It might seem odd to most people to number their contracts but it’s a fact of life for a lot of expats, particularly those in the ESL field. We’re not given multi-year or endless contractual terms, we’re typically only given annual contracts. As such, every year there is a chance for the company to review its “operational needs” and thus not renew your contract. Other things can happen too, some that can be controlled, some that cannot be controlled, which can affect one’s ability to continue working overseas. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, contracts are typically renewed. Mine was. Last year I detailed the renewal process and, as far as I know, nothing has changed about the process.
Be that as it may, things are returning to a type of normal here in China. The main difference now is that, especially while travelling, everybody is wearing a surgical mask. Further, there are numerous health APPs required to be downloaded, registered, and ensured to display a green QR code or arrow before you are allowed to enter most public places, including trains, airplanes and even some public transportation. Yes, this is population tracking but there is no way around it.
And so with the fourth contract signed (but not yet delivered, given that I still need a new work permit to be issued), I look forward to the next year of working and living in China.
This next year will get interesting for reasons other than the current mess of virus politics and barrage of US election rhetoric. Rather, Beijing is preparing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics only six months after Tokyo will host what should have been the 2020 Summer Olympics. If I can, I wouldn’t mind attending both at some point. This will require both money and time. So, until then, I have to find some way of working and finding time to do some of these other projects I’ve started along the way (for example, my podcast).
The Olympics also gives me a bit of a target to reach by way of my Chinese studies. If you’ve been following along, I’m currently making my way through the HSK 5 books while also attending classes once a week with a teacher for more speaking practice. It remains a goal of mine to pass the HSK 4 and 5 tests within the next six months or so and then work on the HSK 6 books throughout 2021 leading up to the Winter Olympics. Although a tall order, it does look possible as long as I put in the time.
The next big thing I’d like to accomplish over the next year is to travel more within China itself and write about my travels. Although I’ve done a few train trips throughout the country in previous years, those were always extended trips done on a budget and with no real deadline in place. Although it’d be great to do something similar again, my work allows me to travel quite a bit and to take some extras days off in the cities we visit so I should be able to visit quite a few places every couple of weeks. This will be a change from my normal travel style and I wonder how much farther out I’ll be able to go given that I’ll only have a short period of time to be out on the road. If things don’t get too much more crazy, I might even do week-long trips instead so I can reach the further out places instead of just the spots near the cities. You’ll be able to read about my travels in my “Seeing Beijing” and “Seeing China” series.
Those are the main goals, but one other goal I’d like to accomplish over the next year is utilize voice recordings a little bit more. You might have noticed that some of my most recent posts have audio files available for download and I hope you’ve had a chance to have a listen. I like the idea and I’ve seen it done on a few different media organizations. I look at my own life and work and see that I hardly have time to sit down to read anything very closely (except books and articles from which I want to learn something in depth) so I thought I’d try to make it easier for you to have a listen and see how things are shaping up here in China, and maybe even learn a thing or two.
The next big break from work will be Spring Festival 2021, the Year of the Ox, which will happen in early February. You might recall this past Spring Festival I wrote that I was told the Year of the Rat has always had some sort of disaster and that the Coronavirus pretty much checks that box. But the Year of the Ox? As a second animal in the 12-year cycle in the zodiac it doesn’t represent a restart but, since it’s going to be a “Metal Ox”, it is associated more with decline and contraction. So, if the Year of the Rat can be seen as a restart of sorts, then the Year of the Ox will be a contraction in general. But, who knows how much stock we can put into some of these things.
So, as contract Number Four gets underway, I can say that I am looking forward to the next year and the challenges it will bring. I’ve already exceeded the number of years I had told myself I’d stay in China but I still see no reason to leave just yet. Though things seem crazy, the days still seem to fly on by. I hope you are making the best of it given the circumstances. If you need to reach out at all, you can find me on my contact page or through Twitter, @stevensirski.
With that, let’s start Contract Number Four!