In the Red

As the bank account approaches zero...

Everyday issues

Ok, so it isn't actually as extreme as that, but I am having serious budgeting problems. Not even in terms of planning for overseas, but just income in general.

When I was made redundant at the start of the year (I worked for a solar company that went bust) I was able to apply for my redundancy package and all the leave I was owed through some government body called GEERS. I have no idea what it stands for, but they are incredibly slow. I got a letter from them ages ago saying that they had received my application (for money) and would be in contact with me in due course. 

I could seriously use that money right now.

Monday, I hope, Mum is going to re-finance my car loan so that the repayments are less. Right now its sucking $96 a week out of my account. Which is a lot, when I only earn about $300 on average a week. So that leaves me with $200 (about) which I need to pay for everything else with. And because of the horses my outgoing expenses are pretty damn high for someone who lives at home with their mum rent free. 

And the horses are causing me a huge amount of stress atm. I have just moved Beau to Chirnside Park, to a really lovely property with a really nice lady running the joint. But when I first agreed to take him up, I was lead to believe that he would get a big paddock. When I got there this morning she wanted me to put him in one of the smaller ones. Then when I said that I wanted a bigger one, she told me that she likes to keep those for people who have 2 horses. So basically, I am still going to have to go up and feed him, and give him hay. The main reason for moving him was to try and cut down on feeding! So I am actually back to square 1 in the sense that I am still going to look for somewhere else. He really needs to be in a 'turn out' paddock where he can just run around, eat grass and be a horse. Especially as I am going away for a year. Its not fair for him to be stuck somewhere tiny with nothing to nibble on. And its also not fair for me to expect someone else (Mum haha) to have to look after him completely while I am away. 

Following a suggestion from pone of Mum's friends I called up another place today based in Wandin, and they have something like 300 acres that you can let your horsie play in. I think I will go up and have a look next weekend. I feel bad for stuffing this new lady around, but at the same time she kinda pulled the wool over my eyes a bit. So I only feel a little bit bad. She got paid, so as if she actually gives a shit. 

I have started making weekly and monthly budget spreadsheets to try and track what I am spending money on. And I am going to start allocating myself money for misc. things and then really keeping a lid on the rest. As it stands, I actually don't have enough money for the Big Move. So that, coupled with my credit card debt, is really starting to worry me. So I will keep you posted with how I am going with my budgeting. It will be badly, as I have never been very good with this sort of thing...

Job update

Ok, at least there has been some progress here. I ended up declining the Yongin kinder position. It just didn't feel right that I had so much trouble getting a contact for a foreign teacher. So I said thanks but no thanks. 

Then, I got offered the position in Daejeon at the ICC school. It seemed like a nice place, I was offered a contact for one of the teachers (offered, I don't have to ask) who I emailed, and he had great reviews. But, this school was a bit further out than what i wanted, and the hours were 11 - 8 or something. So I declined that position too. 

Then, I was offered the position in Hanam. Again, I was given a contact for a teacher and he was also really nice. It would be his position that I would be replacing but he will be sticking around for about 2 weeks after I arrive to help get me settled and to show me the ropes. The school is relatively new, and apparently the accommodation is really nice. And the classes are the right age and the right hours. The only issue with this school is the contract is really tight, and the pay is not as good as I have previously been offered. So I have emailed Irene (JT Consulting) to see if they are open to negotiate on the contract. So we will see what she says on Monday.

In the meantime I am having a major hard time deciding if I should just stop dealing with all these recruiters, and just focus on the ones who claim they can get me a public school position. And, should I wait and see if I get an offer from a public school or should I just accept a decent private contract?
Pretty sure I will cut it down to just the worthwhile ones... For anyone out there reading, this will be Korvia, TeachESLKorea, JT Consulting, and I really think thats about it. There are a heap of others that people recommend, so just speak to a heap of people and go with who makes you feel most comfortable. For me, its these ones :)

I have spoken about the main differences between public and private before, but I have since been doing some more Googling and to be honest I am even more confused than ever. It feels that the main draw card for everyone wanting the public positions are the vacation days. There is heaps mopper free time and a whole heap more holiday time working for a public school. But the pay is slightly less, and the students would not be the age I was originally looking to teach (I want kinder, but in public it would be regular high school kids). 

Have a read of the differences (written by someone who did both):

Public(EPIK) 1 year                                                      Private(Hagwon) 8 months

