None The Wiser

Hey all, hope the weekend treated you well and that the week hasn't started too badly. As Egypt continues to erupt, I'm still mulling over the possibility of moving to Cairo as a Primary school ESL teacher in August. One minute I'm sure I'm not, the next I'm sue I am. Some people have come straight out and said I'd be mad to (thanks for your forthright honesty as always Mary) and others have said I should go for it (although I can't quite remember who right now, and could well just have convinced myself someone did...). I'm keeping a close eye on the news, but the stumbling blocks in my mind lay elsewhere. I think I need to STOP thinking about it for a few days. I'm sure all our thoughts are with the people of Egypt in their struggle to overthrow Mubarak, or at least affect change in their country. It was interesting hearing Tony Blair talking of, "change, not chaos" in the country. He was fairly honest in admitting that 'the West' overlooked Mubarak's 'excesses' in return for his support of the Middle-Eastern peace process. Interesting how statesmen can do that once they have left national politics and moved to non-elected roles. Bill Clinton springs to mind in the same vein.

Moving seamlessly from international politics to... my weekend. I had my first show with 'Posh' (Cheon's band name....) on Saturday night at Club Spot in Hongdae. It went really well, to be honest. A few people took videos so I'll try to recover them and put them up on facebook. It was strange playing in a club to an almost 100% Korean audience. Mel came along and there were two random foreign rock-chicks up the front, but that was it. A Korean crowd really WATCH bands here - it was eerily quiet between songs but they were all going nuts as soon as the music started. There wasn't much I could do to break the silence with my crappy Korean so it was left to Mel to cheer us all up with her cricket impressions. Anyway, Cheon asked me to join them on a more permanent basis, if I could. So, as long as it doesn't clash with 'Dead End Friends', I'll be singing with them as they try to put together an album of original tracks (Cheon sang a couple on the night) and play gigs around Hongdae and Gangnam. I think it'll be an interesting experience, so I'm up for it.

No work today so I tried to get a good bit of dissertation work done and applied to another batch of international schools. Word back already from a school in Kazakhstan (I only do glamorous) and I even applied for a Citizenship job back in the UK, such is my complete and utter indecision and lack of focus. Ji and I are heading off to Shanghai for Lunar New Year on Wednesday morning so I'm going to come back 100% set on one particular course and just go all out for that! Perhaps...

First Offer!

Amazingly, I woke up to an email offering me the primary esl job at Cairo English School, which I interviewed for last night. Although it wasn't a bad interview, I really wasn't expecting to hear anything positive back from them. The upshot of it all is that I have to seriously consider whether I should take a job that involves moving into the unknown in almost every way, or turning it down on the absolute off-chance that something more suited to what I had been hoping for, shows up. It's a tricky one, it really is.

All the same, it's encouraging that I had a successful interview, and positive that I at least now have a choice. There is a lot to think of in terms of Ji, my career, leaving Korea, the band, the 'bother' in Egypt, moving to primary education and, of course, CATHERINE! Rob - I'll be calling your Dad if you reckon that's ok with him. Smart people out there, I want to hear your pearls of wisdom. No need to tell me that it's the largest and most densely populated city in Africa - I'd be lost without you, Lisa!

We finished up the first session of DDE1 this morning with their exam, final interview, and class party. Although I've been here nearly a year, the final day is always odd and difficult to explain to those who don't work here. Mass hysteria, screaming girls, picture request after picture request, and a bunch of very ordinary, but uncomfortable, foreign teachers. I really do enjoy this job, though. There are annoying aspects (well, one - aspect), but we have a lot of freedom and the students are consistently great. My homeroom made a little poster and cake for me as a surprise. I walked in on them as they were preparing it, so had to pull out the old acting skills later. Still got it! Or not... Oh, decisions...

Going to meet a few of the other teachers to mark the end of the session with a beer or two in Suyu. For those of you who are in Korea, our Muse tribute is at Club Spot (Hongdae, the wee park thingy) at 9pm. Judging by the rehearsals, I think it should be quite good! Wherever you are, I hope you're doing well and have a great weekend.

PS Come on Murray!

First Interview...

...went ok. It was a skype video call with a the primary head at Cairo English School and one of her colleagues. Some of the questions I handled well, others I thought of a million things I should have said, the moment the call ended. What it boils down to, though, is that it's just not the job for me. I'm not a primary school teacher and my formal training isn't in ESL. And it showed. They're getting back to me in a couple of days, but I'd be amazed if they offered me something. Initially I was a bit knocked back by the realisation (again) of how difficult it will be to make the step from ESL teacher at a Uni in Korea to Social Studies teacher at an international school. I must admit that I'm still feeling a bit defeatist about it all, but I'll keep plugging away. As soon as DDE is done for this session (tomorrow), I'll sit down and figure out what I could be doing better, have a re-think and start popping those applications out again. Worst case scenario, I stay on where I am for a bit longer than I'd like. Actually, that isn't the worst case scenario, but let's pretend it is.

