T-minus 14 Days

Winter break has been great so far. Relaxing, doing a few art commissions, and spending time with friends and family. I can’t believe that in 14 days it will be 2019 and I will be getting on a plane to go to Macau, China for three months. I thought I’d write a post about why I am going to China, how I am going to China, and a little bit about what I am going to do there.

Background:

Along with art, another one of my passions has been working with kids. I have been working with kids ever since I was old enough to babysit; volunteering at many camps, being a counselor, working in my high school’s preschool for Early Childhood Development college credit, working at VillaKids for a little over two years (VillaSport Athletic Club’s kids care), teaching classes at KidSpirit etc., etc.

When I got to OSU I learned they had a Double Degree Program to get two bachelor’s degrees– one in Education and one in my chosen area. I could get a teaching license and pursue a fine art degree–perfect! Well long story short, it didn’t quite work out with my primary major in Graphic Design because of the extra liberal arts and second language classes needed, so I decided to do an Education minor along with my Business minor. I only needed a few classes to finish a Business minor because my Associate’s in Business completed a lot, and I had some Education classes out of the way already, which meant I had time and space in my schedule– plus I didn’t want all that time and money spent pursuing Education going for nothing. The Education minor seemed perfect for me! A big thank you to my Education advisor for helping me sort this all out (phew)!

During the school year I work at the College of Education doing graphic design and communications. A year ago during fall term, I was told to make flyers for a new teaching opportunity in Macau. While I was making the flyer I kept thinking how awesome this opportunity would be, but didn’t think I could leave my Graphic Design (GD) program for a whole term.

After attending the Macau info meeting I knew I wanted to make it happen. I visited my Graphic Design advisor and he said I couldn’t go to Macau because of how it cut into GD, but I could do something in the summer like the Academia Italiana study abroad program. I wouldn’t stop just yet... I knew I was a little ahead in Art credit, and that during winter term 2019 only one design class is required for our program sequence. So I went straight to the professor and asked if I could take the class a year early with the cohort above mine. I got a yes from her (yay!), which made it ok with my advisor (double yay!), applied for the Macau program within the week for Winter 2019, and that was it!

The Macau Teaching Program:

It was pretty easy to apply for the program. All I needed to send in was a letter of intent to the coordinators, a general form, and letters of recommendation. Not even a background check or anything like that! A few weeks later I heard back from the coordinators saying I got in and they confirmed my spot for going during Winter 2019. Winter worked perfectly because then I wouldn’t miss any GD classes (having taken that one class a year early), and because there would be a two and a half week vacation break for Chinese New Year traveling.

During the summer time some of the mentor teachers visited OSU with the CWU coordinators. Lois (one of the OSU students) and I got to have lunch with them at Nearly Normals. They were very kind and answered a lot of our questions. I know Lois from previous education courses.

How are you paying for this program?

Unlike a lot of study abroad programs, I do not have to pay for my housing, half of my airfare is included, and I get a very generous stipend for food. Housing is provided by the school and we will be staying in a shared apartment. Personal travel I am paying for myself. Luckily, many of the places we are going on vacation are pretty cheap and traveling with a group keeps costs lower (it is also safer). Knowing about this opportunity in advance has allowed me to save more for a whole year too!

Why are you going?

A big reason why I am going is because I will be able to finish the rest of my 12 credits for my Education minor in Macau (with no change in tuition cost). This Winter term I will be taking special courses that are specifically for teaching and this study abroad program. One class is 3 credits, and another is variable credit (which means you can have it account for 4–16 credits). One of the classes has a video project about our teaching experience which I think will be fun.

What are you going to do there?

A few weeks ago I found out I will be teaching third grade. I requested Pre-K – third grade, so I am happy about that. I have the most experience with younger children too. Along with teaching we are also assigned other jobs such as English talking groups during lunch time, reading circles, event planning, etc. I don’t know my extra job yet.

There are three other female OSU students going with me on the trip. The program originated at Central Washington University and they have 4 of their students going too. That is 8 teachers total including me.

Do you know Chinese?

Hardly…I think I took about 3 years of Mandarin lessons every Friday starting in 5th grade. The class wasn’t very good because it focused on reciting poems and lots of character writing; nothing practical. In Macau, they mainly speak Cantonese (another dialect of Chinese) and Portuguese. I don’t need to know Chinese because I am only teaching English, and the students at the school know a good amount already! I wish I knew more to help me navigate though. I’m sure I’ll learn some when I’m over there!

Macau and traveling:

Another benefit to this program is the ease of traveling. Macau is located on the south eastern tip of China, about an hour ferry ride to Hong Kong (recently a bridge was built too!) According to Wikipedia, Macau is an autonomous region which means they are not part of mainland China, they have their own currency, and you do not need a visa to visit Macau. Macau used to be territory owned by Portugal, which is why they also have European influences in their culture. Another fun fact about Macau is that it is known as the “Las Vegas of the World” bringing in over 2x revenue of Las Vegas! I have never been to Las Vegas personally, but I can imagine parts of Macau will be pretty lively.

As a teacher in Macau, I am not allowed to gamble, but I am looking forward to visiting the luxurious casinos and exploring the city. If you have time, do some googling about Macau, it is pretty interesting – and perhaps it will be added to your travel list too!

Traveling:

After the teaching experience is over I am going to Beijing to see the Great Wall of China! That is one of the reasons I got a Visa. It is valid for multiple entries up to ten years! For those curious, I used freechinavisa service. Last week my Chinese visa arrived safely back at home! It was nerve-wracking mailing my passport with other important docs to San Francisco. I was also worried about the application form. I had to call beforehand because being adopted from China with a US birth certificate, but also a previous Chinese birth certificate made things a little confusing.

I am also excited to visit other countries in Asia during the Chinese New Year break. The other OSU girls and I are currently finding places to stay. Tickets are already booked!

Stay tuned for the adventure!