Work hours: 8:30-4:30, gives you tons of free time—so make due by getting a hobby.	Work hours: 9-6. 9 hours. Work more.
Textbooks are provided. In EPIK, the lessons are all in English and Korean in the teachers guide. Everything you need to say, ask students and do is in there. There’s usually a schedule you follow—that can be found in the book as well.	Textbooks are provided. You can teach them however you want. There’s usually a deadline for when the book must be completed by, but that depends on the school.
Class size can be as big as 28-35 students per class. Total student population: 700+(That number’s based on my student count last year) You might not get to know all your students, but you’ll definitely have your favorites—and that goes for any school.	Class size can be as small as 6-12 students per class. Total student population: 66 kindergartners and 28 elementary. Smaller class sizes rock.
Schedule: 4-5 40 minute classes a day (back to back) 9:00 to 12:20 or 1:20-2:00. Sometimes, it can be the same lesson, over again.	Schedule: 5 30-minute kindergarten classes in the mornings (back to back) 9:30-12 and  4 elementary classes in the afternoon with 10 minutes in between for break, 1:40-5:30. The lessons–I have two of the same grade, the others are 1st and 3rd, so the textbooks are different.
Class duration: 40 minute periods. Usually you have a Korean co-teacher in the room with you (either co-teaching or handling discipline)	Class duration: 50 minutes. No co-teacher in the class with you.
Choosing your living place: Many choices, but you’ll have to narrow them down to three. As for where you’ll end up–that’s done randomly. Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you don’t. Choosing your apartment: No sayResponsibility: Show up on time, help plan lessons with co-teacher, help co-teacher with classes by co-teaching, come up with fun activities for students that deal with the lesson’s material. Also fill in attendance sheets and weekly plans. Get signatures from principal, vice principal and co-teacher.Classroom or not: This depends on your school. I had an English classroom at my visiting school, but not at my main.Lunch: School lunch. Most principals want you to eat with everyone (teachers and students) in the cafeteria. You’re choice if you want to eat the food or not. The meals are free. My visiting school had bad lunches, so I always brought my lunch. But my main school had awesome lunches, and I always ate there. Sometimes you have to go to group lunches. (Seafood or meat, depending on what everyone likes. For my school, it was seafood.) It was pretty much mandatory to go, but I never had fun at those lunches because I never liked the menu. I’m not a fan of seafood, so it was always hard for me to enjoy. And there was a point in the beginning when I was vegetarian, so it can be a bit difficult. Advice: be flexible. Co workers: Your co-teachers will either speak little to no English or have great fluency. Depends on who you meet.  Those at my job went out of their way to make me feel welcome–giving me  dishes and toilet paper when I moved in and even going with me to get bedding because I didn’t know where anything was. Work attire: Casual at both my schools. I dressed like did on the weekends. For open lessons, I’d make an effort to look really nice—wearing dresses. Open classes: You basically have normal class and people from other schools and your own, sit down and observe. I had a great one at my visiting school, but my main school wasn’t so great. When it’s finished, you sit down for an hour to talk about it with a school official in Korean. Sometimes, there’s fruit and juice. Overtime: There was none at my school. Some people do have it—it’s about 17,000 won or more an hour. Student level: There’s a huge mix between students that are low-level and high-level. Some can read, write, listen and speak. Some can’t at all. Ultimately, it will depend on the students English language background. Vacation: TONS of vacation. If you don’t have debt to pay off, see the world. It’s cheap to travel to other parts of Asia, and if I had the chance last year, I would have done it. Teaching: I didn’t feel like a teacher. I was a tape recorder—only there for listen and repeat and singing songs during lessons. I used to teach them a little in the beginning, but the went strictly textbook after a month or so. The routine of the book became boring for me, I had students that wanted to be there and those that didn’t. I found it hard to do more in class with such a mixed level of students. In the end, I needed a change.  Of course there are tons of people who love EPIK and do more than the textbook. It’s something I never saw beyond due to the school I taught at. I found classes most fun when I got to share something about American culture– something most students didn’t know much about. Desk warming and other stuff: Yes. I’ve done it many times. The one thing you have to remember about working in a public school is to be as flexible as possible. I learned that I didn’t enjoy public school in the last months I worked there. It was a struggle for me to keep up with the routine because I felt like my job was a joke. That experience made me realize what kind of teacher I wanted to be and which one I didn’t.	Choosing your living place: Many choices if you know where you want to live. Choosing your apartment: Normally there’s no say, but I got lucky.Responsibility: Show up on time, make attendance sheets, fill them out, fill out progress reports, make monthly plans for all classes, decorate the classroom, clean the classroom, make classroom rules, meetings with directors, sometimes taking phone calls from parents.Classroom or not: Yes. I have my own classroom, which I’m responsible for maintaining and up keep.Lunch: School lunch, and it’s free. However, I’m allowed to leave the building during that time to eat what I want. Sometimes I eat school lunch, but most times I bring my lunch or eat out. Co workers: Your co-teachers will speak better English because they too teach classes in English, but it also depends on your school.   Those at my job went out of their way to make me feel welcome–especially my directors–buying me a broom and dustpan because I told her I didn’t have one, that can of kindness. People in general are very nice here. Work attire: Casual. For special events (festivals, open lessons) I wear a dress, and a little makeup. Open classes: No, not for elementary students. Sometimes the directors will stop by to have a look-see but that’s it. Nothing formal. Yes for kindergarten and it’s a lot of work just like for an EPIK open lesson. Same stresses and worries. But no sit down at the end. Overtime: Yes but for kindergarten. Last semester I’d have to stay late for an open lesson presentation or a special themed event held on Saturday (open lesson or open class.) Student level: Mostly all the students you teach will be in the same grade and at the same level of English ability. Most can read, write, listen and speak, even if just a little. It also depends on their English language background. Vacation: 10 days with national holidays. 5 days in the winter, 5 days in the summer. Chuseok, Children’s Day, Buddha’s Birthday and Christmas are always off. Teaching: Because I have more responsibility as far as duties go, I feel more like a teacher. I create my own worksheets and try my best to teach them so they understand the material.  Desk warming and other stuff: Yes. I did it once. The one thing you have to remember about working in a private school is  to be as flexible as possible. I learned that I enjoy private school better. It was a real struggle for me for the first three months (working with kindergarten/disciplining kids/the increased workload and responsibilities), but all the experiences I had has made me a stronger, better teacher and person.

This was a table one of my pals from the TESOL course found, which kinda sums up the differences between the 2. Yet every time I ask someone from my fb community what they think, they all (bar 1 girl) said wait and see if you get offered public. 

So lets say I wait it out, and I don't get anything? That would be really annoying. I guess, like Jean (Korvia) said, hagwons offer positions all year round so I can always pick something up. 

So here is my question, friends - take a private position, with good pay and good conditions, or wait it out until September and see if I land a public job?

It means that my plans for going in August are shot. The semester starting date for public schools is in September, so they wouldn't need me until then. I might get away at the end of August... 

But then, this might be better because it means that I don't need to feel so stressed about getting my documents together by a close deadline. 

The main reason I wanted to go in August was a gay reason anyway... I don't want to have another birthday here. I feel I have put so much off, and that I haven't achieved anything. So I felt that by being overseas, doing a crazy new thing, was a good way to see in a new year. And I wanted to still be 25 when I made the Big Move. Like I said, all pretty gay reasons.

Documents update

I still haven't heard back from the Feds. I haven't sent them an email this week, maybe I should start harassing them again? Tomorrow I am catching up with Elene, and her sis works for the mofo's so I will ask her if she has gotten any of my emails (haha) or at least what the general g.o. is for turnaround time. This documents crap is totally not her area, but she might have some insider knowledge.

On a positive note, my auntie is a Magistrate, and says she might be able to sign my documents as a public notary person! So that will save me at least $80 per documents! It means that I can make a heap of copies of my crc and degree and not have to pay some shmuck lawyer. Then it will just be the apostille, which is $60 per document. So it will def save me money. Thanks auntie Jill! Gotta check that its allowed first...

And in other news...

I got Billie back today! And I rode her! She was a good little girl. Still not really cantering, but it will give me something to work towards. I am super happy about it. Its good at least one of the horse issues are sorted out.

Mum came back from her cruise, can't remember if I said that already or not. Dad and Sue will be back next week so thats also good. 

I am planning on moving my fish from my room out into the kitchen. This is so they can get used to the new environment before I go away. They can't stay in my room because I am acred that Mum will forget about them and they will die of starvation. I meant to do it today but i ended up distracted with moving Beau and freaking out about the decision to move them. 