Being deflated won't change the situation, aside from making things worse, so I'm going to wake up tomorrow thinking about closing out a nice DDE1 program, go pick up my visa for China next week, meet the other teachers for a few 'end-of-session' drinks, and make sure my throat is right for the Muse cover gig with Cheon's band in Hongdae (Saturday at 9pm). The rehearsals this week were great and I am determined it's going to be a fun show.

Thanks for recent comments, emails, and words of wisdom. Happy birthday Rob, Jim, Lisa and Emma these days - it certainly is the season. Craig - not obsessed with 'Time', realise it's limitations, just like reading a hard copy of something from time to time and Ji has a subscription. As for Ji, well, we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. If any of the rest of you out there have any top tips for how to do what you want to do with your life, feel free to share. I bet this woman could sort me out...

Frickin Penalties...

If you're in Korea, and you stayed up to watch the Japan match last night, I'm sure you're feeling much the same as me today - tired and dissatisfied! Having pulled themselves back into the contest with a last-gasp equaliser at the end of extra time, they fluffed their chance of progressing to the final of the Asian Cup by missing THREE penalty kicks in the shoot-out. Much has been made of the inexperience of the three penalty takers, but I guess they are always a bit of a lottery. It pains me to say it, but Japan would have been fairly hard done by had they failed to make it through this one. Overall, encouraging tournament because of the number of young players making their mark for the national team such as Ji Dong Won, Son Heung Min, Ku Ja Cheol (their player of the tournament next to the mercurial Park Ji sung in my humble opinion), Lee Yong Rae, Yoon Bit Garam and even Jung Sung Ryeong. Still a bit worrying that they are so intent on walking the ball over the line so often and lack an out-and-out goal-scorer at the very top level.

Cross your fingers for me tomorrow as I conduct my first international school interview. It's for a primary ESL post in Cairo so, although it's not EXACTLY, what I had in mind, it represents a significant opportunity for my to get closer to doing what I really want to do. Such is the nature of a 'career', it appears. The school seems great (an IB World School, well-resourced, in a good location) and Cairo is that bit closer to home than Seoul. I don't quite know how I feel about leaving Korea and everyone and everything I know here behind. A new adventure...

Five minutes til rehearsal for our 'Muse' gig on Saturday. We met up last night and it was already sounding good. The old falsetto came through for me and the guys know their stuff, as I had predicted they would. The old ears took a battering though. I really need to invest in some earplugs... Waffle over! I'll let you know how the interview goes. And if you have any recommendations for what I should do in Shanghai (leaving next Wednesday morning), don't be shy in sharing.

In The Zone

Just a quick wee post tonight because it's coming up on midnight and I have a busy day ahead. Four DDE classes, an hour of conferences, and a kid's class with the parents in. Oh how we all love the old open classes. Still, they are a good bunch of kids and I'm too busy to worry about it too much so I'll make sure I have it well-prepared and I'm sure it'll be fine.

Looming large on the horizon is the Muse cover gig with Cheon's band in Hongdae on Saturday night. Somewhat worryingly, we haven't actually rehearsed yet, but I know the songs fairly well and we meet tomorrow night and Wednesday. The last time I played with those guys they knew everything inside out, and I'm sure it'll be the same tomorrow. I have a new desire to improve my front-man act, having witnessed a master of the trade at RMT last Saturday night. I didn't even catch their name, but those guys were just in their own bubble of euphoria and it was infectious. Mel said to me at the time, "you'll just have to up your game", and I intend to! There's a fair chance that no-one I know will be there next Saturday, so I have a chance to just get carried away and enjoy the songs.

In other news, I have my first international school interview (on skype) on Thursday evening with Cairo English School. It's an IB World School and looks like it has a good set-up, so it's nice to have at least a bit of interest. Looking at their vacancies, I'm not sure what they might even have for me, but it's a sniff, and that's better than what I had been having up until I heard from them. How does one dress for a skype interview?

Here's a video I just put up on facebook from our crazy gig in Gwangju the weekend before last. Hope all your weeks have gotten off to a good start.

What If You Wrote...?

The end of a long and tiring week. Congratulations one and all. We're there. Kick back, relax, make it a good one. It's going to be Monday again soon. Too soon.

Another TEN international school job applications sent out tonight. Who knows what they want us to say, how they differentiate between the tonnes I'm certain they receive, how a candidate can put him/herself ahead of the pack in such a limiting and limited application process. You know my approach, I've posted it on here! A lot of the time, I'd love to go along the following lines...

