One of the downfall of expats is
the hunting season, a period when your heart oscillates between comfort and
wanderlust. Initial contracts being 2 years for teachers, as you land in a new
destination and despite all the information splashed at your face, one part of
you feels at peace – the knowledge that
you do not have to waltz the international dance, the mad whirling, twirling
and pirouetting through burning circles of interviews.
However, as soon as the end of
your initial contract looms, the season starts. It feels like a creeping
feeling that grows as the days, months pass; like the sword of Damocles. Once
the season opens, there are steps to take. One necessary step is to register
with various agencies, to be on the “market” and start selling yourself. If you
are fortunate, somebody will catch your file on the online myriad and contact
you.
Some of us feel very much in
control and believe we hold the sword in our hands, assured that you are simply
practicing or testing your options. Recent technologies have made this stage
very easy and Skype is a wonderful way to first introduce yourself. If this is
unsuccessful, you will have to sign up for job fairs. There, awaiting you is
the sheer pressure of hundreds of colleagues, all attending in the hope to
obtain their dream job. There are some lovely supportive people but the most
common feeling is similar to a meat market: you look around, check out what is
competing with you and then the Western motto becomes yours: every man for
himself! From my past experience, I cannot say that this stage is the most
beautiful human connection of a lifetime but it is a necessary step to increase
your chances.
I have played the game 3 times
now, and the past two times with two children and a trailing spouse. This is
often not an advantage on a CV, especially because of the extra tuition fees
and visa issues that are entailed by our circumstances. As a mother, you face
the fact that it is not only about who you are as an educator, and that your
family choices have somehow impeded your professional achievement, despite the
fact that both topics are completely disconnected!
A few months ago, I entered the
hunting process, sharpening my academic resume and throwing arrows towards the East. In the
meanwhile, riding the emotional and pride roller coaster of an educator on the
market with my three precious heavy chains around the hands, Africa called
again.
Writing this with tears flooding
my eyes, we will leave Khufu, the amazing friends, my incredible
students and all the wonders that have filled our heart with love at the
end of this year. We are staying on the same continent and unexpectedly will
move west, to Tunis, at the Northern tip of Tunisia. You should be careful for
what you wish for, because it might happen.
Isn’t it frightening to be able
to quantify… Here is to 7 more wonderful months in Egypt…