This is something that is a bit of a core trait of my personality. I hate making decisions and commitments, because history says that I make poor choices. This one with Beau is a classic example. I thought I was doing the right thing by moving him to Chirnside, but now he is in the exact same situation that he already was. But its costing me more money. 

I always second guess EVERYTHING I do, and I always end up regretting choices I make. I mean, I don't think I will regret the Big Move (I will regret it more if I don't give it a go) but I will probe end up wishing I had taken a different contract, or wishing I was in a different area or something. Its one of those things that always happen to me. 

On the flip side of this, it shows how adaptable I am. I always stand by my bad decisions, and make the best of it. And I change what I can. So even though I might come across as inflexible, really I don't think this is true. It does appear I create most of my own problems, challenges and issues, but I always make it out alive. I am adaptable. Like Darwin's finches.

I create my own prisons, but I plan my own escapes. 

xox

Videos and Facebook

My film debut

Ok, guys, the moment you have all been waiting for (or not)! My Self Introduction video! 

Say what???

Let me tell you the story. Its not really an interesting story, but I will tell you anyway. Basically, the recruiter from Korvia (Jean) asked me as part of my application to so a short youtube video saying who I was, what I like to do, and why I want to come to Korea. Another recruiter (Jin from Englishworldkorea) had also asked me to do a video but I had declined, because at the time I thought it was weird. But now that a few have asked I spose I am ok with it...

Then Irene (from JT Consulting) asked if I could do a video of me demonstrating my teaching! Well, at this point I am getting a bit overwhelmed again, because I have enough trouble taking and uploading photos, let alone videos which I have never attempted. 

So I thought I would try and compromise. I did the video, very very basically, using the webcam on the mac and the imovie program. I wrote out the points i wanted to make and then I just kinda made it up as I went along. I gave it a few goes, and then picked the one I looked and sounded least retarded in. And here we are, the final result:

http://youtu.be/eJ3glCIEeuk

I have no idea if this will even work or not... 

I had to make a youtube channel, which I now have with my one video on it. If you are keen, and this link doesn't work, and you need a laugh tonight the channel is bonnie9973. I think you just type it in and I assume the video will appear. When I get to Korea I want to get myself a little video camera, and I will def try and load up some interesting things. 

Wait, this worked even better! Turns out there is an 'imbed video' option while blogging... Technology eh?

But still, I mean to make more videos so lets wait and see what happens. Oh, and as a side note, I watched this video back after posting it and emailing it to the recruiters, and then realised I have a bit of fluff in my hair. FML now I look like I don't brush my hair. I did take out the lip piercing though... No need to advertise my emoness.

Reasons why I love Facebook...

This topic can go on and on forever, because as many people know I really love Facebook (hereby referred to as fb). I know a lot of people whinge about fb taking over lives and causing people to be less social and all that, but I only look at it from a positive point of view. Some quick reasons I love fb are:

- Keeping in contact with old friends

- Its FREE

- Stalking people legally

- Contacting old friends I would never have been able to reach (like numbers have changed or whatever)

- Networking

For me, the current giant plus of fb has been the networking.

Facebook Networking

Since telling people of my Korea plans, I have had a heap of people link me with their friends or family who have been, or are working in South Korea. The info that I have been given by these kind souls has been invaluable. I cannot express how much I appreciate all these strangers giving me information without expecting anything back. it has been truly amazing. And through these initial contacts I have now made more, so there is now a network of reliable people I can speak with to get Korea info. One new friend in particular has answered my odd questions, like will I find a hairdresser and can I get decent bread. And they encourage me to ask anything. I feel really lucky that I am online and can access these people and their knowledge. 

Interestingly enough, a few of the recruiters have even pointed me to fb groups to ask questions and to see what type of things other expats are up to. This has also been great, I randomly saw that one girl was interviewing for the same position as me! So we have been comparing notes. It would be cool to catch up with her once we both arrive in Korea, two little newbies together :) So this is the type of community I am entering into - a bunch of likeminded people who are super friendly and helpful and want to help me with my experiences too. Couldn't really ask for more!

And all of this through the power of fb, and social networks. So don't bag fb to me, because I won't hear it!

Once I get to Korea, fb will be a massive life line to my friends and family too. And I plan on using youtube a bit too, as it seems to be a good way to reach people. But the big thing will be family and friends. I already know I will miss them heaps :)

Interviews update

So, I had an interview the other night with a school in Daejeon, called the International Communication Centre.

http://www.dongguicc.or.kr/

The hours are not really what I am looking for, and it is a bit further out than what I wanted, but the contract is only 6 months so I thought I would see if they liked me. The interview went well, she asked me the usual questions (what I like to do on the weekend, do I like kids, what is my teaching experience, what is sustainability etc) and that was about it. She asked if it was ok if a current teacher called me and also had a chat with me, which I said was fine and that was it. 

So last night, around 9.30pm the teacher called. It was one of their native teachers (by native, I mean native English speaking, not native Korean) and she was from New Jersey and had been teaching at the school for about 9 months. We had a really good chat about conditions, work environment and all that. She also asked me some more questions about my teaching style, why I picked Korea to want to teach at and that toy of thing. Either way, it was a good convo she was easy to talk to. I mean, you never know if there was actually the Korean director sitting behind her making sure she was saying the 'right' thing, but it seemed legit. 

And I actually just had a phone call from Claire (the recruiter for this position) while I was typing, answering a few other questions I had about this position. it seems that the actual working hours are pretty low, she thinks less than 30, and on a Friday you only teach between 6pm and 8pm. But in there lies my dilemma - the kids that i would be teaching are a little older (elementary and up) and the hours are not as awesome as I had hoped... Classes are from 11am to 7.30pm so I would be working evenings. Not too late, but still not during the day. And the area is a bit out of Seoul, takes over an hour by fast train to get there. 

But I will hold judgement until they send me a contract. they might not! They might not have liked me! We shall see... 

Update on this school!!!

Guys, i received a job offer from the ICC School in Daejeon. I have emailed a current teacher to get the low down on the school, so i will let you know what he says. I am still thinking its a no, because of how far out it is but I will wait and see what this guy says. And also the salary is a bit lower that what I was hoping, AND the accommodation is dorm style. Basically, I wouldn't say I was sold on it.

