TheBanyanTree: Opening the pages to a new chapter...

[Pat M]

It has been months since I've peeked out of the leaves of the Banyan Tree to
say hello.  My life has been busy, incredibly busy since I received my TESOL
(Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) diploma in December.

My plan had been to return to Guatemala, but before I could leave, my
husband Andrew and I had to sort out the separation agreement and divide the
assets.  Yes, surprisingly, although we had been separated for over a year
and a half, we had made no changes to our accounts.  Andrew continued to
trade shares and 'work' the stock market.  We both continued to deposit
monies to the joint account.  After 25 years together, we both knew we could
trust the integrity of the other.

If I were going abroad, possibly long term, however, we needed to sort
things out.  When I consulted a lawyer two years ago, he indicated that if
Andrew and I could not agree on a settlement, he estimated that each of us
would spend a minimum of $50,000 on legal fees.  No thank you!

Both Andrew and I have always been careful with our money and neither of us
wanted to 'waste' it on lawyers.  In January, I suggested I draft the
separation agreement, and we come up with our own mutually-acceptable
division of assets.  Fifty thousand dollars each is a great motivator to
make things work.  Nevertheless, the task seemed daunting, and I had a
difficult time focusing my attention on it.

In the meantime, I began searching for an out-of-country teaching position
that would provide me with my own bedroom and a small stipend to cover my
day-to-day living expenses so that I didn't have to drain my savings.  Every
day I searched the Internet, and to my surprise came across an advertisement
for ESL teachers from Guatemala's Safe Passage, the organization I
volunteered with in 2004 and 2005.  See www.safepassage.org

When I was there, there had been no English program but now they were
offering simple accommodation and a small stipend to volunteer English
teachers.  I immediately sent off an email expressing my interest.  Safe
Passage's volunteer coordinator promptly responded.  She said that Hanley
Denning, Safe Passage's founder, wanted to speak with me, and we set up a
telephone interview.

Hanley was only approaching her thirtieth birthday when she started Safe
Passage in 1999.  We had climbed Pacaya, an active volcano and attended the
giant kite festival on All Saints day together while I was in Guatemala.  I
admired her passion, kindness and commitment.

On Friday, January 19th, I expected to hear from Hanley to discuss and plan
for my trip to Guatemala, this time as an English instructor.  To my shock,
I received an email telling me that Hanley and her driver had been killed
the previous day by a runaway bus as they were on their way home after work
at the Project.

I was stunned.  Days earlier I had lost a friend to cancer.  Now, Hanley,
who had seemed larger than life, was dead too.  It didn't seem possible.
Why had someone who had done so much good been taken so young?

Four days after Hanley's death, a documentary called 'Recycled Life' about
the Guatemala City dump and the people living there was nominated for an
Oscar.   See www.recycledlifedoc.com   (I have since purchased this movie.)
It didn't win, but it is an excellent documentary that also includes a
tribute to Hanley for her work.  I can't watch it without tears.

Several weeks went by before my discussions with Safe Passage continued.
The new Acting Director was not willing to offer me a place with my own
bedroom or a stipend.  After Hanley's untimely death, Safe Passage had
people clamoring to volunteer and there was no need to provide any 'perks'
for English teachers. With regret, I turned my attention to finding another
teaching job.

Thus began my search for 'the right opportunity'.  Honduras, it appeared,
was anxious for English teachers but they were looking for teachers of all
subjects.  My training focused on how to teach English only.  Although
several bilingual schools in Honduras offered me a job, nothing felt right.

>From January, I had volunteered as an ESL teacher's assistant at the local
college assisting in grammar, writing, business English and international
cooking classes.  I was also volunteer tutoring several students in English
pronunciation.  As time went on, I realized just how much I enjoyed working
with the college-aged students from Korea and China.  They were a pleasure
to teach, highly motivated and very appreciative.  I began to consider doing
something really radical, like working with young adults in China or South
Korea.  I was ready for some adventure!

I put a free ad on a couple of ESL websites.  Job offers flooded my inbox;
so many that I felt overwhelmed.  I learned that I am unable to legally
teach in South Korea because I do not have a degree but the demand for
teachers is so high that if I were willing to take a chance, I could enter
the country on a tourist visa and teach 'under the table.'   Not for me, at
this point, anyway.

China is less strict and although there are several hoops I need to jump
through to get the requisite working visa, it is possible.

I sent out emails to teachers who were currently in China asking them a
multitude of questions; I'm not one to make hasty decisions. Finally, I
telephoned and spoke with a Canadian teacher in China about his experience
as an EFL teacher there.

So, now I'm up for the challenge but I don't know which job to accept.
There are two I am interested in.

One is a recruiter for government schools who has a reasonably good
reputation.  The advantages?  I will be picked up at the airport, provided
with a week or two of orientation and training before starting work.  For a
5-month contract, they'll pay for my flight to China and a reasonable wage.
They provide 24-hour support and ensure that the school provides what is
promised:  a clean, furnished western-style apartment including utilities, a
laptop computer etc.  I'll be teaching about 16 hours a week, listening and
speaking only. The downside?  The classes will be huge--around 50 students!


The other job pays more but I must be present at the school 40 hours a week,
of which 25 will be teaching hours.  But... the lesson plans will
be prepared for me and the classes are small.

I'm leaning toward the recruiter which makes sense for someone like myself
who has never been to China and doesn't know the language.  (I've ordered a
book to get started on Mandarin as well as Lonely Planet's 'China'.)

So, I will likely be signing a contract for a 5-month teaching job in China
that will start in August.

In May, I'll put my furniture into long-term storage and head to the coast
where I will help my younger sister (only 37 years old) for a couple of
months.  She just had her third hip replacement after the last one a year
ago failed.  She really needs the emotional support as much as the
physical.  It will take about 3 months before she can lead a normal life
again.

Then, I'm off to see another part of the world, and I can't wait!

Pat





-- 
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away
from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." (Twain)