Matt Damon & Ben Affleck

Pass me the kleenex I am still crying laughing!! Obini!!

Some Kinda Record

Hello Folks,

Well it must be some kinda record, I haven't added anything here for more than a week and I must say that I didn't even think about it at all... Things have been moving pretty quickly here and I have not had time to catch up with myself, I have had so much to do I have been forgetting things, seems like my lil brain has a limit of what it can focus on before it starts throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Ya live ya learn...

Special Hello to my Kuz, my Komrade In Arms In Korea. She too ladies and gentlemen is an EnGerlish Teacher and has taken on the head spinning challenge of a new country and culture to boot, so much understanding to her from me with it all and I am sure I will hear from her soooonish.

I am sorry to say that I have little to no news on any front whatsoever. This is a good thing usually, but I am a little blah about the whole thing. I have 2 new classes and 2 new private students, I dunno how it all happened I think I didnt say no enough, oh well it is all cash for me and my pocket.

I need to jump on the visa application for Russia and get the ticket soon, prices go up 60 days before the flight I am told...

I have been organised lately - well I was dragged kicking and screaming into it by neccessity. I have all my files organised and worksheets and all papers in plastic sleeves in a big folder all alphabetised and sorted. Thank God!

What else? I am cooking nice asian foods again, I bought a heap of sauces and spices in Germany when I was there and so I will dazzle my friends here with foods that arent seasoned with just black pepper.

So here it is - my life... I am busy, forgetful, disctracted and relaxed, coffed out and midday snoozing. I am a daily shopper - can't plan a weeks grocery shop, but why should I when I have the biggest supermarket in town next to my building? Polish people parking pisses me off. My girlfriend is an odd assortment of moods emotions and strategies. I need a new one. I am thankful my car is working okay and I have plenty of money to do things. I have lots of invites and enjoying life a little more than usual - which on my scale is less than most people but that is an attitudinal thing more than a fact of life, so I gotta shake off the sadness soot.

Peace to mah Homies... O.G. The Ob-inginal Gangstar...

Women are fickle

Please tell me who, after discussing the future with their paramour gets miserable? Hands up please! Anyone? - Yes Obi...

Yes I do. I am in a relationship with a great girl, she is sweet, funny extremely affectionate and a real mother hen. she is a darling and takes care of me and I consider myself lucky. I spoke with Penny Century tonight about July.

Now July for her means a few things. The huge possibility to move to Dublin is looming and increasing weekly. Her estranged husband will be coming back into her life about the same time and I know her and I know she would be better off with him and I suggest this, she listens and frowns and talks around the issue.

Now July for me is a current dark time, I have no idea where I will be at that time. I need to have a job and it will likely be in a different country and away from Poland or Ireland. So the future for Penny and I is a vague and uncertain thing. I care about Penny very much but I can't bring myself to love her or perhaps to say it, for me it is too early and I am still damaged from the last situation I was in. So with that said or unsaid in this case is a catch 22 situation.

I would like her to get back with her husband, there is obviously a strong connection that needs a lot of healing and work and her daughter needs her dad and she wants to have another child. I am not a selfish man and I can see this situation from a perspective that doesnt include me. But where does that leave me? Back at square one in the do see do of love and life...

...Grab your partner and swing em round until they fall... Obi

The anomoly in my life is me...

I had a very relaxing holiday in Southern Germany with some nice friends and it was good to shake off the dust and snow poland and winter has brought me.

It was an arduous journey of 16 hours but I made it there and back in one piece so I am grateful. I took the trainand for the most part they a re comfortable for a 3 hour journey not 7. I took a night train to Berlin and we had trouble at the border at about 5am, it seems there were illegal vietnamese on the train and it took some doing to get them off but finally the drama was over and the result was that the train was 40 mins late. so I missed my connections at Berlin HbF, which was a real shit, so I went to the ticket office and explained and there was no trouble at all to change the tickets for new ones and in the end I was only one hour late to my destination after all...

A good week with friends and lots of food and dining out, it was good to see them again and relax in their company.

I even applied for 4 jobs in Germany this week, it seems that is isn't impossible to get a job there as I imagined. So fingers crossed all will go well.

My girlfriend missed me and so I was smoothered in hugs and kisses when I returned. I seem to have more energy now and I have new classes starting this week and I am pleased for the change in schedule.

The english teachers that my boss wants to hire are thin on the ground but one is still interested. he doesnt drive a car and I think never has - I am always suspicious of people that don't drive by the age of 20, call me opiniated or bias but it is a neccessary skill for the world, and really less of a choice than a must.

There is one teacher I know here that never learnt to drive and she taxis everywhere, now at the end of the day, this is a great expense and it is far more economical to own a car. Also there is a selfish element to not driving too, expecting people to pick you up and drive you etc all throughout your life is a artifically created dependence in my book.

I also find the people that don't have a license by 20 are exponentionally petrified of driving as the years pass. So a confident person who doesn't drive cannot manage the stress of a simple traffic light and a left turn. It is really an avoidable tragedy.

So now I must keep looking for work and do some more washing so Obi says good bye for now folks.

