Autumn in the City

Since I last posted here, I’ve had six busy weeks of work at the primary school, postgraduate studies and private tutoring. From Monday to Thursday, I usually don’t get home until well into the evening after leaving my apartment at 7 am. However, this week is our mid-term holiday and hence, I am able to type this up on a Tuesday morning. And as is usually the case, I long for these days to take care of things long put off…and then I never get anything done. Oh well, I still have until the 21^st before I embark on another nine week mission of long days, saved by a lovely Christmas holiday in the US of A.

I don’t plan to complain about being busy though. I, like most busy people, have clearly understood all the commitments I’ve made and was not forced into them by anyone. Also, I’ve found I feel more alive when I’m busy. Sure, everyone needs a lazy day once in a while, but it doesn’t take long to feel guilty about wasting precious time that could’ve been spent seizing the day one way or another.

Though not too much has happened for me this fall, one new goal I’ve set for myself is to get into the Native English Teacher scheme that is run by the Hong Kong government. The program is set to recruit quality English teachers to work in local HK schools. These teachers often get great benefits on top of a good salary, including a housing allowance and a flight back home once a year. After two plus years working in international schools, I’m ready to try a switch to the local system. More importantly, I think I’m ready to be a true teacher, as being a teaching assistant has been more of an apprenticeship than anything else.

It’s impossible to predict the job market and whether my resume and accomplishments fit the bill. But nonetheless, this time next year, I hope to be a class teacher. If not in a local school, then I'll find an international one that will hire me. I’ve taught in one way or another nearly every day I’ve gone to work in Hong Kong, but I feel like after three years of practice, I’ll be ready to perform, because honestly that’s what teaching primary kids is.   

On a side note, there is more happening in my life than just work and class. Over the past month or so, I've continued voraciously feeding my badminton addiction, I've taken a few trips to various beaches around HK, I've gone to the cinema countless times, I've learned some new Cantonese words, I celebrated my second anniversary of dating Sharman, and am two days away from hosting my good high school friend Sean and his girlfriend Hannah, as they stop by Hong Kong before traveling all over Japan. I'm always happy to play the tour guide :)  

And last! I've started a new blog that's less related to my life as an American in Hong Kong and more to whatever the hell I'm thinking about. If you'd like to read it, go to thisisthemiddlepath.blogspot.com. There should be a button somewhere where you can request permission to read it as it isn't a public one like this; if not, just send me an email. Don't worry, I just made it private as I want to feel more free to write about anything, publicly appropriate or a bit more abstract.