Teaching English in China

The First Teaching Job in China by Mark Dykstra

Its February 24th, 2003, in a 40 degree humid heat, i stepped off the train in Hangzhou City. I gasped for breath, as i dragged my western worldly belongings trying to maintain a fix on where my Teaching Manager was. Void of a teaching certificate, void of speaking any Chinese and having absolutely no teaching experience or confidence, to be able to stand up in front of 10 students, let alone what would become 2000 students at one time, i was at the mercy of the elements of Chinese society. Like a small spaceship in Saturns asteroid belt, i just let the millions of frantic chinese citizens meld around me and i was lost in the fray, however after a miracle of bearing i found my Chinese Manager, the man himself who was to trust my blaringly ignorant and drastic lack of qualifications, i was whisked into his run down Mazda Coup and taken to the nearest restaurant to feed on the latest of the day live prawns, swimming in Rice Wine, and bouncing about like gipsy moths, hardly able to grasp my chop sticks after my train lagged trip from Guangzhou, i navigated my teeth over the best place i would take my first bite of the struggling and squirming prawn. It was then i realised i was making my first crunching bite into the unknown of what Chinese life was all about.

We made our journey to Huzhou City where i would begin my first 6 months teaching assignment at the Huzhou Technical College where Hundreds of students waited patiently for me for my arrival. My pre booked and paid up 3 bedroom apartment was luxurious compared to my flat back home in Auckland and everything was clean and tidy with wide open spaces. I have never felt so dignified and honored to have such new and wonderful decor and fittings that represented China so well. A beautiful, large pane of smoked glass showed the elegant engrained potrait of a Dragon intertwined in a woods seperated the living room and large bedroom. My office itself had the floor area of a 2 bedroom house. Does China really have such fantastic, modern, and lavish western standards built into its current day architecture.? The answer i found was a resounding yes, and what i found as time moved on was this clash of culture with western traditions that China had so intricatly developed in house and apartment design.

I found my life style within China expand dramatically, and i was able to travel first class by air, and by train and to travel by taxi and buy the best food

For adventure travelers, is Australia or New Zealand the more extreme down under experience? – Part 2

New Zealand is the adventure playground of the world, with fun and excitement at your finger tips.

Where else can you ski, bungee jump, and jet boat ride all in the same day, risking life and limb at every turn?

Indeed New Zealand inventors inspired by the landscape are the creators of the leap of death known as the bungee, and the jet propulsion unit that powers the river boats.

The adventure junkies who flock to “the land of the long white cloud” seeking spills and thrills have a plethora of activities to choose from. Ask Anthony Bourdain.

One little known adrenaline thumping excursion is a guided hunt for wild boar. Anthony experienced the thrill. However his gumption was lacking when it came time to knife the screaming pig in the throat. Maybe he should have used a bone?

His spill occurred when he went 4 wheel bike riding on the wild sand dune beaches of the far North Island. If anyone has seen the video on youtube and watched the bike tumbling over him, you’ll concord he was very lucky to survive alive.

Sir Edmund Hillary survived Mt Everest by practicing his climbing prowess in the mountain ranges of New Zealand, as do many who care to follow in his footsteps. Guided mountain guides are available throughout the country with some of the best mountaineers in the world.

Whale watching in Kaikoura is a popular daily excursion. Other aquatically inspired pursuits include diving, and deep sea Marlin fishing. If you’re interested in having 280 kilos of fish flesh hanging on the end of a line for 5 hours, then the Bay of Islands is the spot.

Christchurch is a sleepy English inspired city but a “jump in the park” isn’t. Tandem parachute jumps from 12000 feet into the heart of New Zealand’s 2nd largest city are not for the faint hearted. Throttling at speed, your face mirroring a broken fried egg, screaming for mercy, and praying for the chute to open is a kiwi’s idea of fun.

Aussies live for the sun and surf. Kiwi’s live to die. God gave New Zealanders a paradise they love to share with the world. C’mon down and get your feet wet.

Auckland Art Gallery

 

The principal art gallery in Auckland, New Zealand, this venue features the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand. The gallery was established in 1888 and was the first permanent art gallery in New Zealand. It still remains the largest art institution in the country to date, and features a collection that numbers over 12,500 pieces of artwork.

