I've had a few people over the last few months suggest I move on. Apparently, when you get stabbed, it seems like life isn't going according to plan.
I initially rejected the idea for a simple reason. This is my home, and the place I waited years to come back to. One person was able to arrange for a group of men to attack someone, with the end result that I was hurt, and left with some scars. Not much I can do about that now.
I didn't lie to my emplyer, and they chose to go the route of dishonesty and confrontation. Not much I can do about that now either. I decided to leave instead of battling them all year, which was expensive, but good for my mental health.
What I need to decide is whether or not I want to lose the good parts of my life here. I don't see much danger here, so that's not a reason to leave. I planned on transitioning to freelancing, and wound up doing it way ahead of schedule. I expected it would be difficult, and it is. One thing that's helping so far is the support of friends. People are trying to help me find students and part time work, and buying me drinks or food in order to lure me out of my house.
I expect I'll leave ZS at some point. I haven't seen most of the world, and would like to see a bit more. But I want to leave when it feels like time to move one, not because i'm being chased out. With the various headaches I have, I still am generally quite happy when my alarm goes off and it's time to begin my day, because I love my life and love what I do. I've known very few people who make that claim. I couldn't imagine putting a price on that feeling.
When I was in Hunan, Karen and I bought a kite to set on fire. It's an odd custom. You write wishes on the kite, then light a candle inside it. The flame heats the air, and it takes off like a small blimp. Ideally, it burns up, sending your wish into the next world. I don't know what she wished for, but I was kind of stumped. There seemed to be nothing I really wanted.
So I'm confused by the suggestion I should move on. I'm confused as to why others don't come here. It wouldn't work for everyone, but knowing what I gained, I'm surprised more don't try it.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
D&D
Seems this thing is acting funny again...
Most gaming groupd struggle with scheduling conflicts and a lack of players. Meanwhile, I've had to start a second game in order to satisfy player demand. I'll probably be coaching a new DM soon, as ours is getting too big and we might split in two. Which means i might be a player.
4th edition is growing on me. Netw players seem to like it. Every round people seem to have something cool to do,which was generally not the case with low level spellcasters in older editions. I still prefer 3rd (or pathfinder) but 4th is definitely better than I first thought.
I'm running Keep on the Shadowfell and just beginning Age of Worms, which is being adapted from 3rd edition. The group is happy they have stuff to kill. They were hired to map old ruins as part of a project by a young king. They promptly began making plans to ambush other surveyors to steal their maps and sell them. Then one seduced a surly elf (that's when the guy rolls a natural 20?) who has since turned againsthem, and they wish to kill all the kobolds. Apparently they see the kobold ability to shift a square as a personal affront.
If using the D&D character making program, make sure to equip items before printing. Characters do better with weapons and armor.
Choice quotes
R: Shift back here and let me stab you!
C: I'm happy to work for the king
S; Or kill him
C; Both are ok
R; I can't believe I got that elf chick.
S; Now we should kill her.
stunned silence
R: Is that your policy at the clubs here?
B; Would explain the screams at night
C: and the smell here
M; Being the Dm seems like a lot of work. Why does anyone want to do it?
S; For the ladies
M&K: We want to join
R: I think there's a rule against women gaming
S; They don't have the hand eye coordination to roll dice
K: I'm gonna stab you in the neck!
H: Kobold? like bald? like where you're losing hair?
R" dude, you are losing hair!
5 minutes later
S: Why are the kobolds attacking me? Those two called you bald
B; so because they can shift around easily, you feel the need for genocide?
all: YES!!
Most gaming groupd struggle with scheduling conflicts and a lack of players. Meanwhile, I've had to start a second game in order to satisfy player demand. I'll probably be coaching a new DM soon, as ours is getting too big and we might split in two. Which means i might be a player.
4th edition is growing on me. Netw players seem to like it. Every round people seem to have something cool to do,which was generally not the case with low level spellcasters in older editions. I still prefer 3rd (or pathfinder) but 4th is definitely better than I first thought.
I'm running Keep on the Shadowfell and just beginning Age of Worms, which is being adapted from 3rd edition. The group is happy they have stuff to kill. They were hired to map old ruins as part of a project by a young king. They promptly began making plans to ambush other surveyors to steal their maps and sell them. Then one seduced a surly elf (that's when the guy rolls a natural 20?) who has since turned againsthem, and they wish to kill all the kobolds. Apparently they see the kobold ability to shift a square as a personal affront.
If using the D&D character making program, make sure to equip items before printing. Characters do better with weapons and armor.
Choice quotes
R: Shift back here and let me stab you!
C: I'm happy to work for the king
S; Or kill him
C; Both are ok
R; I can't believe I got that elf chick.
