to china or not to china? that is the question
Blah.
Why is it that all of my travel plans have been falling through?!
Australia punked out...
Potential secondary p2p travel fell through...
And now China.
Here is the story...
There are three reasons I am feeling sketchy about the trip which really surfaced after a meeting yesterday at school.
1) I was told I was going, then I was told permission needed to be granted, then I was told I was "officially going" and that a definite yes was obtained, and then I walked in yesterday to find out that the two main people who I needed permission from were only asked YESTERDAY if I could go... hence I was back to unknown status. The person who was supposed to deal with all of this has NOT been doing her job.
2) I was told it was okay for J to go. I was also told we would all be staying in apts. I find out yesterday I have a homestay. So I ask what happens with J. He is supposed to get a hotel. I ask when he should go so that he can travel with someone else and come home with us. The answer: Uh about the last 10 days of the trip. Well guess what, thats not enough information. He needs shots, a plane ticket, hotel reservations, travel from Beijing to Shijiahuang, and a VISA. These things do not happen overnight. The trip is 2.5 months away. This stuff should be taken care of already. It isnt, and I cannot seem to pin down anything! Not only is it poorly planned for chaperones, but for the kids. At this point in time, there is no way that I would ever let my own kid go on this trip... so if I would not send my own kid, how could I support parents sending their students on this trip??
3) "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas"... The leader of this trip has mentioned this phrase to me about 4 or 5 times. Once or twice, I understand... problems are going to crop up, people should not air their dirty laundry and whatever... but she has said it to me so many times that I have basically lost my confidence in her as a leader. I am thinking to myself, what the HECK happened on your other trips that you are keeping secret so that you do not seem incompetent and are shut down as a department?!
Soo.... I talked to my science super and told him all of this. He told me that he shared the same concerns, this could go down in flames, and its probably not something I want to be wrapped up in. He said he would not blame me if I ran for the hills.
I talked to my brother and he said the same thing... but he made a suggestion... if I can stay in an apartment or hotel, then rotate around the homestays and visit them once a week for dinner and the evening... and then I would have my own space, my own toilet (just in case I get dysentery again), and a place for the students to go if they need to talk or hang out or get away... then that could work. But still... I dont know.
Please send your opinions! I am in desperate need of them. I love China, I totally want to go and learn Chinese, but so many bells and warning signals are going off... can I make it work?
Why is it that all of my travel plans have been falling through?!
Australia punked out...
Potential secondary p2p travel fell through...
And now China.
Here is the story...
There are three reasons I am feeling sketchy about the trip which really surfaced after a meeting yesterday at school.
1) I was told I was going, then I was told permission needed to be granted, then I was told I was "officially going" and that a definite yes was obtained, and then I walked in yesterday to find out that the two main people who I needed permission from were only asked YESTERDAY if I could go... hence I was back to unknown status. The person who was supposed to deal with all of this has NOT been doing her job.
2) I was told it was okay for J to go. I was also told we would all be staying in apts. I find out yesterday I have a homestay. So I ask what happens with J. He is supposed to get a hotel. I ask when he should go so that he can travel with someone else and come home with us. The answer: Uh about the last 10 days of the trip. Well guess what, thats not enough information. He needs shots, a plane ticket, hotel reservations, travel from Beijing to Shijiahuang, and a VISA. These things do not happen overnight. The trip is 2.5 months away. This stuff should be taken care of already. It isnt, and I cannot seem to pin down anything! Not only is it poorly planned for chaperones, but for the kids. At this point in time, there is no way that I would ever let my own kid go on this trip... so if I would not send my own kid, how could I support parents sending their students on this trip??
3) "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas"... The leader of this trip has mentioned this phrase to me about 4 or 5 times. Once or twice, I understand... problems are going to crop up, people should not air their dirty laundry and whatever... but she has said it to me so many times that I have basically lost my confidence in her as a leader. I am thinking to myself, what the HECK happened on your other trips that you are keeping secret so that you do not seem incompetent and are shut down as a department?!
Soo.... I talked to my science super and told him all of this. He told me that he shared the same concerns, this could go down in flames, and its probably not something I want to be wrapped up in. He said he would not blame me if I ran for the hills.
I talked to my brother and he said the same thing... but he made a suggestion... if I can stay in an apartment or hotel, then rotate around the homestays and visit them once a week for dinner and the evening... and then I would have my own space, my own toilet (just in case I get dysentery again), and a place for the students to go if they need to talk or hang out or get away... then that could work. But still... I dont know.
Please send your opinions! I am in desperate need of them. I love China, I totally want to go and learn Chinese, but so many bells and warning signals are going off... can I make it work?
posted by FireWithin at 1:11 PM
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