What's Going On?

Well it has been a while since I posted so here goes with a bit of a digest of the last few weeks. Jim has hit the road. His last gig at RMT got the turn-out he deserves (err, it was big, just to clarify...) and we had a Sunday down in Seongnam watching FC Seoul lose 2-0 before meeting Adi in Itaewon later in the night. Not a bad send-off! It might turn out to have been my last gig in Korea too, because finding a suitable drummer or getting the Muse cover band up and running is going to be tough to do before I leave at the start of August. Less than two months left in Korea... I can hardly get my head around that.

I was horribly ill Monday and Tuesday, which set me up nicely for my exam on Wednesday. I was so out of it that I sat the whole thing with my t-shirt inside-out, so I have no idea what kind of result to expect. It was a bit of a strange exam in that it really was about my overall progress with the dissertation. The question was about how my literature review had influenced my research questions, and how my methodology was going to go about addressing the research objectives. In a way, there's no tricking a question like that; either you know what you're talking about, or you don't. I guess I'll find out which category I fall under when the results come. It's nice to have it out of the way. I have to submit my 20,000 word dissertation at the end of August, and that could well spell the end of my formal schooling!

A few of us headed to Muuido last weekend because we had the Monday off for Memorial Day, so it seemed like a good idea to take advantage! Muuido was pleasantly surprising. It was much more beautiful than I had expected, it wasn't too busy, we got a nice simple little pension to sleep in, and it was generally a really good laugh. It was also a hell of a lot more sensible than previous weekends, which I REALLY needed. The tide there goes out by what must be a mile and you can walk right out in the clouds, which come rolling in towards evening. The ferry ride over is really, really short but it's something I always enjoy. Reminds me of childhood holidays in Co. Down way back in the day.

Talking of family holidays, it turns out that Dad can't get the time off work so we won't all be meeting in Barcelona in August, as had been hoped. I think I'm going to go over anyway because Rachel will be there and it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit. My summer schedule at work is pretty light (lots of four-day weekends), so I'm planning loads of trips, including to Jeju-do, which I have somehow never made it to in my time here. Mudfest? Maybe. Jisan? Yes! Looking forward to seeing The Music and The Arctic Monkeys especially. I think it was around this time last year that I popped my knee and saw all my summer plans fly out the window. I'm back playing football again (as badly as ever), so cross your fingers I don't experience a repeat!

My sister, Charlene, has had a bit of an epic time recently. She was out in Bucharest recently doing her first film role and she came back and straight into huge auditions with the National Theatre and The Abbey. Hopefully things are falling into place for her. Thomas and I did drama together as teenagers and we were talking about it a lot on Muuido, about those who chose to pursue it further in life and how they're all doing. You have to take your hat off to them because it's a life of uncertainty for most and a tough, tough job in so many ways. I think I'm glad I'm a teacher, but obviously it'd be nice to have those real rushes in life that performing brings from time to time. Ok, I'm rambling so going to sign of and go prep my kids' classes. Hope you're all doing well.

It's Always Sunny When You Study

Think about it: whenever you cast your mind back to writing essays/getting ready for exams, how's the weather outside? I don't care if you're from Ireland, Canada, Korea, or wherever, I'll bet it was sunny - in your mind at least. I've been trawling through the research methods chapter of my dissertation today and, you've guessed it, the weather is beautiful outside. Children are playing in the river six floors down, people are texting me telling me to come join them for outdoor beers/cinco de mayo/whatever fun they're engaged in, having a life whilst I'm cooped up wrestling with this monster! So here I am, giving myself a bit of a break, thinking back to better times not that long ago.

