Wouldn't that be the coolest?!

I wonder how much the fare from Auckland to LA would be.

Happy Thanksgiving

I spent Thanksgiving with a few of my American coworkers at an American restaurant here in Shanghai called Southern Belle (owned by a Bostonian). The food was delicious, the company was pleasant, & I was happy to be able to share this day with others.

I am blessed.

Online teaching

I'm really excited about my new job as an online teacher. I'll officially start in January, but to get used to how it works before I leave China, I've been teaching a few online classes after work for the past several weeks.

It's been really interesting to teach a class online. The dynamics are completely different from an in-person class, but it's still a lot of fun! The classes are 45 minutes long, & seem to fly by. I'm enjoying the contact with students, & the discussions that we have based on the material.

The students are from all over the world, but at the moment, most of them seem to be from China or Russia. That's probably more because we're in a similar time zone rather than being an indication of the state of the ESL industry. When I move to New Zealand in January, the students' origins might be different.

This is definitely a positive step forward for me. It's a new dimension in my career, & I'm excited about learning something new - not to mention the freedom of mobility that the new job will give me. Who knows where this will lead. For now, it's taking me south of the equator.

New Zealand plans set!

I've just booked my flight to New Zealand! I'll be leaving Shanghai on January 1st.

NZ visa - check.
One-way ticket to Auckland - check.

I'll spend three months in New Zealand (the limit of a tourist visa), then fly to Australia in April, where I'll spend another three months.

Australian visa - check.
One-way ticket to Sydney - check.

What a way to start the new year!