I Stopped Blogging...Please Forgive Me!

Photo Credit: Colorlava.com

Hello and welcome back! Just as the title states above, I stopped blogging (for close to two years!) and I’m truly sorry. It was never my intention to stop writing (especially with craziness I experience in China). Since I'm back in the U.S.A on vacation, a number of people asked me "why did I stop blogging?" as well as, "when would I blog again?"I decided that I needed to continue blogging and as I will explain below, some things happened to me which stopped me from blogging. 

1.      Time: I stopped devoting time to the blog and I started really living life abroad. I started to go out a bit more and socialize (through people, groups and random activities). Then, I became really involved with work (during my first year). I also started going to the gym (I will blog about this in more detail) and I even dipped my toes into the dating world here in Shanghai (I will also explain more about this in an upcoming blog post).

2.    I changed employment: I’m not going to explain everything here (since I have a blog post or two in the works about this topic), but I changed employment after my first year in China. To be honest, I wasn’t really thrilled about my job and I didn’t want to stay there and endure another year. I experienced some good, bad and terrible during my year at said company, but as the saying goes, the first year really and truly is a learning year and I learned a lot about work, office culture and expectations in China. I’m happy to report that I found better, more satisfying employment elsewhere in Shanghai and at this time, I will be staying there for another year.

3.     I got lazy: I can’t lie…I did get lazy and I let this blog go to the wayside. Even though I was busy with activities, job changes and adjustments, I could have found a spare hour or two a week to blog and recount my life in Shanghai.  I had a couple of blogs I wanted to write and they stayed in my draft folder. Then a week would pass and then a week turned into a month, a few months and then a year.

Along with the laziness came a fear of writing. For whatever reason, I was scared to write about my experiences and so I stayed away from the blog. I can’t explain the reason why but I hope to never experience that fear of writing again.

 I realized the importance of writing a blog and keeping in touch with friends and family while abroad. I write this blog not just for myself, but for other people. I write this blog for people who want to know how I’m doing and what I’m experiencing. I write this blog for those who love to travel, especially if they’re planning a trip to China or anyplace else I intend to blog about in the future. Finally, I write this blog to encourage those who have a dream, who want to get out and explore the world but may have doubts about where to go and how to get started. Just realize that travel is in your future and don’t give up your dreams!

This Lamborghini will be mine one day! Shanghai Luxury Expo 2013

Lastly, I will be doing 20 different blog posts to finish the year 2014. I will find an hour or two a week to blog mostly about travel, but also about other things that affect my life. I've already written the topics, now it’s time to end the excuses and just write! 

Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for the next blog post!

Tomorrow

"Come tomorrow, I'll wake up new..." ~Chad Shugg

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty face from day to day." ~William Shakespeare

"Tomorrow is Pregnant and no one knows what she will give birth to..." ~African Proverb


As you can see from the quotes above, my current focus lies on tomorrow due to the fact that I depart  tomorrow and I will officially arrive in Shanghai on Thursday. I'm full of stress (I'm still packing ;/ ) and my emotions are running incredibly high. I cannot believe that I'm going to China...

CHINA!!!!

As I mentioned previously, I'm still in shock over my decision to go to China.  If someone had told me a year ago that I would be going to China, I would given them a wicked side-eye followed up with enormous gales of incredulous laughter. As I mentioned previously on this blog, China, or Asia in general was never on my radar, but, life happens and I never question my gut.

 The reality has not really hit me that I'm going to be boarding a plane in a few short hours (with a hella long flight) and waking up on the other side of the world ( a day later). The reality that I'm willingly leaving my comfort zone of the west to voluntarily go to the east.  The reality that I'm living abroad again...

I posted the above quotes because they convey my current thoughts. I don't know what tomorrow or this adventure may hold but a few things are certain: tomorrow is a new day, living a new dream, with new experiences, and in the future, new stories and anecdotes to share with a brand new outlook.

So, I will leave you now so I can finish packing and hopefully, I can catch some zzzz's.  All I ask is that you keep me in your positive thoughts (or prayers) because I would truly appreciate it.

Have a wonderful night and see you on the other side of the world!

Moving...Saying My First Goodbyes

Hello and Welcome Back!

Just as the title says, I started the moving and goodbye process. I officially leave in three days and so far, the reality has not hit me yet.

Over the weekend, I moved out of my apartment which was enormously stressful.  When it comes to moving, I tend to grossly underestimate the process which only leads to more stress the actual day of the move. Since I left The Firm over a week ago and upon returning from my mini vacation on Monday, I pretty much had the entire week to pack, organize and clean.  All week, I slowly packed up my things and I honestly felt like I had very little to pack, but when Friday finally came, it was a different story and I was frantically throwing things in garbage bags and cursing under my breath about all the s#%t stuff I had accumulated. I was fortunate to obtain some help at the eleventh hour; but, I completed the bulk of the move on my own, which only led me to think...

