Experience report by Janosch from Qingdao
I took holiday to work, and I’d do it again.
Janosch
Visiting lecturer in Qingdao
in the Department of Mechatronics
I’ve been working in industry for several years and took annual leave for this assignment. It’s not easy to explain that to people. My colleagues thought it was rather absurd: using up three weeks’ annual leave to teach on the other side of the world. I had my own doubts too. However, the thought of sitting at my desk in November and overseeing the same processes as in October was even stronger.
I’d prepared myself a bit too confidently. I work with drive technology and measurement technology every day, so I thought I’d just pack my notes and that would be that. The first double lesson was, unsurprisingly, a wake-up call. I started off at my usual working pace, using terms that are second nature to us at work, and it wasn’t until after the break that I realised I’d been talking to myself for an hour. That was awkward, and I was quite frustrated that evening.
What helped was drawing on my own practical experience. I had a few photos from our production floor on my computer and a vernier caliper in my case – simply because I always carry one with me. From the second week onwards, I based almost everything on that: a real component, a real tolerance, a real question. Why do we measure this three times? What happens if the part is off by two hundredths and goes into assembly? That’s when people really took notice. Theoretically, they were surprisingly good – better than I’d expected. What was missing was the connection to a real part that you can hold in your hand. Apparently, that’s exactly why I was there.
Qingdao in November is windy and the waterfront is quite deserted. I walked along the coast several times, wearing a jacket, and practically had the beach to myself. Because of its history, the city has a few corners that look strangely familiar to German eyes – old brick buildings nestled amongst high-rises. I hadn’t expected this and found it almost disconcerting. Otherwise: good beer, excellent food by the water, and people who ask where you’re from the moment you stammer even two sentences in Chinese.
In terms of organisation, everything ran smoothly – and I mean that as a compliment. Pick-up, accommodation, timetable, local contact person – I didn’t have to worry about anything that wasn’t to do with my lessons. At p&f, I was able to ask everything I wanted to know beforehand, even the most trivial things.
Above all, I came away with something I hadn’t expected: a different perspective on my own job. We provide training in-house, and I used to explain things rather impatiently. Since Qingdao, I’ve been doing things differently. If someone isn’t keeping up, my first question is no longer whether they’ve been paying attention, but whether I’ve explained it clearly. Those three weeks have probably changed me as a colleague more than any in-house training course in recent years.
And yes – my holiday was gone. But it was still worth it.