I have another interview this evening, with a school in Hanam. It is a new school apparently, and is part of the SLP chain which has a pretty bad rep online. But as Irene (recruiter) pointed out, they are all run by different people so it really depends on what the director is like. Don't know if that is comforting or not :s

http://www.jobteachconsulting.com/services/joblist/view.php?id=850 

This is what Irene sent me to have a look at, has some of the details about the position. 

So I will see how this interview tonight goes, and hopefully have some more offers soon!

In regards to the kinder in Yongin, they are really putting the pressure on to get me to make up my mind. I sent Claudia an email telling her if they are not comfortable waiting then they can interview someone else, but instead she sent back so other info and asked if I was not comfortable with the contract. I just pointed out to her this was a really big deal for me, having to shift myself to another country and begin a new profession and I need to be 100% about it before I commit. She hasn't emailed me back yet :s but I refuse to feel pressured! Not really very fair. 

The interview with the Wonderland school this morning was cancelled. I have a feeling it was because they may have already found someone, but she said it was because the directors daughter had to go to hospital. i said yeah thats cool, either make another time or just focus on another school and she said she would find me another school. So there you go. That was the one with the bad online reviews anyway so i am not really too upset. 

In other news...

The pony is still due to come back on the weekend. Provided that Beau can go to Chirnside. Provided mums car hasn't completely shit itself by then. 

I have eaten nearly an entire block of chocolate today, so the diet is still failing miserably. Oh well... when the pony comes back I can start riding again and hopefully shed some kg's.

Ummm, can't really think of anything else right now so I guess thats it for today! Unless i think of anything later, in which I will add or make another post.

xx

Job Offers - and the BLACKLIST

Finally, a solid offer... But to accept?

On Friday last week I received my first official job offer, for a kinder in Yongin. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongin

The area seems really nice, I have done some major Googling and my recruiter Claudia has sent me plenty of pics and info about the place. The hours are acceptable, and the pay is better than originally offered. So why am I hesitating? 

I don't think I should accept the first real offer that I am presented with. Don't you think I should be a bit more choosy? I mean, what if I accept and something better comes along? Or worse, what if I accept and it turns out to be terrible? Or worse again, what if I don't accept and I only get offered shitty positions from here on in? 

Argh so many questions! I guess I really just won't have a real clue until I get there. I have been emailing a teacher who used to work for the school, and she has been really positive about it, and gave me both the up sides and the down. The main down was that it seems the accommodation is not awesome. "Not the worst, but not the best" is what she said. She said the building is quite old, compared to some of the other buildings. And, the school is 20 minutes away. They pick all the teachers up in a bus apparently. I would rather be closer to work and walk. But not am I just being really picky? 

I have 2 interviews tomorrow, one is with a school, the other is with a recruiter. This recruiter, Korvia Recruiting, is one of the biggest in Korea (or I hear) and it seems I am lucky that they are keen to help me out. They supply teachers for the public system, which is hard to get into. I am still hearing pros and cons to both private and public, but I still think I would prefer public. Mainly for the work hours. Lets be honest, I hate working. But, if you work in the public system you are stuck with co-teachers. And if you don't get along with your co-teacher then they can make working hell on Earth... So in that sense private is better because your classes are your own. Once I have actual experience with either of these thugs I will write a full post about it. For now, its really just me speculating. 

I also have an interview on Thursday, which I have since decided that I do not want the job. A different recruiter, Yuan (?) has gotten me an interview with another kinder in Yongin, called Wonderland. Something about the name rang bells in my head, but I agreed to the interview anyway as it seemed like a pretty good contract. I got home later and went Googling and found where I had seen it - on the list of Blacklisted schools in Korea. These Wonderland schools are a chain, and are all owned by the same parent company. It seems that they are really shocking with paying their teachers, and back out of the contracts at something like 10 months meaning that the teachers lose benefits like home flights etc. And they tell teachers that the pension is optional, when in fact it is the LAW in Korea that the teachers are paid a national pension. I read the email again from Yuan and it even said that I have the option to not have the pension paid and it will save me money. What bullshit. So now I don't know if I trust Yuan, or if he is just looking at available jobs. Either way I will still go along eight the interview, as it is good proactive, but I have already decided that I do not want this position. I might even email him tomorrow and cancel the interview. I just really don't feel comfortable with the school. 

I believe most things I read on the internet, so if someone has posted something negative then I pay attention. When I have read it multiple times by different people and on different sites, I take it as gospel.

Side note - 

There is no real "Blacklist" that I have been able to find, but if you Google search Blacklisted schools in South Korea you can find heaps of threads. So what I have been doing is doing a search of dodgy schools in general then searching the blogs/forums for the particular schools name. And also just going a general search on the school. You can also do a similar search for dodgy recruiters.

Apostille update

Argh, this Apostille rubbish is driving me mental. 

I need to get the copy of my degree notarised, which translates to someone official signing it and verifying that its mine and all that. Then it needs to be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the Apostille. I am going to call them tomorrow and find out exactly what the deal is and how much it will cost. 

I plan on getting the degree done now, firstly so it is out of the way, and secondly so that I can get an estimate on how long it takes. As I have to wait like, 20 days or some shit like that for my National Police Check I want to have an idea of the time it takes so I can let the recruiters know. At least I don't think I need the police check notarised, because I can always get another one. But, I think maybe I should make a copy just in case it either gets lost, or in case someone *Korean embassy cough cough* doesn't send it back to me.

NB 

I am fuming at the AFP right now. Y U No reply to emails!

Jerks.

So I will call this department tomorrow and try and get some answers. I am sick of trying to figure it out via the internet... Call me old fashioned but sometimes its easier to just ask. 

Korea preparation

I started dieting at the beginning of the month because I am concerned I will be too fat for clothes in Korea. I'm mot suggesting I am some poster child for obesity or anything, but the reality is that your average Australian white chick is bigger than our average Korean chick. Bigger hips, bigger tits, the whole thing. So, considering I am on a constant quest for a slim down anyway, I thought I would try and get my weight loss goals going again. And I was going really well! I lost nearly 2 kilos, which I was super happy about. Then I got lazy, and went back to eating copious amounts of bread. I haven't been back on the scales this week but I won't be surprised if I have put the weight back on. I keep thinking, I need to be slimmer for Korea, and then I think, I better eat plenty of this awesome bakery food now because I probe can't get it in Korea... And so it goes back and fourth. But seriously, I will start to knuckle down. 