Can I continue living this lifestyle and if so, for how long?

Maybe it was the stress talking (because after all, who really likes to move???) because while I was packing, I had some time to think deeply about my long term plans for the future. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and I'm excited about the opportunity to live and work in Shanghai, but I have to be honest when I say a small part of me is experiencing some fatigue when it comes to the nomad lifestyle. A part of me is eager to finally settle down into a place I can call my own without the undue burden I've placed on others. A part of me is over saying goodbye again and again only to return to where I came from.  A part of me is just tired...

I'm sure many other people who are in my position have these same thoughts and just like me, the thrill and excitement of travel weigh out a life of stability or monotony (or something along those lines).  All I can say is that I've chosen this life and I will deal with the consequences of my choices (rant over).

Now that I've ranted a bit, I was very overjoyed once I completely finished the moving process and a representative from the rental agency did a walk through of my apartment and upon inspection, informed me that I should expect my security deposit back in 4-6 weeks (this bit is crucial since I was engaged in a battle with the rental agency for several weeks over the return of my security deposit). Once the inspection was completed, I dropped off several bags to the neighborhood Goodwill and I continued on back home for a nap and then the massive task of once again, organizing and packing.

Saturday evening found me in the brand new home of one of my childhood friends complete with a delicious home cooked meal by his mother.  His mother exchanged some stories and advice on what to expect upon my arrival in Asia since she had spent some time there and had a sibling who lived there for several years.  It was a lovely evening full of friends, foods, and lots of discussion. We decided to call it a night just after midnight and thus, I said my first round of goodbyes. Despite the sadness of the situation, I remained cheerful and empowered about the new chapter of my life that would begin in the next few days.

How I'm Going to China (Part 2: Job Hunting )

 ***This is a three part series click here for part one.***

 As you read in part one of this series, I managed to find a Mandarin course in my area that fit my time and schedule. A month into the course, I decided it was time to start my employment search in China.  I was pretty set on going the ESL teaching route for reasons that ranged from career interest to ease of obtaining a long term visa.

Before applying for jobs, I knew it was necessary to secure a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate of some kind.  After searching the internet, along with obtaining advice from my friend Jo Gan,  I found a TESOL course that covered lots of material at a great price (As you can see, I’m always deal hunting :)

I dove headfirst into my job search despite an already packed schedule of working full-time, Mandarin classes, as well as, studying for my TESOL certificate.   I started my job search with high hopes, but after several weeks, my high hopes were sinking. This was not due to patience (ok, I can be a bit impatient), or unrealistic expectations; in fact, my expectations were quite realistic when one compared my qualifications and work history.  After reading a number of books, blogs and internet sites, I discovered the uncomfortable truth….

It turns out, obtaining ESL employment could be difficult due to my race.  Apparently, a disproportionate number of employers in Asia are very hesitant to place a black instructor in the classroom for two compelling reasons-ignorance and money.   Many natives wrongfully assume that a native English speaker cannot be Black since a native English speaker may originate from the U.S.A., Canada, Ireland, Australia or the United Kingdom-countries with a white majority population.  If a native encounters a Black instructor, there's an automatic assumption that this person must be from the African continent; thus, they must not be a native English speaker (despite several countries having English as there national language).  If a parent discovers that there is a Black teacher in the classroom, they may question the instructor’s credentials and some will go as far as pulling their children from the class or petitioning for that teacher’s termination.  This places language schools in an awkward situation and a potential loss in revenue; thus, many schools find it less complicated and more financially advantageous to hire a White instructor over a Black instructor despite qualifications.

I understand race is something uncomfortable to discuss in today’s “color-blind” society; however, race still matters to many employers in Asia. I experienced this prejudice first hand when I applied for several jobs that were eager to grant me an interview; but, upon submitting my picture, I would receive  several “thanks, but no thanks responses”  if they responded at all (and no, I’m not ugly :p ).

I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, so I dug deeper into my search and found a minority friendly company.   I submitted a stellar application and I was a tad aggressive in my sales pitch, but this payed off since I received a response quite quickly.  After exchanging several emails, I arranged an interview via Skype that went very well.  During the interview, I expressed my desire to be placed in the south of China (specifically Shanghai) and teaching older teens or adults.  I played the waiting game for several weeks and when finally, I received the “congratulations” email!  Not only were they offering me a position, but the position would be in my choice city (Shanghai) and age level (adults)! I cried tears of joy and waited another week before I accepted the offer (I received several other employment offers despite my race that I reviewed for consideration). The only downfall was that I needed to be there in a pinch (by the end of August, but now early September), so I had to act quickly with everything that needed to be done before that time (which I'm actively doing each and every day).