Only a couple of weeks ago I was on holiday in Singapore and Malaysia with a girl from work called Christine. It was a really good trip especially because it was full of 'firsts'; my first time snorkeling, my first night safari, my first time riding a scooter, first time having my ears candled, first time having a tour of a Mosque, first time visiting a rubber plantation, and my first time being robbed on holiday... I'm not going to bore you with the details of everything we saw/did, but it was a great trip and I would recommend Malaysia to anyone. It's not the cheapest destination in the vicinity, but we met so many nice people, spent time on a beautiful beach which we had pretty much all to ourselves, experienced the beauty of Melaka, and the humdrum of Kuala Lumpur. Singapore was... just ok. I think you have to go just for the experience (and to hear the fusion of English, Malay and Cantonese), but it's a very plastic place with so many tourist traps and gimmicks; none more than the 'night safari' offered at the Singapore Zoo. We had a good time, but we made the right decision in only staying for three days.

A huge part of travelling is who you travel with, and I've certainly had my problems in that respect in the past. Considering the amount of times people have pissed me off on holiday, the safe bet is that it's me who's just bad at travelling with people. Funnily enough, even though I have only been working with Christine since March and we are very different people, we actually bounced off each other really well. She is very similar to me in that she wants to keep active and see plenty without going overboard and turning the trip into... a job! We did have a few drinks pretty much every day that we were away, but it was all pretty civilized - most of the time! I still haven't uploaded my pictures (which are pretty much all of Christine, as hers are pretty much all of me!) but, with this dissertation hanging over my head, I'm sure to use it as a delaying tactic sooner or later.

It looks as though my next holiday will be with the family in Barcelona in August. I had been hoping to get over there anyhow because Kev and Jo are working there at the moment and my sister, Rachel, will be there too; so this is just perfect. It'll be our first family trip together since... I actually can't even remember! Speaking of family, my sister Charlene is now officially a movie star! Ok, not quite, but she has got her first film role since graduating from LAMDA last year. It has taken a bit longer than she would have hoped, but it's a start, and no-one has a better temperament to handle what could be a bumpy road ahead than Charlene. Emma and Rachel are both nearing the end of exam periods at the moment and I am, as always, extremely proud of the lot of them.

Time to get back to the grindstone. I hope you're all having a good day be it enjoying the sunshine in Korea, voting for AV in the UK (don't tell me you can't understand it...), reacquainting yourself with our staple diet of rain in Ireland, or eating Skippy in Oz. You know who you are...

Back On Track - Or Getting There

Just a brief one because it's late and I have a full day of dissertation writing tomorrow that I want to be fresh for. Children's Day will be taking over Korea in the morning, so we have the day off as all the kids in the country will be out somewhere being spoiled rotten. Most teachers here are out tonight and plenty will be around and about enjoying the freedom tomorrow; I've heard wake-boarding, museum hopping, hiking, etc. For my sins, I'll be sat at home trying to write a draft chapter three and getting myself in better shape for my exam on June 1st. I was just thinking earlier of all the little things I have had to give up over the four years I have been chipping away at this MA. Most irritating of all (not just for me) was not being able to have a few beers on an idyllic little island off the coast of Venezuela with Annie a few years ago because I had an essay to write the next day. I guess I should knuckle down over the coming weeks and months to actually ensure that it all ends up counting for something.

I actually had a great day today. The weather has been lovely so I went for a bit of a cycle along the wee nearby river, and the knee has been feeling fine. We had a pretty funny meeting at work that served to remind me how lucky I am to be moving onwards and (hopefully) upwards in August. I faxed through a pile of documents to Nanjing Foreign Language High School earlier, and should be receiving my full, signed contract, from DHL next week. Exciting times! My DDE classes at night have been going well, and I rushed upstairs straight after to watch FC Seoul V Al Ain in the AFC Champion's League.

Time for a little context: caretaker coach, Choi Young Soo, led Seoul to a 2-1 win against last year's runners-up, Jeju United, last Saturday evening. Having gone behind, we showed real strength of character to restore some hope, with Park Yong Ho and Ko Myung Jin scoring two decent goals. It was a nervy enough performance, but a win is a win, and the 37-year-old former assistant manager took some brave decisions. The major downside was that Kim Yong Dae, Korea's No. 2 goalkeeper these days, took a nasty blow to the face and had to be replaced by the untested Yoo Sang Hoon. The youngster looked a bit erratic, but also showed some good reactions to keep us ahead as the match wore on.