Dear X,

you must read hundreds of these, so I'm going to spare you the agony of repeating what you've already heard dozens of times and avoid the need for you to go reading between the lines. I am eager, nay, DESPERATE to land this job. And let's not beat about the bush, I'm applying for your school AND a bunch of others, because I know there's a fair chance I'll never hear back from any of you at all.

As a teacher, I have my pros and cons. I think my biggest pro is the fact that I know that much. I can tell you that, in your staffroom, I'll be quiet and possibly scornfully cursing some of my co-workers under my breath because I can't handle how they openly don't care about their jobs or the students they teach. This will make me popular with some, and hugely unpopular with others. The truth of the matter is, I don't care about that. The reason being, I can guarantee you that I'll be popular among the students because THEY are the ones who see how much I put in, and how much it matters to me that I'm good at my job.

I feel as though I'm pretty well-qualified, but no doubt, you'll come across applicants who blow me out of the water. In my defence, I'm young(ish), I'm hungry, I'm chomping at the bit to start putting all the things I've been studying through my undergrad, PGCE, and MA, into practice. There are LOTS of things that I'm really, really not good at. I've lived in Korea for over three years, but can barely order myself food in the language. I have sung in bands for more than a decade, but can't play an instrument. I'm on the verge of getting a first class honours MA degree in Citizenship Education, but I can never seem to remember where I last put my pen down. I am, though, a good teacher. And I want to be better.

I will move ANYWHERE in the world to get back to teaching something I'm passionate about and inspire young people to be the best they can be, and have as great an impact on their community (local, national, global) as is humanly possible. Give me the opportunity to throw myself 100% into a new and exciting phase of my life.

I wonder.... Have a great weekend everyone.

Whoosh!

Not sure where today went at all. Absolutely packed day of teaching. DDE classes from 9:30-2:20 conferences from 2:30-3:30 and kid's classes from 3:50-5:40. Those of you who do this all the time, I salute you. Tomorrow it's DDE 9:20-4:20 then another class at 6. I'll be a happy man to see the weekend. That is for sure.

The good thing about being busy is that it stops your mind from drifting and I, for one, just tend to keep my head down and get on with things. More potential research subjects contacted (up to six now (make that seven as I write)), another job applied for (in China this time), songs chosen for a gig coming up in early March, Muse songs gone over for the gig next weekend, tax documents readied for tomorrow, and a bit of a read of 'Time' to make sure I don't totally lose sight of what's going on out there in the big bad World.

The Muse gig is going to be a test of my falsetto (it's currently failing miserably but I'm spurring it on), but something I'm looking forward to as it'll be my first real taste of a 100% Korean gig. I'll be singing for Cheon's other band, in front of a (I expect) fully Korean audience, in a Hongdae club I've never been to before. Forgotten how good Muse are? Here's my favourite from what we'll be covering on the night:

The early-March gig is going to be a 'Rock of Ages' event with a number of singers covering the likes of Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, ACDC, ZZ Top, Van Halen, and so on. Definitely beyond my comfort zone, but that's generally a good thing I think. I just chose the songs I'd like to try, and there are a couple I'm really looking forward to. I'll leave you with one of them. Hope you are all having a happy and productive week.

Busy Busy Busy

It's all go this week since our Duksung Dynamic English (DDE) intensive classes started. My teaching schedule is usually pretty light but, a few times a year, we have these intensive sessions during which time we are pretty much under pressure all day everyday with class, prep, marking, conferences and lesson planning. On top of that I'm still trying to apply to as many schools as I can for August (Cameroon, Honduras and Sri Lanka today), keep finding research subjects for my MA dissertation, sort out my tax return documents for Friday, learn songs for an upcoming Muse cover gig with Cheon, keep on top of my other classes, and trying to grab a few moments for myself here and there too.

The classes themselves are going very well. We are preparing our homeroom for the TOEIC Speaking test, which is fine because I have taught it before. The students don't have a textbook for that class, which is a challenge, but they are an eager bunch. This is actually their first experience out of High School (they are freshmen due to start Uni in March), so it must be a daunting experience for them all. They're doing well. It's interesting to note how much more submissive they are than the older students I taught last term. They have clearly had all their creativity drummed out of them at school and it'll take a while for some of them to claim it back, it seems. The other classes are using a new textbook created by Tom, one of the teachers here. We have only been using it since Monday, but I can already say that it's a brilliantly useful book, rich in resources, varied, cleverly linked together, and perfectly suited to it's purpose. Tom leaves in late-February, but he will certainly have left his mark here.