As I have said before, I am a massive fan of Google, most of my information on everything is based on internet facts. Mainly Wikipedia. Never mind I went to uni, most of that is rubbish compared to what is online. So When I et to Korea I will either be unsuprised at everything (as I have already read the truth online) or I will be shocked and appalled that Wikipedia has let me down. I have read all about the type of food they eat, the type of clothes they wear, the type of makeup the girls wear, what hair is cool at the moment, what music they are listening to... The list goes on. I am prepared for the weather, i know that if I can get there sometime in August I will be present for the best time of the year (being their fall - fall not autumn guys, because Korea is Americanised) and will have mainly sunny days. But the mornings and late evenings may be chilly. So I will need to take a light sweater. 

Ah geez, listen to me. A sweater???

I need to either get my phone unlocked, or get some cheapy and get credit that can use international roaming. i plan on getting a phone and internet plan sorted pretty much as soon as I arrive, but mum will be freaking out if she can't contact me so some sort of telecommunication device is needed. I also need to think about what to do in regards to banking. I am considering closing down my current accounts and opening one up with some international bank, like HSBC or something. That way all my money can just be in the one place. i can always re-open everything when I get home. It just seems annoying to have so many accounts. that might be another thing I can do tomorrow, call my bank and get some financial advice for moving accounts and money overseas. 

I have also come to the decision I do not want to be based in Seoul. I would prefer to be in one of the satellite cities rather than the main city. Everywhere is within an hour or so of Seoul anyway (in the areas I am looking I mean) so I can always get to the city if I want to. I just think it might be a bit hectic. 

I think thats about all thats going on today, I had a heap of stuff to say after the last interview but its kinda all gone out of my head. I will try and remember better for tomorrows interviews, and I will post something up. 

Wish me luck for tomorrows interviews!

xx

National Police Check

Getting the check done

I have finally gotten this process started. I wasn't even sure what type of check I needed done, or even if the one I have now PAID for is the right one, but I guess we will know soon enough...

The check I have applied for is the National Police Check, which you need to organise through the AFP (Australian Federal Police). Their website says that the turnaround should be 15 days, but there is all this red lettered print at the top of the page at the moment that states there is is a major delay with the application processes. So typical. 

So I have sent off the application, now I need for them to send me some form that I then need to fill out and scan and email back to them, and also include 100 points of ID. And then, I suppose I need to wait again for them to finally send me the check. Now, there is also an Apostille update...

WTF is an Apostille?

So, with the amazing cognitive deductive powers of Kirsty (who suggested I Google it) I have kinda figured out what it is...

www.apostille.com.au 

"Apostille Certificates prove conclusively that Australian public documents are authentic and genuine for this purpose."

Basically sums it up.

So by getting my Degree and Police Check apostilled it means that whoever is deciding whether or not to issue me with a working visa doesn't need to get anything verified. Because its already been done by some official people in Australia. 

It will take ages to get the police check back, and then I have no idea how long its going to take to get the apostille done. So for a minute there I thought that I might actually get away in August, but now im back to not going when I want. Which is going to make it really difficult to look for jobs. 

Job status

I have been speaking with 2 recruiters in particular, who are very actively trying to get me work. They are ESL Park Recruiters and Star Teachers. I have no idea if they are good or bad, but I have done a basic Google search and haven't found any negative feedback. I haven't found much in the way of comments at all to be honest, but both companies have a heap of job listings. 

Jeff and Claudia (yes, the same "Jeff") have set up an interview for me with a kindergarten for tomorrow. Can't remember if I have blogged about this yet or not, but basically Claudia sent me through a heap of info about the school and also a mock contract. So I will see how this interview goes.

Yuna from ESL Recruiters is also hoping to set up an interview for me with a private school. It seems really good, except the hours are late, and I think that I would prefer to have a job where the shifts are during the day. But Yuna is super pumped to get me an interview, so I couldn't say no she seemed so excited. 

There are 2 or 3 other recruiters who I may still hear back from. I read on someones forum that you should play them off against each other and see who gets you the best job. I understand this, but I always end up feeling bad. And I know that I will probably never see these people, and that they are probably all just trying to place me anywhere so they get paid, but I like to think that the ones I am speaking with actually want me in a good place. And both Yuna and Claudia have sent me info about the places the schools are located and the types of facilities, shops, activities and festivals are there. So I really do feel they are trying to help. I will probe look back at this and cringe at my naivety but oh well. I wear my heart on my sleeve.

TESOL Status

To be honest, the electives have fallen by the wayside. I have been totally focused on these jobs. Its crazy, but I think once I have a firm date of departure in mind I will be able to continue with my life here. I feel that everything has come to a halt while I try to get a job. 

I have nearly done the assignments for Business English, and then I plan on starting the Teaching Children elective. And eventually Grammar. We shall see if I ever get around to it. 

Spend Tally

Totally nearly left this baby out!

Course - $1750

Printing - $47

Transcript - $15

National Police Check - $42.22

Total - $1854.22

Getting higher... FML

In other news...

I mayyyy have found somewhere for Beau, out in Chirnside Park. I just need to wait for Ange to give it the go ahead and then we can move the boys out. And then Billie can come home!!! Yay!!! So excited to be able to ride the pony even if it is only for a few weeks.

Mum is coming home on the weekend so I would say me and Georgia will spend the rest of the week trying to clean the house. It will be very interesting to see how I go moving out by myself, I have never had to cook for myself for a long period of time, or clean for myself. So pathetic!

I think thats it for now. I wonder if I will post so often once I arrive? 

Ooo, and a quick shout out to Priscilla for doing some sneaky thing to my blog. I have no idea if it has changed anything, but she took the time to show me so I am grateful. South Korea should be a big learning experience for me, they are space aged and I am technologically retarded. 

xx

Popularity contests

I have never felt so loved in my life

So, after a long procrastination period, I finally updated my cover letter and resume. And took a recent photo (shout out here to David K Davey) to send along with it. And then I followed the recommended advice and posted my resume on an ESL Jobs site. The ATA recommended Dave's ESL Cafe, which is very user friendly. 

And boy, did I get a response. 

I must have received at least 10 emails the next day, and more come through every hour. And, no I do not have a picture posted. Its just the resume. Everyone who has contacted me has been a recruiter, who have told me how they can find me a job etc etc. I suppose the trick now is finding a legit recruiter to deal with...

