Contract Negotiation

Take it or leave it - that's the summary.

I have no negotiating power; my picture is not on the school posters ala fellow Ozzy's (guess who), and I want to stick around for a while more.

Within the first month here, I found out that some internationals with less (teaching) experience and less (university) qualifications have TWICE as much as I do.

So naturally, a while after they extended an offer to renew the contract - which was back in Feb, just before the Thailand trip - I went to my Reporting Officer with request that was pitched as:

1. want more involvement, and thus
   
2. want better renumeration terms.

Someone did say 'watch what u wish for'... as only half of my wish got true.

The quick response from RO was that the school has no Visiting Lecturer openings. The VL is the contractual scheme that I would have to shift to in order to get more money. As this is black and white world - not even a shade of a gray; not to talk bout a rainbow - my current IF-I-was-a-teacher scheme is what it is. In order words the policies are written in stone. And since I am not a PR, the story ends there.

Sure enough, even though everyone told me so, to make sure I had to check that 'yes' the story really does end there, and so I took it to HR... After the informal chat, the process went to the e-mail:

06/11/2007 05:58 PM
Subject: IF new contract

Hi SY,

As discussed earlier:

Thank you for the opportunity to extend my stay at Ngee Ann.

Though, it came to my attention that my experience and qualifications are more aligned with the requirements of a VL position. And as you know, the actual daily responsibilities between a VL and IF are virtually the same, whereas a difference in contract remuneration can be very significant. Taking this into consideration, I am sure, it was no surprise to you that I have acquired about the possible VL openings.

Unfortunately, as there are no current VL positions that I could be considered for, I would like to have the terms of my new contract re-evaluated.

Moreover, I would like to draw to your attention to the couple of things that are making the news. In addition to a standard yearly inflation rate, this year there will be the increase in GST. Also, the banks have proposed the increase of the fees charged to retailers for NETS services - it is feared that this will lead to a further increase of the prices. In light of this, I don't just feel as though I am currently being underpaid, I feel as though I am taking the pay cut for the new contract.

Even though I get the positive feedback from students and colleagues, and I like teaching at Ngee Ann, I would appreciate if you can explore possible avenues that could make me feel more appreciated.

Sincerely,

Z
-----------------------------------
- upon arriving back from Vietnam I had the letter on the desk stating: "We have considered your request very carefully but regret that we are unable to revise our offer. Hence, our offer dated 11 May 07 remains unchanged."

- the day after seeing the latter, I had the meeting with HR Manager.
-----------------------------------
06/27/2007 10:15 AM
Subject: Air Passage

Good Morning Z

We refer to your request for a return air passage (2-way airticket) under your current contract.

We are sorry to inform you that we are unable to accede to your request . However, approval has been granted to allow you to use your flight elgibility for SIN/Croatia/SIN, your original homecountry instead of SIN/MEL/SIN.

Do contact me if you need further clarfications on the above,

Regards
SY
------------------------------------
28/06/2007 09:07 AM
Subject
Re: Air Passage

Good Morning SY,

Thanks for your prompt reply, which - it will be a no surprise to you - I find disappointing, as:

• When flying to Europe/Australia from Singapore, the difference in air fare ticket price between one way and two way is within $300 range.
• Therefore, if Ngee Ann Poly was to reimburse the two return tickets, instead of the two one way tickets, the total extra cost incurred would probably not exceed $600 mark.
• Though I appreciate the opportunity to go and visit my family and friends in Croatia, that now comes at the expense of not being able to visit my imitate family back in Melbourne until October 08 (i.e year and a half since the last visit).

The extra cost that Ngee Ann would incur by paying $600 on top of the value of my expiring contact would:

• Counteract the 2% GST increase (i.e 2% of 30K is 600)
• Would represent, circa, $1500 overall increase of the contract package (i.e. the expense that I would have to pay to get a return ticket to Melbourne). Additionally, this could be viewed as the 5% increase of the current contract's value (i.e. 5% of 30K is 1500 - not taking into consideration the loss due to the GST)
• Moreover, it would show me that Ngee Ann Poly values their staff, and is willing to compromise in the wake of the unusual circumstance (i.e. postgraduate degree and subsequent 5 years of teaching at the well recongised university prior joining the Poly as an IF)
• Might help make one teacher happier, and I'm sure you are familiar with the saying that goes round here: happy teachers, happy students.

Also as discussed, I hope that it will be possible to have my 30yr old bed mattress with depleted support and stains all-over replaced.

After understanding circumstances of the organisational hierarchy and unavailability of the relevant VL openings, from my perspective, these are very humble things that I'm asking in return - on one side, whereas on the other - I feel like I am providing quality value though continuously dedicated effort of exemplifying teaching (where the first priority is the best interest of students) that is second to none, for a bargain price.