Happy Birthday To Me

Well 365 daze have come and gone again and I am alone on my birthday...again. Actually I am used to it now and so I will be just holding my breath until 23.59 then go off to sleep.

I will be working all day and I'll be happy for the distraction, birthdays are for celebrating and being with the people who love you, I have none and so a pointless day marked in no special way whatsoever. I know what I would like on my birthday but there is no chance in hell I will get it.

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to mee

Happy biiiirthday meeEee.

Happy birthday to... me.

Obi - cake for one.

Teacher - Who am I and where am I at?

Most ESL teachers are lecherous booze hounds, some have delusions of grandeur and others and just the epitome of what you would expect a native speaker to be.
I have met my fair share of degenerate asshole teachers and I am blessed to know a very few that are worth their weight in gold. I was lucky when I first started teaching I had a great mentor, albeit on the lovably scruffy side, he helped me a lot in the beginning.
I live in a small town where everyone is related or is married into your family. You get that with a town of about 35,000 people. When I first arrived here I realised a few things the most important is to keep your reputation above board. No lie, students here have told me every move I have made in a day, not from them but friends and friends have told them about seeing me where and when, Spooky.
I have seen the downfall of a few teachers in to severe alcoholism and degenerate behaviour and I did not want to even go anywhere near that. Rep is everything especially to your students, within 5 mins a bout of bad behaviour can lose you the respect and cooperation of your students.
Second most important is to smile and say everything is great and keep to yourself most of everything you think. I have some nice friends here in town and even know some hotties, but when someone asks you -"...so how do you like Poland?" there is a well rehearsed answer and it is full of positive praise for my adopted home. Personally if you ask me, I will tell you of the many things that completely shit me, but for students and the locals, its all smiles and superlative.
Third, don't be seen in bad places or with bad people - you get tarred with the same brush or shot dead. To the general population I am seen as innocuous and non threatening. But I was in my local last year and swore 2 guys I had a drink with the day before were going to shoot each other there and then. I saw the vodka fuelled anger and the nice shiny pistols in their hands and I ducked out really quickly. Not knowing the entire town’s history and the history of people in it can be detrimental to your health but the irony is - no one will tell you anything.
I am an English teacher, I am much better at it than I was last year, I know my complex grammar and how to teach it... mostly.
Lastly I inspire my students. I was told by a Polish co-teacher the other day when I was subbing for someone else that the students were quite happy that I was teaching them for a few weeks and they were really inspired.
So, to close. My personal life is on the borderline of sucking greatly, I am often frustrated by the system and my lack of workable Polish. I spend too much time alone and don't eat regularly and no I haven’t taken up the stereotypical English Teacher hobby of drinking.

I am hoping this year I will be able to throw myself into my economics degree from an Aussie University and find myself a job in Spain or Italy. 2 great countries to teach in and very difficult to get jobs in because I am not an EU citizen, there is quite the discrimination these days - most employers are just too lazy to sign a contract and a visa sponsorship. Even if you organise the lot and they just have to sign it twice... We will see what I can do! I have 6 months. If all goes badly then its back to Moscow or maybe Kiev
Obi Update Over & Out...

...rather be alone than pretend

She kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved him if she couldve.

The storys getting closer to the end.

She kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved him if she couldve.

She'd rather be alone than pretend.

Lyrics

Sunset always bring out the most beautiful colours

I had a huge night last night. far too much vodka and I really don't like feeling that out of control. But a successful evening quite nice friends and I got home in one piece. I had a shocking hang over tho.

My car is not working again, no surprise there my friends Chris and I towed it to the mechanic and I will discover the bill on Tuesday, maybe it was the petrol pump - it was on its way out.

Some sad but expected news today in my mailbox but I can't feel anymore sadness, I am all out, I feel guilty that I feel relieved, relieved that the hole in the boat called me has plugged its leak and now I can work on becoming seaworthy again. The many revelations from this email will roll out in time. Though I hope I didn't lose a reader! They are so hard to keep... Obi

Snow Globe Day

I have seen a lot of snowfall in the last 2 years, more than in my whole life, but today is special. I got up blurry eyed and staggered around the house and tidied a little before the cleaning girl comes. (She comes every second Friday.)

The snow today outside my window is falling like a snow globe! Big flakes and a strong wind have whipped them up and made them dance their way to the ground. The rest of the world is too concerned with the hustle and bustle of the day ahead. But I have seen how beautiful it is... Quite a nice way to start my day.

The cleaning girl is quite sweet, speaks enough english to get by and quite the pacey worker. I don't mind one way or the other, its just nice to have someone in my home space...

My boss asked me to interview a prospective new teacher. I emailed him but had no reply, the deadline is approaching and I think he may have trouble filling the position. So in March I may be teaching MUCH MORE...

There is absolutely no revelation in some life changing realisations. There are the revelations that are breakthroughs of effort and there are the ones that have been around for a while sitting on the coffee table waiting to be notice coz everyone knows it except you... Well I have had the second in the last few daze. and there is no woo hoo moment, quite the opposite - much like having a birthday alone... oooh wait - I WILL...

Obi The Joy Vampire - Sucking the guts out of Joy anywhere he sees it....