Pretty much everyone whats another copy of my resume, and a recent photo. And then they go from there. So overtime someone has requested this info, I have had a look at their contact info. If there is no website, I delete. If I go to the website and its not very appealing, I delete. This may seem a little picky or cut throat, but I don't have any other way of screening my potential people. And I have had phone calls too... One guy called and followed up with an email, nice guy, claims his name is Jeff (totally not his name, the guy is Korean) and told me of 2 jobs that match my preference for teaching in Seoul. I said yeah, thanks I will read them later and yes I will send through my pic and resume. About an hour later he calls back and tells me there are actually like, 6 jobs or something that match my criteria. So as expected, looks do count in Korea. What can I say, I have never been so popular in my life!

Its a dilemma

Why I probably won't be going to Korea in August

So, my timeline is already looking unrealistic. There are a heap of factors that I didn't really take into account when I began my planning for the Big Move. First and foremost is my Visa application.

Visa process

To obtain a Working Visa for South Korea there are a few things you need to arrange. Here is a bit of a checklist:

• Copy of University Degree (with apostille authentication)
• 2 sealed transcripts
• Criminal background check (with apostille authentication)
• Health statement - 2 copies
• Valid passport
• copy of information page of passport
• resume
• 4 passport photos
• signed contract
• Consult's checklist

I have no idea what an apostille is. I can't even type it properly, spellcheck keeps changing it to apostle :s and I don't know where to get one from. I have been on the website for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and I have emailed them so hopefully someone will get back to me on Monday.

Plus, my degree is currently locked in a glass cage of emotion (the stupid thing is in a frame). Its going to be a pain in the arse to get it out and make copies.

The Academic Transcript debacle. It is turning into a drama when it really didn't have to be. the first bit of info I read said I only needed one copy, so i only requested 1 from La tribe University. The transcript needed to be sealed specially with a stamp across the back of the seal for some reason. I don't know why, but if thats what the Korean Embassy want then as far as I am concerned they can have it. I expressed this to the Student Services people at La Trobe both over the phone and again when I emailed them my request. I even told them especially that it was for Visa application purposes. But noooooo, they didn't stamp the seal. So now I will probably need to pay more money to get another one done. And how do I know they will stamp it properly? I might either go down there and watch them do it, or draw them a diagram when I send the next email. For interest sake, the transcript cost me $15. I will do another tally of costs soon to see how much i have spent so far.

The criminal background check - I am not really concerned about this, I have never done anything illegal (as far as I know) so I am not concerned about what it will have on it. But I am concerned about how long it will take for it to be processed. The website says 15 working days but you never know. And there are a few different prices on the AFP website (Australian Federal Police for those playing at home) so I am not 100% sure about which one I am supposed to get. I am pretty sure it is just the general one, which is going to set me back I think $45. So thats more money...

I am off to see the doctor on Tuesday next week, so i will ask her then about this whole health check thing. This I am also a little concerned about. Not because I have some deadly contagious disease, but I do have a medical condition and I really hope it doesn't effect whether or not I am granted a Visa. 

In regards to my Crohn's disease, I am concerned about being able to get my prescriptions filled while in Korea. I am sure it will be fine, but I will organise an appointment with my specialist just to be on the safe side, and see if he knows anything.

The rest of the Visa stuff is all pretty straightforward - passport, passport photos, contract...

Contract? This is my next issue...

Applying for work

It turns out, I am shitting myself about applying for a job. I am too scared to apply, but not because I am worried no one will employ me, i'm worried they will. I am scared of being offered a job. If I accept a position, it will mean that I actually have to go and follow through with this crazy plan. I totally still plan on going, no doubt about it, but actually having an employment contract will make it real. And thats scary stuff. 

The process that appeals to me the most is contacting a good recruitment company and sending them my details and preferences. Then hopefully they can find me a job. The trick is finding an agency that is legit and seems to be safe and all that. But before I contact them, I need to get my resume and cover letter in order... 

I have a good resume but its not up to date, and probably isn't relevant for teaching. So that will need to be sorted out. And the cover letter is really stumping me. I really have no idea what to put in it. I mean, I know the info that needs to be there but every time I write one it is way too long, and I just don't know what is actually relevant and what isn't. So I thought that I might write a bit of a practice one and then get all my friends to look over it. And then I can adjust it and whatever.

I also need to attach a pic of myself to the cover letter and resume. So hopefully they won't think I am mega ugly and won't employ me. I might speak with my sis tomorrow and see if she can take some good pics of me. The passport ones from the chemist are always awful, so I will just try and get some semi decent ones at home. Im sure someone or something will tell me if the pics are no good (i.e. no one calls me).

I think my main issue with this whole "contract" thing is trying to figure out what is a good deal and what isn't... I really have no idea if I am signing into a good contract or a bad one. I can only hope that its all good when I arrive. 

In other news...

I passed and received my Certificate for the IELTS and TOEFL elective. So thats awesome. I am currently trying to complete the Business English module, and have enrolled in the Elementary Teaching. I think the next one I want to do will be teaching Grammar. At least if this Visa process ends up taking forever then I can get all my electives done in Australia... Another lovely frame to hang on my wall.

Billie the pony is going well. She trotted with a rider on her back for the first time ever this afternoon and I was super impressed. She is pretty flighty at the moment, she doesn't seem comfortable where she is. But really, she can just suck it up because I don't have time for her crap. Beau the horse is still lame, I am so over it I really just want to find a paddock to turn him out in. I need to not be thinking about it for a while.

Mums car is completely screwed. All the coolant has drained out and I don't know what to do. She is on the cruise until next Saturday so I will try and get it down to the mechanics sometime this week but I don't know if that will fix it. I really think its finally died. 

I think thats about it, I will bite the bullet and get my resume and cover letter sorted tomorrow and then start applying for positions next week. Its good that i am writing all this down, because I can hold myself a bit more accountable. I will also do a money tally update next post too.

xx

Foundation Complete

How answers actually create more questions

Course update

As it stands, I have now completed the Foundation core module for the TESOL Advanced Diploma. And, let me tell you, the Foundation module was fantastic. I really really really enjoyed my time in the class, for a few different reasons. For starters the other people in the class were really nice. As in, really open and eager to learn, and also eager to share their own ideas and feelings. For me, the other people in the class really contribute and impact on how I feel on courses overall. If there is a particular dick head in the class I usually decide I don't like it. Same if there is a typical 'know-it-all' in the class. These people are the worst in my opinion... They always know better then the teacher. There was one guy in the class who liked to act the teacher but he was very tame compared to other people I have been forced to spend time with. He was genuinely trying to help rather than being arrogant. 

