sometimes my life feels like a movie

It's been awfully long since I've had an update here; though, it's been awfully long since anything new has happened. Since I last wrote I've been working insane hours each week at a sports pub in the city. I quickly learned how to waitress and bartend and then quickly got bored. Though I'm glad I acquired knowledge on how to run a bar and restaurant smoothly (this will undoubtedly help me if I'm ever strapped for cash in the future), I've been feeling so under-stimulated for the last 2 months! After being thrown challenge after challenge in Taiwan with language barriers, cultural differences and classroom management, I suddenly found myself in a cushy job that required little to no creative thinking and no challenges in the future. So, long story short, I started browsing job websites last week with the intention of finding a short term contract that would plunge me in the deep end - exactly what I've been yearning for: to once again be in over my head.

On Friday, I came across a posting for an English teacher needed urgently in China. I called the recruiter, put forth my qualifications and set up an interview for Monday morning. I spent all weekend mentally preparing myself for the possibility of getting the job, especially since it was an urgent replacement - I had to be ready to leave ASAP. Monday morning came around and the interview was great! I became more and more confident in my ability to do the job and so did the interviewers and by the end, they offered me the position!

It's such an amazing opportunity for me. Victoria University is the university that recruited, interviewed and will provide me with the teaching materials (and in addition they pay for travel and health insurance, all vaccinations/travel immunizations, hotel accommodation and all flight costs!!) and Henan University (in Kaifeng, Henan Province, China) is the university that will be paying me a generous salary. I will be teaching university students a fixed and supremely organized curriculum - focusing on essay writing and oral presentations (which are thankfully, my specialty!) This program has been running for over 10 years so I'm really confident about the support and team atmosphere it's providing me - nothing like what I got in Taiwan!! And perhaps the best part is that I don't have to lift a finger until I start teaching! I'm continually getting phone calls from a woman named Marina about when this vaccine appointment is, and when this flight is, my visa's been approved, do I want coffee with that? haha

So, the next few weeks are going to be full of the challenges I've been looking for. Firstly though, James and I are taking a well-deserved holiday in Sydney (and surrounds) for a week. We're flying there tomorrow. I'm looking forward to taking it easy; we'll have a car so we're planning on seeing a lot of great things while we're there. Hopefully this vacation doesn't go by too quickly, because I leave for China in 9 days! I'll undoubtedly update this blog heaps while I'm there and include lots and lots of photos! The contract finishes on Dec 18th so I'll be able to fly somewhere for Christmas. Any ideas?? Maybe even Canada!!!

xo lots of love from Melbourne.