S; Now we should kill her.
stunned silence
R: Is that your policy at the clubs here?
B; Would explain the screams at night
C: and the smell here
M; Being the Dm seems like a lot of work. Why does anyone want to do it?
S; For the ladies
M&K: We want to join
R: I think there's a rule against women gaming
S; They don't have the hand eye coordination to roll dice
K: I'm gonna stab you in the neck!
H: Kobold? like bald? like where you're losing hair?
R" dude, you are losing hair!
5 minutes later
S: Why are the kobolds attacking me? Those two called you bald
B; so because they can shift around easily, you feel the need for genocide?
all: YES!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Timing
Since moving back to China, I have missed one day of work do to illness. I missed a lot of work due to stabbing, but, again, injury and sickness are different. So now that I'm freelancing and have no sick days, i came down with the worst flu I've had in ages. The last time I was this sick was wehn I had the whooping cough.
The good news is that my schedule is relatively light, so I've been able to make every lesson. i think I've even done an adequate job of teaching, though they were far from my best classes. The bad news is that I've been too ill to hound people about more hours. This could be an expensive illness.
For those who have never heard my frequent complaint, most conversations i have with schools follow a similar pattern.. they ooh and ahh at finding out I'm experienced. When they see I'm a certified teacher, they're in rapture. They say they're thrilled, as i'm the most qualified applicant they've ever had. Then they offer me the same salary they'd offer a high school grad who has never taught a class in his life. When questioned, they explain that this is the starting salary they pay everyone.
The two exceptions so far are the Radio and TV College (no connection to the one in GZ) and Capital, both of which seem willing to pay more for someone who seems a good teacher. So they are my priority. Th downside with Capital is that they charge the same rate to students irregardless of what the teacher is paid. So if i am paid more then someone else, it makes sense for them to use the cheaper guy.
It's the first month doing this, and Iexpected it to be slow. That I'm spending most of my time on the sofa coughing and drifting in and out is making it worse. but it seems my fever has broken and i should be able to resume talking to schools today. More to come...
T
The good news is that my schedule is relatively light, so I've been able to make every lesson. i think I've even done an adequate job of teaching, though they were far from my best classes. The bad news is that I've been too ill to hound people about more hours. This could be an expensive illness.
For those who have never heard my frequent complaint, most conversations i have with schools follow a similar pattern.. they ooh and ahh at finding out I'm experienced. When they see I'm a certified teacher, they're in rapture. They say they're thrilled, as i'm the most qualified applicant they've ever had. Then they offer me the same salary they'd offer a high school grad who has never taught a class in his life. When questioned, they explain that this is the starting salary they pay everyone.
The two exceptions so far are the Radio and TV College (no connection to the one in GZ) and Capital, both of which seem willing to pay more for someone who seems a good teacher. So they are my priority. Th downside with Capital is that they charge the same rate to students irregardless of what the teacher is paid. So if i am paid more then someone else, it makes sense for them to use the cheaper guy.
It's the first month doing this, and Iexpected it to be slow. That I'm spending most of my time on the sofa coughing and drifting in and out is making it worse. but it seems my fever has broken and i should be able to resume talking to schools today. More to come...
T
Thing i learned in Suzhou
Suzhou has a museum devoted to firefighters. Chinese people should not be allowed unsupervised access to a bell. one month later, my ears are still ringing
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Suzhou I
Suzhou is famed for it's canals, much like a dirtier venice. So we rode around in a boat
Suzhou is famous for traditional Chinese music. Apparently, their dialect sounds prettier than most. I don't have the knowledge to evaluate, but these two were good
Friday, February 26, 2010
by comparison
I have yet another insight into myself, based on things I've been compared to. according to Tuly, Karen and Alina in separate conversations, I am dumber than the following.
a rock
the homeless guy playing the harmonica
a monkey
a baby monkey
"a very stupid man who is also drunk"
an apple
an orange
a carrot
not a banana (apparently the dumbest fruit)
most other foreigners
curling (the sport)
a weight (at the gym)
a chicken
a rabbit
eels
a fish (we were near a place where you pick the animal you want to eat, and most of the animals seemed smarter than me)
a tree
two dogs having sex
in other news, people suck
a rock
the homeless guy playing the harmonica
a monkey
a baby monkey
"a very stupid man who is also drunk"
an apple
an orange
a carrot
not a banana (apparently the dumbest fruit)
most other foreigners
curling (the sport)
a weight (at the gym)
a chicken
a rabbit
eels
a fish (we were near a place where you pick the animal you want to eat, and most of the animals seemed smarter than me)
a tree
two dogs having sex
in other news, people suck
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