I need this moment to wind down...
I feel like I've been juggling a lot lately. In the past few days, both jobs #2 and #3 got back to me. They both want to offer me positions. Tomorrow I will negotiate with #3 (the full time position) to see if I can work between 30-35 hours instead of 40.
With job #3, I start training this Friday.
Job #1, the Citizenship Instructor position, is moving along and I really enjoy it. This past Saturday was my first opportunity to teach a full class on my own. I think it went rather well, though the students will for sure need to adjust to my teaching style, which I think is more engaging (and forces them to talk more!) than the previous instructor. Tomorrow I teach again, but this time the Education Director will sit in to observe me for a bit. I think it'll go well, but I do hope she observes me during an active moment in class.
Last Friday we spent time with some friends over dinner, followed by Hump Fest. It's a really unique film festival, showcasing some really artistic and emotionally driven pornography. The one I voted for "best film" was called Glory Hole. It was about a really happy and totally in-love gay couple who met when... well, the title gives it all away.
Going through a lot of old clothes and sorting out winter stuff. House is a mess, as usual. I think the only time it's been clean was when Grace stayed over for a few days. We cleaned thoroughly for her.
Had a double date on Sunday with Gen and Mike. I really like that couple. They're really easy to talk to and are totally non-judgmental.
Before that, Mitch and I had engagement photos done with Derrick, a guy who shares my affinity towards Ninja Turtles. We went to Sunset Hill, a local coffeeshop, and Golden Gardens.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Jobs, jobs, jobs
Everything is happening all of a sudden! This past week I've had a total of three interviews for three unique positions. Here's how they stack up:
1) Citizenship Instructor: teaching Citizenship Classes three times a week to adult learners. Challenges include balancing out civics-related topics with general ESL-related challenges, such as varied levels of English abilities among the students.
Part Time: 12 hours (6 hours of actual class time)
2) Guide/Outreach person for a start-up non-profit supporting a new park space downtown.
Part Time: 12-30 hours
3) Program Assistant for a California-based non-profit that is branching into Seattle to develop services for at-risk and special needs students in the new charter schools.
Full Time: 40 hours
It sounds like all three of them are seriously considering me, which is awesome. But it also puts me in the challenging position of having choices. I really want to do all three of them, but I'm afraid to get burnt out. Professionally, #2 and #3 would be perfect for my pursuit of MPA.
But while #1 is not necessarily in line with my career objectives, I do love to teach and work directly with adult learners in the community. It's that hands-on kind of experience that tends to lighten my heart, although the introvert in me does freak out at the thought of being monitored!
An offer for #1 has come in, which I accepted today. I start tomorrow (Saturday) by observing a class and training with the current instructor.
It sounds like offers for the other two will follow soon enough.
1) Citizenship Instructor: teaching Citizenship Classes three times a week to adult learners. Challenges include balancing out civics-related topics with general ESL-related challenges, such as varied levels of English abilities among the students.
Part Time: 12 hours (6 hours of actual class time)
2) Guide/Outreach person for a start-up non-profit supporting a new park space downtown.
Part Time: 12-30 hours
3) Program Assistant for a California-based non-profit that is branching into Seattle to develop services for at-risk and special needs students in the new charter schools.
Full Time: 40 hours
It sounds like all three of them are seriously considering me, which is awesome. But it also puts me in the challenging position of having choices. I really want to do all three of them, but I'm afraid to get burnt out. Professionally, #2 and #3 would be perfect for my pursuit of MPA.
But while #1 is not necessarily in line with my career objectives, I do love to teach and work directly with adult learners in the community. It's that hands-on kind of experience that tends to lighten my heart, although the introvert in me does freak out at the thought of being monitored!
An offer for #1 has come in, which I accepted today. I start tomorrow (Saturday) by observing a class and training with the current instructor.
