Comments on: The Maddening Chinese Holidays http://mattschiavenza.com/2008/09/26/the-maddening-chinese-holidays/ From the Dragon to the Apple- A Sinophile in New York Tue, 22 May 2012 05:30:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: bezdomny ex patria » Blog Archive » cutting traffic http://mattschiavenza.com/2008/09/26/the-maddening-chinese-holidays/comment-page-1/#comment-35820 bezdomny ex patria » Blog Archive » cutting traffic Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:27:21 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=348#comment-35820 [...] (weekends, in other words, or those days weekends have been swapped with to make up for Golden Week holidays). Ummm…. so these restrictions begin on a public holiday, meaning public servants have 3, if [...] [...] (weekends, in other words, or those days weekends have been swapped with to make up for Golden Week holidays). Ummm…. so these restrictions begin on a public holiday, meaning public servants have 3, if [...]

]]> By: Josh http://mattschiavenza.com/2008/09/26/the-maddening-chinese-holidays/comment-page-1/#comment-35817 Josh Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:14:12 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=348#comment-35817 Wow, Ben. A three hour workday? I need to find out what school you work (or worked) for. Today usually is a day when I show movies or play crazy games, but I still hate showing up at school. What makes it worse is that since I'm the only foreigner in my elementary school, I'm the only one who feels this way. Nobody else seems to care that they're coming to school on a Saturday, and they certainly don't have any sympathy for me! By the way, a 5-day bicycle tour? Sweet! Wow, Ben. A three hour workday? I need to find out what school you work (or worked) for.

Today usually is a day when I show movies or play crazy games, but I still hate showing up at school. What makes it worse is that since I’m the only foreigner in my elementary school, I’m the only one who feels this way. Nobody else seems to care that they’re coming to school on a Saturday, and they certainly don’t have any sympathy for me!

By the way, a 5-day bicycle tour? Sweet!

]]> By: Ben Ross http://mattschiavenza.com/2008/09/26/the-maddening-chinese-holidays/comment-page-1/#comment-35812 Ben Ross Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:54:38 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=348#comment-35812 Not only is it a 7 day work week, but when you piece it all together, it is working 13 days straight. Now as an English teacher, what with your 3 hour workdays and whatnot, this really isn't too tough. But I'd imagine as a regular office worker or say a coal miner, it has to really drag. My biggest complaint was simply that the system was just too damn confusing. I remember they never used to announce the "official" dates of the holiday, until a few days before. Even though the announcement was easily anticipated, between the time it came out and the time the holiday started, there was always a considerable amount of confusion over which days were to be worked and which weren't...Wouldn't it just be easier to give everybody a full week off, and forget about the makeup days? Not only is it a 7 day work week, but when you piece it all together, it is working 13 days straight. Now as an English teacher, what with your 3 hour workdays and whatnot, this really isn’t too tough. But I’d imagine as a regular office worker or say a coal miner, it has to really drag. My biggest complaint was simply that the system was just too damn confusing. I remember they never used to announce the “official” dates of the holiday, until a few days before. Even though the announcement was easily anticipated, between the time it came out and the time the holiday started, there was always a considerable amount of confusion over which days were to be worked and which weren’t…Wouldn’t it just be easier to give everybody a full week off, and forget about the makeup days?

]]> By: John http://mattschiavenza.com/2008/09/26/the-maddening-chinese-holidays/comment-page-1/#comment-35788 John Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:57:10 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=348#comment-35788 Ah, you have it good. I remember when I taught in Hangzhou, I would do exactly what you mention: show movies on those weekend class days. (<em>If we have to have class on a weekend, we're sure as hell not going to learn, dammit!</em>) Occasionally I got away with canceling those classes by claiming they would be made up. What always made it so difficult was that the "make-up" days on the weekend only apply to some days' classes, and not others, so when you give the same subject to different classes on different days, you inevitably end up with an imbalance in total days of class for the semester. Let's just hope the whole thing is ending soon. Ah, you have it good.

I remember when I taught in Hangzhou, I would do exactly what you mention: show movies on those weekend class days. (If we have to have class on a weekend, we’re sure as hell not going to learn, dammit!)

Occasionally I got away with canceling those classes by claiming they would be made up.

What always made it so difficult was that the “make-up” days on the weekend only apply to some days’ classes, and not others, so when you give the same subject to different classes on different days, you inevitably end up with an imbalance in total days of class for the semester.

Let’s just hope the whole thing is ending soon.

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