Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Advising friends

Many an ESL teacher has a serious problem or two, to change your life so radically, there has to be some reason you want to flee your country. Mine was that I had hit the dead end in the career front. I needed to change and quickly.
Advising a friend on such a big career change is not easy. Loneliness and misunderstanding plague our existence. As a career it is much like solitary confinement in some aspects. But the rewards are what you make them... I have seen such things and know so many good people now because of this that I could write a book. It has been a blessing to teach for me, tho as I stated, not without its own demons and pitfalls.
A lot of ESL teachers a raving alcoholics, I have met a few in my time and many a sociopathic wanker to boot. But they are not the norm. They are just the ones that bring us all into suspicion.
I know many a good teacher, that struggles to learn to teach better, to find out how best to keep students educated and happy and interested. I have some inspiring rolemodels. A great man from Essex, the skipper and a true friend, and the stoic Delboy... So I am lucky to have been guided.
Really I think that is the responsibility we have to all new teachers. To help them discipline themselves and guide them through the rough times at the beginning.
I tried so hard with the Oxford Brat but my earnest advice was heard and not listened to, he had other goals and they eventually destroyed him.
So if you are considering becoming a teacher, then I suggest you find one out there and in the field and ask a few serious questions of them, and then later of yourself...
Because there is nothing worse than questioning such a radical life decision after you are 6000km from home in -30c with a huge chunk of contract left...
Obi careful!

Friday, April 20, 2007

Desperadoski

Well it was a long day on the way back from London, I flew straight into the airport and through customs and immigration in 6 minutes flat, thank god for priority boarding passes! I flew to the taxi and in broken polish told him I wanted to go to the central bus terminal and then a flew out of the car and into the ticket office - I wheezed my destination and she looked at me dead pan and grey when I asked the time. she didnt understand me at first then pointed up at the board... I had 2 and ahalf hours to wait... Damn!
My phone battery was dead and the I had no credit. I could find no internet cafe and so I was stuck and could not call my boss o tell him I was going to be late - Double Damn!!
So I sat and sat and sat in the bright warm sunshine and waited and waited... The a 3 hour bus ride home and then to the bus terminal at the other end, headlong into a taxi and then to school, where I caught the tailend of my first class.
The classes all finished and I was exhausted, I headed with my bags to the local drinking establishment to give gifts of Ginernut cookies and have a beer.
After beer 3 I was watching the town biggest criminal face first in the bar too drunk to lift his head. Speaking up close and personal to the wooden bar with his face in drool... The fact that he has no teeth and a tattoo on his face is quite endearing I find usually. He used to hug and full mouth kiss The Oxford lad and he would run and squeal after it, as anyone would, coz he ain't a prietty picture. Anyway, I digress.
Then he fell off the stool and hit the ground like a sack to criminal potatoes... stunned, then crawled up against the cruel mistress gravity and staggered to the next room. A little later I saw him asleep in the middle of the cold tiled floor and the bar owner wasn't gonna wake him, she is terrified of him on a normal day, really he is a sweet fellow, misunderstood - maybe...
Anyway, time passes as it does and the next thing I see is he is having a grumpy chat with a nefarious mate of his, this I watch as I tend to do a lot of watching these days, suddenly within the space of 3 seconds Mr Desperadoski has a pistol out of his pocket and is jamming in downwards into the eye socket of his companion all quite Tarantio and serious.... I stood up and walked away quickly, half amused half shocked.
I collected my things and thought I should go shopping and home - so I did...
The story ended well but there was more than one gun in that place as the Police discovered. Ah The culture the history the nightlife of a small town...

Obi laughin on the outside...

WOW!! There is life out there!

Hello everybody! Now I say that will confidence now seeing that people have left a few comments here and there - I am pleased.

My spasmodic attempt and life commentry has been rather lackluster lately. I am will now make more effort to write for you all!

Last weeks visit to London was fantastic, just want I needed, tho altoghether far too expensive. Now that I am paid in Zloty I have to curve my enthusiasm when I travel. Four sunny warm daze in ol' London town brighten me up no end.

I saw the lovely lil' Lizzie and she cheered me up and showed me around. I have a lot of pictures and good memories. So thanks to Lil' lizzie for being the ray of sunshine I needed. We had a great laugh!

Now that I am back I will be processing some more permanent residency papers. I think I will stay here until July 2008 then a nice summer away and then a new job and a new country I think... well - that is the plan... anything could happen between now and then...

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Loves Labours Lost

Spring is here, but not for me.
A distressed heart has thrown this baby out with the bath water. I wish I could speak to her, but she has cut all communication. I know how much pain she is in, and her decision has doubled it in breaking my heart.
What do you do when Loves labours are lost? You fight. You fight to understand and you make sure everything can be done to save it.
No one would give up oxygen, they would fight just as hard for love...
Obi - this baby is hanging on to the bath rim!
<BGSOUND SRC="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/sounds/farting.mp3" LOOP=0> <BGSOUND SRC="http://stormii.com/Wavs/3yrsold.vav" LOOP=0> <BGSOUND SRC="http://www.ibiblio.org/samneill/sounds/reilly/7-Gambit/moscow.vav" LOOP=0>
I - Obi...