Last weekend was, quite simply, the best of the year so far. Eleven of us made the trip to Gwangju, in total, and it ended up being two days filled with laughter, music and card games! The gig at Speakeasy was packed and the crowd, as usual, were amazing. Cheon had a bit of a blow when his bass took a tumble and picked up a scratch. The result was that he ended up getting more hammered than I have ever seen him, and it's a credit to him that he made it through the gig, let alone pulled off some stunning solos. I'd say Jeff also had his best 'Dead End Friends' gig so far. There was a period towards the end when he just closed his eyes, tilted back his head, and was very clearly right in the zone. We don't have anything as a band until late February, but this gig was just what we needed to give us the confidence to add a bit of swagger to our step.

That's that for me tonight. Looking forward to relaxing a bit on Saturday night with a few beers and Korea V Iran in the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals. Korea were as frustrating as ever in their 4-1 win over India last night, although Son Heung Min, Ku Ja Cheol and Ji Dong Won all impressed aside from their goalscoring contributions. Not taking more of their chances resulted in ceding top spot in the group to Australia and facing a tougher quarter-final opponent than they might have otherwise expected. I hope it isn't something they live to regret...

How Predictable

Poor old South Korea. Having displayed superior skill and tactics tonight against Australia in the Asian Cup in Qatar, they only came away with a 1-1 draw, and were probably lightly lucky to do so. The result will probably result in both teams qualifying for the knock-out stages, but it's these types of performances that really frustrate Korean soccer fans - not that many will be watching until (and if) the Red Devils make it to the latter stages. They are definitely unlucky in that Park Ju Young picked up an injury prior to the tournament, but their tendency to overplay the ball in midfield means that it's unlikely his presence would have altered the outcome of this one. It's not as though he's the greatest finisher anyhow...

It was great to see a good number of K-League players involved, and showing their quality. Ku Ja Cheol is now the tournament's top scorer having nabbed his third. However, it was provider Ji Dong Won (or Don Juan as the commentator kept calling him) who really caught my eye. At only 19, the Chunnam Dragons (Cheongnyang Dragons to the expert on the mic) striker looks assured and confident on the ball, although his finishing could do with some fine-tuning. I was delighted to see Yoo Byeong Soo come on as a sub, as I think we need him at FC Seoul. As it turned out, he was a largely anonymous figure before being replaced by Yoon Bit Garam after ten minutes. That must have hurt...

It would be great for Korean football if they could go on and win this tournament having not done so since 1960! On the evidence of the first two matches, they have a lot of ability and potential, but need to be more ruthless in front of goal. Lee Young Pyo and Cha Du Ri have impressed me so far along with Park Ji Sung, which almost goes without saying. I'd love to see a bit more from Lee Chung Young and we need one of the young strikers to start banging them in. Will it be Ji Dong Won or Son Heung Min who steps up to make his name in mainstream Korea. It doesn't look as though it'll be Yoo Byeong Soo; I'd be surprised if we see him again at all in Qatar.

Not much FC Seoul representation on show, unless you include the MANY players in the team who used to ply their trade with us (most notably Lee Chung Young and Ki Seung Young, the double dragons). I did notice that our goalkeeper, Kim Yong Dae, was sat on the bench. I'm an admirer of Jung Seung Ryeong, but he is definitely prone to the odd howler, as we saw tonight. He's still young and his judgement must be in question (it looks as though he's moving to Suwon, for instance!). If he continues to err, I'm sure Kim can step in and do us proud. It's hard to believe that the best team in the K-League aren't represented among their national team.

Enough football already, I hear you say! Especially K-League/Korean football... Well, a few more applications went out to International Schools in China, Spain, Bahrain and the Lebanon. Bite please, or even nibble. I also got in touch with a number of potential research subjects for my dissertation and am delighted to say that I already have three kind educators on board. Got back into my Korean class today too - really need to take that next step. This website continues to aid, but it's going to take more work on a more consistent basis if I'm ever going to move beyond Level 2. Later in the day we had band practice in Hongdae, and it was sounding good even if I do say so myself. Judging by the facebook page, it looks as though it's going to be a busy night tomorrow at Speakeasy and a real test of our set. I actually really can't wait. I think it's going to be the most fun Dead End Friends gig yet. My intensive classes start on Monday and I'm sure that's going to be a long, tough day. Not going to think of that right now though. Have a great weekend everyone.

Casting The Net

Hey all. I took your various comments into account (thanks!), got my application together, and emailed Chadwick International yesterday. I'm not expecting to hear anything back from them (I'd imagine most schools will hire staff at the various conferences then see where they're at), but I am hopeful. And, I guess, that hope will grow with the number of schools I chance my arm with. That's why today I applied to five more schools, in: Dubai; Paraguay; Germany; Egypt; and Qatar. It takes a fair while to do a bit of research and tailor the application to the school, but I'm hoping to get another half-dozen out tomorrow and hope that something bites soon.

