got off light on that...but the nearest consulate is in Chicago. So I wound up having to hire a visa agent to do all that on my behalf. I perhaps could have handled it myself by mail but this is the kinda thing I *REALLY* don't want to mess up. So it's worth it to dump a bit extra.
I've gotten back everything the visa agent sent away. My medical exam is almost done, just waiting on some bloodwork. Soon as I get those back, I can send the school my work permit stuffs. A few days to a few weeks' processing there, and they'll mail it to me. Then it's back to the visa agent to have him handle the Z Visa application, since the process often takes several days minimum and I'd have to be in Chicago that whole time. How about nope.
Soon as I get my Z Visa, I can head over. Gave my landlord notice, I've been keeping my work updated frequently on the status and can basically give them an end date whenever. If all goes well, I'm slated for a mid-October start at the latest, with a late September start even possible.
...now to face the mountain of shit I have to get rid of before then.
As an aside; I realized a couple days ago that I mis-typed the URL for this blog, so rather than being the 'everydayimteflin' that I intended, it just says 'everdayimteflin' which was...not intended. And may make my blog harder to find in future times when someone wants to find it. Whoops.
Til next time!
-L
Monday, August 20, 2018
The Start of Something New
It all began several years ago.
No, more than that.
More.
Ok, bit less.
Now a little to the left...perfect.
I can remember being interested in TEFL when I was in high school and first found out that it was a thing people did. That was twelve years ago now, and a long and bumpy road through various lives, homes, states, and jobs means that only now is the time really right.
But damnit, the time IS right. And now, a few thousand dollars in paperwork, certification courses, travel, and more paperwork, I'm finally entertaining job offers and evaluating where I want to go.
Being a creature of the cold, even living in my current state where the summers get to high 90's makes me sad panda. So I'm aiming my sights at northern China, where the pay is hot and the climate isn't. As of writing this, I've already received a job offer in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. The capitol of the northernmost province, Harbin is best known for the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which you owe it to yourself to google (someday this blog will have full links and more conveniences, but just starting out, I'm keeping the bar low - nowhere to go but up, baby!). Harbin has a record high temperature (between 1961 and 2000) of ~100 F, which isn't unheard of as a normal summer day where I live now; summer days seem to hover in the 70-80 range. The record low in the same period is -36 F, with typical temps in winter of 0 to -5.
Sounds fantastic.
Harbin also has the distinction of being one of the regions of China with the most pure dialect of Mandarin, as well as some of the most effective and affordable Mandarin schools, making it an excellent place to learn the language.
I have three other interviews pending; two scheduled with English First in Changchun and Dalian, and one with Aston English, a nation-wide school organization. The latter, I'm waiting to hear which locations might have openings.
Dalian and Changchun are in the nearby Liaoning and Jilin provinces, respectively. Dalian is on the ocean (like Darmok and Jalad) not far from North Korea, and is well known for its rich history and influences of Russian and Japanese architecture and culture. I don't know a lot about Changchun, but a quick summary paragraph on Wikipedia says it's one of the main hubs of the Chinese auto industry.
China is currently among the best markets for TEFL teachers, as it is undergoing a huge expansion in the language; as anyone knows, mastery of English is vital to having a strong presence on the world stage. I don't say that with arrogance or even pride; we can blame the British Empire for that as much as the US. China offers some of the highest pay rates, as well as the best benefits, of most TEFL regions, with South Korea and Taiwan being slightly better (case by case, of course).
The downside is that the Chinese bureaucracy is also among the less maneuverable in the region, with Japan likely giving it a run for its money. The process for acquiring a legal work visa for China (called a Z Visa) is pretty involved and requires a three-step authentication of four separate documents for English teachers at most reputable schools.
Still. While I can't explain why, China has always drawn me. China and Japan both, but I have the impression that a lot of the Japan draw is the way they've sold their culture to the West, and a sort of secondhand familiarity feeling that results.
Whatever happens, this is definitely the start of something new in my life. And I'm glad to have you along vicariously for the journey!
-L
No, more than that.
More.
Ok, bit less.
Now a little to the left...perfect.
I can remember being interested in TEFL when I was in high school and first found out that it was a thing people did. That was twelve years ago now, and a long and bumpy road through various lives, homes, states, and jobs means that only now is the time really right.
But damnit, the time IS right. And now, a few thousand dollars in paperwork, certification courses, travel, and more paperwork, I'm finally entertaining job offers and evaluating where I want to go.
Being a creature of the cold, even living in my current state where the summers get to high 90's makes me sad panda. So I'm aiming my sights at northern China, where the pay is hot and the climate isn't. As of writing this, I've already received a job offer in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. The capitol of the northernmost province, Harbin is best known for the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which you owe it to yourself to google (someday this blog will have full links and more conveniences, but just starting out, I'm keeping the bar low - nowhere to go but up, baby!). Harbin has a record high temperature (between 1961 and 2000) of ~100 F, which isn't unheard of as a normal summer day where I live now; summer days seem to hover in the 70-80 range. The record low in the same period is -36 F, with typical temps in winter of 0 to -5.
Sounds fantastic.
Harbin also has the distinction of being one of the regions of China with the most pure dialect of Mandarin, as well as some of the most effective and affordable Mandarin schools, making it an excellent place to learn the language.
I have three other interviews pending; two scheduled with English First in Changchun and Dalian, and one with Aston English, a nation-wide school organization. The latter, I'm waiting to hear which locations might have openings.
Dalian and Changchun are in the nearby Liaoning and Jilin provinces, respectively. Dalian is on the ocean (like Darmok and Jalad) not far from North Korea, and is well known for its rich history and influences of Russian and Japanese architecture and culture. I don't know a lot about Changchun, but a quick summary paragraph on Wikipedia says it's one of the main hubs of the Chinese auto industry.
China is currently among the best markets for TEFL teachers, as it is undergoing a huge expansion in the language; as anyone knows, mastery of English is vital to having a strong presence on the world stage. I don't say that with arrogance or even pride; we can blame the British Empire for that as much as the US. China offers some of the highest pay rates, as well as the best benefits, of most TEFL regions, with South Korea and Taiwan being slightly better (case by case, of course).
The downside is that the Chinese bureaucracy is also among the less maneuverable in the region, with Japan likely giving it a run for its money. The process for acquiring a legal work visa for China (called a Z Visa) is pretty involved and requires a three-step authentication of four separate documents for English teachers at most reputable schools.
Still. While I can't explain why, China has always drawn me. China and Japan both, but I have the impression that a lot of the Japan draw is the way they've sold their culture to the West, and a sort of secondhand familiarity feeling that results.
Whatever happens, this is definitely the start of something new in my life. And I'm glad to have you along vicariously for the journey!
-L
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