This week had several accomplishments:
- making a solid effort toward TEFL again
- meeting with Pastor Promise for Bible study
- picking up my Garmin race gear
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
As much as I'd like to continue in a "creative" job, I need to think about stability and legacy here in Hong Kong. TEFL is one of the easiest, most respected and most stable paths forward at this point - especially for someone that looks like me. I was initially reluctant - so much so that I took a side quest into fitness training and did that for a couple months at F45.
I didn't want to like teaching English, although I have many teachers in my family. It's funny how hard I tried to avoid the inevitable. So much of my identity was tied into who I was in Silicon Valley (web developer and online marketer) and in Los Angeles (photographer + videographer). But, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we're not in Kansas California anymore - and we must confront present realities with present solutions.
I'm excited to learn more about education - selfishly so I can teach my own daughters, and more altruistically to shape the next generation of thinkers. I wholeheartedly believe in the "growth mindset" and English is still relevant enough to change lives. Instead of trying to convince people they should pay me for web dev or photography work, I'm getting jobs messaged to me - at double the pay. Why swim against the current?
Bible Study - John Chapter 5
The topic of Bible study this week with Pastor Promise was John Chapter 5 - or the healing at the pool. Society can sometimes require you to speak up in order to get help. And sometimes you must fit into a certain expectation or belief system in order for people to believe. But faith, true faith, just requires belief, even if that belief is silent or "out of the ordinary". I'm happy to be leaning into my faith more at the end of the year, and hopefully more so into 2026.
Garmin gear pick-up
A bittersweet moment picking up my Garmin Run Asia - Hong Kong half marathon gear package. It came with a jersey, water bottle, hat, bag and some sponsor swag. Very nice of the race organizers to still give away these items despite the race being canceled. This was supposed to be one of my rehearsals before the main stage at Tokyo. Obviously life had different plans for Tai Po, and it was absolutely the right decision to cancel the event. My first marathon will be my first major. No better debut, I suppose.