Another thing that really made the 5 day course a great experience was the teacher. His name is John, and I really don't think I can be more complementary about him. He is super smart, a great communicator and just really entertaining. He is clearly passionate about teaching TESOL and helping students become better teachers. And I think I learnt more in the last week with John than what I have in the last year of fluffing through life. All the rules of grammar, learning where language comes from, lesson plans, and just general teaching skills were all covered. He was a gem. I hope he is paid well.

The materials provided were pretty good. We got the course manual, which is also available in PDF (handy for taking with you overseas), and that contained lots of general info as well as practical advise on how to teach English as a second language. It also contained types of lesson plans and heaps and heaps of activities that you can use to engage your students. John made good recommendations for different types of texts that would be appropriate to use in classes, and also suggested good books for us as teachers to read and use for classes and skills.

In saying all this, the course is limited. I am lucky enough to have a Uni degree, and as such I don't really need any other qualifications aside from my TESOL certificate to teach English overseas. However, something that a lot of my fellow course-goers did not know was that this course IS NOT NATIONALLY ACCREDITED and by itself CANNOT GET YOU A JOB. Some countries, like China for example, are so desperate for English teachers that they may waiver the whole 'needs a formal degree/certificate/diploma' and hire anyway. But if you are planning on going to South Korea you need to have a university degree to obtain your working visa. Many of the positions I have seen advertised say that a TESOL qualification is desirable but not required, whereas a degree is a must. Other in the course do not have tertiary education, and they now need to go and complete further studies to get a job. 

And the fact that it is not really recognised in Australia was pretty annoying. They certainly did not tell me this when I enrolled... I would have been furious if I was not unable to work overseas. In saying that, they may not have bothered to tell me because I had already told them I have a higher education. So for me it was moot. But for others is certainly is something they need to know. So if you are thinking of taking this course then I would say do it, but remember that its more of an extra tick in a box, its certainly not the ticket to your new life. 

NB

If you do want to be Nationally Accredited in TESOL the ATA does offer a Cert IV and also a Diploma of TESOL. And if I decide I want to do these when I come home I can, and they have RPL available. So I am not in any way saying this course or the course provider is not good, I am just saying that there are different levels available and you really need to have a think about what your requirements are before enrolling in one or the other.

I will probably talk about the course again as I go along, but I suppose to sum it up I would ay I really enjoyed it, I plan on staying in contact with my fellow learners and I think it was worth doing. I feel way more confident about going out and teaching people to speak English. Its no Bachelor of Education, but for a short course it was totally worth it. 

Yes, I recommend you do it if this is your thing. It was not really that time intensive either, but if you are working full time I would say take the days off (the weekday classes were evenings) because its a late night and your head will be full of knowledge. I would also suggest you ask lots of questions, because there is so much more to TESOL than they can possibly put in a book. Hopefully you will get John as your teacher and have the same experience as me :)

Next step: Getting a job

So now I can enter the next phase - get a job. This isn't that simple, for anyone who knows me you will know that I have been looking for a suitable job for the last 3 years. It should be a little easier to find work in ROK though... Apparently I am highly marketable. This is why:

• I am blonde
• I am white 
• I am a female in her mid 20's
• I have a Bachelors Degree

And thats about it. And it really is in that order. And I have been browsing ads for jobs in ROK and there are literally hundreds. And this is really where the questions start... Over the course of the week I learnt lots of new things over a variety of topics. But for every new thing I learnt, and for every question I had answered, a new question would pop up in my mind. 

"Yes, Bonnie. You are highly employable"

Well, thats awesome, how am I going to get a job though?

"Apply online"

What is this, internet dating? I really don't feel comfortable just sending all my details to an unknown person or company. And how the hell will I know if the conditions they are offering are legit or standard? I have emailed the ATA so hopefully I will get some more info on what type of contract and conditions I should be looking for. 

And since I have mentioned the Big Plan soooo many people either know someone who has been to ROK, know someone who has worked there, or know someone who is currently working there. So I will draw on those resources and see what happens.

I don't know if you are aware or not but I was hoping to get away in August. It turns out that it can take a few MONTHS to get a visa organised. That has really pissed me off, I honestly thought I could just go there and work and that would be fine. I knew I would need a visa, but I didn't realise I would need Academic Transcripts, criminal record checks, 2 (I think) references, etc etc.

And what sort of references? Personal? Academic? Professional? I have no idea, and it seems no one else does either. I will ask Facebook and see what everyone says...

In local news...

I am slowly organising what is happening with the horses. Billie the pony is going off to a friends place to finish her breaking so at least I will get some rides in before I go. Beau appears to be limping less so that is really good, but we are no closer to finding somewhere suitable for him to go while I am away. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I actually lose sleep regularly worrying about these freaking horses. 

Mum is going on her cruise this week, and so are dad and my step-mum (not the same cruise, its just strangely coincidental that both parties are going on a cruise this week) so I don't want to start applying for anything just in case I get offered a job. I know, sounds strange but I need their approval before I accept any contracts. I need constant positive feedback or I curl into a little ball. Makes you wonder how the hell I will get by all alone in a foreign country. 

Nothing else is really bothering me too badly thins week, I went out a heap on the weekend even though I was at class during the day too. I am trying to be  'yes man' in order to hang out with my friends as much as possible. I will miss them heaps and heaps, and be insanely jealous of all their outings while I am away. Oh well, First World Problems.

I am a little concerned about not being able to find clothes that fit in Korea. Every time I say this people roll their eyes because I keep making it sound like I must be obese or something. But the fact is, Korean women are really tiny and have narrow hips. And I am a normal white chick. Average build, pretty short - for a white chick. If I were Asian I would be considered a fatty :s at least I have small feet so shoes should be ok. 

Here is a pic of my certificate :D 

Oh, and I am going to call up Officeworks tomorrow and completely lose my shit at them. They have 'lost' all my printing. They are hopeless, I wish I wasn't so lazy and would find somewhere else to get my printing done. 

And thats about it for now!

xx

So far, so good

The course?

I feel that I should put down some things about the course, so if anyone wants to do it they can look up what my thoughts were on TESOL in general, and also my course provider.

After speaking with a few different course providers, I ended up choosing the Advanced Certificate through Seek Learning. I know, this surprised me too. I never really looked at any of the Seek courses seriously but to be honest they had the most comprehensive information, and the guy I spoke with was a really fantastic resource. Whether or not the whole thing is just sales or what, he was great and answered every question I had with honesty. He also managed to get me enrolled in the Diploma for the same price as the Certificate. Again, maybe a sales ploy but it totally worked. Seek work on behalf of the Australasian Training Academy (ATA) who are a nationally accredited training provider. I did some googling on them too and found lots of positive info so I felt confident that I had made a good choice. And I went ahead and enrolled.

