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:
Friday
Beyond Those There Mountains
Ladies and Gents,
I have returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am living with my girlfriend, Caitlin, and enjoying time with good friends--who work at places like this. I am currently writing international community health courses for International Medical Relief (the organization with which I teamed to go to Haiti and Ethiopia). Soon, I will compile briefing packets for upcoming I.M.R. missions. This is paying the bills, but I am looking for some more work to fill my hours, to pad my bank account, and to instill myself with a sense of purpose when I can so easily spend my daylight hours wasting away with Netflix instant and "Lost" marathons.
I recently returned from a week in Colorado with my parents and Caitlin (C). We were blessed with fortunately sunny and warm weather, even when we took two days in Keystone--where we received a half-off discount on lift tickets because of an executive chef we met at a sleigh-ride dinner in a valley ranch once used for gold mining and lettuce farming. Speaking of food, the week was filled with childhood classic eateries as well as recent additions to the Zwiebel Family Favorites:
-Fish tacos at Wahoo's
-Pad thai at Saigon Terrace
-Garden burger sliders, carrot-ginger-cumin soup, and chorizo omelette at Root Down
-Pad see yew at Wild Ginger
-Colorado style mountain pizza pie at Beau Joe's in Idaho Springs
-Chicken shwarma at Saj
-Chicken curry wrap and tea infused ice cream at Dushanbe Tea House
-Butterscotch fudge ripple, heath bar based, dulce de leche, espresso-based-chocolate-covered-espresso-bean, etc ice creams from Likk's
-Scallion pancakes at Jade Garden
A visit to the Denver Art Museum here, a tour of my childhood hot-spots there. Though C got a little ill towards the end of the trip--as per usual--we both had a wonderful time with my parents. No drama. Except when we played Cranium. Lots of laughter there (e.g. my dad shouting chest hair for a sensosketch of corsage or me trying to hum "Sexual Healing" to C). Good drama. Oh! And the drama of watching my 8th grade musical--in which I played Henry Higgins of "My Fair Lady." Man. I sure do maintain a painful tone deafness throughout my years.
Now that I have returned to Lady Ann, I am resettling and discovering my perceptions of the city have shifted. I am, obviously, no longer focusing on the "college town" side of the city; instead, I am taking in the city as a conduit to pursuing my passions and living a sustainable, happy lifestyle. So far, so good.
For the future, I am awaiting a reply from Princeton in Asia (my first choice) about the coming fall's fellowship prospect. I should know by Tuesday. I have been accepted to the American Jewish World Service Fellowship in India, which I am very excited about. Also, I have been accepted to teach English in Shenzhen courtesy of the Chinese Bureau of Education. There may be some tough decisions ahead, but the good news is that I will be on an enriching program abroad this fall.
Hooray!
This too.
I have returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am living with my girlfriend, Caitlin, and enjoying time with good friends--who work at places like this. I am currently writing international community health courses for International Medical Relief (the organization with which I teamed to go to Haiti and Ethiopia). Soon, I will compile briefing packets for upcoming I.M.R. missions. This is paying the bills, but I am looking for some more work to fill my hours, to pad my bank account, and to instill myself with a sense of purpose when I can so easily spend my daylight hours wasting away with Netflix instant and "Lost" marathons.
I recently returned from a week in Colorado with my parents and Caitlin (C). We were blessed with fortunately sunny and warm weather, even when we took two days in Keystone--where we received a half-off discount on lift tickets because of an executive chef we met at a sleigh-ride dinner in a valley ranch once used for gold mining and lettuce farming. Speaking of food, the week was filled with childhood classic eateries as well as recent additions to the Zwiebel Family Favorites:
-Fish tacos at Wahoo's
-Pad thai at Saigon Terrace
-Garden burger sliders, carrot-ginger-cumin soup, and chorizo omelette at Root Down
-Pad see yew at Wild Ginger
-Colorado style mountain pizza pie at Beau Joe's in Idaho Springs
-Chicken shwarma at Saj
-Chicken curry wrap and tea infused ice cream at Dushanbe Tea House
-Butterscotch fudge ripple, heath bar based, dulce de leche, espresso-based-chocolate-covered-espresso-bean, etc ice creams from Likk's
-Scallion pancakes at Jade Garden
A visit to the Denver Art Museum here, a tour of my childhood hot-spots there. Though C got a little ill towards the end of the trip--as per usual--we both had a wonderful time with my parents. No drama. Except when we played Cranium. Lots of laughter there (e.g. my dad shouting chest hair for a sensosketch of corsage or me trying to hum "Sexual Healing" to C). Good drama. Oh! And the drama of watching my 8th grade musical--in which I played Henry Higgins of "My Fair Lady." Man. I sure do maintain a painful tone deafness throughout my years.
Now that I have returned to Lady Ann, I am resettling and discovering my perceptions of the city have shifted. I am, obviously, no longer focusing on the "college town" side of the city; instead, I am taking in the city as a conduit to pursuing my passions and living a sustainable, happy lifestyle. So far, so good.
For the future, I am awaiting a reply from Princeton in Asia (my first choice) about the coming fall's fellowship prospect. I should know by Tuesday. I have been accepted to the American Jewish World Service Fellowship in India, which I am very excited about. Also, I have been accepted to teach English in Shenzhen courtesy of the Chinese Bureau of Education. There may be some tough decisions ahead, but the good news is that I will be on an enriching program abroad this fall.
Hooray!
This too.
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