ALMOST THERE. Nice ring.
THEN (A week ago)….I promised to return sooner rather than later. I have updates on the latest in my search for a school home in Asia, China specifically. So, I have bombarded recruiters with the expected documents(rehashed resume, pickled pictures, and covered and smothered cover letter). The reception has been great, a lot of bites. I have begun a process of interviews that began on Saturday and will conclude on Friday. Two of the next few are final interviews. Hopefully, I can speak with and build some kind of rapport with school staff and get a contract in the process. I have talked to recruiters, mostly. Tonight, I spoke to two Chinese school managers, who seemed eager to have me join their staff.
NOW…..I have whittled down the search for a job in China to two schools. One of the jobs is a well established chain in a city with a large expat population. The other is a smaller city in a cold climate with higher pay for less hours per week. I interview with the former tonight and at this point undecided on a location. Both locations/jobs have yet to send me a contract for review, although one of the jobs has a pretty standard pay rate within their family of schools. I plan on making a decision by the end of the week as to which school I’d like to be a part of as a new teacher. I don’t know how to feel about it just yet. It is still an idea/dream with no paperwork at this point to me.
The first school, even though I know I’m just a number for the recruiter, seems like the safe bet. Standard housing, decent salary and about 19 foreigners on staff in a city that is small, but has a Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hutt. The other is very small with less than fifty foreigners in the entire city. I know no matter where I end up I’ll be immersed in Chinese culture. I plan on learning the language. Yes, I plan on learning one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world. I think the more I’m forced to communicate in broken Chinese the better off I will be. Learning Chinese was never on my bucket list. I know basic Spanish, but so does the average Taco Bell employee.
I’ve detailed this journey up to this point and plan to continue writing upon my arrival in the Chinese mainland so to speak. Like many journeys, the impetus was a breakup. A year and a half ago, I wasn’t very hopeful of a future without my girlfriend and her daughter. It’s been a long time since I’ve had something to look forward to. I want it all now. I want to visit the Buddhist temples, hiking trails and caves. I want to go skiing. (Yeah, I said it. I’m still a black man.) I want to study mixed martial arts. I want to drink and be merry with my co-teachers and other expats. I want to eat the food and listen to the music. (Well, at least to say I did listen to Chinese music.) The process has been a long one, but not really in the sheer audacity of the task. I’m trying to pick up and move to a foreign land to do a new job without knowing the Native tongue. It’s party time. The journey continues….
MakeumTakeum 