I posted a lot a while back without ever introducing myself, which was a faux pas. I entered the forum without really understanding the true tenor of it, and launched into various debates and so on, only being used to much more contentious and altogether ruthless forums (ex., ajarn.com). Only after I stopped posting for a couple months, and just read others posts did I get a better feel of what the forum was like without me in it. Now I can see how strange it must have seemed for a newcomer to barge into the saloon and start holding forth, debating all comers, and interjecting myself in all conversations without any introduction. Recently, I've started throwing my 2 cents in again, and so it's long overdo that I actually say a thing or two about myself by way of introduction.
I'm always just a bit concerned about being recognized by authorities who might be interested, and thus am careful not to reveal my true identity. I want to be able to ask pointed questions about school policies, or rail against the leaders where I work, without them reading it. That's part of why I didn't introduce myself before. Some people thought I might have been a troll. Once a friend of mine, after imbibing pcylocibin boldly declared that he saw my true character, and I WAS a troll. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was, in my enhanced eyes, an old drag queen. But I assure you, as I assured my old friend, I am not a troll, though I can only hope I've overcome my inclination to trade blows with trolls. I actually hate bullies. Nevertheless I probably offended some by being overly argumentative…
Anyhoo. I've been in China around 4 years, though left for the better part of a year after being fired from one of the most vile training centers (basically for opposing corruption and exploitation, vocally). I started off with a training school, and now I work for a public university, which is a million times better, though there are still some similarities.
I'm fully aware that my current job is a dead end. I think of teaching overseas as something like swimming. As soon as you stop you sink. I dig teaching, really like my students, and daily learn new things about sociology and people in general through my interactions with them.
I have no idea what the future holds, but am basically planning to live in China or Asia for years to come, otherwise I wouldn't be working as consistently as I am at learning Chinese. My skills are passable, but not much more. The learning curve is extremely steep.
My background is arts, and I hope to exercise my creativity with the relative freedom, as well as inspiration, I find living overseas.
What else. I've traveled in 6 countries in Asia, and have lived in two other Asian countries besides China. I'm probably not a noobie anymore.
Now it's off to my night class.