It sounds like offers for the other two will follow soon enough.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Socialite
I'm not doing so well, socially, to tell you the truth. When I went to a party last night, I took a look around. In a room full of about 30 people, I was the only non-white present. Another Asian showed up later in the evening, and that was it. These kinds of things are what I notice, now more than ever, and I'm trying to break free of it. I don't know why it bothers me so much except that it speaks to a lack of other perspectives, which is what I always seem to crave. I also associate lack of diversity with the cause of misunderstanding and bigotry. But that's the thing, these friends aren't bad people. They're nice and they're welcoming. They're just... all middle to upper class white Americans. I'm trying to be respectful of these friends. I still attend, still play the part and smile and laugh at things. I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to. And I'm trying to figure out why that is and whether it's something I should be concerned about.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
A Pause for Accomplishments
Things are starting to pick back up! In the past couple of weeks I have managed to:
- have two interviews with two separate non-profits. Next week I have second-round interviews with the higher-ups in both organizations.
- secure three letters of recommendation for my grad school application. One will come from a dear aerospace professor at ISU, another from my last manager at Boeing, and the last from my supervisor at VIA. I think the unique combination will definitely add a competitive edge to my application.
- get in touch with two professors in the UW program. I am planning to sit in on two classes next week.
- volunteer on a weekly basis with ReWA, where I've also made a possible lifelong friend in a fellow volunteer.
* * *
I hope that all this "hard work" will indeed culminate in:
- a couple of part-time job to pay the bills and increase my exposure and leadership experience in non-profit and public policy work in Seattle.
- an acceptance letter to UW's MPA program. I'm crossing my fingers for scholarships, also.
- have two interviews with two separate non-profits. Next week I have second-round interviews with the higher-ups in both organizations.
- secure three letters of recommendation for my grad school application. One will come from a dear aerospace professor at ISU, another from my last manager at Boeing, and the last from my supervisor at VIA. I think the unique combination will definitely add a competitive edge to my application.
- get in touch with two professors in the UW program. I am planning to sit in on two classes next week.
- volunteer on a weekly basis with ReWA, where I've also made a possible lifelong friend in a fellow volunteer.
* * *
I hope that all this "hard work" will indeed culminate in:
- a couple of part-time job to pay the bills and increase my exposure and leadership experience in non-profit and public policy work in Seattle.
- an acceptance letter to UW's MPA program. I'm crossing my fingers for scholarships, also.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Job Things
A lot of good things today!
I moved onto to the second round of interviews for the job I've been talking about. I'd make diddly squat, but it sounds like a really good position to be in within the city of Seattle.
I also received a phone call from another job and did a somewhat impromptu interview over the phone. I think it went okay...
Total meditation time today: 10 minutes
I moved onto to the second round of interviews for the job I've been talking about. I'd make diddly squat, but it sounds like a really good position to be in within the city of Seattle.
I also received a phone call from another job and did a somewhat impromptu interview over the phone. I think it went okay...
Total meditation time today: 10 minutes
Friday, October 17, 2014
Jobs and Interviews
I applied for two more jobs today, the first an opening for an ESL Assistant Instructor, and the other a Citizenship Instructor. I hope I get one because I really do like the organization, and I think I could learn a lot from my colleagues there. In any case, it's an organization that I already support through volunteerism, and one I will continue to support whether or not I get the job.
My interview yesterday went pretty well! And while I am trying not to replay/cringe too much, I am trying to reflect and find ways to improve. I think, in some ways, I might be too modest about what I am capable of doing. After I talked to the guy about my time with API Chaya, he asked me if I had strong connections with the international district. For some reason I said, "well, to be honest, not really, because I've been gone for two years," when really I should've emphasized my role with orgs there and how I can definitely network accordingly. Putting this positive spin on things is something I was pretty good at when getting an engineering job... I think I need to have more faith in my abilities in the non-profit sector.
Other than that, I presented myself pretty well, answered questions effectively, and managed to form a decent connection with the recruiter, who is one of three full-time employees at the non-profit -- basically a start-up org. Now I simply have to wait to see if I made it past the first round of interviews. If I pass, I'll then have to face the Director.
Yesterday I also went to the API Chaya meet-up where I met some new people, including a girl named Kaha who graduated from the undergrad Public Administration program at UW. I am hoping that we can become good friends, and that she can provide me with some insight about the professors in the program. Pretty soon I hope to start sitting in on some classes!
My interview yesterday went pretty well! And while I am trying not to replay/cringe too much, I am trying to reflect and find ways to improve. I think, in some ways, I might be too modest about what I am capable of doing. After I talked to the guy about my time with API Chaya, he asked me if I had strong connections with the international district. For some reason I said, "well, to be honest, not really, because I've been gone for two years," when really I should've emphasized my role with orgs there and how I can definitely network accordingly. Putting this positive spin on things is something I was pretty good at when getting an engineering job... I think I need to have more faith in my abilities in the non-profit sector.
Other than that, I presented myself pretty well, answered questions effectively, and managed to form a decent connection with the recruiter, who is one of three full-time employees at the non-profit -- basically a start-up org. Now I simply have to wait to see if I made it past the first round of interviews. If I pass, I'll then have to face the Director.
Yesterday I also went to the API Chaya meet-up where I met some new people, including a girl named Kaha who graduated from the undergrad Public Administration program at UW. I am hoping that we can become good friends, and that she can provide me with some insight about the professors in the program. Pretty soon I hope to start sitting in on some classes!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Six Things to Be Grateful For
Despite these moments of uncertainty that I have blogging about lately, there is still much to grateful for. I realized this as I was walking over to Green Bean this morning, reflecting on my previous day. I started making a list in my head of what makes me feel fulfilled, and I'd like to write these down to appreciate this moment of clarity and to remind myself that there is more to life than my anxieties.
1) I enjoy truly being myself, doing work that comes naturally, and smiling with people. Yesterday I was teaching the lower-level ESL students at Refugee Women's Alliance, and I found myself laughing with them over the silliest things. I think that I'm really starting to develop a bond with these students (who, by the way, are all 40+ years-old), and I genuinely look forward to Wednesdays for this reason.
2) I've met a lot of genuinely nice people.
- One of my fellow volunteers at ReWA is a middle-aged woman named Kathleen whom I connect with on a very personal level. She has a very diversified career and was doing very well, but then she decided to leave her job, move to Seattle, and is now hoping to find work the social services sector. Unfortunately, the job market has proven more difficult than she anticipated, and she been job-searching for two years. After volunteering yesterday, we had lunch togther at Inay's, a Filipino restaurant, and I watched, stunned, as she scooped a whole spoonful of bagoong (shrimp paste) into her pinakbet (squash+bittermelon stew). When she dropped me off at Uptown Coffee, she said she really enjoys talking with me. "It's nice not to feel invisible."
- At Inay's I also met the cashier, a lovely young Filipina who told me about her hometown of Tacloban, one of the main areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda last year. She apparently visited her hometown two days after the typhoon. I asked her what it was like, and she described to me how surreal it was to walk down a street and see all these dead bodies along the side of the road.
- I met two amazing people at a Beacon Food Forest meet-up that never actually took place. One of them is a really out-going Asian-American named Jon who knows a lot about permaculture. The other is Gabriela, a really friendly yoga-loving girl from Chile, who is job-searching and trying to start an online furniture business with her friend back home.
- The Thursday meditation sessions have a bunch of lovely regulars, among them a really peace-driven couple who just moved to the area, and a super talkative lady who is about to get married in Hawaii.
3) I can get excited about job interviews for causes I never thought I'd be able to support. In a few hours I will be meeting a guy at a cafe to discuss a non-profit position I applied for about a week ago. It's actually the one I wrote about in this entry. Wish me luck!! I am hoping that it will allow me to network and grow as a leader. I am also hoping it will provide me with the inspiration and clarity I need to write my Statement of Purpose for grad school.
