May Flowers

Here's a photo from last week.  One of my friends asked me to send a recent photo and I realized, I haven't seen some of you in almost a year!  

I'm teaching at Washington Baptist University, again, where I taught before I left for India.  

Last Wednesday I started teaching a 5-week English course on "Life Skills in America."  It's great!  I have complete freedom and no text book.  I am only teaching 3 mornings a week, but that gives me time to prepare for my next move...

Which is:

1.  I am moving to Berkeley, CA.  My teacher, Anam Thubten Rinpoche has a center near there.  I'm going to continue studying Tibetan language with him, so I can be a translator (spoken & written).

2.  I have been applying to teaching fellowships in Oakland, CA (low economic area with "high-need" schools)- I would get CA teaching certification while working as a teacher 

3.  I want to teach elementary school (maybe special ed)

4.  If I have to take a middle school or high school job I might

5.  I have to take 2 tests in CA before I can start teaching there.  One test I can take at a center in VA, one I can't.

6.  SO- I am going to visit the Bay area on May 15th (the test is on the 16th, but I'm working up until the morning of the 15th).  I don't know how long I will stay.  I have one possible job interview (will no for sure tomorrow).

7.  I do not plan on buying a car. 

8.  I do plan on buying a bicycle and riding public transit.

9.  I plan to rent a cheap room, no frills, and live like I would in India.

10.  I have too many clothes and books and pray I have the courage to get rid of a lot of them.

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*Also*

I went to the Tibet Store (http://www.yelp.com/biz/tibet-shop-washington) in Adams Morgan, DC, yesterday to find a conversation partner.  I did!  I will start meeting with Tashi Drolma this week!  She's super cute and nice and it was really fun to speak in Tibetan with her and her husband!

I am surprised at how normal it has been being back in the States.  I thought I might totally flip-out once I came back here, but I've only had a few moments wishing I was back in India.  Before I left, I decided that I would accept wherever I was for being their own, unique place and try not to compare the two.  So far, it's been wonderful.  I drove to Winchester, VA yesterday to visit Genevieve.  It's so beautiful.  I found myself welling up with tears just admiring how green the countryside is, the trees just starting to bud, the healthy cows and horses grazing...