Hip-hip (for now)

Though I have had certain struggles and bad luck this past year and though I continue to encounter difficulty with employment (more on this later), I had the fortunate circumstance of being able to choose between two fantastic programs/opportunities for the coming year:

1) American Jewish World Service--World Partners Fellowship
2) A teaching program in Shenzhen, China

After spending much anxiety-prone time considering these two options and weighing the benefits and risks/costs, I have come to decide on my future. Regardless of the decision, I have felt such a release knowing that I have been selected for anything--and to top it off, two things which I would love to do. A certain validating relief pulses through me. This feeling is so foreign, of late, that I am not entirely convinced that I will be going abroad on an awesome program. Sort of surreal.

Anyways, I have decided to go teach in China! I am enthusiastic about this decision and eager for an August when I will be learning Mandarin at Peking University and exploring the stones of the Great Wall. Cue jealousy.

The reasons for the decision mostly reduce to the following: The China program offers more support than AJWS. If you are not interested in reading the details from the aforementioned links, I will summarize some important factors (so you can see where my thought process is these days).

AJWS
-Opportunity for individual exploration in rural India
-Much more roughing it
-Connection to Jewish community
-Based on the grueling interview process and the caliber of the other candidates, this program was guaranteed to be rewarding
-Little contact with the outside world, little technological access
-High time commitment with little opportunity to travel, explore, be alone
-Indulge my social justice passions

China
-Be with C
-Paid, insurance included
-Advanced Mandarin education and TEFL Certificate included
-Flight reimbursement, travel bonus at completion of contract
-On-the-ground advisors
-100 fellow program participants in the same BIG city
-Access to Hong Kong and ample time to take advantage of travel, exploration
-Opportunity for individual and group exploration in East and Southeast Asia
-High connectivity to outside world, high technological access
-Moderate time commitment with lots of opportunity to travel, explore, be alone
-Indulge my passion for pedagogy

So yeah! I am enthusiastic to get from here to Shenzhen in September as quickly as possible. To contribute to this, I am continuing my streak of unemployment (sort of, since I freelance write). I trial-shifted at Zingerman's Roadhouse the other day, and I think it went well--fingers are crossed! Otherwise, I am dependent upon volunteering for paid studies. Soon, I may resort to being a figure model.

Life is good, though I retain a "cautious optimism" (as The A.V. Club says in their Newswire sign-offs) simply because I know how easily the rug can be yanked-out from under me.

Recent Tune(s): Beach House's "Teen Dream," Laura Veirs's "July Flame," Starf*cker (I loathe that name)
Recent Film(s): On a western kick...More in future posts. "The Wild Bunch" and "Appaloosa"
Recent Lit(s): "Amsterdam" by McEwan, Online Travel Mag
Recent Wish-List Addition(s): HBO to watch "Treme," to see "Iron Man 2," a job
Online Vid Sign-off: