Saturday, December 10, 2011

A Dreamlike State of Things

Teaching English abroad is looking better and better every day. I keep fantasizing about moving to Spain or Portugal and finding a nice, cheap apartment and writing. I even like the idea of living in the countryside. When I'm away from Philly and south Jersey I feel like this fantasy is possible. There is a coffeetable book at the bed and breakfast where Ed and I are staying and it's titled something like "World Heritage Sites", although it seems to mainly just list cities and sites in Europe. Various places in eastern Europe and Russia look beautiful, as does Lisbon, Portugal and Cairo, Egypt. I feel lazy here and daydream about traveling when I've already traveled to get here to dc. I have no desire anymore to take the metro to see the National Tree all lit up. It's nice to just relax and write, although breakfast was not enjoyable or relaxing (cereal, pastries, and bread, no cooked food and our room regularly costs $185 per night!). One of the employees kept introducing guests to one another and getting people's names wrong and she started talking trash talk on the occupy movement when two of the guests have a daughter that works for a nonprofit that collaborates with international human rights activists.

We went to a birthday party last night...and left after two hours. The host asked us to go out and get plates, cups, and bowls.  We went on a quest to find these things (in the hood) and returned 20-30 minutes later only to find that the roommate already had all of these things hidden away in the kitchen.  Then the host looked annoyed at us for not being social enough when he didn't introduce us to anyone and I only recognized two people there.  There was not enough food and the space was very tight so that people constantly had to get up and move because they were in other people's way.  Enough said.

We're going to meet up with Evelyn today at a Lebanese restaurant. We went to an Afghan restaurant yesterday, which was pretty good but I should not have had the wine with the food. Very bad combination that gave me stomach pains.
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Had a lovely visit with Evelyn at a Lebanese restaurant.  The Afghan Grill last night had better food.  We will see Evelyn again later tonight.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Damned If You Do

I'm not sure which is better getting paid next to nothing for something I love or getting paid loads for something I hate.  It seems like it's all a trick, that you get cheated either way.  Love your work but be stressed out about paying bills or hate your work and keep the house. 

How does anyone get rich?  They say it's by taking risks.  But it seems like a risky business either way.  Do what you love and land yourself in the poor house.  Do what irks your soul to the core and keep the bill collection agencies at bay.  Deep inside I feel like the only people getting rich are the ones writing the books that pull you in either direction.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Rosetta Stone and Career Ruminations

It took me over an hour to download the software, but I finally have Rosetta Stone.  I guess I'll start with level 1, even though I'm probably somewhere between levels 2 and 3, just to see what's on it. 

I looked up the deadline for application to the MA program in Translation Studies at Rutgers and it turns out it's January 3rd.  I'm not sure I could get everything together by then.  I think I could get the essays in Spanish and English done, but I'm not sure who to ask for recommendations or if I could get them in time to apply.  I had been thinking that maybe I could get a recommendation from the administration at my school, but I'm not sure that the timing's good on that. 

It will take me awhile to get through all five of the Rosetta Stone discs so maybe I should just start with that and then apply for the MA next year.

Today there was a PFT meeting and we found out that another $50,000 will be cut from the operating budget of the school.  So, they're either going to lay off a secretary and send one or two part time teachers to another school (or they will get cut, I'm not sure).  We will not have any supplies next year, which seems no different from this year.  I'm told it will be even more "bare bones" at the school.  It sounds like it will be a good time to leave come June.

I still want to work at a non-profit organization or even a government job (although those are getting increasingly cut it seems).  I care about the environment, animals, writing, human rights...but I'm not sure how to turn that into a job that I love.  I'm not sure what skills, certifications, educational credentials, etc. that I need to successfully enter a career that I love, or what that career would be.  I know that I do not want to work in education forever...or even beyond 1-3 years...and that's about it.  I'd really love to leave the field at the end of this year, but I'm not sure with the recession that it's even a possibility.  Probably not.

I know that what makes the most sense, financially, is to just stay at my job for the next 2-3 years, save money, and sell the house when the housing market improves.  But, I get so stressed out by work and I know that I am not best suited to the job.  I do not enjoy interacting with so many people (almost 900 a week) and I'm not very good at dealing with so many personalities.  I much prefer office work or research that I can complete independently or if I have to interact with people, on an individual basis.