Well, I am on my way back. The flight over from the Big Island was fine, and we board the Seattle leg in a few minutes, so here I am at the big bank o'terminals in the terminal. (If I was at the last one, I could be at the terminal terminal terminal. But they are in a circle, so I can't tell.) Sorry abiut the double post yesterday; I was pushing buttons wildly as my time ran out on the pay terminal.
I almost went down and posted last night, but island lassitude got to me and I watched the Cartoon Channel instead.
What to say about the interview yesterday? That I showed up at the designated classroom at ten minutes before the designated time to find it empty? That I wound up greeting the members of the selection committee as they showed up, rather than otherwise? That the interview questions included one about how rigorously lockstep all their classes were and how I would fit into such an environment? That their "final exam" for lower pre-college English consists of the students writing a paragraph, not an essay? That in the one-on-one interview with the chair she told me that what they were really looking for was someone who had taught reading and writing? That once again I had to wait around for a too-short interview with an instructional vice-president at which he asked no questions of substance? Hmmm...
Or maybe I could just give you the minutae, like there is no public access to the internet anywhere on campus, that most of the classrooms have chalkboards, that my selection committee was 3/4 Caucasian and 1/4 Japanese and that the VP was caucasian, and that the welcome signs for the incoming UH students were in foreign languages (as they typically are) but that those languages were mostly from places like Tonga and Va'anu Atu.
After the interview, I did drive up to the volcano and did the rim drive. I'll post some pictures and descriptions later.
It's mid-afternoon there and I'll be home tonight. This has been a strange trip.
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8 comments:
Hi Walter,
Perhaps it was a trip to remind you how much you are already in the right place?
I loved spending time with your Antioch class. An engaged group of adults who were willing to ask and answer questions, put themselves and their thoughts on the line, and who mostly showed an enjoyment of the learning process.
See you soon.
Exactly; sometimes a little distance and new points of reference let you see that where you're at is pretty darn good, which is a nice reminder to have every now and then.
And you did get to see a volcano! :-)
So, if you worked there, would you be obligated to show up late for everything and not really care about it?
I can answer that: Yes.
I have an actor-friend, who just moved back after five years of living in Hawaii.
What drove him back? "The underlying level of incompetence, and the lack of anybody caring about it."
I'll save you the punch-line: "This from an actor?"
I guess my question is: how much crap are you willing to put up with to follow a dream?
The answer in my personal case is: obviously, quite a lot! We're presently compiling a top-10 sort of list regarding my illustrious place of employment for lo these past 10+ years. Will post it when it's finished.
Anyway, sorry you were disappointed.
ned: You raise a problematic question: what if the very nature of your dream is to not put up with crap? In some ways, that might make realizing your dream a lot easier...
I don't know that disappointed is the right word to describe how I feel. I didn't really have any expectations that weren't met; this was more an exploration than anything else. But thanks, old chum.
Bob didn't have anything to do with fed.gov. His observations were relegated to the private sector only. You know, where if everything is "privatized," it'll all go more smoothly and with less cost (and presumably, no profit)?
No. The situation is even worse than you feared.
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