Last night, I was talking to my sister. Towards the end of the conversation, she asked if I was EVER going to blog again. I thought about it for a minute, and then finally came to the conclusion that I wasn't sure that anyone was even reading. Not that I'd blame them (it has been a really long time since I last did), but I think when you know you're writing to a limited audience, it's just not as motivating. However, my co-teacher isn't here at school today, so I don't have to meet with her on my prep time. Today's blog will harken back to my days in Colombia where I'd spend HOURS a week on my blog during my various prep periods. I don't plan on making this a new habit, but for now, it works.
It's crazy to me that it's been almost a month exactly since my last blog. When I got here, time seemed to stand still certain days, but this last month has flown by. It's funny because I knew once the calendar hit October that it would do that. It's the simple yin and yang; the first two months were at times brutally slow, so it just made sense that during October, things would pick up. This month, in a lot of ways, has been a blur. From the sheer amount of parties I've been to, to the countless (OK, just three) buffets, and the rapid-fire days spent with kids and meetings, things have just been really moving. And that's a good thing, just in case you're wondering. Things needed to pick up. Sometimes, you feel like the kid at science camp (hopefully most people get this reference) who has a blast during the day, but then falls apart at night when he/she returns to the bunk and has some quiet time to reflect. Now, I don't go into a panic and start slobbering all over the place like the kid tends to do, but there are some times where, if you let it, your mind will start to race a bit and you'll eventually begin the series of questions in your mind about whether this was the right move, the future, the relationships at home that are on pause, etc. Fortunately, I've never had a serious moment...just fleeting thoughts about such things as whether what I've chosen to do here is rational, if everyone's forgotten about me, and of course, where to go from here (yes, I do spend time thinking about my next job and where that will be).
I think I mentioned in a previous blog that it's normal for people to go through various, but distinct, stages of homesickness. I think if I did mention that, I probably also mentioned that I seem to be relatively immune to these stages. I still haven't had any breakdowns or episodes. As sad as it sounds, I think my best friend here is my iPhone. With it, I can keep in touch with people via texts (other iMessage works here) and FB, I can check the news (MSNBC and of course, KCRA), and overall, just feel totally connected. I've had a few nice chats with people back home (not as many as I'd like because the timing is all screwed up), and have even been able to do some FaceTiming (rad). Because of all this, I know that everyone is just a push of a button away, and that, for me, is like knowing that you have Xanax on hand in case you do freak out but never having to take it because you know you have it. The mind is a strange thing.
So, "What's new?" is the question on everyone's mind, and the answer to that is fairly simple..."Nothing and everything." I've settled into a fairly regular schedule (read: boring) during the week. The difference between here and last year is that last year, in order, I'd probably say that my favorite place to be would be 1) Home (preferably drinking red wine) 2) Work (but just on a good/administration free day) and 3) The gym. Here, things are different...resoundingly different. My favorite place, by far, is school. Although I have settled into some old routines (as far as teaching goes), the relationships I have with my colleagues and more so the kids, are what keep me going. I've also started helping with the school's swimming program on M/W/F (Fridays are lessons=hilarious), so that's been a ton of fun. Second to school is easily life at the PH (I've managed, despite the sometimes extremely gluttonous weekends) to keep my weight down at post-Paleo lows, and finally, the place I enjoy the least, my apartment (no booze, no snacks, and no television...and these are my own rules). My place is not fun, rather, it's somewhere to lay my head and store my clothes. The PH comes in really handy, because after I leave school at about 4:30 or so, it takes 30 minutes to get there, I stay for anywhere from one to two hours, and then it's back home. By the time I get home, I eat dinner, watch a few streaming episodes (almost finished with Mad Men!) and then go to sleep. When I wake up, I'm excited to get out the door and on my way to school. And that's an amazing change in my life.
Other than school, it's all about the weekends. I've resigned myself to the fact that my weekends are going to be pretty low-key, but just in the sense that I'll usually be sticking around. There really aren't a whole lot of places within a reasonable amount of time on the road that are worth visiting. Usually, this just means house parties, or maybe someday, going out to clubs/hotels. You may be surprised to know that I haven't really done this yet because frankly, on Fridays, we're usually too wiped out to go big. That, and it's a common day for staff functions. I guess a big part of all of this is my age, and I'm OK with that. I've made friends with so many fun new people here that honestly, I think it's just as fun (if not more) to hang out at their places. I work with some really fun/funny people, so it's been a blast getting to know them. In fact, last weekend, I was at a co-worker's 40th birthday party when suddenly, in the middle of happy birthday, I looked around and realized I had about just as many new friends/acquaintances surrounding me. That was a really great feeling. Although social circles are generally pretty tight, they're not exclusive, and all it takes is a quick conversation, email or text to make something happen. This is an area in which I'm still working/figuring things out. But the other realization I have is that unlike eight years ago in Medellin, I'm much more OK with being by myself here. And not to beat a dead horse here, but after my last year in Stockton, it's tough for me to feel more uncomfortable/miserable than I sometimes did. Uncomfortable working conditions, extremely challenging kids, and living at home in my old bedroom were not quite the highlights of my existence!
Last night, Kelly correctly guessed that my time here would be spent counting down days until the next vacation until I ultimately end my contract here and move on. Am I that predictable? Is it the countdown app that gave me away?! But seriously, she's absolutely right. While school is amazing, I'm also one for the vacations, and it's only natural for this brain of mine to refer to everything on a time sequence. Yes, I have four days until Thailand. Then I'm back for six weeks before being off for three. Then I come back for 12 more weeks, followed by Spring Break for one, and then finally back for the last eight weeks until summer vacation. From there, it's one month back in CA and the next month doing a SE Asia tour (hope to extensively visit Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos). Back to school August first, one month later they'll be asking me if I plan on extending my contract (I'll say "no thanks") and within a month, I'll begin the process of looking for my next gig. It won't be because I am unhappy in any way here; it'll be entirely because Chennai is such a crappy city. Seriously, it's unbelievably uninspiring, and the fact that it's virtually impossible to simply grab a drink with friends around the corner or take the subway or metro to another cool place in town makes it positively depressing. There are just much cooler places in the world where I'd rather live, but in taking this position, I knew I wouldn't love Chennai, probably wouldn't assimilate into the culture at all, and knew I'd be here only for a very finite amount of time. And, in case you're wondering, my next country choices of Spain, Germany, Brazil, Panama, Argentina, Chile or Thailand would all be quite nice, thank you very much.
Now, let's talk Thailand! Less than 96 hours from now, I will be in my dream-of-all-dreams destination. I've been wanting to go there for YEARS, but I've never had the balls to do it on my own. Also, learning Spanish was a huge goal of mine, so for that reason, I kept going back for learning's sake. Going so far away, solo, with no language skills was just too daunting, however, there were many times I almost pulled the trigger. But in the end, I always chickened out. Now, those days are behind me, because at 12:25 AM Saturday morning, not only will I be going to Bangkok, but I'll also be going with someone who's actually lived there! My buddy Ethan, who spent four years in Warsaw, followed by a year off teaching English in Thailand and then farting around in Chile for four months, will be going with. I'm really excited to not only be going with a travel partner, but also someone who knows the area well. My plan is to ask him one billion questions as I learn to navigate the city's ins and outs so that I can visit again in the future. Everyone I've talked to has nothing but incredible things to share about what it's like there, so naturally, I can't wait to go. I feel like this trip is somewhat of a dream come true. I'll definitely be taking lots of pictures and enjoying my time there to the fullest, so you'll all just have to wait until then to hear the details!!
Alright, I'm outta here. Hopefully this blog does a decent job of summarizing life here. It's certainly not as if my days are full of outrageous sights and activities. Like anything, the newness wears off gradually. Although I love the luxury my lifestyle affords me these days, it continues to be my goal to do something a little more meaningful with my time here. Perhaps some social welfare or community outreach will come along at some point, but it's as my friend Diane says (when I complain that I'm living too much of the expat lifestyle, "Just enjoy it because you may never be able to do this again." So with that said, I'll enjoy my last 30 minutes of the day with the kids sipping my free school coffee, tolerate the ride to the PH, love/hate my afternoon exercise, tolerate the ride home, and then relax as my friends George and Kaye (50-something Kiwis) and I have dinner and drink our illegally obtained wine. Life is good. :)
In the meantime, please feel free to comment (to let me know someone's reading this) or drop me a message (either through Gmail, iMessage, or FB). I'd love to hear from you!
