As per usual, I am the last to get my act together out of our group. Most of my classmates can probably picture me being like "What!? We are supposed to go on placement THIS year? I thought that was NEXT year! Some of you guys have already gone? What? You started blogs already!? Frick you guys have to keep me up to date on this stuff!" Because this is what usually happens.
Up until now I haven't really had any news though. But yesterday I declined the offer from an organization called CUSO-VSO, which is kind of a big deal. This is why:
I had two offers, one with an organization called CUSO-VSO that probably would have sent me to Mongolia in September to do research on their educational system with the goal of finding ways to improve it, particularly where disabled children were concerned. It would have been awesome. The second offer (kind of offer) is with some colleagues of a professor of mine who work at the Quinghai Normal University in Xining China doing some cultural research and stuff with them. If you want more details about that ask me and I will let you know. My preference was the one in China, for several reasons, but it is entirely dependent on getting a visa, which will probably happen, but still may not. So yesterday I was talking to my contact from CUSO-VSO and he said they needed to know right then what I was going to do, so I turned down their offer. Which I am pretty sure means I am either going to Western China or nowhere. So we are hoping for Western China. In September.
Xining is a big city in the mountains/plateau and is really culturally diverse. Google it if you want to know more. If it all works out I should have a great year. I will let everyone know as soon as it's confirmed.
Till the next one,
Mary