The structure of the course is really flexible. It can be done entirely online, or you can attend face to face sessions for the core Foundation elective. Depending on what level of training you have decided on, you may have 1, 3, 5 or I think 7 electives. As I was upgraded to the Diploma I will be undertaking 5 electives. The minimum requirements for a TESOL certification is the foundation plus 1 elective, so once you have achieved this you can start applying for jobs. Then you can either complete the rest of the electives at home or while you are working overseas, depending on what you want to do. 

Another thing that i really liked about this course as opposed to others is the help they can give you when finding work. They have a guarantee on placements in China and Vietnam or you get your money back. They have an extensive job network for a heap of different countries throughout Asia and also Europe. They also help you with your resume and applications. I believe they will cover a lot of this sort of thing during the foundation core. 

I have just submitted all my assignments for my first elective, IELTS and TOEFL Preparation. It was not all that time consuming, I did it in a weekend. But I have plenty of time. Originally I was a bit concerned about how I would get answers to my questions in regards to the content as the assignments in general, but they were super fast getting back to me via email. No one is available over the weekend, but I had email responses by lunchtime on Monday and was able to fix up my assignments and submit them later that day. I got a response to my submission too, saying that marking can take up to 15 days and to get in touch if it goes longer than that. So we will wait and see...

And tomorrow I start the core component, so that will be something different again. I am looking forward to doing this one, to get some face to face time, and also to see what sort of other people are taking the course and what sort of directions they are going in. It would be nice if someone else was planning on heading to Korea as then I have someone else in the same position as me (or close too). Again, we will see...

In summary, so far I feel positive about the course. The people are accessible (although nothing beats actually sitting down and learning something with other people) and really nice. They are also knowledgeable and appear to be giving sound advice. the next couple of weeks will decide whether or not I would recommend it to anyone. 

I am a bit nervous about tomorrow night (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's sessions are evening classes in the city) but I think it will be fine. I have already packed all my stuff, like pens and other misc. stationary. I will pack the Mac when I shut it off later. Always good to be prepared.

Its still not feeling real that I will be packing up and going anywhere. There is heaps of stuff going on at home with the family, and I still haven't gotten the horses sorted out. I need to find somewhere to keep my old horse, and someone to break in the baby horse. Its already June and if I am aiming to get away by August I really need to get everything powering forward. plus I need to be really careful about my money situation - I pretty much have none, and need to make the last $500 stretch till I leave. 

Which is an interesting thing to start to take notice of - how much this endeavour is costing me. So far, its only been the course, which I should add was $1750. And then I have been getting all my course materials brined and bound at Officeworks so it's all together and i can take it with me. I will start a bit of a tally, and I will try and include anything I buy that is related to the Big Shift. So I will include course costs, moving costs, flights, visas, new clothes etc.

Spend Tally - 

Course - $1750

Printing (to date) - $47 ~

I think thats about it for now, I will do another update maybe Thursday and let you know how the course is going. Or if anything else weird is going on, or interesting or whatever.

xx

Everything starts somewhere...

Well. Another beginning. For people who know me, they are all probably wondering if I am going to go through with all this. Because, as they know, I serially do not finish things I start. But here I go already getting ahead of myself.

Let me go back a few weeks.

A few weeks ago, I decided to change my life. I decided I was going to move to South Korea.

Needing a change? New career? Teaching English abroad might be for you!

In March this year the company I was working for went into voluntary administration. It was pretty confronting, but to be honest I wanted to leave anyway. I have all this schooling and education behind me and I really wasn't using it in that position. So after the initial shock of being kicked out of the office building I was actually ok with the whole thing. It was a "sign" that I needed to get a new job. And I really did try. 

I have been delivering flowers for Darren's Flowers (a fantastic florist, in case anyone needs some flowers) but I wouldn't really say that it pays all that well. Enough to keep me going, but not enough to save. And, lets be honest, at 25 years old I really am quite keen to move out of my mothers house. While delivering I got to thinking how I can use my skills to do something a bit different. I was starting to look into volunteering abroad, and had a really good chat with my friend Jacqui. She pointed out that I have quality skills, and people should pay for them, rather than volunteer. 

And that was when I started looking into teaching abroad. 

I started madly researching different schools, and decided that I needed a certificate in TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers Other than English), and spoke to a heap of different course providers. I had yet to discuss my new direction with any friends or family. 

On a side note...

A quick background into me:

• Hate change
• Hate meeting new people
• Gets sick REALLY EASILY
• Prone to fits of laziness
• Suffers very badly from hangovers
• Lives with mum and sister - never lived alone or with anyone else but immediate family

So as you can imagine, the prospect of working overseas is such a foreign concept. This move is COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone.

Originally I was looking at teaching in China, as I have always wanted to travel there and find Asian culture fascinating. The more I spoke with people, and found out more about Asia as a whole, my sights changed to South Korea. A few reasons for this are apparently the pay is better, apparently it is really clean and easy to navigate, I already love KPOP and Korean men are the best looking Asians. As a rule.

So it was nearly done. I started voicing my ideas to friends and they were received with overwhelming support. I then told the family, most of which were again super supportive. They all understand that I needed to get out there and live. Because I spend so much of my life afraid to go out and live life, and I have already missed out on enough. 

I am moving to South Korea for an undefined amount of time. I will start saying 6 months, but lets just see where life takes me. 

So, I called up the ATA College and enrolled in their TESOL course. The ball is rolling.

And now I want to share the journey 

As this is such a massive change of life for me, I want to be able to read and write about it. And share my experiences. I know I am not perceived this way but to be honest I am a pretty fear filled person. And writing about it not only makes everything more real, but I can kind of hold myself accountable. And also, when I finally get overseas it is a way of keeping everyone at home up to date with what I am up to. 

So although this is my own personal journey, I am inviting everyone along. And its already started. So, although most of this post is more of a 'bringing you up to speed' type post, it is also a bit of an introduction to my new journey. 

I will try and put a bit of everything in, including how I find the course and preparing for the move. And then of course the move itself. And everything in between. I have no idea if anyone is going to read this, or even if I will make it public. but if you do read, please feel free to comment, or email me, or whatever! 

I will try and make regular posts, and learn how to upload photos and things like that. As Confucius said, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". So here we go!