The more I research International Schools, the more I think of staying where I am for another 18 months+, the more research I do for my dissertation, the greater and more pressing my desire is to get something sorted as soon as possible. I'm sure I would really miss Korea if I left, and all the major ties I have here, but the way I'm thinking these days, I am kind of relishing the thought (at least) of just going somewhere completely new and seeing how it works out. Like I've said, the unfolding of events over the coming weeks and months will probably make the decision for me.

On the music side of things, we're off to Gwangju this weekend to play at the fifth birthday celebration of one of our favorite bars, Speakeasy. I'm really looking forward to it because, not only is it a great wee bar and always a busy night, there are a good few of us going down from Seoul together. We have a bit of a routine from Gwangju from over the years: same way down (good old KTX), pop into the bar to say hi, over to the same hostel, galbi in the same restaurant, back to the the bar to get things started, and keeping it going into the wee hours. Our buddy Richard text me tonight saying he has been hearing good things about us, which was a nice wee boost at the right time. I also got an email tonight from a fellow Seoul musician about a night he's putting together asking me if I'd sing a few numbers. On top of that, Cheon's other band are covering Muse in Hongdae in a couple of weeks with me at the mic. So it's a busy period coming up but with lot's of different things going on, which is just what I need.

Continuing my recent unhealthy interest in great-but-dead lead singers, I was doing a bit of reading and youtube surfing on Thin Lizzy front-man, Phil Lynott, earlier tonight. Yet another musician who died early (at 36) and left behind haunting videos of his final interviews and this, his final TV appearance. Just over 25-years ago. He really was brilliant... Some great haircuts on here too. Enjoy.

A Thought Or Two

At times I think I have been here in Korea too long to really be shocked by any of the many cultural differences between what is considered 'normal' here and at home in Ireland. One thing about teaching adults is that it comes to a point when you can almost predict student responses on topics such as career, family life, food, politics, etc. Sometimes the danger is that, as a teacher, you then miss an opportunity to explore similarities and differences between your culture and theirs. A kind of apathy sets in, where maybe your ears are open to the language used, rather than the content communicated. I narrowly avoided just such a situation in class this morning.

Our topic was 'cosmetic surgery', something that is thought of quite differently here compared with at home. The opening exploratory questions revealed what I could have predicted; both students saw cosmetic surgery in a positive light because of the benefits it brings in terms of career, finding a partner, and so on. I almost left it there and went on with the reading activity but, for some reason, I told them how surprising those views were to me when I first came to Korea, and a little of how people think on the topic back home. The results were probably to be expected but, because of my own acceptance of the differences, I hadn't realized how interesting my students would find it all. They were particularly surprised at the idea that people would get breast reductions/implants and my vague suggestion that surgery might be viewed as vain by some people, and so less likely to be talked about openly. Of course, those are just my own views and I can't be sure how perceptions have been changing over the past five years or so.

The lesson from it all for me, as a teacher, was that, although blabbing on all class is not and never will be good teaching, there are times when it's right to point out some different ways of looking at things with one's own perspective. I'd normally try to plant ideas and hope that students elucidate new ideas themselves, however, I get the impression that our class today will stick in the minds of the students longer because they were opened up to views they may never before have encountered. I suppose, for those of us living and working abroad, that's something we might sometimes take for granted.

Jumping topic completely (it wouldn't be like me) to the heartbreaking story in the news these days of the murder of 27-year-old daughter of a well-known Gaelic football manager, Michaela Harte, on her honeymoon in Mauritius. It's just one of those totally unjust situations where the very worst thing imaginable happens to someone who, by all accounts, was one of the very best imaginable types of people. It has resonance for me in the memory of an acquaintance of mine who lost his life in tragic circumstances whilst stewarding at a rally around ten years ago. Like Ms. Harte, he was someone who lived life in such a way that he only brought positive things to the lives of those he loved and who, in turn, loved him. I'm also touched by the relationship between her and her father, reminiscent of my own sisters devotion to our Dad, perhaps even, "to a fault." It definitely makes you question the justice of it all, and I'll be honest in saying that sometimes leads me to question the point of it all, too. I suppose the only constructive way of dealing with the discrepancy between what ought to be and what is, is to appreciate the good things in life and live in such a way that you wouldn't have any regrets if this day was to be your last. My thoughts, and the thoughts of so many in Ireland, are certainly with the Harte family, her friends, colleagues and, of course, her husband. I hope she rests in peace. Sorry if I got a little carried away there, I hadn't intended to say so much.

Cheers!

I got quite a few helpful comments on my cover letter yesterday, so thank you for that. I've been working on my teaching philosophy today and I'm going to stick it on the bottom of the blog again in the hope of similar pointers. Some of it is a case of obvious enough stumbles that are less apparent to the writer, but your private constructive criticism is also more than welcome. Especially you Gallagher; you're an International School teacher! Don't worry, it's not your job I'm going for... I got the whole application together as a .pdf file and, once I have checked it over again in the morning, I'm going to get it off to it's intended destination and hope it is well enough constructed to take me to the next stage. A few new jobs popped up online today, including a pretty inviting one in Egypt...

