CHINA

The last post on this blog dates back to late 2010.  It's been a while!  In a day or two I'll be in China, so I guess that's a good reason to start this thing up again. A few weeks ago I decided to take a job teaching English at a technical college in a city called Baotou.  It was kind of on a whim, and very much last minute, so I rushed off to New York City to take care of business at the Chinese Consulate.  Getting a work visa for China is kind of a drag, and the consulate in New York is a total shit show.  On top of that, the school in China couldn't seem to get me the proper paperwork.  We were in a crunch for time, so it was decided I'd enter the country on a tourist visa, and then figure out the work visa once I got there.  But a few days ago, less than a week before I was set to fly out, they reneged on the job offer.  I had already purchased a one-way ticket to China and was about to pick up my visa that afternoon.  I'd spent a lot of time and money preparing for this trip, but I guess for them, having to worry about getting me a work visa once I got there was too much of a hassle.  My sorrow lasted for about half a day, and then I realized that having a one-way ticket to China and absolutely nothing planned was awesome.  A blank slate!  I have no idea what I'm going to do when I get there, or for how long I will stay.  I may or may not have obligations in the fall, depending on whether I get into grad school, but until then I've got some adventures to go on!