So now that I’m back online, I’ll give a very brief rundown of what’s currently going on for those of you who have not been following my Twitter feed:
- Looking for a new apartment. Unless my landlord decides to acquiesce in the next 2 weeks and lower the rent a bit, I’ll be shipping out to a new apartment come August.
- Just finished going through my first Expat Exodus season. The students have left, the Interns have shuttled back to their home countries and many business contracts ended. Somehow this all magically transpires in June each year and the entire month is filled with going away parties and lots of tears. In some ways, this hasn’t been the best month for me, as saying goodbye to some really good friends, just as I am getting really comfortable here, has sucked BIG TIME.
- Started taking Chinese lessons. I’m surprised at how much I’ve picked up. My pronunciation is good (so I’m told) and I’ve got a good grasp of basic grammar, but my vocabulary is shit. Working overnights hampers my exposure to Mandarin everyday and I lose a lot between lessons. But I’m progressing, and, frankly, I didn’t think that I’d ever be able to get beyond Beijing Survival Chinese. So far, so good.
- Looking for more work for the fall. I’m going to try to land a job doing English recordings and maybe do some freelance editing. Also going to explore some advanced English tutoring, which will entail as much discussion about American culture & events as it will language skills. Might also take on a single beginner (adult) student to see how I like that.
- Did a whole bunch of DJing in the spring. Loved it. I’ve stepped back a bit during the summer, but plan to take it up again come Fall. After I travel to Europe in October I will buy a new laptop and work on my mixing skills. It will be fun to see how far I can go with this before I become disinterested, or until somebody finally tells me that I suck at it.
- My best friend Josh is on his way to visit. He arrives in Beijing on July 16. He’s made it known that he expects 4 days of utter debauchery. I’ve taken time off from work to oblige him. This will be my first visit from a friend from back home since I arrived.
So now you’re updated.
