My time has, by now, about run out. I have not been informed by my school whether or not I am to be retained, and so I am going to have to assume the worst and carry on with other plans.

Although I try to guide myself by the teachings of the Stoics and the Epicureans, I will confess to several sleepless nights. I do stress very well. That said, I rather describe my reactions to such stress-inducing situations with what the late great author, Patrick McManus used to describe as “The Modified Stationary Panic.” I am early Gen-X, and I like the reputation of being self-reliant, but admittedly, vanishingly few of us can do it all ‘on their own.’

But before I continue rambling, let me get to the point:

I have not yet been successful in finding work here in Taiwan. I will continue trying to do so throughout my remaining time here, but I fear I may be forced to return to the United States (a prospect that I am in no way relishing).

My immediate plans are to repack my things so that I am down to one suitcase and one backpack for my upcoming journeys. I had originally brought two large suitcases and two carry-ons, expecting to be in Taiwan for long enough to need far more than I am actually using now, or indeed, have used over the past year. I have found a couple of companies that, for a fee, will be able to deliver a suitcase or two back to an address in the United States, thus freeing me to travel a bit more easily. This will be frightfully useful, allowing me to more easily travel out to Tainan, or Taizhong, or even Gaoxiong for work, if I need to (please excuse the Beijing style romanization).

Returning to China appears to be a non-starter as I am approaching sixty, and so, a bit too old for most schools recruiting there. Indeed, most people in China retire around their late fifties, and mandatory retirement is sixty-two (or so the case seemed to be in Beijing).

On this coming Tuesday, I have to run out to Zhonghe district in Taipei to the Ministry of Immigration to extend my visa beyond the date of my Alien Residence Card’s (ARC) expiration date, which is April 20^th. My flight is scheduled for Saturday, May 30^th. I have until then to secure a new position.

So, I will be contacting a few friends back home to see if I can arrange a ‘soft landing.’

Now—there actually is some good news. I have had a couple of nibbles; the problem is, these other positions would not begin until August. Unfortunately, I cannot stay in Taiwan without significant income for an entire summer of indolence. And there is a possible offer from the government of Uzbekistan; I did receive an offer last year from their Ministry of Education, however, I had to pass, because I was undergoing surgery at the time (more on that later). However, I have learned that I might be able to obtain another offer for August/September of this year.

I additionally had an interview with a school in Taipei that, as opposed to traditional buxiban businesses, farms out their teachers to local schools. They had nothing at the moment, but said that they might have opportunities to offer in August, since their regular teachers’ contracts begin from the start of the school year.

So, it may not be as black as it seems for now, though having to cool my heels for an entire summer does not appeal to me, nor does being a burden on my friends and family back home.

When I returned from China, I had significant savings upon which I was able to rely for a time. However, I was unprepared for how expensive life in the United States could be (a couple of minor medical emergencies set me back badly, as did renting a room in a house in Philadelphia which was completely without heating (in the teeth of winter, no less)). It almost completely drained me.

I’m honestly not sure how I will get along this time if I do not find work in Taiwan before the end of May and have to return. In the meantime, I have been applying for work in the U.S.A. also—I have been getting a number of interviews for companies that want to utilize certain skills to train their AI machines in language models. Apparently, my experience in teaching English as a second language, and my skills in writing, editing, and so on, are of use—provided I can figure out how to present myself successfully.

As it stands now, I think I will be returning to the United States at the end of May. I have therefore also been applying to various schools and companies in and around the Delaware Valley.

Now, if my current employer calls me in for my yearly evaluation, and decides I have made enough progress that offering me another year of employment is warranted, then all of this Sturm und Drang will have been a complete waste of energy. I have a small bit of hope that this is the case, since my friends are amazingly warm, intelligent, and giving people, and I have no wish to burden them with my presence—not to mention that I suffer from the old Gen-X stereotype of finding it difficult to ask for help.

For my next update, I must remember to tell everyone about my experiences with the medical system here in Taiwan. As a preview? I will say that medical care here is superb, and that even in neighborhood clinics, you can find some of the best diagnosticians and surgeons in the world. I successfully had my cataracts treated, on National Health (I only had to buy the prosthetic lenses implanted in my eyes; surgery and treatment were free, including all medications). And the GP I visit helped me get my diabetes under control, from an outrageously high A1c score of (I sh*t you not) 19 to a far more reasonable 7 as of my last check this past month.

–I shall have to remember to get an emergency supply of meds to take with me if I have to leave in May.

In the meantime, I continue to write, as ever. On the one hand, I am embarrassed that it is only “fan fiction” that will never earn me anything, except, perhaps, notoriety. On the other hand, it is excellent practice, and I get to try out forms of fiction and storytelling that I have never attempted before.

If anyone is interested in my writing, they might want to have a look on Amazon for a few of my titles. –I have no idea if I will receive anything for them if purchased, since I don’t know if my account information has been updated with Amazon KDP or whatever they use. In any case, I have PDF copies of my Mses, so if you’re very nice, I could be persuaded to email copies in return for honest reviews.

And now, it is time to go panic and fret about my future! See you next time on these very pages!