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I heard from SIT about the Burkina Faso position–it has been filled. Too bad. I am a bit disappointed, but I was aware that the competition for this one position would be tough. I’m still waiting to hear about the Indonesian positions, but don’t expect to find out anything until the end of this week, probably. The SIT people also offered to put me on the list of candidates for Tunisia, but by the time I replied, that position had also been taken. Then they offered to put me on the list for Turkmenistan, but I declined–too cold in the winter. I gotta get to the tropics!
It’s been tropical here lately–beautiful, clear, sunny days and temperatures in the 70s and 80s, great weather for hiking, bicycling, etc. During the recent time off for the university festival, I played tennis three days in a row with some other teachers, the first time I had played tennis in over 30 years! Great fun, especially since I didn’t hurt any body parts. :laugh:
We have a three-day vacation, of sorts. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week is the university festival, so there are no classes. Why they scheduled it so close to the end of the semester is beyond my comprehension. The last day of the semester is June 14, then 10 days of teaching adult classes and I’m off to Laos and Thailand!
In addition to being excited about vacation time, I’m also on pins and needles waiting to hear if I got the SIT job in Africa or Indonesia. I’m sure I’ll hear nothing until the end of the month, so I’ll try to be patient until then. More later.
Here’s an interesting article about December’s big quake–it might give you an idea of just how big it was.
Another note about my potential job. All of these jobs sponsored by the State Department and administered by SIT are in Muslim areas or countries. It is an effort, begun in 1989, to improve America’s image in such areas, to show a “softer, gentler” side. A BBC article, “U.S. could win over Muslim world,” talks about just such an approach.
Well, I’ve made the “final cut” for the SIT positions. I got an email from them stating that I’m being put on the rosters for the Burkina Faso position and all of the Indonesian positions. Here’s the email (most of it):
Dear Candidate,
I am happy to inform you that we will be sending you on rosters for this upcoming Fellowship year. Please note that this does not guarantee you a Fellowship. It is the embassy’s discretion to accept or decline applicants.
Burkina Faso ? Oagadougou
Rural Equipment Engineering School
Indonesia ? All positions
The application process is as follows from here on out:
1. Your name is placed on 2 rosters, which will be sent out within a few days.
2. Embassies are given 10 days to respond to us at SIT with a list of applicants in order of preference.
3. If you are accepted to a position we will notify you by phone and you will have 24 hours to accept or decline the position. If we cannot reach you by phone you may receive an email.
4. If you are not accepted to any of the rosters you have been placed on SIT may decide to include you on another round of rosters. If you are included again we will email you with the positions we are thinking of and give you a chance to respond.
5. At any given point when it seems unlikely that you will be accepted for a Fellowship we will notify you via email
So, I’ve got my fingers crossed about getting one of the jobs. I dare say if I’m chosen, it will be for an Indonesian position; there is only one African job up for grabs, but there are about half a dozen Indonesian ones. I should know in a couple of weeks. More later.
I believe that is the name of the trees I hiked through this past weekend. I’ll try to get a photo posted.
On the job front, I got another email from the SIT folks. They had written me last week saying they had not yet received the hard copies of my application and graduate transcripts. However, when I took the interview on Saturday, the interviewer informed me that she had these documents in front of her. Again today I got another email saying they hadn’t received the documents. So, I don’t know what’s going on there. If they don’t have the documents, then I’m screwed–I can’t get the job unless they have them. I hope it’s just a mix up on their part; I’d hate to lose the position just because the Korean or American postal system can’t deliver priority mail properly.
I had a phone interview Saturday morning at 5 a.m. from the U.S. I’ve applied for a position as an English Language Fellow, a program funded by the U.S. State Dept. and administered by the School for International Training in Vermont. The interview went ok–not bad, not great, but adequate, I think. The lady who interviewed me said she would get back to me in a couple of weeks. I had applied for a position in Burkina Faso, Africa and for two in Thailand. She mentioned those, but also asked if she could put me on the roster for about half a dozen universities in Indonesia. I agreed, of course. If I’m selected I have a feeling that I’ll be going to Indo. I’m hopeful.
I also recently turned down positions in Hat Yai, Thailand (not enough money) and in Saudi Arabia (the school doesn’t have a good reputation, I’m told by a friend who works in Saudi). I’m still looking at the job in Wonju, Korea and at a potential opening in Laos.
We’ve had beautiful weather here lately and I spent the weekend hiking in the surrounding hills. There are hundreds of trees with clusters of white flowers hanging off their branches, and walking through them is an aromatic experience. I’ll have to ask one of the other teachers, who was a biology teacher, what their name is. More later.
I thought I’d put up a comparison photo of a clear day so you can see just how hazy it gets around here sometime. These were not taken at exactly the same time of day, but it’s only a few hours difference between the two. Lately we’ve been getting some very nice weather, clear skies, and temperatures in the 80s. Quite nice. Unfortunately, my cold has returned. More later.
Clear skies on May 2, hazy on Apr. 29
It was very hazy a few days ago, looking much like the smoke-enshrouded skies of Montana during fire season. I don’t know whether it was water vapor, an actual forest fire somewhere else in Korea, or Chinese dust, though there were no dust alerts issued that day. Speaking of forest fires, Montana and other western states can expect more drought, according to this article. In Andong, the forecast is calling for rain today. What better day for a wedding? Two of our former office staff are marrying at noon. I’ll post some photos later.
View from my office on Apr. 29
Now, I’ve been accused of having my head up my butt, but never up someone else’s.
This photo is from last summer’s kids’ camp. They were playing a popular game called, I think, “Horse,” wherein two of them hook up, as above, and the rest of the gang jump on their backs, one by one, to see how many they can hold before the “horse” collapses. I captured this shot from my 5th floor office.
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