My Future Employment

I will be teaching at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, China. Xiamen is located in southeast China’s Fujian Province. It is located right on the south eastern seaboard, looking out to the Taiwan Strait. The city of Quanzhou is to the north and Zhangzhou is to the south. It has a population of 5 million (only?!?) and by several websites, it is considered China's 2nd most liveable place to live. By my employer's words, "it is not westernized, but modern."

Often the newer universities will buy up a hotel right beside the educational institution and house guest professors there. I will be staying at the university in a room that will be similar to a hotel and eating in the cafeteria. According to some websites that I have been reading, it is only the high end hotels that give out cutlery; the rest of the eating establishments have chopsticks. I'm going to have to learn how to eat with chopsticks or lose weight! :)

I will be teaching with another gal from the University of Waterloo. We have never met before and it will be interesting having to share a teaching load with a complete stranger. I'm sure that we will all have to be somewhat elastic!

Xiamen means "A Gate of China" referring to its role as major trading port with other nations. It is comprised of Xiamen Island and Gulangyu Island. This latter island is car-free and can be be accessed by a ferry. Gulangyu (pronunced goo lang you) is on my to-do list of places to visit because there is a famous Piano Museum on Gulangyu Island. This islan itself is about 2 square km and has a population of 20,000. These people have a fascination with pianos and have set up a museum displaying over 200 pianos. So, I guess if teaching doesn't work out for me, I could always play for my supper!

I never envisioned myself to be a missionary. I have heard lots of stories about how missionaries have had to get used to food, climate and housing' often in less than ideal circumstances. I usually breathed a sigh of relief and thought I could never do that! And now I find myself having to do this very thing (does this mean God is having a good chuckle?!) I'm trying to think of this as an adventure--the ride of a lifetime. I really do hope that I can adjust to the many things quickly and smoothly (not necessarily easily).