I'll be extending my visa here in Korea until the end of August once my current E2 visa expires at the end of February (assuming that my passport and ARC make it back from the Chinese embassy in Busan in one piece). There had been a lot of talk about changing visa restrictions here, so I took the precaution of getting a criminal background check and ordering signed University transcripts when I was back in Ireland. I had another look into it all today and, wow, it's a complicated mess. Just take a look at this thread at Dave's eslcafe. Talk of needing to have an apostille put on your original degree by a lawyer in the country from which you qualified, etc. Nightmare! Thankfully, Catherine is usually a step ahead of me with things like this. It turns out that this time around (because of the huge problems posed by bringing in such ringing changes so suddenly), teachers extending need only have a passport, ARC, application for extension of stay (available at immigration), employment contract, a reference (from employer) and the princely sum of W30,000. So, for now at least, I have been spared from totally-avoidable-red-tape-hell.

Further hoops to jump through in Korea, huge numbers of qualified teachers out of full-time work in the UK and Ireland, and now the growing problem of teachers being bullied by pupils and parents online. Who would be a teacher, eh? In all honesty, my time teaching in England was the most challenging yet fulfilling of my career so far. For the majority of my PGCE I got to school at 7am and was usually still there 12-hours later. My to-do list took up both sides of my wee notebook, the thought of having a mid-week meet-up with friends over a beer couldn't even enter my head. Still, I loved it. However, with each passing year in a job where I have the free time to do multiple other things, work with respectful and (mainly) hardworking students, read more and more about the growing loss of common sense in UK teaching, I'm less and less inclined to move back to the British Isles as soon as I had previously thought I would. Mind you, plenty of the people I qualified with seem to be enjoying their careers and laughing off the horror stories. On top of that, I do often miss the challenge. It's nice having good classes but on such a regular basis you can almost take them for granted. It doesn't, however, come near the feeling of cracking that tricky Monday morning class you'd been wracking your brains over for weeks. We'll see what the future brings. It's not as though going back to the UK to find a teaching job is a realistic option for me anytime soon anyhow!

A word on a neglected topic - football! I stupidly stayed up late last night to watch South Korea's opening Asian Cup match against Bahrain in Qatar, home-to-be of the 2022 World Cup! They did alright without injured striker Park Ju Young, but wound up frustratingly holding on at 2-1, having been 2-0 up and looking comfortable. Kwak Tae Hwi never deserved a red card, but there was no need for him to jostling with an opponent at that stage of the match. Ku Ja Cheol got both goals and looked decent in an all-round comfortable but cluttered midfield. It was nice to get a look at two young strikers Ji Dong Won and Son Heung Min, but it's hard to take much from this performance in terms of predicting what impact they might have overall. Australia had a convincing opening win over India, so Friday night's match-up between the Socceroos and the Red Devils might even be described as mouth-watering. Yet another occasion when Matt and I will likely be on opposing sides of the fence. Quite annoyed to see how promising Lee Yong Rae looked, considering he's another one who has just signed up with Suwon Bluewings... As the FC Seoul exodus continues (bye bye Kim Jin Kyu and your 'rocket' free kick). Stay positive, stay positive...

All right, I'll leave you with my draft teaching philosophy and an earnest request that you email me with any comments/suggestions. The application goes off tomorrow, and I want it to go with as much weight behind it as possible...

I believe that teachers should have a passion for their job that brings them beyond the normal expectations of other occupations, so that they are willing to go the extra mile for the welfare of their pupils and school. My teaching is grounded in respect for universal human rights, which are equally applicable to children and adults alike. For me, a school can act as an example of the kind of community we would like to see in existence beyond the parameters of the school grounds and it can prepare pupils for confident, informed active citizenship as fully-fledged members of society.

My teaching career thus far has involved using a broad range of skills and working in varied educational contexts. Prior to the completion of my teaching certificate, I was involved as a volunteer with a youth group and was intrigued by education for peace during my undergraduate studies. As I navigated my way through my Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, I began to fuse these ideals with the everyday demands and realities of challenging high school classes. I developed a behaviour management style that focussed on collaboration with pupils in drawing up rules that were mutually agreed and respected. I also devised pre-determined consequences for when standards were not met. In challenging circumstances, classroom discipline gradually became less and less of an issue.

