Planning Ahead

As for summer break, I've more or less secured a 2-month slot to do a proper trip.This will take considerable planning to make it work, and there are seat sales with Air Asia with some incredible bargains if booked ahead in advance -- same story as to how I got such good deals for winter break.

But unlike winter break, the summer trip will go at a much slower pace. The only question is where. Got a few destinations in mind. Will see. The normal pattern is for the monsoon to dominate in summer and thus it is low season in many places in Asia.

Indonesia is the exception to the general rule where the monsoon patterns are reversed, and then summer becomes the dry season. That's definitely a contender. Others include Burma and Thailand (duh!) and Cambodia is also looking like an attractive option. So is Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Iran! Argh! Can't decide! Obviously I'll narrow it down.

What I have decided is to pocket a cool $1000 cash instead of the plane ticket, and then go back to Canada during national day, by using the plane ticket that the school would pay for effective on the next contract (after Sept)

As for math masters degree, it looks now like April 2014 will have the whole thing completed, thus making it 3 years in duration. This was discouraging when I first had that realization. But friends have correctly pointed out it's pretty good deal, given that doing a full-time masters would be 2 years anyway, and those two years would be lost time off work. Besides, if working on a masters full time in Canada without a job, that would be economic suicide. Much better to do it while working i China where the costs are lower, making an income, and keeping busy so as not so spend much money anyway.

So on that note, then signing a two-year contract at school would be the best way to go and I'm looking into it. Already signed a two-year rental contract on my posh house out in the semi-suburbs but still in the city proper. I suppose the former thinking of "one more year" doesn't apply anymore as I'm thinking in terms of 2-3 year blocks nowadays. When people ask me how I ended up in China so long I told them I always made the decision by saying "just one more year." Can't use that line anymore!