The Official Unofficial Resume

AKA Jobs I have performed in the past besides my music stuff.

Agent/Arts Admin: I organize recitals and concerts in Malaysia & Singapore. I'm in the process of being a contact/liason for an upcoming tour for my former college. I think they will be going to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. I can only help with non-profit or educational trips. My fee: please pay my airfare.

Events Management: Details from venue to menu. I was involved in events planning from young as my dad was the national and SE-Asian president for a youth organization, the Boys' Brigade. Talk about fundraisers and protocol for VIPs and royalty! Hosting international guests from around the world made for a very interesting childhood. (I still remember the guests from Germany who came when I was 5-yrs old! I still have the necklace they left me.)

Tour Guide: I love to travel & read. I study maps and public transportation systems easily. It takes me about a week or less to familiarize myself with a new city. I have played tour guide in Malaysia (of course), Beijing, Singapore and New York, NY.

ESL Volunteer: Taught in China, Thailand, Malaysia. I speak good Chinglish and Manglish. I substitute taught for my parents, still do when I am home in the summer.

Test Administrator: I worked with the Success for All Foundation, a literacy program funded by the Dept. of Education. I worked in under-performing elementary schools in Wichita, KS and Eutaw, AL administering reading tests to students.

Counselor: Handling different student problems. I wish students would communicate with their instructors when they are in trouble instead of waiting until it's really late. I refer students to the appropriate services in the university like the Counseling Center, Dean of Students and SGA especially if $$ is involved.

Advisor: I do some informal academic advising. Friends and students ask me what classes to take to diversify their studies. Also, I provide some career guidance for students who aren't quite sure of what jobs are out there for their majors.

Research Asst.: I learned this - never walk into the library the night before a musicology exam when you're the musicology GTA. I get phone calls about how to research and what to research. Where do I find an article about this? Don't ask me about citation stuff :)

The "doctor": I had quite a few knocks on my door in China for medical stuff. I read enough about symptoms of common illnesses, so I know when they should head to the doctor or wait it out. I don't have my first aid certification yet but I have often been with people in accidents until real help arrives. It doesn't faze me to handle a crisis.

Shopper: Yes, my host mom here uses me as her personal shopper. She tells me what she is looking for and I find her the best deal. Makes her Christmas shopping very easy and it gives me my shopping therapy.

Drill instructor: Yes, I was the drill commander for 90+ girls for the 1st Kampar Girls' Brigade Company. Boy, I was strict as my friends recall. I was never guilty of not being heard in high school. I am quite soft spoken now.

Dancer: I have been involved in contra dance demonstrations at the Cowtown Museum, Wichita. I still contra dance regularly even though I am no longer the president of the Tuscaloosa Contradancers. Was in a swing dance performance last year.

Live-wire/Hostess: Of a party. Sometimes I am a live wire but usually I'm behind the scenes, serving guests and all. I enjoy being a hostess a lot. The most recent one: the Clarks' farewell party.

Florist: I will make floral arrangements only when my mom is not around. I do bouquets and some table arrangements. I helped my sis with her wedding flowers and will likely do my own when it happens.

Photographer: One of my dreams is to own a D-SLR camera. If I'm not playing hostess at a party, I love taking pictures. I have a great album of our Halloween in Beijing when I played the role of the paparazzi. I like to take photos of sunsets, nature and scenery. One of my photos of a Beijing hutong was a finalist in a competition recently.

Problem solver: Do I have an "ASK ME" button? FAQs include: Can you come fix the projector? Why is the projector not working? What cables do I need? Where can I find ...? What do I do with ...?

Seamstress: I hemmed another piano major's recital dress in my studio.

Pet-sitter: I do well with cats and dogs. Fish & birds ok, no reptiles.

House-sitter: I will keep your home so secure I might lock myself out. It happened once, much to my embarrassment.

Baby-sitter: Have done it once or twice for my classmate's 2-yr-old. I brought bubbles and play dough. We had fun! (My mom runs a kindergarten. (200+ kids a day) X (17 yrs)... need I explain? I like children, just not that many.)

Mechanic: I helped a free-lance mechanic fix my car. I know my GLOJET mobile pretty well. I usually can diagnose my own car but still take it to a real mechanic to confirm.

This was fun to blog.. I may remember others and will add to the list.

Summer Plans 2009

Things I look forward to when I finish everything at UA:

1. Job applications: Quite a few decisions to make on what career path I would like to take. I'm looking for a job combining music, cultural studies or Chinese studies. Very few can claim to have lived in and taught the Hokey Pokey to two remote villages in China!

2. Read: I'm more interested in non-fiction so I will probably keep reading books on Chinese history and Beethoven. Maybe I'll start some work on tracing Beethoven in Chinese music history?

3. Piano: I want to attend Barbara Lister-Sink's workshop but that depends a lot on $$ and transportation. I'm toying with the idea of playing through more Beethoven stuff or I'll return to Bach.

4. Chinese: I have all my Chinese textbooks with me and I can't wait to dig into them again. I will continue translating Madame Mao's speeches and possibly prepare them for publication. I have several Chinese versions of English texts I would like to start working on like the "History of Western Music" Palisca-Grout and the bible.

5. Car: Yes, it's time to let go of my car or I can attempt to fix it again on my own with a friend's help. Distributor cap, I officially dislike you! Where's the lifetime warranty? I'm getting around in a borrowed vehicle these few weeks (or months).

6. Beading: I'm thinking of expanding jewelry making to beading embroidery. I'm a little concerned as the last time I did such intricate work, I inflamed a nerve in my right wrist. No permanent effects, but it sure hurt! I long to work on stained glass again.

7. Dance as much as I can.

8. Secret! You'll find out when it happens.

Trouble with travelling so much

*sigh* I wonder how I'm going to keep my private students happy. I have had to move their lessons around so many times these couple months. My audition at U of Nebraska-Lincoln was postponed to the next week meaning I have to reschedule everyone for this week and next week again. There are two more auditions coming up and no more weekends available until April. I have two conferences I will need to present at. I am also going to have to move at the end of March, so there goes Easter weekend.
Lucky me!

I may never get to fully unpack my suitcase until April except for changing the clothes I put in. I'm so thankful for a laptop. It makes travelling, editing papers and keeping in touch much easier. (I love wireless connections.)

It's also very difficult for me to find another part-time job since I'm gone so much. I don't think my employers would understand. So far, I've two interviews. I was hired in Jan but never called to work. I am waiting for word on my last interview which was on Monday.

I hope gas prices come down and that I would be able to afford all these trips I'm taking. I may have another job and may have a cheaper place to stay. I'm thinking of bunking with a friend for the next couple months and just see where things lead to.