Time lost and futures yet to come

Where has the time gone?

That's a question, I'm sure, I'll be asking more and more frequently in the years to come... but I never intended to leave this blog sit untended for 6 months. Wait, on second thought, I do know where the time has gone... into that little poop-machine I affectionately call "wee one."

Nevertheless, I left us on a cliffhanger... I promised a part two, and failed to deliver.

But let's just let bygones be bygones, and have a fresh start, no?

小c is pushing 9 months (!), Nancy's all healed, and continues to push toward her pre-preggers figure - not at my urging, certainly (more her sisters', I'm sure)... but I'm not complaining, either.

In spite of the whirls and rush of the day to day - job, wife, kid, and all those other little things that continue to find their way into the "inbox" of life - I find myself more and more frequently (and in many ways forced) to think about the future, both medium and long term.

My contract with Longman expires in August. I will have completed 2 years there at that time, and will, in fact, be among the longest-working teachers in the company. I learned the other day from my friend and former coworker Leon that I am in fact that last person from my "crop" of trainees who's still working there.

That's not surprising, though. Most people come as the same person I was when I went to Wenzhou: coming for the experience of China, and having a way to pay the bills while they do. Some even take it a step further: they work long enough for their year-long work visa to get pasted on their passport, and then they bugger off for parts unknown.

I'm reasonably sure that I'll be getting an email soon-ish, inquiring as to my plans after this contract is up, and offering a new year-long gig. Of course, there is the outside chance that they'll thank me for my time and show me the door... but given my length of employment, track record, and that they considered me in high enough standing to give me a "Star Teacher" award at last years annual company dinner, I'd be pretty surprised.

So what then? Certainly working for this company has been stable, reasonable work, with relatively few headaches, or employers taking all the cash and fleeing the country. So that's a plus.

If I were to accept another contract, I'd have a few specific things I'd want out of it...
1) a change of campus... for more than one reason. The travel distance, the absurdly out of the way location, the coworker I'd like to strangle about half the time.
2) a pay increase, of the substantial variety. High teens, at least.
3) a trained polar bear to ride + saddle. (Alright, I'm willing to compromise on that last one, the saddle might be a bit much)

The thing behind Door No. 2... is considerably more of a, shall we say, challenge. And that is the idea of returning to Wenzhou to work part-time, while also private-teaching and building a student base to open my own school. I am, after all, eminently qualified... and I have the Star Teacher Award to prove it (even though the name makes it sound like someone a teacher should be giving to a 3rd grader). It could also be done here in Shanghai, but that seems considerably more difficult...

Anyway, I shall continue to ponder these and other mysteries of the universe.... in between nap time, burpings, and diaper changes.

(CS) TAW Out.
send shivers down my spine