Hello reader,
I only have 3 more weeks in my native Greater Vancouver - the region in which I was born, bred, and educated. Before I went into the Education program at UBC, I had a really nasty bite of the travel-bug. My goal was to travel and teach after I left the program. Over the duration of my student teaching, however, that goal looked unfeasible and uneconomical.
That was before the financial crisis. Since then, districts here are closing schools and laying off many teachers. The series of unfortunate events that is occurring here that effects public sector work opened the door for me to go abroad for a while. To save money, yes, but also to gain invaluable teaching experience, learn about different cultural understandings, and see the shining light (or chaotic trash heap) of the world.
Fast forward to now. I'm heading to teach at an international school in Wuhan in Central China in a few weeks for 2 or more years. Lucky for me, they use British Columbia's school curriculum. My goal has been realized!
It's a really great deal since living in China is dirt cheap, as I learned from my China trip in 2007. I'm really looking forward to this excellent opportunity. It's a really nice new school. Things couldn't look better for me. Hell, I'll probably come back fluent in Mandarin. But of course, like most things, there is a catch. I'm going to one of the hottest cities in all China. I checked the temperature yesterday...30 degrees Celsius and 79% relative humidity...at 4AM. WTF!?!?
