Now that class is over, several people have asked what I am doing now. Most of my days consist of the grind of getting up, a shower, dressed, quick breakfast, getting out the door, and then going to either the school or the local internet cafe to work on the job search.
The time I spend looking for jobs is split between finding listings and then doing research on how good or bad not only the school is, but the teaching methodology they use, the general safety and cleanliness of the city--parts of Poland are very polluted due to the industrial nature of their economy, and the political climate of the region/country. There's also the issue of finding out about the local language and how likely I am to find other English speakers, how many hours time difference between there and the U.S., what's the attitude toward Americans, what's the religious make-up of the area, how likely am I to find a wife...you know, small issues. This job search is easily an order of magnitude more complex than say looking for another tech writing job.
*SIGH*
That's why I have not been spending all day doing the job search, it is simply physically and emotionally exhausting. Add that to the sense of isolation I am feeling by not being in class every day with my new friends as I had been, plus I don't speak the language (everyone speaks Catalan here, and only Spanish if you are confident to engage them, which I am not) and that makes it all a bit tough to get going in the morning. I am trying to get out and see at least one tourist attraction each day. Monday it was a trip to Montju?c (a military fort that was closed to tours but from the top we saw a spectacular view of the gross industrial port and the gorgeous city--photos later). Tuesday it was a second trip to Parc G?ell and yesterday I walked down La Rambla, the main touristy drag, but was feeling a bit stiff after all the walking from the previous two days.
Today I am feeling physically better, so I will work on the job search a bit longer this morning and then go to the Picasso Museum because it's something I couldn't do anywhere else.
So that's my current state...I have a return ticket for the 17th that I am giving serious consideration to moving up to the end of next week because I will be out of a place to stay--the next course starts on the 16th and the new students will be coming in on the 13th. I may visit some of my new friends in England and delay my departure, but that's a bit in the air right now.
