HEXAGRAM 29 LINE 4 - MOVING TO CAMBODIA
I had been working as an ESL teacher in Laos for a year. It was a very tough assignment, as the school was something of a sin bin. As long as the parents paid up, all manner of bad behavior was tolerated. A common answer when asking the class where someone was was "jumped the wall," meaning they had done just that. I remember walking into class after lunch one day to see four boys gambling with their shirts off. There were girls asleep on desks put together and covered with blankets. One girl was perched on a bench with her shirt rolled, showing off her panties. I told them what class it was supposed to be, but a boy just said, "Teacher no." in a nonchalant but firm manner. I went down to the principal’s office and told him. He said not to worry; he would talk to them, and he strolled off to the class room. He said a few words, and then all the class got up and went to the restaurant, where they snacked away happily. The principle’s wife ran the restaurant, so she was happy. He told me to take a break. To be fair, the kids were not in any way hostile toward me, and I would often see them drinking beer in the evenings and sometimes join them for one.
Then came the end of spring term, and the exams were finished. I was expecting there to be a summer school opening in June to take me through until next school year. However, this was not to be, as due to a lack of students, summer school was cancelled. Furthermore, there was no guarantee my contract would be renewed, as they could replace me with a cheaper teacher, perhaps a Filipino. I had been living in the dilapidated school free apartment and needed another place to stay. I looked at rents, and they were too high. I decided to move to Cambodia, as rents were lower and visas were easier. The oracle was not that great, but I decided it was worth the risk and left in a considerable hurry.
I flew from Laos to Siem Reap, the holy city and home of the Anchor Wat temple complex. I knew one guy there, so that was something. It was not easy, though, as I was down to my last three hundred dollars by the time I had found an apartment, and I paid for expensive wi-fi. My luck held, and I got a good online position soon after. I have been here ever since. I have had my share of problems, but nothing one might not expect anywhere in the world. So, all in all, it was a risky undertaking and physically and psychologically taxing, but worth it in the end.
Wilhelm/Baynes:The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds.
Wilhelm/Baynes: A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it; earthen vessels simply handed in through the window. There is certainly no blame in this.
This oracle is pretty accurate. I already knew this oracle and was not surprised by the outcome. The traditional text is pretty true to life. I was in trouble (abyss) and had to face another abyss to get out of it. The success was modest, I got what I needed, no more, no less. I would not like to follow this path without a good reason, though, and would normally look for an easier way to proceed.
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