I am returning to Albuquerque on 3 June and hope to quickly determine whether I will be seeking another overseas teaching job. I have applied for faculty positions with universities in Turkey, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, though I’m open to other options in the States and elsewhere.My second year at the American University of Central Asia ended on a disappointing note. Without going into the details, let's just say that I was reminded that I am not so cynical that I still can’t be disillusioned. Fortunately, none of what happened in the last couple of months dampened my enthusiasm for teaching at AUCA, which has an ethnically diverse student population of 1,200, a size that allows for a high level of student-faculty exchange. Other than that, I’ve only just begun to critically evaluate my time here. If I come up with anything insightful, it will be posted here.
The accompanying photo was taken in front of a Soviet-era clothing factory in Bishkek that had several help wanted messages posted outside its gates. Note the fading mural, which attempted to glorify workers.
