To Stand The Test

I will be soon leaving China and move to Kathmandu, Nepal, to work for a University- affiliated College as its "Academic Director" (whatever that is in the Nepalese working context remains to be seen). The school's name is Golden Gate International College, it is private-run by "academicians" (whatever that means is a bit unclear - perhaps it is intended to mean "people who know about education and not only about business"). In addition to some undergraduate and graduate teaching assignments, I will be also responsible for international affairs matters and also hiring other foreign teachers for the Coillege where I am employed myself.
I have not seen the school myself yet, so I do not know what it will be like. But there is one rule I will follow, and that rule is: In case I won

Good luck and Go bless. Hopefully, you like it there.

Good luck and Go bless. Hopefully, you like it there.

Thank you for your good wishes.
Actually, I hade been quite fortunate to negotiate with them a three week "probation period"; they will pay for my return plane ticket, provide free housing and pay me a all salary while I am there.
Standard of living is for sure much lower than in China, and my first impression from telephone calls and emails I have exchanged with them is that they seem to be quite decent and honest. They also seem to have some difficulties to understand my suspicions and concerns that I have from certain experiences in China. There are no recruiters to trick you in, and the ESL market as far as there is any seems to be clean and less problematic than in China these days. I would not wonder if this is going to change within tne next years with the ESL market in Nepal growing and probably more foreign people coming in.

That's sounds really awesome!  Good luck and best wishes!

You're like the Indiana Jones of English teachers now!   

Wow, Abu, this is amazing.
I kind of envy you in a way. Nepal would be cool in many ways.

It could also be a bit dangerous- disease, guerillas, and so on. I suspect it will be rather uncomfortable to live in. I suspect you'll have to see a lot of pretty heart-rending sights of poverty and squalor. I suspect the salaries will be low by world standards.

But if you can hack all this stuff...what a cool job! 

Abu, that sounds like an awesome opportunity. I hope you have internet connection and keep us up-to-date on your experiences there.

Nepal?  Look forward to the blog!

Wow, Abu, this is amazing.
I kind of envy you in a way. Nepal would be cool in many ways.

It could also be a bit dangerous- disease, guerillas, and so on. I suspect it will be rather uncomfortable to live in. I suspect you'll have to see a lot of pretty heart-rending sights of poverty and squalor. I suspect the salaries will be low by world standards.

But if you can hack all this stuff...what a cool job! 

Yes, Nepal is not the paradise one earth but its ESL labour market is just developing, and perhaps we can make avoid some of the problems that have occured in China - perhaps, if we pay good attention. My salaray ( I was able to request it myself) will be around 650 USD a month, free apartment and utilities and health insurance. For disease, it may be a bit the same as in China - pay attention to the water you drink, etc. Most recent news (and I was even able to talk to the Nepalese Ambassador today on the phone) suggest that the problem of Maoist guerillas is only an issue in the valleys of the North West - where the central government has lost control many years ago. In Kathmandu valley where I will go it will not be so much an issue - they say, and I will be able to verify the real situation in those 3-4 weeks I will be there. My Nepalese partners have requested that I will find them some other foreign teachers, and I will only do that if I find the situation safe enough, the school reputable, and if I can negotiate a contract package similar to China for other foreign teachers. 

To enter the country legally, you just come by a tourist visa. Later, the school has to submit an application package to the Ministry of Education for their recommendation to the Immigration authorities to give you a legal work status in Nepal for 1,2 or 3 years. This will be processed from within Nepal by the school on behalf of the foreign teachers. This is what the Ambassador explained to me (he is a personal friend of one of my Nepalese partners who recommend to contact him), and normally there would not be any problem if the school is legitimate and recognised. If all that is true it seems more relaxed than China with its many health checks and other paperwork (in some provinces like Zhejiang they are now requiring you to have three health checks - what a mess, and thus I have declined a relatively good job offer from a decent school in Quzhou city).

I will keep you updated. Have a great day!

Abu, I spent a week hanging out in Kathmandu back in the mid seventies. It was fantastic, and a friend who was there last year says little has changed. Politically its shaky though, as you well know!
ps Don't befriend what remains of the royal family.

Abu, I spent a week hanging out in Kathmandu back in the mid seventies. It was fantastic, and a friend who was there last year says little has changed. Politically its shaky though, as you well know!
ps Don't befriend what remains of the royal family.

I do not mind the king and the Royal family. If I understand quite well, most of the political parties would prefer to see the king abdicate and Nepal to become a Republic. Will this help? I have some doubts....Too many struggles and fights among the political parties.. In the northwest, there still may be Maoust guerilla at work, and in the Terrai area to the southeast, they have a movement that wants to become independent from Nepal (the inhabitants there are of Indian origin). Kathmandu Valley is said to be relatively safe. However, I will only know more when going there myself to see what it is like.
Have a great day, everybody!

I do not mind the king and the Royal family.

I was thinking more along the lines of not accepting luncheon invitations

Quote from: abusalam on July 19, 2007, 09:13:09 AM

I do not mind the king and the Royal family.

I was thinking more along the lines of not accepting luncheon invitations

OOOOh.....I will not..smile.