I will keep anticipating means to be found towards a compromise where things can be perceived as more 'fair' and a bit closer to a 'win win' situation.

Regards,

Z
------------------------------------
07/03/2007 11:36 AM
Subject
Re: Air Passage

Dear Z,

We spoke at length on the reasons for not adjusting the International Fellow package and appreciate your understanding on our position. As explained by SY, we are prepared to accede to allow you the use of your flight eligibility for SIN/CROATIA/SIN instead of SIN/MEL/SIN, although this is not our usual practice. You would also appreciate that there is a need for us to maintain internal equity when determining the remuneration package institution wide. We encourage you to consider the other positive aspects of our offer such as the 42 days of annual leave, our work environment, the training opportunities available and the excitement of nurturing our students. Please do let us have your decision by 9 July 2007, Monday.

I have spoken to my colleague, JL from the Estates Management Office with regard to your request for a change of your mattress. She would be in touch with you directly. Thanks.

CT
-----------------------------------

Hopefully I'll get SY to allow me to purchase a return tickets by paying for the difference between two-way and one way tickets on my own, as she did for my Melbourne visit. But I doubt it...!

Ps: not being fairly rewarded at work is, unsurprisingly, a common thing.

sicVitaEst...!

Bad seeds persist

On todays date, 11 yeas ago I left the roots. The main cause that lead my parents to pick up my sister and me, together with a suit case for each, was the civil war that was ranging through the country during the 1st 5 years of the 90s. When I first got to NZ, since the news about the war were still very fresh in everyones' memory, the common question was: 'why did you have the war?' My common answer was, and still is: 'cos people are stupid'. It is sad, though not surprising, to now see the same seeds that were cosing the havoc in the region for so long, still be so strong.

But it doesn't stop there; it's not just that we act stupid at our home-home, we like to do it anywhere else where we (attempt to) make a home for ourselves. To make things even worse, that nice phrase Ray use to say to me a lot - just a human - seemingly applies here as well. The fact that we act/are stupid does not makes us special at all.

Just a human - maybe; just sad - definitely...!


Ps: Talk bout sad: Mujo n Haso turned bank robbers; disguised as Muslim women.

flushIt...!

Ps: This little gem of wisdom is the birthday present. Thanks Monkey.

Mui Ne

Since I could not decline 'the invitation' (yep, they called it an invitation :) to the graduation, I spend few days in the office doing some marking and the usual readings/procrastination. Though, I forgot bout one tiny weeny mini detail - visa!

Even though Nat told me bout it, months in advance, I needed another remainder. Luckily, I joined couple of colleagues for a tea after work on Tuesday, and one of them asked me about visa - thanks Dato. It turned out to be no worries... The next morning, straight after the graduation, I was in a cab to the Vietnam embassy. Need visa the same day? - Ok, you pay me three times the usual fee. The guy pockets the money, and goes to work with the liquid paper, changing the dates on the visa application form that I have just filled in (I presume to make it seem as thought I applied for it weeks ago. (Nope, he was not Singaporean.))

Though visa cost me a bit more, I was quite lucky with the outgoing air-fare. Initially I thought that I couldn't, but none the less I managed to change the departure date for the Jetstar ticket for a fraction of the new ticket cost.

The good thing about my holiday delay was that I got to catch up w/ Mirror (aka Dave). He came back from India, to sort out his paperwork for Shanghai. We were up the whole night before my flight, together w/ his unacquainted love (just one of many - ladies), just mulling over all kinds of BS. My flight was at 7am, so - ignoring the fact that the two of us caught 3h of sleep the night before - there was no point of hitting the horizontal.

Unsurprisingly, I - basically - slept all the way from my apartment till the rest room in Pham Ngu Lao street - backpackers destination in Ho Chi Minh City. And then, after check-in, till dinner time.

After dinner, while walking back to the room, I took a seat at the little square where guys were playing an interesting game, similar to badminton - well a 'ball' looks similar, there is no net, and instead of using the racket, they kick it, and usually they kick it over their head (i.e. the 'ball' first flies over the head and only then they kick it, at times jumping down on their hands, and doing 'donkey kick' - impressive). Just after few minutes of sitting there, something even more impressive happened. A young guy sat next to me and stared asking some questions, bit later there was another, one, and another one... up to 20 at one time. Some had notebooks (and pens), they were making notes... Every night they come there, and start up conversations with tourists, they practice English.

The next day I walked around the city.... Avoiding the traffic and people trying to sell you things you don't want to buy the whole day, during the hot summer day is rather tiring. As of now, after Bangalore, Chennai, Bangkok and HCMC, one day in a big, crowded, main city of a developing country is more then enough of time for me to spend in.

