(no subject)
There's a weird part of me that really does miss posting in this thing. I read it every day, pay close attention to other peoples' posts, and really find it an escape, but I haven't really posted much in ages. Just because I'm posting now does not imply that I will post again anytime soon, either. No promises.
I'm back in the United States. I have been back in the United States since December, and have brought my boyfriend with me. We had a huge debacle in China wherein the school called him and informed him (in his third year of study) that he had zero credits, and we were on a plane within two weeks. We sorted out his visa, wrapping up the apartment, getting rid of our stuff, etc, in record time.
After that, we were in England for five weeks. It had to be five weeks, too, which was slightly frustrating, because we were staying with his parents on short notice. Two weeks in, we had his student visa, and then we were just waiting for his entry date which was Dec 13. Once we left, we had him set up rather quickly at JCC, and he's taking classes there.
It was really fortuitous that I came back when I did, too. Dad went into the hospital the day before our flight, and he's the only one that knows how to put together the newspaper. It's just a local newspaper, but if it misses a week, it may just go under. I went in, jetlagged, and sat in front of the computer for 12 hours straight for two days to get that paper sorted out, and kept on putting it out for another three weeks. Lucky, there.
I really thought I'd find it somewhat easy to find a job, any job, since I have great qualifications. Apparently, my qualifications are either spotty or too good -- not that I've had any feedback in either case -- as I haven't gotten any phone calls. I had one interview for a part time bank teller position, and got turned down. I've been unemployed since December. It doth suck mightily. I interviewed yesterday for a volunteer coordinator position at a local botanical garden, but unfortunately, the person who coordinates volunteers at that location is also a volunteer, so while the position is absolutely perfect for me, there's absolutely no salary. At least I'd get to take the classes for free, which thrills me. I'm really hoping I hear back on it, because at least it'd be nice to put on my resume and have a good local reference. I'm also planning on going back to school in the fall, so at least I'll be pretty busy. The third thing I've got in the works is an extreme part time position placing international students with local families, and I would be working on commission. It sounds like it'd be basically impossible to make a decent living at it, but I may as well work hard enough at it to get some money in the bank.
I'm also in a weird position for unemployment. As in, I don't qualify. Which, by the way, sucks. I have had zero income for almost a year now, which means that I'm really tottering on the edge. We're just barely making it, as money just kind of appears occasionally when I'm really, really needing it.
All of these fortuitous things happening in my life are leading me to a weird spot, anyway; I'm highly nonreligious, but everything just seems to fall into place just as I need it to. I've been screaming at God for long enough to give me a sign that this makes me wonder if it's a long series of signs just screaming back at me to take notice, but my cynicism is difficult to get over. I'm sort of turning back to Buddhism...but really wish I could study under someone, y'no? But the closest Sangha is in Ann Arbor, and I can't afford to drive there right now. I think I'm going to restrict myself to audiobooks and long walks and see where it gets me.
Anyway, that's a pretty big mind-dump. We'll see if I manage to keep posting...in a way, I think I really need to, because otherwise I end up with all of this stuff rattling around my skull. Sorry for spamming anybody's friends page, hope ya'll don't mind.
--A
I'm back in the United States. I have been back in the United States since December, and have brought my boyfriend with me. We had a huge debacle in China wherein the school called him and informed him (in his third year of study) that he had zero credits, and we were on a plane within two weeks. We sorted out his visa, wrapping up the apartment, getting rid of our stuff, etc, in record time.
After that, we were in England for five weeks. It had to be five weeks, too, which was slightly frustrating, because we were staying with his parents on short notice. Two weeks in, we had his student visa, and then we were just waiting for his entry date which was Dec 13. Once we left, we had him set up rather quickly at JCC, and he's taking classes there.
It was really fortuitous that I came back when I did, too. Dad went into the hospital the day before our flight, and he's the only one that knows how to put together the newspaper. It's just a local newspaper, but if it misses a week, it may just go under. I went in, jetlagged, and sat in front of the computer for 12 hours straight for two days to get that paper sorted out, and kept on putting it out for another three weeks. Lucky, there.
I really thought I'd find it somewhat easy to find a job, any job, since I have great qualifications. Apparently, my qualifications are either spotty or too good -- not that I've had any feedback in either case -- as I haven't gotten any phone calls. I had one interview for a part time bank teller position, and got turned down. I've been unemployed since December. It doth suck mightily. I interviewed yesterday for a volunteer coordinator position at a local botanical garden, but unfortunately, the person who coordinates volunteers at that location is also a volunteer, so while the position is absolutely perfect for me, there's absolutely no salary. At least I'd get to take the classes for free, which thrills me. I'm really hoping I hear back on it, because at least it'd be nice to put on my resume and have a good local reference. I'm also planning on going back to school in the fall, so at least I'll be pretty busy. The third thing I've got in the works is an extreme part time position placing international students with local families, and I would be working on commission. It sounds like it'd be basically impossible to make a decent living at it, but I may as well work hard enough at it to get some money in the bank.
I'm also in a weird position for unemployment. As in, I don't qualify. Which, by the way, sucks. I have had zero income for almost a year now, which means that I'm really tottering on the edge. We're just barely making it, as money just kind of appears occasionally when I'm really, really needing it.
All of these fortuitous things happening in my life are leading me to a weird spot, anyway; I'm highly nonreligious, but everything just seems to fall into place just as I need it to. I've been screaming at God for long enough to give me a sign that this makes me wonder if it's a long series of signs just screaming back at me to take notice, but my cynicism is difficult to get over. I'm sort of turning back to Buddhism...but really wish I could study under someone, y'no? But the closest Sangha is in Ann Arbor, and I can't afford to drive there right now. I think I'm going to restrict myself to audiobooks and long walks and see where it gets me.
Anyway, that's a pretty big mind-dump. We'll see if I manage to keep posting...in a way, I think I really need to, because otherwise I end up with all of this stuff rattling around my skull. Sorry for spamming anybody's friends page, hope ya'll don't mind.
--A