My teaching experience has also involved working with a broad range of ages (from kindergarten to senior citizen) and abilities. This has allowed me to appreciate the development of learners at different levels, as well as understand the importance of acting as a facilitator in their lifelong learning. It is not my intention to merely teach within the constraints of examination preparation (although they are, of course, important), but to instil passion for learning and go beyond textbooks to enable pupils to determine their own outcomes, which will have consequences for their personal development long after they complete their formal education.

Job Please!

Hey all. Hope you had a good weekend. I had loads of thoughts pop into my head all weekend long about little things I'd like to blog about. Low and behold, I have veered back into the sensible lane of life earlier in the week than usual this Monday, so I'm going to blog about something else entirely. I can sum the weekend up by saying that it was a case of: Friday being messy and random; Saturday being fun and sociable; and Sunday being lazy and restful. That'll do.

I have been freaking out today about getting my CV, cover letter and teaching philosophy into shape so that I can get down to applying for International School jobs this week. Top of my list is Chadwick International in Songdo, Incheon. It looks like an amazing school and fits my teaching philosophy and ideals nicely. I got my CV up to date and looking the way I want it to without much bother, but my cover letter has been a different story. It's so hard trying to only include the most pertinent information without squeezing it in to such an extent that it's impossible to tell one point from the other, or give it any natural flow. Here's how it is at the moment, before I sleep on it and come back for another bite in the morning. Maybe you could drop my a wee private message with some pointers, if you see something obvious? If not, normal non-job-application-related-blogging resumes tomorrow.

I would like to apply for the position of Middle-School Social Studies teacher (commencing in August this year). Having completed a Post-Graduate Teaching Certificate in Education (Citizenship) at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, England, in 2006, I am a fully-qualified teacher. I am also currently completing the dissertation for my MA in Citizenship Education, due for submission in early August, 2011. Additionally, I have been working as a teacher in Korea and elsewhere since 2006.

At present, I am an English language professor at Duksung Women’s University in Seoul. This job provides ample opportunity to adopt creative teaching techniques and act as a facilitator developing the long-term language development of my students. Many of the classes are project-based and, because of my educational background and commitment to the promotion of human rights in education, they are geared at developing relationships between staff and students that are harmonious and mutually-respectful.

My heart has always been in secondary-level education and, having completed my MA and broadened my horizons and skills-base as an English language instructor, I am keen to continue my long-term teaching career in an International School.

Chadwick International has been of particular interest to me since I first read about it in the Korean press in mid-2010. Although the technology and facilities in general are hugely impressive, what really caught my eye was the commitment to creative and innovative teaching styles. The school also aspires to provide the IBDP, which is the focus of my MA dissertation. I see myself as a global citizen whose teaching style is underpinned by a commitment to human rights and respecting the individual needs of each pupil and member of staff. In Chadwick International, it appears that I have found a school that does the same, and more. I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to have my application considered, and discuss these issues in greater depth at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Hello Weekend

As suddenly as it appeared, it went away. Yes, no more mopey Brian. For a few days, at least. Good day; feeling back up at 75% or so. Less-pointless-than-usual meeting in the morning. Good study session midday really getting into the research strategy section. Enjoyable prep and children's classes (smart, smart kids - the only major problem is how much faster they get through the activities than I expect!). Finishing straight of 'On The Road', where it's all really coming together and the thoughts are bouncing around my head. Nice dinner and conversation with Steph (and a lovely little gay Christmas present that I'm actually chuffed with). Back home, sweet home. Funny how things seem a bit brighter so suddenly and for no apparent reason.

That could all change when I head to Xanadu Travel tomorrow morning to try to sort out my visa for China. If I can't get it sorted I have basically thrown away... I actually don't want to think about how much money. Still, I'm positive. The thing about Korea is that, somehow, there always seems to be a way round these things. Cross your fingers for me.

Got some great ideas from Steph tonight about a lesson I wasn't feeling so comfortable with. Hopefully it'll be all good tomorrow. Always get a bit frustrated at myself for seeing asking for help as weakness. I'm sure my life would be a lot easier if I wasn't so hell-bent on pretending I don't need a hand, when I do. I usually do make a new year's resolution (which struggles on til about mid-Feb, if that) so I guess this year I should try to criticise less and ask for help more. I have some program development work to do with Kevin tomorrow, so that's as good a place to start as any.

Meeting the boys in Gangnam tomorrow at 8 before our gig at 10. It's refreshing to me that I don't even know where the venue is, never mind what it's like. I'm determined to enjoy a few beers and sing those songs as though I have never sung them before. Gotta get the fun back into it. If you happen upon Gangnam tomorrow night, and know of a place called 'Readers', drop by and say hello.

And with the completion of this post comes the satisfaction of ticking everything off my snazzy new to-do list (thanks Ji) for the day. Oh, the little pleasures of life.

RIP Gerry Rafferty. Check out this cover of his classic 'Baker Street' by the Foos. Night all.

China Visa: Seeing Red!