Thanks again for tuning in and come back for part three!

为什么中国? (Why China ?)

As discussed in my previous post (you can read it here), I decided to change things up a bit and go to Shanghai, China for a long term stay abroad. The biggest question seems to be "why China?" which I will explain in greater detail below..

In the past, when someone asked me why I was going to China I responded with the partial truth. I told people that I wanted to go to China to learn Mandarin and experience different aspects of the Chinese culture with the ultimate goal of making myself a competitive candidate in the foreign relations sector and the university study abroad sector. I mentioned reading about people who received the jobs of their dreams due to spending some time in China or learning Mandarin Chinese. These answers seemed to satisfy the majority of my listeners (I still had some skeptics), but as I mentioned above, this was only part of the story/reason why I wanted to go. To be frank, I don't know why I decided on going to China...

 Aside from the Summer Olympics of 2008 or some other random new story, I must admit that China barely crossed my mind. For the past few years, dreams of London and other European cities were my biggest concerns and I had little interest in Asia. I even thought about bypassing the world's largest continent in exchange for living and working down under (I mean way, way under) in New Zealand.

I don't know why or how it happened, but by the end of last year, I started having visions and dreams of Asia, specifically China. I had random visions of traveling the country and learning how to read and write those interesting characters. Aside from the visions, things started popping into my life concerning living in China that were not by my own doing. I know it sounds strange and even bizarre to most, but something in my soul was attracting me to China. I never question my female intuition so I started paying attention to what was happening and I decided to act upon it.

So in short, I have no definitive answer on why I decided on going to China. I could say for a travel adventure or better yet, as a resume booster but honestly I don't know. I guess this is one of life's mysteries that will reveal itself in time so I no longer choose to stress about it. Instead, I'm going to listen to my gut and thank the man upstairs for granting me this opportunity.

Thanks again for tuning in!

-Shelly

What A Difference a Year Makes....

Hello All,

I have neglected this blog over the past year; however, with good reason (o.k., I will be honest, I was just lazy). Here is a quick update about the past year of my life:

1.  I didn't go to France...
After much pondering, debating, and inner reflection, I decided that another séjour in France was not in the cards for me. It was a difficult decision, but I truly believe that I made the best decision. As much as I love being abroad and as much as the assistantship program seemed like an incredible opportunity, I decided that I needed to stay in America and figure out my future a bit more. I needed to stay at a job for at least a year in order to improve my work history and work ethic in the eyes of my future employers. Furthermore, I wanted to work on my finances and save; thus allowing me to spend a longer time abroad in the future. Finally and most importantly, as much as Paris is beautiful, lovely and vibrant, I'm not sure if I could've stayed long term. As much as I love the city, I'm not certain it's for me in terms of staying long term and making a life there. I went through a lot during my first stay there and I guess the fight in me had died. Alas, I may make it back there one day, just not today...

2. I moved out and acquired a place all on my own...
Upon my return stateside at the end of 2010, I moved back home in order to avoid homelessness (and no, I'm not joking). It was great at first, but after several months of living with my parental unit, things became unbearable. At first there were small disagreements which slowly led to large arguments. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I'm very thankful that I was able to return home and live rent free while I searched for gainful employment and once said employment was secured, save my money for the future. But by the end of 2011, I had grown tired of living at home and I longed for a place to call my own. I searched high and low (on craiglist) and I managed to find a place that was reasonable in price, a quick commute (on foot) to work, and best of all, I would be living by myself with no roommates! I made the big move (less than 10 minutes away from home) the day after Christmas in 2011.

3. I surpassed the one year mark at the firm....
I managed to stay and work at the firm for one year. I miraculously survived not one, but two layoffs and I even gained a slight promotion. Not everyday is great and there are some days where I want to scream; but I'm thankful each day that I'm employed an I have enough money to fulfill all my needs and even a bit of travel.

4. I finally made it out west and experienced a new part of the U.S.A...
I've traveled quite extensively throughout Europe however, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never seen a lot of my home country. One of my good friends lives in the southwest and I always told her I would visit. Unfortunately, it was never a good time (i.e.:  I had no time, money, or was out of the country). Eventually, all the stars aligned this year and with me being gainfully employed and living stateside, and with her upcoming nuptials and the need to "let it all hang out"before the wedding (via a bachelorette party), I found myself in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area for one full week of sun, fun, friends, drinks and even a bit of relaxation. I even had enough time for a quick day trip to the Grand Canyon ( I will post some pics in an upcoming blog post). It was one of this year's highlights and I can't wait for part two sometime in the future!