HCMC is same, same... not much different then other huge cities in developing countries of SE Asia I have visited; less chaotic (to my eye) then Bangalore, but more so then Bangkok. I liked Dan's description:

"Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta, the mouth of the life vein in SE Asia. The city itself seems to be in constant motion with a soundtrack of techno drum beats, beeping horns, ringing cell phones, and 'xe om' drivers yelling "Moto? Moto?" The only hope a traveler has to survive the bouncing pulse is to move with the current of the city like a leaf rides the swirls and eddies of the river it happens to encounter. Fighting the river only results in exhausting and drowning. Floating with it results in mostly calm travels with the occasional bounce or jostle from an obstacle hidden from view.

If HCMC was to adopt a symbol for itself, it would be the motorbike. A Honda motorbike more specifically. Motorbikes are popular all over Asia, but in HCMC, they make up over 90% of the vehicles on the road. I guess it makes sense because they are the cheapest mode of motorized transportation available, but nonetheless, it creates one wild scene. Watching from the side of the road provides a brief vignette of entertainment, but the real cabaret takes stage when a pedestrian decides it is time to cross the asphalt. The proper method is as follows: Wait for a small break in the stream, then step into the road looking at whichever direction the bikes are coming from. Make sure the drivers see you. Start walking. The drivers will likely encounter you before you have reached the other side, but whatever you do, don't start running. Running only decreases their reaction time. Simply keep walking at a steady pace and let the drivers avoid you. That is that. It's very odd at first, but you do get used to it. What a trip.
Other than that, HCMC is much like is other Asian cousins, but perhaps with a little more neon."

One thing to add to Dan's description is that virtually everybody, especially around the Pham Ngu Lao backpackers area, was pretty aggressive in selling, the 'front room' merchandise (books/suvenires/(moto)bike rides...) as well as the 'back room'. Possibly it was just me, guess a person looking like me, and walking around by himself is equivalent to asking for it. Maybe so, but not in this case.

The next morning at 7:30am I was happy to be on the bus to Mui Ne... I had no idea what Mui Ne is apart from the fact that it is the closest place on the cost that a bus goes to from Pham Ngu Lao.

When initially looking at bus routes, I thought I'll make it up north to Nha Trang via few days stop in Dalat. Though, as it was raining season, and Dalat's high up in the mountains, the info from travelers coming from north was that it's rather 'refreshing' up there, and I only packed my thin wind breaker along, as the only thing with long sleeves. Nha Trang on the other hand, is the city on the beach... more people, more happening then Mui Ne, and chilling out in a quite place sounded more enticing at the time. Though I had no winter clothes with me, and was happy taking it easy, the main reason I ended up stying in Mui Ne the whole time is due to wonderful human beings... or in this case being: Erik, aka Riki. Riki had the seat next to mine on the bus to Mui Ne. First part of the trip, he was happily enjoy scenery while listening to his music on his precious iPod, and I was reading the book. Naturally, eventually we got to chat... and we never really stopped for the whole week.

Regarding carrier, Riki is ex Accenture senior-consultant/PM, Phd holder, with enterpreneurship aspirations. Add to that his interest in BS, and needless to say we had lots of common points to discuss and share ideas about.

Together with my room, I rented a bike for the duration of the stay as well - it was cool cursing around... Riki rented a bike for couple of days; when we went for the exploration of the near by town - called Phan Thiết, with a big fishing harbor/marked; and the next day, of the sand dunes.

Evenings we spend at the small, sea-food, family restaurant; lots of eating, drinking, talking... meeting other travelers.

Though we had many nice chats with French couple that live and work in Tokyo, as well as couple of ABC professional chicks from New York, the note worthy is the crazy British chick who was sitting completely naked, w/ shaved/pierced beaver on the beach amongst other 10-15 ppl. She was there with her boyfriend, whom she met after her girlfriend invited her over for a threesome with her, and at the time her boyfriend. Those were some interesting convers

Unlike me, who 'wonders' around SA Asia with no plan/s/ing, Riki was adding on the personal holiday to his business trip. He had a week, and new exactly what he wanted to do - Kite surfing. Turns out that I stumbled upon place that is "...quickly becoming a South East Asian Mecca for kiteboarding and windsurfing."

That reminded me of my childhood dream - together w/ friends, I used to sit at the shore and watch windsurfers during windy autumn's days - which was revived when talking with Theo in Thailand. Though we were there in an off-season, a no wind season. Next t...

Luong, a friend from unimelb, lives in Hanoi. Since I wasn't gonna make it all the way up North, he managed to arrange a 'business trip' to HCMC. Luckily I got to check my eM in time to leave Mui Ne and meet Lu for the dinner on my last night in Vietnam.

Next time, I'll have to fly to Hanoi and make my way south.

to be continued...!

From Vietnam, 14-2...

Ps: at this blog from a SE-Asia travel writer, I got a video depicting the daily activity the Phan Thiết's market: