I can finally put that dot on the map. I received my contract from Taiwan's Ministry of Education today. With the contract was a profile of my school and what (I believe) is my address in Taiwan. It's a relief to finally know where I'll be going.
I'll be teaching English twice a week to third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade students at Wu Fu Elementary School in Kaohsiung County near Fongshan City. Follow this link to learn a little more about the city I'll be calling home http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fongshan_City
I'm happy that I'll be in a metropolitan area. I'm a city girl at heart and want to be around people. Fongshan is basically a Taiwanese suburb of Kaohsiung City, which is the second largest city in the country (Taipei being the largest). I'll also be near the coast...not a bad deal. I can travel easily through the country because I'll be near the high speed rail system. I'll also be fairly close to the oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan City. Tainan City also has the most temples in the country. I think I'll be able to keep busy in my off time if this is where I'm living.
From what I can tell, I'll be living with the president of the parent's association. I have some trepidation about this. I never want to disturb others' home lives. I struggled with the same issue as I lived with friends after moving out of my ex-boyfriend's house. I just hate disrupting anyone's home life. It is a good thing for me though. I will have a surrogate family who can help me if I need it and show me around. I also have to assume that they speak English fairly well or they wouldn't feel comfortable having me in their home (I could be very wrong on this point so keep your fingers crossed for me).
I guess this is just another milestone on this fantastic journey. I'm a person who likes to be in the know. It was frustrating for the last few weeks to not know where I would be living. I feel a certain comfort in knowing where I will be living and working next year.
Now, the researcher in me is off to find out everything I can about my new home. I love the world wide web!
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4 comments:
Rachael, It's me Sunny. I am so glad you finally know where you are going. I can't wait to hear about how things are going for you.
The psychologists have some stages people go through when they move to a new country. the first two are the honeymoon period when you are trying to learn as much as you can, and everything is new. The next is kind of a depression when you become a little overwhelmed by all that is new, and long for the familar. (We used to call it "homesickness".) Knowing that you will eventually go home, and keeping a positive attitude, goes a long way toward helping with the adjustment period. I have seen some students go in and out of it in amatter o days, while a few have taken months to adjust. The big difference here is that you chose to go, so even if those feelings creep up on you, you know that this is tempoary, and you can go home. . . later, so the adjustment will probably be brief for you. Surprisingly the same thing happens when you come home. But you may adjust so well that you plan on staying there for another hitch. (or whatever they call it.) Like I said, I plan to live vicarously fhrough you, so let me know if there is anything I can send you from the US. When do you leave? Sunny
Rach- Great to see the J-scool skills are alive and well! Fun to read. Thanks for sharing with us. -K
Have you left yet? Be sure to let us know how you are. sunny
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