And the biggest update:


5. I'm going to China (cue record scratch)...
I'm taking a complete (and literal) 180 from the usual long term stay in Europe in exchange for Asia, specifically Shanghai, China. I'm not sure where this came from, but earlier this year, something in my gut was telling me to go to China. I decided not to ignore my gut and slowly things fell into place. Firstly, I discovered a great blog written by an African American women detailing her life in China over the past few years (www.lifebehindthewall.com) I found a low cost, non-profit Chinese school in my area that offered Mandarin classes. I weighed out my options when it came to employment (the best and obvious choice for me was being an ESL teacher), and areas where I could realistically live. Lastly, I secured employment, working for a company teaching English to adult business professionals. Now, I plan to embark on my first journey to Asia in the upcoming weeks and time is moving quickly....

Well, thanks again for tuning in and please join me on my adventures in China starting this Autumn....

Rejections & Divine Interventions....Part 2

***Please Note: This post is the 2nd part of a two part series. Thus please click HERE to read the first half. Otherwise, you will be very, very confused!***

Since I have yet to master how to write a short,sweet, and concise blog post, I had no other choice but to split it up into two different posts. For those of you who did not read the first half, here is the abridged, Cliff Notes version: I basically returned back to the States in November of 2010, went back to "the job," and then decided to look for a career. I happened to arrive back in Pittsburgh for a job fair where I made a connection with a recruiter and went on 3 subsequent interviews for his company. After receiving a "hiring procedures" letter and getting excited that I had a career, things quickly turned sour and I was ultimately rejected (why....I shall never know). Now that we got that part out of the way, I shall begin part 2!

As I briefly mentioned in part 1, I had applied for the Teaching in France Program in late December despite the advice from my old college advisor to take my time and enjoy the holidays. I was quite ambivalent about applying for the program since I was rejected in 2009. I will not bore you with all the details but, I literally went through the DABDA (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) phases as if someone died (which my dream of doing this program did). Not one to give up however, I found another way to get to France via being an au pair. I had some good times and some bad but ultimately, I am glad I did it. I hate to sound cheesy but my au pair experience really matured me. I accomplished a lot of things I may not have otherwise been able to do had I been accepted into the teaching program (i.e.: French language fluency, living and learning the French culture in an intimate setting, and best yet...free food, transport pass, and housing). Through out my time in France, I thought about applying for the program and I had even completed half of the application in by early November. But then the doubts crept in and I decided that I would not apply. One night in late December I had a vivid dream, followed by hours of insomnia which left me with a change of heart and mind and I decided to once again apply to the program. I scrabbled around like hell to get the application completed and on December 29th, a mere two days before the due date I got the application done with a large sigh of relief (and glass of wine to follow).

I pushed thoughts about the program and my application out of my head due to the fact I was interviewing back and forth in Pennsylvania and also applying for random Study Abroad office jobs in my downtime. By the time March rolled around I got a bit anxious and the dark thoughts crept in: " Did my transcript come out ok ( I had many problems uploading it) to the hiring committee?" "What if I was accepted into a region I did not desire to go to?" "What if I really was accepted?" But also..."What if I was yet again rejected?" I put these thoughts out of my head again and told myself: "que sera, sera" that whatever is meant to be really will be and I thought nothing of it until the email arrived in my inbox in early April...

I had been waitlisted....

I was in complete disblief..."me waitlisted?" I thought I had the entire package, I was a triple threat combination. Meaning that I :
1.) Had lived abroad in France for almost an entire year ( the program likes applicants who have spent some time abroad, preferably in a Francophone speaking country).
2.) I had attended French language school and had a 'prof' that only spoke French and in my classes we were only allowed to speak French (Thus my oral and comprehension skills were probably stronger than many so called "French major" applicants).
3.)I had experience with children (after all I was an au pair) complete with a bit of English teaching thrown in there (Well, my lil one learned English due to the 'chansons' of Justin Bieber).

Being the one to play Devil's Advocate however, I think my late application submission, combined with my top choice region (Paris, which is always really popular) probably did me in. I decided to leave myself on the waitlist since I probably would never be selected anyway. Then came the irony...

As Stated in my previous post, I received a call on a Monday informing me that the job may not be mine in PA. Then the divine intervention came along...the next day, less than 24 hours later I got an email from the Program stating that I had been "Accepted" and into my first choice region (Paris Region...Versailles to be exact).

I honestly believe that everything happens for a reason. The Lord does work in mysterious ways and this is just an example of that. After talking things over with some friends I wrote the head of the program to ask for more time since I was waiting for the "other job" to give me a response. I was granted the extension and then on April 29th, the day of the royal wedding (Yes, I was up at 5 a.m. EST for all the festivities) I decided to head to the post office and send in all my materials....


But alas my friends, an uncertainty remains since I just began working at another job last week. So the question remains: "To go to France or stay in the U.S.A."


A decision will be made come June 23rd....