Ben
It's crazy to me that it's been almost a month exactly since my last blog. When I got here, time seemed to stand still certain days, but this last month has flown by. It's funny because I knew once the calendar hit October that it would do that. It's the simple yin and yang; the first two months were at times brutally slow, so it just made sense that during October, things would pick up. This month, in a lot of ways, has been a blur. From the sheer amount of parties I've been to, to the countless (OK, just three) buffets, and the rapid-fire days spent with kids and meetings, things have just been really moving. And that's a good thing, just in case you're wondering. Things needed to pick up. Sometimes, you feel like the kid at science camp (hopefully most people get this reference) who has a blast during the day, but then falls apart at night when he/she returns to the bunk and has some quiet time to reflect. Now, I don't go into a panic and start slobbering all over the place like the kid tends to do, but there are some times where, if you let it, your mind will start to race a bit and you'll eventually begin the series of questions in your mind about whether this was the right move, the future, the relationships at home that are on pause, etc. Fortunately, I've never had a serious moment...just fleeting thoughts about such things as whether what I've chosen to do here is rational, if everyone's forgotten about me, and of course, where to go from here (yes, I do spend time thinking about my next job and where that will be).
I think I mentioned in a previous blog that it's normal for people to go through various, but distinct, stages of homesickness. I think if I did mention that, I probably also mentioned that I seem to be relatively immune to these stages. I still haven't had any breakdowns or episodes. As sad as it sounds, I think my best friend here is my iPhone. With it, I can keep in touch with people via texts (other iMessage works here) and FB, I can check the news (MSNBC and of course, KCRA), and overall, just feel totally connected. I've had a few nice chats with people back home (not as many as I'd like because the timing is all screwed up), and have even been able to do some FaceTiming (rad). Because of all this, I know that everyone is just a push of a button away, and that, for me, is like knowing that you have Xanax on hand in case you do freak out but never having to take it because you know you have it. The mind is a strange thing.
So, "What's new?" is the question on everyone's mind, and the answer to that is fairly simple..."Nothing and everything." I've settled into a fairly regular schedule (read: boring) during the week. The difference between here and last year is that last year, in order, I'd probably say that my favorite place to be would be 1) Home (preferably drinking red wine) 2) Work (but just on a good/administration free day) and 3) The gym. Here, things are different...resoundingly different. My favorite place, by far, is school. Although I have settled into some old routines (as far as teaching goes), the relationships I have with my colleagues and more so the kids, are what keep me going. I've also started helping with the school's swimming program on M/W/F (Fridays are lessons=hilarious), so that's been a ton of fun. Second to school is easily life at the PH (I've managed, despite the sometimes extremely gluttonous weekends) to keep my weight down at post-Paleo lows, and finally, the place I enjoy the least, my apartment (no booze, no snacks, and no television...and these are my own rules). My place is not fun, rather, it's somewhere to lay my head and store my clothes. The PH comes in really handy, because after I leave school at about 4:30 or so, it takes 30 minutes to get there, I stay for anywhere from one to two hours, and then it's back home. By the time I get home, I eat dinner, watch a few streaming episodes (almost finished with Mad Men!) and then go to sleep. When I wake up, I'm excited to get out the door and on my way to school. And that's an amazing change in my life.
