a little bit discontent in my life

I have been in Shanghai for 6 months, teaching for 5 months now. Right now, I am getting to the point in my life where I want to do more. Teaching is a great experience and I am more than grateful for this opportunity; but it is not what I want to do. Now, I am searching again for what I want to do. I thought about what I studied in college and I actually miss learning and enthralling myself in that subject matter. I realized that I studied foreign affairs for a reason. It was interesting to me and I love it. I just want to make a return back to that. Working for an international education organization did help me open more doors and gain working experience; but now, I'm just getting restless. Should I finish the year out teaching or look for another job in Shanghai?

Earlier today, I have been applying for several jobs in the international business field and hoping to stay in Shanghai longer. Yes, I actually want to stay in Shanghai longer; I have no desire to go back to the United States anytime soon. Today, I actually talked to this one guy who owns a consulting firm back in the US. His firm aims for international businesses who are trying to fit in with the rapidly changing world in the era of globalization and older business models are going out of date. This actually seems very interesting and I get to talk to businesses around the world and work part-time out of Shanghai. This way, I still get to keep my teaching job and also do something that I am actually interested in. This indeed will help me open more doors for working and learning opportunities in the foreign affairs/international business arena. With this position, I can create my own hours (I think).

Just now, I was reading an article in the New York Times about the G20 meeting about the financial crisis and how they are planning to inject $1.1 trillion dollars into the world economy. I realized that I was a lot more interested in reading it and giving a report on it and on the financial crisis in general than making lesson plans. I'm not saying that I want to quit my job; but I am really just getting restless. It has gotten to the point where teaching is just not that great anymore. God, I hope anyone from work doesn't read this.

But at the same time, I can't help but think that whenever a child learns something and knows something, he/she is excited and invests in a lot more confidence in him/herself. That puts a smile on my face. When I was in college, I always wanted to change the world for the better and put my impression in it. I thought teaching was the way to go. It still is one of the ways you can make your impression in the world; as well as other volunteer work, such as the Peace Corps. Maybe, I should have joined the Peace Corps. But it probably will get me to feeling like I am now. I really want to stick it out and teach for the entire year, but would the restlessness ever go away? I should take on this part time job in the international business consulting and maybe I will feel more content with my life.

I work with some great people at the school and it pains me to think about leaving them. Some are leaving really soon; one of the local teachers is moving back to Canada and one of the foreign teachers is leaving for a different job within EF. There are more leaving later in the spring as well. Maybe change within the office is contributing to my discontent as well. These are really great people that are leaving and the office will be less fun. Ok, it doesn't really mean the office will be less fun; the new teachers that are replacing them may not be all that bad.

That's the discontent with my job and life in general. I also have discontent with the financial crisis. Just like everyone else. I will be basically saying what everyone has been saying; but I want to write this down anyway. I have rooted for Obama to win the presidency; but lately with all of the bailouts that he has approved, I'm rather disappointed. And now, he is planning to contribute $100 billion to the $1.1 trillion that the G20 is putting into the global economy. This is clearly just a global bailout that the US is playing a part of. I feel like that these bailouts are throwing money to CEOs that let their companies fall. I was worried about the corruption of these business executives that would just take the money and keep it for themselves. As it turns out, I was right. AIG executives kept the money for themselves. Now Obama wants to give money to the global economy. However, I must say that this is a different situation. There are no CEOs to give money to; it goes to the IMF. From my learning experience, the IMF is not a corrupt organization; but it still worries me. Will it help the global economy? Or it will be $1.1 trillion lost in a hopeless depression? I am not an economist by any means, but I just wish that there are different ways in aiding the economy.

I should feel lucky that I am living in China. The financial crisis is hitting the US and Europe harder than in any of the developing countries such as China and India. Papers say that China and India may come out of the recession with flying colors. Gives me a better outlook on the job hunt here in Shanghai. Everyone keeps asking me when I will be coming home. Why would I come home if unemployment in the US is at an all time high since the Great Depression? There are a lot more jobs there than anywhere in the US and Europe. There is one teacher that I know of is going back to England and I wish her the best of luck in finding a job.

I think that's enough for this post: Restlessness in my life and the financial crisis. A bit heavy on the depressing news today.