 

The gallery consists of two different buildings, the original building is known as the Main Gallery while the new gallery is located opposite. The Main Gallery opened as the city’s free Public Library and Municipal Offices. It was only later on in that same year that a section that was dedicated to art was opened. Over time the prominence of the art gallery and its popularity lead it to take over the entire building which had been enlarged while the city library and municipal offices had moved to a nearby building.

 

Because of its historic origins the building proudly demonstrates itself as an impressively powerful structure featuring grand old style architecture. One of the strongest components of this regal quality is the impressive and enormous clock tower that is the highest point of the building.

 

The New Gallery that is located directly opposite was opened in 1995 and was originally designed to function as a telephone exchange. However after some intensive remodeling was undertaken the building was fit for usage as a contemporary art gallery.

 

The art gallery like many other institutions of its kind regularly hosts different exhibitions that relate to different themes created by various artists. In addition there are also special programs that only require the payment of the standard exhibition fee but involve special meetings with artists, discussions with industry experts and more.

 

Staying in one of the Auckland hotels that is located nearby this destination such as Langham Hotel Auckland allows guests to easily access this destination and several others that are located in the area.

Got Room The Rugby World Cup Is Closer Than You Think

Attention rubgy fans! Are you an aficionado of the ruffians game played by gentlemen? Are you thinking about heading to France for the 2007 Rugby World Cup? Surely you want to be on hand to see if England will keep their champion standing, or watch as some other country wrests the top spot away from them. France, Australia, and New Zealand were right in there for the 2003 Cup; they will surely be back in force. And who knows? There is always the possibility that a team could come out of nowhere and prevail. No way you want to miss any of that action!If you are anywhere near serious about getting as immersed in the games as you can, the last thing you want to do is deal with arranging multiple accommodations and then bounce around from venue to venue with luggage in hand. Your best bet for maximum rugby enjoyment is to rent a short term apartment for the duration of your visit and use it as your base camp. And your best bet for base camp is Paris.With all the advantages of Paris (oh, and there are other interesting things there besides rugby stadiums), there is one disadvantage: vacation apartments will be at a premium, if they arent already. Places with good amenities in interesting neighborhoods and enough space for your whole party are getting snapped up as you read this.

If you are any kind of rugby fan, you have a responsibility to be in the best shape possible to go nuts rooting for the team(s) of choice. This means that you need to pay as much attention to your between-game experience as you do to your in-stadium one. Your best strategy? Follow up your ticket purchase by nailing down a place you can hang out between games. Right now.

Best place for holiday vacation with reasonable budget

If you are planning for holiday vacation to any stunningly beautiful country then you must go to New Zealand. It’s most famous and lively cities are the major tourist attractions in the world. You will get the freedom and flexibilities to visit everything from the Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island to the vineyards in Hawkes Bay on the North Island and multimedia tour of the universe. Most loveliness lies in the paradoxes in its ecological heritage and Art Gallery New Zealand boasts a series of unparalleled golden-sand beaches and most famous Karangahape Road or parts of South Auckland.



If you want to go New Zealand, then you can plan for independent holiday vacation plans as well as short excursions from the cities. Don’t waste a minute of limited time waiting for. You know that you need a New Zealand rental campervan or motor home to benefit from all that country had to offer. Quickly discover campervans supplier like Backpacker campervan, Apollo campervans with affordable rates and best deals on Campervan Rentals in New Zealand.



New Zealand has a network of NZ campervans rental branches providing campervan on rent and 4WD vehicle’s at budget car rental prices.





There are some very important tips before going to holiday package with campervan.





• Check Vehicle is well prepared and without any defect.

• Stock up enough delicious food, snacks for any lengthy road trips and also Hot & Cold Running Water storage.

• Check seat belts of your campervans to avoid any kind of accident.

• Don’t ignore engine warning lights and head lights.

• Check it out inside campervan toilet/shower facilities is there?

• Comfortable sleep and easy cooking facilities available?

• Most needed 2 Burner Gas Stove, available or not?

• Cooking devices that can be the basis of fires, catch fire facilities is there?



Essential is to arrange a driver for long period of the campervan tour as you expect trip to be hassle free and peaceful. Long stress less journey with enjoyment, we should always be aware off campervans facilities before vacation to make a memorable trip.