Other than school, it's all about the weekends. I've resigned myself to the fact that my weekends are going to be pretty low-key, but just in the sense that I'll usually be sticking around. There really aren't a whole lot of places within a reasonable amount of time on the road that are worth visiting. Usually, this just means house parties, or maybe someday, going out to clubs/hotels. You may be surprised to know that I haven't really done this yet because frankly, on Fridays, we're usually too wiped out to go big. That, and it's a common day for staff functions. I guess a big part of all of this is my age, and I'm OK with that. I've made friends with so many fun new people here that honestly, I think it's just as fun (if not more) to hang out at their places. I work with some really fun/funny people, so it's been a blast getting to know them. In fact, last weekend, I was at a co-worker's 40th birthday party when suddenly, in the middle of happy birthday, I looked around and realized I had about just as many new friends/acquaintances surrounding me. That was a really great feeling. Although social circles are generally pretty tight, they're not exclusive, and all it takes is a quick conversation, email or text to make something happen. This is an area in which I'm still working/figuring things out. But the other realization I have is that unlike eight years ago in Medellin, I'm much more OK with being by myself here. And not to beat a dead horse here, but after my last year in Stockton, it's tough for me to feel more uncomfortable/miserable than I sometimes did. Uncomfortable working conditions, extremely challenging kids, and living at home in my old bedroom were not quite the highlights of my existence!
Last night, Kelly correctly guessed that my time here would be spent counting down days until the next vacation until I ultimately end my contract here and move on. Am I that predictable? Is it the countdown app that gave me away?! But seriously, she's absolutely right. While school is amazing, I'm also one for the vacations, and it's only natural for this brain of mine to refer to everything on a time sequence. Yes, I have four days until Thailand. Then I'm back for six weeks before being off for three. Then I come back for 12 more weeks, followed by Spring Break for one, and then finally back for the last eight weeks until summer vacation. From there, it's one month back in CA and the next month doing a SE Asia tour (hope to extensively visit Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos). Back to school August first, one month later they'll be asking me if I plan on extending my contract (I'll say "no thanks") and within a month, I'll begin the process of looking for my next gig. It won't be because I am unhappy in any way here; it'll be entirely because Chennai is such a crappy city. Seriously, it's unbelievably uninspiring, and the fact that it's virtually impossible to simply grab a drink with friends around the corner or take the subway or metro to another cool place in town makes it positively depressing. There are just much cooler places in the world where I'd rather live, but in taking this position, I knew I wouldn't love Chennai, probably wouldn't assimilate into the culture at all, and knew I'd be here only for a very finite amount of time. And, in case you're wondering, my next country choices of Spain, Germany, Brazil, Panama, Argentina, Chile or Thailand would all be quite nice, thank you very much.
Now, let's talk Thailand! Less than 96 hours from now, I will be in my dream-of-all-dreams destination. I've been wanting to go there for YEARS, but I've never had the balls to do it on my own. Also, learning Spanish was a huge goal of mine, so for that reason, I kept going back for learning's sake. Going so far away, solo, with no language skills was just too daunting, however, there were many times I almost pulled the trigger. But in the end, I always chickened out. Now, those days are behind me, because at 12:25 AM Saturday morning, not only will I be going to Bangkok, but I'll also be going with someone who's actually lived there! My buddy Ethan, who spent four years in Warsaw, followed by a year off teaching English in Thailand and then farting around in Chile for four months, will be going with. I'm really excited to not only be going with a travel partner, but also someone who knows the area well. My plan is to ask him one billion questions as I learn to navigate the city's ins and outs so that I can visit again in the future. Everyone I've talked to has nothing but incredible things to share about what it's like there, so naturally, I can't wait to go. I feel like this trip is somewhat of a dream come true. I'll definitely be taking lots of pictures and enjoying my time there to the fullest, so you'll all just have to wait until then to hear the details!!
Alright, I'm outta here. Hopefully this blog does a decent job of summarizing life here. It's certainly not as if my days are full of outrageous sights and activities. Like anything, the newness wears off gradually. Although I love the luxury my lifestyle affords me these days, it continues to be my goal to do something a little more meaningful with my time here. Perhaps some social welfare or community outreach will come along at some point, but it's as my friend Diane says (when I complain that I'm living too much of the expat lifestyle, "Just enjoy it because you may never be able to do this again." So with that said, I'll enjoy my last 30 minutes of the day with the kids sipping my free school coffee, tolerate the ride to the PH, love/hate my afternoon exercise, tolerate the ride home, and then relax as my friends George and Kaye (50-something Kiwis) and I have dinner and drink our illegally obtained wine. Life is good. :)
In the meantime, please feel free to comment (to let me know someone's reading this) or drop me a message (either through Gmail, iMessage, or FB). I'd love to hear from you!
Ben
