International Job Fair, Final

Sunday

I go back to the Hyatt, and run into Chadwick at breakfast. She’s really happy to hear that I have a job offer and wants to stay in touch. I also run into Nichimashi, and he has me sit down with him for a few minutes. I’m still feeling food.

I get my offer from Xiamen, they give me a 24 hour time frame to respond. It’s a great offer, but I decided that the city is too small for me, and on Monday I respond with a “No thank you.”

I leave Boston continually checking my e-mail.

Monday

All throughout the day, I’m checking my e-mail. Finally, at the end of the school day I hear back from Nichimashi, saying he will be checking references and getting back to me by Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday

Constantly checking e-mail and hear back from some other schools. (Jeju, Shanghai AS, Shanghai Community and Monaza all say “no.”)

Wednesday

It’s a snow day, and I am constantly checking my e-mail, waiting for Nichimashi’s response. They respond that they went with a candidate with more international experience.

Friday
I respond to Keystone with "Yes!"

Epic Battle of Epicness: Round 1: Hogwarts: Mary Poppins v. Santa Claus

Name: Mary Poppins A.K.A.: - Hometown: Cloud above London Known For: Inventing words Strength: Changing people's lives Weakness: Getting emotionally attached Wins: -

VS

Name: Santa Claus A.K.A.: St. Nick, Papa Noel, etc. Hometown: North Pole Known For: Giving children presents Strength:  Magical travel Weakness: Never actually told a kid he was naughty Wins: -

This is another tough round. Both of these characters love and care for/about children, but only one can move onto round two. Mary has strange magic that seems only limited by her imagination, she scolds bad children, and has a nifty song to move the job along. Santa has years of experience, hundreds of holiday specials, songs for everything he does, and gives freaking iPods! Santa is way more epic than Mary (come back when you have your own holiday).
Conclusion: Mary Poppins v. Santa Claus

International Job Fair, Part 3

Interview Schedule: Saturday

Time	School Name
8:30	SF Hong Kong
9:00	Venezuela Puero La Cruz
9:30	IS Beijing
10:00	-
10:30	-
11:00	Xiamen
11:30	-
12:00	Keystone
12:30	-
1:00	Venezuela Carabobo
1:30	-
2:00	Ruamrudd, Bangkok
2:30	-
3:00	-
3:30	-
4:00	TA SIS UK

Saturday started with a few notes in my mailbox, (Puerto La Cruz, IS Beijing, and TASIS UK have canceled). Then I started with ISF Hong Kong I honestly don’t even remember this interview, but I gave it a rating of Good interview, might go.

Then I took a long breakfast, where I checked my e-mail every ten minutes. Until I met with Xiamen. He was a great person, and the interview quickly went to “the pitch.” And as I left, he said, “Please don’t accept any offers until you speak with me.” Good. I marked it as a good interview, might go.

Keystone in Beijing. We spoke for 45 minutes. The pitch happened with the president of the school left me with the headmaster to go get some promotional material and the contract. Again I left with the “don’t accept any offers without talking to us first.” Rating: good interview, would go.

Carabobo, I don’t remember the interview, but I rated it, good interview, would not go.

Ruamrudd, interviewed with the principal and a priest. I knew this wasn’t going to be a good match, until the principal started talking about how the fathers are just the owners (not sure how that happens). Rated, good interview, might go.

Still no word from Nichimashi. So I talked to Sally, and while there, I got a phone call from Keystone. They offered me a job (K, 1, or 2, I don’t remember). I went back to Sally and she said to hear Keystone out and get a time line, then talk to Nichimashi and see what’s going on.

Keystone has a nice offer and have given me until February 10th to get back to them. I go to Nichimashi and the headmaster hasn’t heard from the principal either. But asks for me to wait patiently.

I meet up with Carrie for dinner and finally hear back from the principal and we schedule a skype interview for 10:30 that night. Also at dinner, I get an offer from Xiamen.

Head back to my room and pace until 10:30, have a great interview with the principal, and got a very personal story from him. Then I head down to the bar and run into some people I met (Sherman and Ms. London). Sherman and I buy a bottle of wine but she’s two sheets already. Ms. London is going to be going to Russia.

Sunday and beyond in part 4.

Epic Battle of Epicness: Round 1: Hogwarts: Big Bird v. Shaggy Rogers

Name: Big Bird A.K.A.: - Hometown: Sesame Street Known For: His child naiveté Strength: Imagination and counting to 10 Weakness: Friend to all Wins: -

VS

Name: Shaggy Rogers A.K.A.: - Hometown: Coolsville Known For: Solving mysteries Strength: Great friend Weakness: Always scared and paranoid Wins: -

Big Bird counts to 10 and knows his ABC's he is innocent and is always willing to help out a friend. Though he still has an imaginary friend, he is helpful. Shaggy on the other hand is always high. He's so high, and scared, that the second he sees Big Bird, he'd run away in fright. Letting Bird win this round.
Conclusion: Big Bird v Shaggy

International Job Fair, Part 2

Interview Schedule Friday

Time	School Name	*Presentation Scheduled
12:30	-	Chadwick
1:00	-	-
1:30	IS Monzana	-
2:00	-	-
2:30	Shanghai Community	-
3:00	-	Nichimashi
3:30	Jeju	-
4:00	-	-
4:30	Shanghai AS	-
5:00	-	-
5:30	Nichimashi	-

I started with going to the Chadwick presentation. I got there a little early to talk myself up. But the principal kept saying that she couldn’t interview me for her open positions (lower elementary) because she already had too many men working there (the K, 1st and 2nd teams were all men). Chadwick was in a great city that reminded me of Walt Disney’s vision for EPCOT.

So the interviews begin. The first one (Monaza) goes great, until I find out that the school’s housing area doesn’t always have power, internet, or running water. So I gave this one a rating of “Good Interview but would not go.”

Next was Shanghai Community. Bad interview/match. The school wanted more of a director than a theatre teacher.

I stopped by Nichimashi’s presentation for a few minutes in between interviews.

Jeju: Good interview, would go. The best part of this interview was how snarky the principal was about trying to not-sell me on the city of Jeju. He noted all my urban experience, and was concerned about the rural nature of the school. I like him and thought it would be a good place to work.

Shanghai AS: Good interview, would go. I had a good feel about this school and the interview. And with Shanghai as one of my top schools, I felt really good about this one.

Nichimashi. Great interview, would go. There was what Sally, my Associate, calls the pitch. The moment in the interview where the principal/headmaster stop asking you questions and start selling the school. I interviewed with the headmaster, and near the end he said, at this point, he would send me down the hall to his principal for a second interview, but the principal was in Tokyo, so he would put us in touch to have a skype interview.

In between interviews, I would head to my mailbox and write thank you notes. I also met Carrie in passing.

After all the interviews, the reception began. I met Carrie again and we hung out all night, being each other’s wingman for recruiters. I helped her talk with a few. She helped me with Nichimashi again. Chadwick ran into me and pulled me across the hall to a school that was looking for a drama teacher (sadly it was the one I had interviewed with earlier that day). Chadwick, Carrie and I talked for quite some time and she kept saying how she wished she had an opening for me.

Back to my hotel, where I checked my e-mail for a message from Nichimashi’s principal. Nothing came. I didn’t sleep well.

Saturday in Part 3…