The Search Continues...

The activity that preoccupies most of my time right now is the job search. I've done interviews and am otherwise in contact with recruiters and schools in Taiwan and mainland China. The one in Taiwan is interesting because it wouldn't be in a big city, but in the mountains in the central part of the island. I would be living on a tropical island with both Japanese and Chinese influence. They speak Mandarin, but also use traditional characters in writing. The Chinese school possibilities are in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and (most interestingly) Qingdao. Qingdao is on the coast between Beijing and Shanghai. Its far enough north that the temperature dips just below freezing in the winter, so there's a possibility for snow. However, winters are dry, as is most of the rest of the year, except for a rainy summer. Qingdao is famous for beaches, breweries, and German architecture (having been occupied by the Germans for several years about a hundred years ago).

It's also worthy of note that one of my best friends from my time here, Rebecca Darling, is leaving this week to return to England. More worthy of note, however, is that we have decided to proceed to our next destination together, and so are looking for a school that can accommodate two teachers next year.Rebecca's original plan was to remain in Chenzhou for another year, but we both know we can make a lot more and have a lot of new experiences by moving on to a new place, so off we go.