Saigon or is that Sai Gon or even Ho Chi Minh City. It's all a little confusing. I'm going with Saigon though. Actually I'm not so much going with Saigon as going to Saigon.I've just accepted an 18 month contract to go teach Business Studies in Saigon and I'm excited. It's been a whirlwind of a week. My interview was early this week. Stupidly I'd suggested 3pm as an interview time so I spent the whole day being nervous waiting on the call. It did give me time to do more research. I think I read every relevant forum post on every possible expat website in Vietnam. I also spent hours trawling the TES forums ( a great site for people thinking of teaching overseas) to find out all I could about working in Saigon and about the school I was interviewing for.
So 3pm rocks round and I've got my list of questions ready. The Principal interviewing is friendly and easy going and even though the line is bad the interview goes ok. I'm not entirely sure I've scored a goal though as telephone interviews make it hard to build any rapport or show any of your personality.
Later that day I get an email back, not quite offering me the position, but talking about the salary package. We exchange emails a few time discussing salary expectations and I'm finally made an offer! I'm excited but now I'm also scared. I have two days in which to accept.
I spend those days talking to family and friends, weighing up my options. The problem is I'm really happy here in Sydney. I work at a great school, have fantastic colleagues, I've moved into a new apartment, have great friends and am all round really enjoying life. Finally I decide that the opportunity is too good to pass up. The chance of living in another country again is too exciting an adventure.
I print out the school's contracts, sign them and email them to the Principal letting him know I've accepted the offer.
The die has been cast. The Rubicon crossed. I'm going to Saigon in January.
Photo used under creative commons licence: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11401580@N03/2678647213/
