the general plan

I have been back in the states now for 2 months, or a bit more than two months actually. I still have about two more months to go here in the US of A.

When I left Indonesia, I had two job offers to consider. The first job was with EF/English First in Bandung. Bandung is another Indonesian city in West Java. It is called Paris on Java because it is the shopping and fashion center for Indonesia. The city is home to about 4 million people. My position would be as an English teacher. The company is the same as the one I just finished my contract with, just in a different city. The second job offer was in Central Jakarta, with a company called the Sampoerna Foundation. Sampoerna foundation has several business endeavors which they have undertaken. At Sampoerna I would also be an English teacher, teaching mainly business English to adults. I would also be involved in developing a language program for children and assist the language director in whatever way she needs.

Each job offered different benefits and draw-backs. For example, I love the city of Bandung, and I don’t really love Jakarta. On the other hand, Sampoerna was offering me twice the salary of EF, and housing; whereas, EF offered an ok salary where I had to find and pay for my own housing. It seems that the job description at EF would be a much easier load than at Sampoerna.
Well, I finally made my decision after much toil and tribulation... well maybe not tribulation. Anyway, considering everything, I decided that working at Sampoerna would be more practical for me. I get a better salary, better vacation times, and a place to stay, which is paid for. I don’t like Jakarta, and my job will be more demanding, but I feel comfortable with a challenge. Also, I figured that being in a higher position in a more corporate business/school will help me find a job more easily when I return to the states next year.

Incase you didn’t know, each contract can only last for one year because of visa regulations in Indonesia. This is good for me, because I have student loans that I must pay off. Right now the loans are in deferral, but only for one more year. Which means, that after this next year, I must have a job and begin paying on those loans. If I work for Sampoerna, it is a possibility to work in Indonesia and make loan payments at the same time; however, it would be much easier to pay them off by working in the states. So, as of right now, I am thinking that this year coming up will be my last year abroad... at least for a while.

Maybe this is a bit disjointed, but well... of course, that’s how I roll.