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Published: August 8th 2014
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Sunrise from my bedroom - Hangzhou, XiachengThe million dollar question: What do you do when two major, well-known and powerful entities start to fight over you? Recently, I have to (albeit egotistically) admit that I've been in quite the predicament. I ran into this conundrum about 3 months ago, and I've decided it's time for me to share the latest.
About the time that I made the announcement to you all that I'd accepted a nomination to the Peace Corps, I made the same announcement to Disney. At that time, I told both parties point-blank that I would be considering both organizations with a great deal of thought, and was poised to have a look at all of the cards on the table before making a firm decision. Everything in my soul was screaming for change - one way or the other - so I fully expected that everything the Peace Corps would offer would gleam like gold. For a time, it did: they would be flexible with my departure time and location because of my experience in China; I would be placed into a leadership position thanks to my experience in China; they invited me to select my
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Lake front sunset - West Lake (Xihu) location and program of choice thanks to a change in their application process; they somehow expedited my legal clearance despite difficulties in getting the paperwork to me. They were showing me, hands down, that they wanted me. And that felt good.
Disney didn't take that warm-fuzzy approach. In fact, I was blatantly told by a regional director that if my attitude was pulling me to run away, then I'd be of better use somewhere else. Color me shocked. About a week later, however, I received multiple emails in my inbox that changed my outlook a bit (haha! literally... changed my Outlook... that's pretty funny).
The first invited me to accept a nomination to become a Disney Trainer - a significant leadership role within the greater Walt Disney International community, not just Disney English. Cool. So, I went to that. I'm getting a new pin (officially my 4th...). It's kind of a big deal.
The second invited me to accept a nomination to become a member of the Disney English course writing team... a venture belonging to - count them - three Disney English employees. As DE is working to re-market itself in order to bring
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Tea Plantations/9 Creeks Region, Hangzhou (Xihu) the focus back to our academic standards rather than just our movie characters, a call was put out for course-writers with training or experience in curriculum development. Score. Currently, I am heading a brand new story line and developing brand new content for a short-course (4 weeks long) to be shared with the rest of the nation by late October. 4 words: Pirates of the Caribbean. Wha-bam!
The third requested my attendance at a Disney English leadership conference. At this, I was not a presenter or anything special... but found myself there for a reason: on four separate occasions I was called upon to share with the rest of the region how we were doing things at this awe-inspiring place called Hangzhou, Wulin where everything is evidently setting the standards these days. It's been acknowledged at both the local and regional-level that my initiatives for teacher-training and academic focus in our center are game changing. I guess I'm on the right track. My staff are pumped up and it's catching attention. Feeling good.
The fourth one announced my acceptance into the (all-expenses reimbursed haha) high-level English training program run by Cambridge University that will (gee, darn) *require* me
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Tea Plantations/9 Creeks Region, Hangzhou (Xihu) to spend a month in Chiang Mai, Thailand... and, ugh, so annoyingly, this month backs into a national paid-holiday in China... so I guess I'll HAVE to spend an extra week in Ko Samui, Thailand on the beach... what a shame for me.
And finally... my application on behalf of my center to receive sponsorship for a VoluntEARS program (Disney's community service initiative) in Hangzhou went through. We'll soon be seen as a team in our iconic mouse-ears T-shirts serving the community that has been serving us for so long.
So... I got weak, in a sense. I did - I caved into Disney English for one more indeterminate stretch of time. When I'd initially accepted that nomination, I was told that all of Disney's cards were on the table. They weren't. Six months ago - when I applied -I was begging for development and growth; begging for leadership opportunities, for chances to use this silly degree in education... heck, even begging for a bit of vacation time. It rained and poured and here I stand. Graciously, the Peace Corps is going to place my application on hold until I sort out my plans for the future. I
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Tea Plantations/9 Creeks Region, Hangzhou (Xihu) have my eye on their Masters International program... so don't write that one off just yet.
Walk On Unsurprisingly, this experience has given me a fresh perspective on this city that I live in. It's growing. Ridiculously, so. There are international markets popping up everywhere... much-more-frequent English movies at the cinema. A new railway station complete. A new metro line pitted to open next year. Life is getting more comfortable. Maybe that's just because the guy finally came and fixed my air conditioning today... but I really also have to attribute that to my successes at the center.
For those curious - no, the weather and earthquakes had almost zero impact on our daily life. There was one heck of a thunderstorm about 3 days after the typhoon down south... but that was about it. Classes continued as scheduled.
I still like walking around. It's how I still spend my "weekends" (on Wednesdays and Thursdays...). In that way, nothing has really changed. My staff members are still my family here. We care for each other and fight with each other the way that any dysfunctional group should. We mourn losses when people head home
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Tea Plantations/9 Creeks Region, Hangzhou (Xihu) at the close of their contracts; we celebrate victories when people reach their "China-versary" or finally hit a "Meets Expectations" on their evaluation after on-boarding.
Hangzhou is still really darned pretty. The colors that I see in this place are remarkable. Every season, I see something that I'd never noticed in the past. Things continue to change around me and, as a result, I suppose I'm changing, too. But everything feels much slower now. I can see through the blur of the high-speed pace. I can anticipate change. I can communicate my needs and my anticipated needs. I've
Summer in Hangzhou 2014
Tea Plantations/9 Creeks Region, Hangzhou (Xihu)
-Note the hummingbird. Awesome. generally gotten much better at simply being here.
I'm excited about what I'm capable of here... and to me, that's all that was lacking. In light of a bunch of silly, future-less projects last winter, I lost a lot of faith in my own abilities and journey. This summer has helped to bring some warmth back to those possibilities. I'm back to learning things; to growing. I've established the importance of those things in my life. I don't like being comfortable any more than I like being stuck. I'd hit both of those walls when I felt the need to move on. As these challenges have entered my life, I've felt the need to find stability elsewhere... like in my own apartment and routines. Now, as it turns out, is not the perfect time to uproot and start over. Now is the time to ride the wave and see where it goes. Ebb and flow; ebb and flow.
So, at least for this next stretch of time, you know where to find me. I'll be here.
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Joyce
non-member comment
Interesting adventures!!
Jesse, thanks for the current blog...love reading about your life in China and you adventures, job, etc. Your boxes are safely sitting in our dry basement, waiting for their next adventure! Take care and keep us posted!