4) I have been learning to live with Mitch again, falling more in love with him every day. There are definitely moments where I become stressed about our future, particularly during those emotional breakdowns. But we both are really trying to communicate openly and stay in tune with one another. There's a lot that I am trying to work on, myself -- a lot of bad habits I'm trying to break -- in order to improve how I communicate and react to things. I am optimistic that we can get through these difficult times, especially since we managed to survive two years living across the sea from each other.
5) I am improving my relationship with my mother, as I described last week.
6) I am learning to become more in tune with myself and my insecurities. I am realizing who I am, and I am continuing to develop a greater sense of self-awareness while moving forward in my professional development. I am learning what really makes me tick and feel uneasy. I am also learning what brings me peace -- that is, solitude, connecting with individuals, volunteering, reading the book Quiet, and drinking coconut pouchong at Green Bean Cofeehouse.
1) I enjoy truly being myself, doing work that comes naturally, and smiling with people. Yesterday I was teaching the lower-level ESL students at Refugee Women's Alliance, and I found myself laughing with them over the silliest things. I think that I'm really starting to develop a bond with these students (who, by the way, are all 40+ years-old), and I genuinely look forward to Wednesdays for this reason.
2) I've met a lot of genuinely nice people.
- One of my fellow volunteers at ReWA is a middle-aged woman named Kathleen whom I connect with on a very personal level. She has a very diversified career and was doing very well, but then she decided to leave her job, move to Seattle, and is now hoping to find work the social services sector. Unfortunately, the job market has proven more difficult than she anticipated, and she been job-searching for two years. After volunteering yesterday, we had lunch togther at Inay's, a Filipino restaurant, and I watched, stunned, as she scooped a whole spoonful of bagoong (shrimp paste) into her pinakbet (squash+bittermelon stew). When she dropped me off at Uptown Coffee, she said she really enjoys talking with me. "It's nice not to feel invisible."
- At Inay's I also met the cashier, a lovely young Filipina who told me about her hometown of Tacloban, one of the main areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda last year. She apparently visited her hometown two days after the typhoon. I asked her what it was like, and she described to me how surreal it was to walk down a street and see all these dead bodies along the side of the road.
- I met two amazing people at a Beacon Food Forest meet-up that never actually took place. One of them is a really out-going Asian-American named Jon who knows a lot about permaculture. The other is Gabriela, a really friendly yoga-loving girl from Chile, who is job-searching and trying to start an online furniture business with her friend back home.
- The Thursday meditation sessions have a bunch of lovely regulars, among them a really peace-driven couple who just moved to the area, and a super talkative lady who is about to get married in Hawaii.
3) I can get excited about job interviews for causes I never thought I'd be able to support. In a few hours I will be meeting a guy at a cafe to discuss a non-profit position I applied for about a week ago. It's actually the one I wrote about in this entry. Wish me luck!! I am hoping that it will allow me to network and grow as a leader. I am also hoping it will provide me with the inspiration and clarity I need to write my Statement of Purpose for grad school.
4) I have been learning to live with Mitch again, falling more in love with him every day. There are definitely moments where I become stressed about our future, particularly during those emotional breakdowns. But we both are really trying to communicate openly and stay in tune with one another. There's a lot that I am trying to work on, myself -- a lot of bad habits I'm trying to break -- in order to improve how I communicate and react to things. I am optimistic that we can get through these difficult times, especially since we managed to survive two years living across the sea from each other.
5) I am improving my relationship with my mother, as I described last week.
6) I am learning to become more in tune with myself and my insecurities. I am realizing who I am, and I am continuing to develop a greater sense of self-awareness while moving forward in my professional development. I am learning what really makes me tick and feel uneasy. I am also learning what brings me peace -- that is, solitude, connecting with individuals, volunteering, reading the book Quiet, and drinking coconut pouchong at Green Bean Cofeehouse.
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