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I am very happy to be approved for language training in China this year! 
In my job, I don't need to speak Chinese, but they are supporting it for general development, and because I want to do it.
So my employer won't pay for my expenses, but they will pay my salary for 3 weeks the course lasts, as if I'm working. So it won't count against my vacation time.
What is the worth of additional 3 weeks to study something you want? To me it is a lot!
The course and the accommodations are covered by the University that invited us, but I'll pay my own airfare and food/incidentals.
1. I get 60 hours of university classes, plus access to cheap tutoring.
2. After 1-2 pm I am free to roam around the city. (it is kind of a partial vacation). The problem is it unbelievably hot there in July.
3. I get total immersion when it comes to speaking the language.
3. I get to eat cheap delicious food every day.
4. I won't have any commute (accommodations are in the same building as the classes).
5. I get to vacation some place in Asia for 1 week -- I'll attach a week of vacation before my class. Normally, I would not fly all the way to Asia for just one week, but since I will be going there anyway... I don't know where we'll go - it will depend on where we can get a stopover on our flight. We'll have to be flexible. But even if we don't find a stopover, we can go some place in China - either come back to Sichuan(where I studied during my second semester abroad) or stay in Shanghai for a week -- also not bad!
My husband will come with me for 2 weeks (1 week of vacation and one week of classes).
The only downside is not seeing the baby for 4 weeks (China would be too challenging for a toddler under 2 -- finding clean food, water, baby appropriate transportation and reliable daycare during my classes is hard. Not to mention a 20 hour flight to get there and back!). So we'll be leaving the baby with grandma.
I think it is very nice of my employer and I'm quite happy!
In my job, I don't need to speak Chinese, but they are supporting it for general development, and because I want to do it.
So my employer won't pay for my expenses, but they will pay my salary for 3 weeks the course lasts, as if I'm working. So it won't count against my vacation time.
What is the worth of additional 3 weeks to study something you want? To me it is a lot!
The course and the accommodations are covered by the University that invited us, but I'll pay my own airfare and food/incidentals.
1. I get 60 hours of university classes, plus access to cheap tutoring.
2. After 1-2 pm I am free to roam around the city. (it is kind of a partial vacation). The problem is it unbelievably hot there in July.
3. I get total immersion when it comes to speaking the language.
3. I get to eat cheap delicious food every day.
4. I won't have any commute (accommodations are in the same building as the classes).
5. I get to vacation some place in Asia for 1 week -- I'll attach a week of vacation before my class. Normally, I would not fly all the way to Asia for just one week, but since I will be going there anyway... I don't know where we'll go - it will depend on where we can get a stopover on our flight. We'll have to be flexible. But even if we don't find a stopover, we can go some place in China - either come back to Sichuan(where I studied during my second semester abroad) or stay in Shanghai for a week -- also not bad!
My husband will come with me for 2 weeks (1 week of vacation and one week of classes).
The only downside is not seeing the baby for 4 weeks (China would be too challenging for a toddler under 2 -- finding clean food, water, baby appropriate transportation and reliable daycare during my classes is hard. Not to mention a 20 hour flight to get there and back!). So we'll be leaving the baby with grandma.
I think it is very nice of my employer and I'm quite happy!
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