Last but not least, always examine the terms and conditions of the campervan rental contributor’s website carefully. When you go with holiday tour with campervan keep the campervan rental company’s contact information with you. In case of tragedy you may require to contact them.

Activity Packed Tours Of New Zealand

The best way to experience the spirit of New Zealand is with one of the activity filled New Zealand tours. There are many different companies that you can book a trip through, but if you are someone who thrives on adventure and the unknown, then you definitely want to choose one that offers activities along the way. These types of New Zealand tours are especially great for young couples or a group of friends who are seeking travel adventures. Many newlyweds choose these types of New Zealand tours because they are a great way to bond while exploring the most incredible parts of the world.



There are different levels of activity for a variety of New Zealand tours, depending on how active you are looking to get on your vacation. The first decision you should make when you are looking into outdoor adventure New Zealand tours is what part of the island you want to explore the most. The North Island is the 14th largest island in the world and is home to the largest city in New Zealand, Auckland, and Wellington, which is the capital of New Zealand. The North Island is very popular among tourists and has many beaches, parks and forests to explore. The South Island is the larger of the two islands, but is less populated than the North Island. The South Island is often referred to as the mainland which is funny and ironic because only about one fourth of the entire population of New Zealand lives there.



Both the South and the North Island offer a wide variety of outdoor adventure tours so regardless of which one you choose you will have a lot of fun. There are trips that combine many different outdoor sports, but there are also tours that concentrate solely on just one activity. Some of the activities that you can expect to do on one of the outdoor adventure New Zealand tours are: snorkeling, hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, kayaking and canoeing. There are even New Zealand tours that are designed specifically for families. This allows people with children to partake in an amazing adventure and it proves that there is something for everyone. These New Zealand tours will take you on adventures that are truly once in a lifetime experiences. A trip like this will completely revolutionize the way you want to travel in the future and it is a great way to bond and spend time with those who you love.

Holidaying in Southern Australia: Melbourne And Adelaide

Southern Australia is an vast area of great contrasts with the land ranges from desert to plains to fertile wine-growing areas set amid rolling hills.

Melbourne

Capital of Victoria and Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne is often voted the most livable city in the world. For one thing, it’s sited on the Yarra River and scenic Port Philip Bay. Plus, it’s Australia’s vanguard city for sport, fashion, shopping, cuisines, music and nightlife, and is home to a host of museums, galleries and theaters, and large parks and gardens.

Transport:getting there and getting away

Melbourne’s centre for domestic and international flights is Tullamarine Airport. It’s located 14 miles northwest of the city center and accessible by skybus.

Spencer Street Railway Station is served by interstate trains. The Sydney-Melbourne XPT runs between Australia’s two largest cities daily. The trip takes 10 1/2 hours. The Overland connects with Adelaide daily. The trip time is 12 hours.

Bus services connect Melbourne with other major cities and regional areas of Victoria.

Melbourne’s public transport system, known as Metlink offers a wide range of options for getting around the city. These include trams, trains, and buses. Melbourne has the world’s oldest tram network which now runs over 200 miles of track. Trams are the most popular with tourists and locals alike for travel around the city and inner suburbs. Taxis are plentiful and Melbourne has an excellent network of bike paths.

Climate:

Melbourne has a capricious climate. It ranges from rainy to gusty and it often oscillates between warm and chilly in the space of one day. However it seldom gets really too hot or too cold. Winter temperatures range between 6°C and 13°C. In summer, it rarely gets above 35°C.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in Melbourne
Melbourne accommodation is varied and good value.

Events:what’s on and what’s hot

Melbourne’s social calendar is comprises equally of sporting and cultural events.

*The year kicks of with Midsumma Melbourne, an annual pride event in January. It’s a three-week bash featuring a music, cabaret, and drag acts.
*Australian Football League Grand Final in September is the annual showcase of Aussie Rules Football.
*Melbourne Fringe held annually in September and October is the city’s exuberant art fest.
*LIVID Festival held in October is one of the country’s largest rock festivals.

