This week is my twelfth week to be in China. Which means I'm nearly halfway through my contract and that much closer to it all being over. It honestly seems as though I just arrived here last week, February 2nd doesn't seem that long ago at all, and August 9th seems to be extremely too close. I love Yangshuo, I love China, my job, my students, my lifestyle, everything. I'm not ready to leave this place. China is a huge and beautiful country, I don't want to return to America only to have experienced the tiniest piece of this place. I want to see what it has to offer. I obviously can't see it all, but I want to see more than just Yangshuo. I want to see The Great Wall, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, Three Gorges, Tibet, Xi'an, Haikou, Sichuan, and so, so much more.
I have already told a few people, but I figured my blog would be the best place to officially announce it. I have decided to stay in China for a few more months than originally intended. Not indefinitely, but maybe until the end of the year. This will give me time to travel, time to work more, and get more out of my experience here. I'd really hate to look back on my time here and regret things, regret not making the most of the opportunities I have available. This isn't just another one of my crazy ideas, I've thought for a really long time about my decision and did not, by any means, jump the gun on this. It's something I feel I must do, and I hope I can receive some support. If not, I completely understand. I thought about everyone, not just myself in this decision, and as a result I hope no one is affected negatively. One day, I know I'll look back and see this as the best possible decision I could've made.
I plan on returning to Tech in January of 2010 for my final semester. Then, who knows from there.
In the meantime, I must keep making travel plans for Ryan's trip here next month. We may go to Vietnam and Laos, it all depends on the visa situation.
After all, I believe it was Chili Davis that said 'growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.' So for now, I'd like to keep young as long as I can...
alive and well in China, more to come...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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Hello, my name is Gabrielle, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about your experiences Omeida Language College. I taught English in several cities in China in 2006-2007, and I am thinking about returning. I just wanted to find out as much as I could about schools in Yangshuo. I vacationed in Yangshuo while I was in China, and I loved it. Your blog has reminded me of the great time taht I had there. I would love to wake up to that scenery every day. I basically want to know how you like your apartment, the school, the staff, etc. And if you don't mind me asking, how much do they pay you per month. My highest salary 4000 RMB. I looked on their website, but I didn't see anything there. My email is Gabber1981@gmail.com. I would appreciate any information that you have. Savor every day that you have left because it all happens so fast. Have a great day!
ReplyDelete- Gabrielle
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteI am in the same boat at Gabby Girl. I would like to know more about Yangshuo as a town too. Is it possible that we could email? Mine is nattygstein@gmail.com I would greatly appreciate your help!