New Year's Day - reflections

Tuesday, January 1

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R S

Time to Reflect. The year 2007 is gone, and 2008 is here. When the year started, I was a professor at NCCC in New York, and had just been elected to the HWDSB as a trustee. Life was good. I expected to remain a trustee for many years, become a tenured professor, and live out my years until retirement in 15 years or so.

NCCC decides a score of 4.5 and 4.9 on my student evaluations was not high enough - out of a maximum of 5. I can see their point. Everyone at N–Trip is perfect except me. I could bring the faculty average down to 4.99 with those scores. Now I am unemployed.

I find a posting to work for Humber College in China, and I am off. My life takes a new direction, and Carpe Diem!

Since arriving here I have learned about a different culture, fulfilled a life long dream I had given up on - playing in a band. And I have fallen in love ... with about 20 or 25 of my students. (I could name them, but that would eventually get me in a lot of trouble). I have no more illusions of growing moss, but will continue to be a rolling stone. I am able to retire right now if I wanted to move here. Everywhere I look, I see opportunities. There are so many doors open to me, that I am a little disappointed I was ready to settle into a routine life, although being in politics is anything but routine.

What will 2008 offer me? Depends right now on Humber College and contract negotiations. They do not realize who has the power. I suspect they offered a really good contract in August, with an expectation that whoever accepted will have no choice but to accept a lower one in January. I have too many options. They have a problem

Most likely possibility is to return to Canada, continue with the school board, and seek employment in Canada. Number two is to return to Canada, continue with the school board, look for employment with another college in another part of the world. Hopefully China, but other countries are options. Number three is to remain in China working for Humber, and concentrate on getting the band “HELLO” going. Becoming a rock star at 47 is not out of the question.

I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR. Keep tuned in, 2008 promises to be as exciting and unpredictable as 2007 was.