(Photo opposite: Jurgen with class in Changchun, China) A few days ago, “my” university gave a little welcome reception for the new international faculty. All in all, there are plenty new faculty faces around for the unfolding academic year. The university’s vice - president gave the welcome address in Chinese. It was fortunately translated into […]

(Photo opposite: Jurgen stands in center of photo) You see me in the photo with one of my classes in Changchun. The photo pretty much projects an ordinary class at our university. There are plenty more female students than male students in that class. Across the board, girls outnumber guys at our university by […]

(Photo opposite: Ak’Tenamint Clinic on Guatamala’s Rio Dulce) Crouched in the little wooden canoe whose put-put motor shimmered beads of water into gossamer wings, we skimmed over the water like a dragonfly. Leaving the thatched roof clinic of Ak’Tenamit in our wake, only we disturbed the stillness of a beginning-of-the-world dawn. Stark white herons […]

(Photo opposite: Santa Maria Inn) When I applied for the job as an instructor of political science at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, I didn’t really think I would ever get the job. I didn’t think I would get the job because I had been out of the U.S. job market for […]

(Photo opposite: Campus where Jurgen teaches in Changchun, China) My first semester in Changchun’s wrapped up. Since this week I’m on holiday until the end of August. You may guess three times what I’m up to on holiday. Yep, you’re right. I’ll spend the entire holiday in Changchun. Changchun’s situated off the beaten path. […]

My classes will sit their final exams in the first week of July. That’s reason enough for me to preach a little sermon in these classes before the exams. The sermon contains the message “don’t overdo gearing up for the exams. If you do, you rattle yourself and accomplish the opposite of what you’ve set […]

(Photo opposite: Antonio on resuce duty in Tondo)
“How do you shower on a twenty-four hour shift?” I asked, noticing that there was no plumbing in the radio shack, where I was told we would be sleeping.
“We can use the hose from the firetruck. Answered the chief.”
Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if EMS was really the […]

A few weeks ago, I spent about half a day in Jilin. Jilin’s a city in the province with the same name. But Jilin’s not the capital of the province Jilin. The province’s capital and largest city’s Changchun. The city Jilin can boast a population of about two million whilst Changchun’s population hovers around seven […]

During the past weekend I enjoyed having an extensive dinner with a handful of students. We spent the evening munching and chatting in one of Changchun’s restaurants. The restaurant’s called “Golden Hans”. “Golden Hans” is quite a well known chain restaurant in China. That restaurant virtually stands for a household name in China. The chain’s […]

(Photo opposite: Entrance to the Ciudad del Saber in Fort Clayton)
Education In Panama
For a small country in Latin America, Panama has excellent opportunities for university research and internship jobs. If you are currently a student or are planning to move to Panama with your family and you would like to finish your degree, then […]

(Photo opposite: Campus where Jurgen teaches in Changchun, China.)The head of my department recently asked me to give some students a hand who are about to graduate. He reckoned that they may be in need of a hand in regard to their job hunting. You may come up with the objection “why are Chinese […]

(Photo opposite: Antonio Graceffo)
Having spent most of my life learning to end life, it is a bit of a change learning to save it.
“Bakers cover their mistakes with frosting. Carpenters cover their mistakes with paint. Paramedics cover their mistakes with dirt.”
The course began with a playing of the Philippine national anthem, followed by a […]

As a teenager in Germany I spent heaps of time in front of the box. Since leading an international lifestyle the habit of watching TV has radically gone downhill. In Miami I still spent a little time in front of the box. In South Africa I watched very little TV. You can rest assured that […]

(Photo opposite: Jurgen’s university in Changchun, China) In case you read my stuff, you’re aware that I set out with international law and business after graduating from law school. After getting sick and tired of that sort of thing, I reckoned that giving college teaching a go was the right thing to do. That […]

Everything about my shifting from Colima to Changchun was meticilously planned. I flew from Guadalajara to Mexico City on Mexicana Airlines because I flew on Mexicana Airlines from Mexico City to Los Angeles. I thus didn’t have to hop from one terminal to another one at the airport in Mexico City. After getting to Los […]

The job interview in Panama is normally very informal; that word “informal” is the best word to describe what it’s like to go on a job interview in Panama. I’ve been on many, so I know. A little advice on how to present yourself before I get into my experiences: more than anything have a […]

Finding a job in Panama can be relatively easy, but finding a job in Panama that pays is something all together more difficult. My biggest complaint about living in Latin America over the last 13 years is that people just don’t pay you anything for your work. And if prices go up, you can be […]

Ariel and Tom found their very own “Hotel Paradiso” by answering an ad in The Caretaker Gazette. As Ariel explains, “We actually thought most of the ads seemed interesting but just wrote to two, based more on the climate than anything else.” As fate would have it, one letter was returned because they didn’t put […]

(Photo opposite: English class in Panama City, Panama) After having lived in Panama for 12 years one of the realties of everyday life is that speaking English helps you land a decent job as well opening up new opportunities for creating your own business and improving your lifestyle: speaking English is one way to […]

Iowans Tom and Jean Sampel Buechele had intense careers in the years before they met each other. He was a Roman Catholic Priest for 20 years and she was a jewelry designer/goldsmith and gallery owner for 28 years. With marriage came a barrage of change. Tom left his Employee Assistance Program training and counseling position […]