In the last month I have learned once again....1. how fragile life is
2. that not everything is as it seems
3. that some of my fellow teachers at the convention earn more in 4 days of teaching than what I earned all of last year
4. there are still good people in this world
5. there are still people who give freely and without measure
6. i cannot afford to scrapbook in my own country because it is made to be so expensive
7. that someone in South Africa is making a killing through the Internet and we are paying through our ears for it
8. that scrapbook companies overseas look after their workers and value people
9. that i still love what i do in spite of everything...
10. that i have worth even if no-one else thinks so
mmmm....and all this so early in the morning! hope you have an awesome day
hello Jowilna......i just added a comment on my blog about you.....i feel your pain. i am glad that you still love what you do - we will always have the people who only enrich themselves through other people's talents - as long as you know that the wheel turns, my friend!! xxxx
ReplyDeleteI so agree and sympathise with you... things definitely are NOT cheaper here and someone sure jumped on the bandwagon and creamed the market quickly... just wish it had been us!
ReplyDeleteHi Jowilna, it was wonderful to meet you at the convention and take your fantastic class and now discover your amazing blog!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have given me some food for thought with this post, it's very sad that our local talent is not valued when compared with their international counterparts, but that is certainly not an indicator of your worth - just a sorry reflection of the local scrapbooking industry I'm afraid.
On that subject, i've been browsing all the other teacher's blogs and looking at the photos and videos of their trip here and wondering where you are? All the fancy dinners, the stay at the private game lodge, sightseeing in Cape Town - please don't tell me that was laid on for the international teachers only?
Surely as part of the teaching group you should have been included in all the outings or was it simply a case of 'been there, done that' and you chose to do your own thing during that week?
I sincerely hope it's the latter.
Best regards
Brenda
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ReplyDeleteHelen, I think you raised an extremely valid point in the blog post you wrote about this yesterday, that is why I was surprised and disappointed to see that you'd deleted it when I came to post my response this morning.
ReplyDeleteI have posted my thoughts on Jowilna's more recent post about Cape Town and while I don't have the same issues as you regarding the ticket price or the venue, I take great exception to the blatant discrimination against one teacher simply because she happens to be a local. Each and every teacher should receive the same compensation and perks for their involvement, no matter where they come from, that is only fair and ethical.
Some of the internationals brought their husbands and arbitrary colleagues, who ALSO got to go to the luxury game lodge, I wonder who paid for them to be wined and dined and go on game drives? All while Jowilna got left behind like the hired help even though she put in just as much effort, if not more, as the other teachers.
Yet an international scrapper's husband, who added no value to the convention whatsoever gets 5 star treatment simply because he's accompanied his wife. WTF?
I'm now wondering if Jowilna was excluded to make way for the international hangers on and if that is the case then she has every right to be completely outraged.
Jowilna, I'd love to hear from you how the organisers justified excluding you from virtually everything else the other teachers got to do bar a few hours sightseeing in Cape Town?
Hi Jowlina
ReplyDeleteI just wanted you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed your class - I think you did a great job using those KI papers ... and I took some great tips away with me which is what I expect from a Convention of this calibre ...
Sorry to hear you were not included in the Convention as the other teachers were - in my opinion you most certainly should have received the same treatment - perhaps you and Glenda need to sit down and have a chat ... after all, it is between the two of you and not the rest of us ...
Take care.
Love, Tracy G
Shoe I have just stumbled upon all this by accident and am also wondering why you werent in the photos published on the web - now I am wandering from this sad sounding post if there is something you are not sharing about all this. Your post really makes people wonder I'm sure. If you weren't meant to be with everyone else and there was a real reason I'm sure you would have sad so. These comments are so interesting. I am off to see what Michelle has to say on her blog. Im reading backwards so hope you are feeling happier now. I agree that its nobodys business bt yours but still feel very sorry for you and am sore that everyone with a heart will feel the same.
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