Adelaide

Much of Adelaide’s charm comes from its location. It sits on the narrow Adelaide Plains between Gulf St Vincent on the Southern Ocean and the eucalyptus-covered hills of the Mount Lofty ranges. Today’s Adelaide is famous for its festivals, arts, sports events and wine from nearby vineyards.

Transport:getting there and getting away

Adelaide’s spanking new airport offers international connections to Auckland, Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. On the domestic front, it’s just an hour’s hop to Melbourne and less than three hours to Sydney, Brisbane, or Canberra. There are also buses and interstate trains.

Getting around the city is easy via train, tram and bus services that use the Metroticket unified ticketing system. The compact city center is fine for walking and there are two free bus services for the footsore. There’s also a tram that runs from Victoria Square to the seaside suburb of Glenelg.

Climate:

In a word, Mediterranean. Summer in Adelaide is scorching with temperatures leaping to 40°C and above. Winters are damp and miserable but never really cold. Spring and Autumn are the most pleasant seasons, balmy and temperate.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Adelaide hotels.

Events:what’s on and what’s hot

*Womadelaide, an outdoor festival of world music and dance, is held every February to March.
*The jewel in Adelaide’s social crowd is the Adelaide Arts Festival held at the beginning of March in even-numbered years. It features drama, dance and music, along with a writers’ week, poetry readings and art exhibitions. The Fringe Festival runs at the same time.
*Adelaide International Guitar Festival is in November.

The Most Popular Holiday Gift Destinations

You are sitting at home, trying to think of a holiday destination for a gift you are giving to someone you truly care about. Where do you send them?
To make your choice a bit easier, here are the top international holiday destinations among North Americans.

1. St. Maarten: This tropical island, 80 kilometers to the south of Puerto Rico, is internationally divided between the Netherlands and France. Naturally, the warm weather during the winter makes it a perfect getaway for anyone trying to beat the snow and cold of January or February. The island features beautiful beaches, breathtaking scenery and literally hundreds of gourmet restaurants.

2. Montego Bay: Jamaicas tourism city is a hot destination with a hot climate and duty-free shops as far as the eye can see. It also serves as a cruise ship terminal that serves a large portion of the Caribbean. It should be noted that while it is a beautiful area of the country, it also suffers from a high crime rate outside of the resorts that is, in some cases, 28 times higher than that of New York City.

3. San Jose Del Cabo: This city of nearly 50,000 is located in Mexico along the Baja California Peninsula. Together with Cabo San Lucas it forms a major tourist destination for travelers from all corners of the continent.

4. Paris: Of course, the top three in the list are in hot spots of the world, but who can deny the appeal of Paris. The City of Love is perfect for any couple who are looking to rekindle their love or simply want to experience the holiday season in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

5. Cancun: Due to its close proximity to Canada and the United States, it is no surprise that Mexico has multiple entries on this list. If you dont feel like relaxing on the beach in this incredibly popular area, you can journey a few miles out of the city, explore some Mayan ruins and learn a little bit about the people who occupied the area centuries ago.

6. San Juan: This Argentine city has something for everyone. You can enjoy the beauty of the surrounding countryside, relax on a beach, or check out some fossils from the Triassic period, which is considered to be one of the largest collection of fossils in the world.

7. Auckland: Journey a bit further to the south and you will find Auckland, New Zealand. The countrys capital offers everything a person could desire. Night clubs, fine dining, fishing, hiking and lets not forget touring the sites where the Lord of the Rings was shot a few years ago.

8. Aruba: Not a city but an island in the Caribbean, this hugely popular destination has become an attractive place to move to due to its high-paying job, not to mention the fact it was immortalized in a Beach Boys song in the 80s.

9. London: Jolly Old London does not have much sunshine, it is often cloudy and rainy but what it lacks in warmth of climate it more than makes up for in history and culture. This city will satisfy the needs of the historian, pop culture enthusiast, partier and scholar, all at once.

10. Sydney: Heading to the land down under, where its summer in December. No trip here would be complete without checking out the world famous Sydney Opera House in the harbor.

Reflections: My worst B&B experience

During our two week holiday in New Zealand I purposefully booked B&B and farm stay accommodation, with three aims; the first being that moving nightly, this would provide us with the most comfortable accommodation for a reasonable price, the second that we would get to stay in some very rural locations, and the third, and most important being that I wanted my husband to experience fantastic Kiwi hospitality and fall in love with New Zealand in the same way as I had ten years previous.

