Yes, I am eating dog. Saigon, summer '08.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Pictures from China
The Yellow Mountains, Anhui Province
Boat on West Lake, Hangzhou.
The coolest monkey I've ever seen, Hangzhou
Chinese character on a Buddhist Temple, Hangzhou
Church, Hangzhou
The layout is crazy, I know, still experimenting. And yes, these pictures should have been here a long time ago.
Pictures from France
Obelisk and Eiffel Tower, Paris
Montmartre, Paris
Paris from Sacre Couer
Random Cafe, Paris
Restaurant on top of the mountain, Chamrousse
I should have put these up awhile ago, but I'm exceptionally inefficient.
China it is (probably)
I've been accepted to a program in China (ACC Beijing) and I was lucky enough to get funding. Several 4th years I know here are not getting money. I have an application out to study in Vietnam as well, and have not completely given up the idea of spending the year there instead.
However, one must consider a friend of a friend. This friend of a friend, who shall not be named, studied Vietnamese quite well, loved the history, got a Ph.D from one of the best Vietnamese Studies programs in the U.S. and now hates his job teaching at a small college in the South. Another guy, who does not speak Chinese fluently, worked as a journalist in Beijing for a year and only reluctantly left his job for grad school. A job list serve I get sends me about 30 jobs a year for people who speak Chinese. I have yet to see one for Vietnamese. To be fair, maybe Chinese is overfished, and one should think about other places in East Asia, like Vietnam. I sort of got that impression visiting the Eurasia Group in New York. They had Chinese-Americans for the Chinese speaking jobs, but there was a vacancy for a Vietnamese speaker. As mine is only intermediate, I wasn't competitive for the job, but it was food for thought. Nevertheless, that is the only job I've come across that requires Vietnamese. This is anecdotal evidence, but it is, unfortunately, persuasive. As always, everything is subject to change.
I am going to visit Vietnam as much as I can, but I think it is going to be China next year. Any and all are invited to visit. In China I am deciding between ACC Beijing and CET Harbin. Does anyone have an opinion on which program is better?
However, one must consider a friend of a friend. This friend of a friend, who shall not be named, studied Vietnamese quite well, loved the history, got a Ph.D from one of the best Vietnamese Studies programs in the U.S. and now hates his job teaching at a small college in the South. Another guy, who does not speak Chinese fluently, worked as a journalist in Beijing for a year and only reluctantly left his job for grad school. A job list serve I get sends me about 30 jobs a year for people who speak Chinese. I have yet to see one for Vietnamese. To be fair, maybe Chinese is overfished, and one should think about other places in East Asia, like Vietnam. I sort of got that impression visiting the Eurasia Group in New York. They had Chinese-Americans for the Chinese speaking jobs, but there was a vacancy for a Vietnamese speaker. As mine is only intermediate, I wasn't competitive for the job, but it was food for thought. Nevertheless, that is the only job I've come across that requires Vietnamese. This is anecdotal evidence, but it is, unfortunately, persuasive. As always, everything is subject to change.
I am going to visit Vietnam as much as I can, but I think it is going to be China next year. Any and all are invited to visit. In China I am deciding between ACC Beijing and CET Harbin. Does anyone have an opinion on which program is better?
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