Looking towards the future

Alright, I know it's been quite some time since I've posted anything, but I want everyone to know that it's been because of a very good reason: poor time management. In the months since the Spring Festival vacation, I have been trying to save money, figure out what I'm going to do next year, and plan for a summer trip home. But mostly, I've been settled into taking it easy here in Chenzhou and hanging out with friends. I must say, it's nice to be able to do that, but now it's May and it's getting to be that time when the foreign teachers are deciding whether to stay with their current job or to look for something new.

It's nice to be in a job where I know there are plenty of positions available and lots better salaries out there. Since I've made it no secret that Hong Kong is a future goal for me, I should mention that I was not called back about the position in the HK public school system this year, so I will re-apply for next school year. Their standards are high, and I don't really have enough experience yet for that job. If I'm able to get that job, however, I'll be making more my first year than I would ever make in my chosen field of Urban Planning, so it's worth a few years gaining experience in order to get that job.
That brings me to the meat of this post: What experiences will I have on the way to landing that job? I have been searching for jobs around China and I may end up finding a good one and moving this summer, but I already have a couple of offers right here and Chenzhou and could be making twice next year what I made this year. Of course, nothing's final until the contract is signed, but I believe I will at least spend the first semester of next year here in Chenzhou.

After that I could move to another part of China or move abroad. There are job postings for English teachers everywhere from Taiwan to Bangkok, Beijing to Rio de Janiero. With enough time and experience, I could end up with a job teaching English in the south of France. Europe, of course, has high standards and low pay, so it would be best to get my experience and make money in Asia before 'retiring' to a European country like France or Spain to teach and enjoy the generous European social services in my old age.

Anyway, those are just thoughts rattling around in my head right now. The main message for this week is that I have no intention of returning to the states anytime soon. When I first arrived in China, I wouldn't have believed that I would want to stay very long. In fact, I thought it would be a challenge (perhaps a bit too much of one) to stay for the ten months I had agreed to. But I powered through the winter and had an unbelievable Spring Festival, and after returning to Chenzhou everything began to seem... normal, I guess. In a weird way, China seemed normal. And as time wore on after Spring Festival, I began to consider my options from the point of view of an employee in demand looking for a new job. That was when I realized there wasn't a lot in the US for me. Forty years of job searching and education had essentially turned up nil, so now I'm looking in Asia, where I have a distinct advantage and am in high demand.