As a staunch supporter of the notion that Americans work entirely too much, I am never one to complain about having an excess of time for leisurely pursuits. My current situation in Iraq is leaving plenty of time as we are only working 12 hours per week. Thus far, I have kept myself entertained through pursuing a combination of varying activities. I have stayed entirely clear of alcohol or smoking; am reading much more than in the US; have cut down on spending; am eating healthier; and have designed a workout plan to get in better shape. As a whole, these are all undoubtedly net positives. But there is still something to be desired. Many times I feel as if I am fighting a losing battle against boredom.
I have friends here, but they are largely limited to the few people who speak English. It is much more difficult to broaden your network when the language barrier is so great. Given that I have been in NJ for 7 years, I am used to being away from my family; however, having to set up time to Skype is far different than randomly sending a text or call. These two factors contribute to a sense of feeling alone at times. I fully expected this coming into the position, so I am far from complaining; I am only expressing that it does set in from time to time. These feelings are compounded by continually having to rely on other people. I cannot go to the store and ask for a specific product because I don’t know how; I cannot search for stores online because hardly anything has websites. Thus I am continually having to ask for someone to essentially “hold my hand” to accomplish the most trivial tasks. No amount of gym time or detachment in a book can mollify these feelings. It is just something that I have to deal with.
Given these feelings, I actually look forward to working more. I have been staying busy of my own volition, but I prefer to have an increased workload which will also supplement my current income stream. Political science courses should start up within a few weeks and that will boost my hours up to around 22-24/week, not including lesson plans. I am not incredibly psyched about teaching English, but teaching Political Science Terminology will hopefully provide a more interesting counterweight. There is also an opportunity to teach TOEFL courses on the side which we may take advantage of; again, not the ideal position, but it is a means to an end. I will still have a 3 day weekend and plenty of extra time for personal pursuits. But I am still hoping for more.
We recently met with the Vice Governor of Duhok as well as a member of Kurdish Parliament; both are fully supportive of our idea to start an NGO in Duhok. With another Member of Parliament also expressing interest, we should have three high profile politicians secured to serve on our Establishing Committee. They may even fund our initiative, which will be entitled the “Civil Society Development Institute.” Starting this NGO was a main goal of my coming here, so I am excited about this opportunity. It will not only provide additional income, but provide some quality hands-on experience with NGOs; connections to other international NGOs; a resume boost; and something to fill my voids in schedule. The only problem is that things move slower than molasses here so I reasonably do not expect anything to start until January at the earliest. Just like my vacation in December with Melissa, at least I have something on the calendar to look forward to!
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