Sleepless in Sumatera
Last Wednesday, I ran into an old buddy from the State Department at the 40th Annual TESOL Convention in Tampa. I had seen Damon’s name on an e-mail list and was prompted to dash off an note in the hopes that we might meet. As I walked out the door to look for a nice place to sit and to compose my message, who should be coming up the steps but my old pal Damon! To have run into him at that moment among the +/- 8,000 attendees was beyond coincidence. I felt VERY connected.
In 1988, when I was an English Teaching Fellow in Jakarta, Damon was the Regional English Language Officer (RELO). Damon had returned to Indonesia in 2003, just before I had headed back to the U.S.A.. We chatted briefly, then he invited me to a networking session where I met another old Indonesian friend and made several new ones. Damon then invited me to a Fellow reunion/recruitment function Friday evening. Little did I know, I would be dealing with more than recounting the joys of being a Fellow to the candidates who were hoping to make a good impression on one of the several RELO’s from around the world who were there to recruit. Damon pitched a Senior Fellow position to me, and he pitched it hard–he knew precisely which of my buttons to push…
I am now out of sorts. I am finding it difficult to relate to what’s going on around me, which may be due to the fact that I am in the environs of Universal Studios in Orlando, FLA. But such thoughts and feelings have always been harbingers of Michael’s migratory behavior. I’m stuck on thinking about establishing a language and culture center in Aceh, North Sumatera. I’ve been quite content to focus on my work in Charlottesville…but this center would be hosted by the State Islamic University of Indonesia, and it would afford opportunities on many different fronts: instructional design, Islam, diplomacy, EFL, research, educational technology….
Over the last couple of years, I’ve managed quite successfully to allay my desire to live the equatorial life that I’ve come to love so much (focusing on an advanced degree has had much to do with that!). But Damon has taken me back. Oh my, what ever shall I do?
Alhamdulillah
Technorati Tags: TESOL, RELO, USIS, USIA, Aceh, Sumatera, Indonesia
March 23rd, 2006 at 4:27 pm
It seems that you have decisions to make, my friend. First, I rejoice in your new option – you must take that as indicative of how highly you are thought of. But that knowledge mustn’t make any choice easier.
I suppose there are two possible paths you could take (and you certainly are aware of these already – but it sometimes helps to have someone else say them also):
Finish your degree as planned, and then weigh your options. At this point, it’s one more year and a big paper. Hopefully the position will still be something you could pursue at that point.
Finish now – take the Master’s degree, and then head to Aceh.
In one of my favorite movies, Jimmy Stewart says that the three most exciting sounds in the world are "Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles." You strike me as someone of the same cut – a nomadic soul. I suspect that this will greatly influence your decision.
Oh my, what ever shall I do?
You’ll do the right thing, no matter what the decision.
March 23rd, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Dang. The HTML didn’t play out right.
Imagine the post above looks much nicer, including fancy bullet points.
March 26th, 2006 at 12:30 am
‘Round-n-’round we go, where she stop Michael don’ know, but I do… he gonna stay.