The Bell Tower, Xi'an, China. Photo by the author.
I have decided to take the job offer I got two weeks ago, which means (1) I can stay in China a little longer as I had planned and (2) I won't be unemployed after June 30 -- I'll just be "between jobs."
In the two weeks since I was told I had "aged out" of my current position teaching English in Hunan Province, I've learned that most provinces in April set the maximum working age for foreigners at 60. It seems it was an edict handed down from Beijing. But, this is China and there are always exceptions to rules. Turns out that the maximum in Zhengzhou, Henan, is still 64. So, I can work there three more years, assuming I want to and assuming the rule doesn't change midstream.
This possibility is one of the major disadvantages to working or living abroad. A government may at any time decide, for reasons entirely its own, to change the regulations or laws concerning foreign workers. The changes could result in the foreigner losing his job and being forced to leave, no matter how long he's stayed in country.
In effect, every foreign worker everywhere is living on borrowed time. One day, you can wake up and realize your entire way of life has just evaporated into thin air. The causes might be political, economic, or xenophobic, or a combination of all three, but it boils down to being a guest in your host country, a guest who can be disinvited on short notice.
So, you have to be prepared for the worst. In my case, that means building up a nest egg and always making sure I had enough money available to beat a hasty retreat if I had to. Fortunately, I am entitled to a free ticket home per my contract with my current employer, so that's a bill I won't need to pay. But I will need to live off savings, investments and blogging until my next paycheck arrives in early October.
I can do that. Many expats and immigrants are not so lucky.
Zhengzhou at night, on a non-smoggy day. Source: Wikimedia
I'll be teaching English to non-majors at Henan University of Technology. (I signed the contract yesterday, so I hope I'm not jinxing anything by reporting this news.) I'll have at least four or five colleagues who are native English speakers, which will be a welcome change from my current sitch of being only one of two foreign teachers, or (as now) one of one.
For now, I have to finish out the term, pack up my stuff, and say my goodbyes -- all before June 26. I am still apprehensive about the new job -- as in, will it still be there in August? -- so I'd be lying if I said I'm confident about the future. I'm at least less worried than I was two weeks ago when I was told I had to leave my job of the last nine years because of my age.
I guess that's an improvement, right?