Step 2. The Job Hunt.

     Knowing I had credit card debt and student loans to pay, I decided to make my decision about where to teach based on the financial issues I would face.  In doing my research, I learned that the teachers in the rich oil countries of the Middle East made the most money.  In doing my homework on the Middle East, I determined that the best place for me would be Abu Dhabi or Dubai.  I would be able to make up to $3600, or more, per month PLUS free housing and airfare that was paid for by the schools.
     I quickly found out that because almost every other TEFL instructor with student loans thought the same way, those countries could afford to be picky.  Absent at least 2 years of teaching experience or a teaching license back home, you could not pass Go and could not collect a ton of cash.  The one place it is extremely easy to get a job is in Saudi Arabia.
     Because of the cultural differences, they house expats in "compounds" with other expats.  Because women are not allowed to drive, I would have free housing, a driver to and from school and shopping, and separate housing.  What they don't tell you is that, unless you are married, you have to be sponsored by a man to enter and leave the country.  You will be required to wear the head to toe black tent, as an unmarried woman, and you cannot eat, shop, or walk alone on the streets without being harassed.  I said no to the job offer, figuring they would pull me off the plane on the tarmac and simply behead me there.
     Plan "B" was to head to South Korea.  I was able to get an interview almost immediately and the minute that the man saw me on skype, he informed me I was too old to teach in South Korea.  Apparently they are both sexist and ageist and as a 53 year old woman, I was not going to get a job teaching in South Korea.  Period.
     Plan "C" was China, no pun intended.  During my research, I found that there were more people learning to speak English in China than spoke English in America.  Hmmmm.  So, the hunt began.  The first thing I did was to find out what "issues" existed in China that I, as an expat, should be aware of.  The number one issue was air quality.  If you research the issue of air quality in China, you will quickly find that this is a HUGE issue.  The pictures of the Chinese wearing masks has nothing to do with avian flu.  Instead, in some cities, it is because the air quality comes in 2 settings, "chunky" or "soupy".  Chinese tend to buy masks by the case load.
     So, I looked based on air quality and size of the city.  The bigger the city, the more likely there will be reliable energy, transportation, and food stuffs.  Not wanting to pack 2 seasons of clothes, I looked to the Southern portion of China and settled on Shenzhen,  I am apparently only a subway ride to Hong Kong.