All went well for the first ten days, we enjoyed amazing hospitality, made friends for life, stayed in some of the most rural places possible, and my husband agreed that I had made a good decision booking B&Bs for our trip. Then we arrived on the West coast of the South island to stay overnight close to the Punakaiki rocks……

On our arrival, one of our hosts eventually made it out to the car to meet us, while his wife (clearly visible in the garage) muttering away with her head stuck in the freezer made no attempt to move! This should have been our first clue that this was not the homely B&B we had become accustomed to so far in New Zealand. On arrival in the lounge area, a brisk explanation was given regarding the “rules” of the house. Now I have never smoked, and don’t like it much, but the no smoking ban extended from the house to the road, therefore any smoker would be expected to take a short hike to indulge themselves, a little over excessive we thought. Next came the additional costs of laundry facilities, computer and Internet usage, additional heating, towels for the beach and any toiletries we may have forgotten. It was all we could do at this point to stop ourselves from laughing and wondering if these people had a secret fantasy to run a hotel rather than a B&B.

Dinner was offered on booking, and given the limited catering establishments locally we thought that a home cooked meal and social chat would be a pleasant way to spend the evening. Again, alarm bells should have rung when we booked with the description of home cooked, set-menu in-house evening meals being available on some evenings (at least 48 hours prior discussion required – our nearest shopping is 50 km away!)’. We filed into the ultra formal dining room with another couple of guests at the required time of “7.00 prompt”. Then proceeded to try and stifle giggles as our hosts offered us house wine for a certain price, (no description offered) or bottled wine at a premium. I thought all wine worth drinking came in bottles?

Somehow we got through dinner with barely a word spoken between the six of us sat around the table, and when offered the chance to relax in the lounge and library area for coffee after dinner my husband and I declined and literally ran back to our room. Safely away from our rather unfriendly hosts, we rescued a “nice bottle” of wine from our suitcase, opened it with a car key and drank it from bathroom glasses while watching the sun set over punakaiki rocks, whispering in case we were overheard enjoying ourselves!

This B&B was not what we expected of a New Zealand B&B destination. Reading the literature on the location now, it is clear that our expectations were never going to be realized, we just never imagined people like our hosts existed and actually invited people into their homes under the misapprehension that they would be treated to a memorable Kiwi experience. My husband and I still laugh and groan inwardly about our stay there four years on.

Airline Tickets By Auckland

Airline tickets are the #1 searched for ticket item online and polls show 30% of all airline tickets are electronic tickets.They are offered for sale by all major carries, airline ticket counters, travel agents and web pages. The tickets are similar to negotiable documents and are personal and cannot be transferred to another person. Discount airline tickets are readily available on the internet and are subject to the individual airline’s Terms and Conditions. Online airline tickets are deeply discounted because the airlines sell about 7-100 seats on each flight to contracted online vendors.

The Internet is really your best choice to find cheap airfare to anywhere in the world and is a way to find cheap plane tickets quickly and easily.

Most airline web sites will note what day deals are posted but great deals are harder to find these days, and you’ve got to go beyond the obvious. You can always get the latest airline ticket deals from all the top travel providers online but use your flexibility with your exact flight times to take advantage of any available deals.

Reservations are always subject to availability at the time of booking and reservations professionals are usually committed to helping you plan and schedule any vacation accommodations. Travel planning and reservations well in advance is always advised but reservations are only completed by purchasing the tickets. There is no single travel reservations site where you can always find low prices, cheap airline tickets, discount hotels, or discount rental cars but with billions being spent every year, on-line reservations really do work.

Consolidator Airline Tickets are discounted airfares that are sold by most major Airline Companies to help fill seats and are generally the best discounted airline tickets available. The prices of airline tickets are constantly going up and down with most tickets being completely nonrefundable. Remember that round-trip airline tickets are often less expensive than one-way fares and cheap airline tickets are available at peak times, but you generally have to book far in advance. Budget airline tickets are great and in general, these deeply discounted airline tickets are released early Wednesday morning for travel during upcoming weekends.Now go online and save you some money!

Happy Traveling

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