Thursday, December 13, 2007

0712132200 Job interview at Chinese Catholic girl's school


I had a job interview with the principal of a Chinese Catholic girl's school. This time there will be no second interview. Instead of showing me the door with a curt "We''ll be in touch" they showed my my schedule and starting date. I have a class on Monday 7th of January. I am to teach the Chinese Catholic girls how to read a book and sing a song in English to prepare them for their exams on January the 14th. No pressure. They wanted me to start on January 4 - but I will still be in Australia and as much as I wanted to dedicate myself to this new job, the pay doesn't justify cancelling an aeroplane ticket with a free night in a foreign city at the airlines expense. The pay is, well it depends how you look at it - as an unskilled laborer, that is a common person with simple sandwich making skills, it is not so bad. It did make me think about it this way - what is required in terms of additional years at university compared to the additional earning capacity? I have already more work lined up as an English speaking teacher's aid than I have as an English speaking computer technician.


The interview was to assess my Australian accent and assure them that I will not be teaching the Chinese Catholic girls any strange English dialect. They will see an Australian accent when I teach these Chinese Catholic girls how to sing Waltzing Matilda and Tie Me' Kangaroo Down. I was given a tour of the school and introduced to the classes - grade one to grade six. My instructions so far are that I am to speak English and read a story. Also they have an English performance every Friday at lunchtime that is also my responsibility. I have already dismissed the thought of teaching them to say "Frank Burns eats worms."
I have read the employment contract and I can leave at anytime as long as I call before 8:30 so they can arrange a replacement before classes start at 10:00. Apparently English speaking teacher's aids are difficult to find. I am still looking for a real job and so I feel a bit like Happy Gilmore who insists that he is a hockey player while he plays golf . The real employment goal is to work at Marriott Hotels. I have made it through to a second interview that will be done over the phone Asia Pacific construction manager on Monday.

Hugo is doing well at Kung Fu. I usually pick him up from school and we go to the library before the class starts and he finishes his homework for the week. Today I bought a McDonalds apple pie for Hugo as an after school snack. In Australian dollars it was $1.35. We bought two more on the way home and had them for desert while we watched T.V. Hugo has his yellow belt in Kung Fu and can do a special move called the "Golden Dragon move series one" which makes Hugo a formidable opponent.


References:
Mash - "Dear Peggy" Season four.

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