Well I'm not sure I mentioned but my Christmas present for Ji this year was flights for us to Shanghai for Lunar New Year (from February 2nd-6th). For the record, she got me a nice wee netbook that is no doubt going to come in pretty handy during the summer when I'm casually (!?) typing up my dissertation in various little cafes around Seoul. Anyway, I have been to China before (Beijing for Lunar New Year in 2007) and getting the visa was a pretty straightforward process. So I wasn't too worried as I went to Jonggak to sort it out with Ji's travel agent. Turns out, you have to have six-months remaining on your Alien Registration Card (ARC) to be able to apply for a visa. There are a few other loopholes, none of which helped me out much. Who knew? Cue frustration, bitterness, the blame game, cursing modern-day bureaucracy, and (sometime after all of the above) trying to find a way round it. As it happens, xanadu travel in Itaewon have some kind of dodgy way round it, so I'm headed there first thing in hope. Most people I have mentioned this to already said, "yeah, I know" but in case you are as in the dark as I clearly am: DON'T BOOK A FLIGHT TO CHINA UNLESS YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS REMAINING ON YOUR ARC! So there.

Incidentally, my search for a solution brought me back to good old Dave's esl, where I posted a query in the travel section, hoping someone could shed some light on xanadu travel for me. Unsurprisingly, no bites. If you're looking for a response on Dave's, just suggest that Korea is the best place you have ever been and that working here is a constant cause to be thankful. That should get them going. While I was there I thought I'd see what the whining losers have been on about of late. This post should tell you all you need to know. Apparently China is now the place to go, and Korea is hell on Earth, even though all the people posting so appear to still be in Korea. If you get past the third page, you've done better than I did.

Anyway, to what's going on in life. I was supposed to sign my next contract (pay raise, woo!) today but I noticed that they have called me BrAin Craig. That would make it 4 out of my 4 teaching contracts in Korea. I think it's easy enough to see why the confusion arises. Once that's done I start applying for my next job in August, hopefully in an International School. In my current 'what's-going-on-what's-it-all-about-what's-it-matter-anyhow' state, I'm probably going to blanket apply to social studies jobs around the world and let circumstances decide my next move. Once I break through those January blues, I'm sure I'll focus it a little more than that. Gig coming up on Friday at a new venue (for us) in Gangnam called 'Readers' then we have rehearsal on Saturday and it seems to be about a million peoples' birthday that night. The following week we play at the 5th birthday party of 'Speakeasy' in Gwangju (hopefully with Feed The Boats), which I am genuinely looking forward to. Cheon has just had a work skiing trip thrown on him, which will probably mean that he'll have to drive to Gwangju on his own and be there just on time to start playing. Anytime foreign teachers are getting it tough in Korea with last-minute changes of plan, there's always the guarantee that Korean workers are getting it worse.

Any lethargy you may detect these days probably comes from the fact that:

a. January is depressing, and

b. I'm finally reading 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac.

Really great book that I'm flying through, but definitely should come with a disclaimer: don't read if your head is already up your ass. Mind you, that might mean I'd never get to read it. Let me leave you with my song of the day, which doubles up as another shameless piece of self-promotion. Have a good one everyone.

Anyone Got Any New Year's Resolutions? (Not About My Mother)

Ok well happy new year everyone. Apologies for my lengthy absence but I'm sure you all survived. At least I hope you have. Blogging wasn't on the agenda when I was home. Once I had gotten over being moody, self-obsessed and spoiled (see last post), I had a great time at home with Ji and was more torn leaving than I ever have been before. Highlights included:

• A couple of good nights out, including one in Dublin with a few old friends.
• Visiting the Guinness Storehouse (although not sure I can handle drinking it in Korea again now).
• A million great home-cooked dinners, including Korean dinner cooked by Ji.
• Quality time with the family.
• Catching up with Rob, Ryan, Lisa, and too many others to mention (although there were even more I didn't get to see).
• Beautiful snowy Ireland.
• My all-grown-up sisters making me increasingly more proud of them.
• Business Lounge at Frankfurt airport.
• Getting an upgrade for Frankfurt-Seoul (albeit two days later than planned).

Still a bit too flat and getting-back-into-the-swing-of-things to blog properly but just trying to force myself to anyhow. Straight back into classes when I got back (teaching kids this month and next, great wee groups), first weekend of the year was a complete blur, not really feeling any new year's optimism at all I'm afraid! Here's a video from our gig at Stompers last Friday that I'm pretty proud of, even if it wasn't the greatest gig I've ever been involved in.

Best get on and let you carry on with your day with depressing you any longer! Just wanted to check in. Will be back on form soon, no doubt. Will leave you with the defining song of my past month by the greatest rock singer I have ever heard. Happy new year everyone!