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