Back to tonight, I had a bit of a scare when the UAE station I found streaming online appeared to show the score as 1-0 to the visitors. However, when Dejan headed home smartly on 40 minutes, it changed to 2-0... so I realised they just posted the score in a way I wasn't accustomed to! Although we looked really shoddy at the back, and would have been punished by better sides, we did show a lot of promise going forward. Dejan slotted home a gorgeous through-ball from a returning Lee Gyu Ro on 73, and it was all but over as a contest. Interestingly, Han Il Goo was chosen between the sticks, and looked like a disaster waiting to happen, frankly speaking.

What I like about this manager is that he appears to be taking some brave decisions and is bringing back players who had been somewhat discarded by Hwangbo Kwan. I'm thinking of Park Yong Ho, Ko Myung Jin, Lee Gyu Ro, and, most notably, Lee Seung Ryeol (who was back in the first eleven tonight). I'm heading down to Sangju this weekend to watch the unbeaten army side containing two current FC Seoul players who we look to be really missing this season in Choi Hyo Jin and Kim Chi Woo. I'm looking forward to visiting a new area (I expect it to be a big change from regular Korean cities I've visited) and I'm hopeful that Choi Young Soo can keep his little winning streak going. Let's just hope it isn't just beginner's luck...

A final shout out to The Outside View podcast, because I still listen every week but have neglected to mention for a while. You could also do worse than 'like' the K-League page on facebook, which is regularly informative and helpful. Lot's of procrastinating to do tomorrow, so expect a post!

Here Goes

This blogging thing is really dying a death these days; it seems to be dropping down to just one a week without my even noticing! All my efforts to get myself into a better routine keep falling foul of a plethora of other little things that keep popping up out of nowhere. So, here we go with a very general round-up of what's been going on, what's happening, and what's yet to come.

We've been gigging a lot these days with Dead End Friends. Last weekend we had another tidy show at Woodstock on Friday night and another rowdy one at Rocky Mountain Tavern in aid of Camarata Music Company. It was a fun night of music but we were left a little bemused after finding out that we weren't playing for quite the cause we had thought we were. They played up the whole "musical instruments and lessons for underprivileged kids" version, while it has since emerged that the event was mainly to raise money for the company to put on shows. I guess a cause is a cause, but usually if foreigners become involved in things like this in Korea (music, theatre, sports, etc), they tend to bear the brunt of the expenses themselves. I wonder if they're planning a benefit concert to raise money for us to release a CD...

Inspired as I am (not) by my fellow countrymen Bono and Bob Geldoff, we're taking part in another benefit show this weekend; but for an undeniably worthy cause this time. We'll be bringing the rock (ugh I just don't feel comfortable saying stuff like that...) to Roofers in Itaewon to play at a fundraiser for the recent disaster in Japan, on Friday night. One of the organisers is going out with one of my co-workers and seems like a really active and driven person, so we're glad to be able to offer something constructive. If you are around Itaewon this weekend, come out and support the cause. We'll be playing last and the rest of the line-up certainly brings the word eclectic to mind. I'm interested to see how it all works out.

On Saturday, I'm going to head down to Busan with a friend to have a look around the landmarks, get a night out on the tiles, and go watch Busan I'Park entertain the mighty FC Seoul on Sunday. No doubt reinvigorated by my rousing blog last week, things have turned around slightly for us over the past week. Saturday saw us seal a huge home win (3-1) over Jeonbuk Motors, with Dejan (twice) and Molina scoring impressive goals. It wasn't always as convincing as the scoreline might suggest, with Lee Dong Gook briefly bringing it back to 2-1 with an 81st-minute strike. I must also mention the bizarre introduction of Lee Seung Ryeol on 81 minutes (just before their goal) and his subsequent withdrawal only four minutes later. Ok, the manager may have wanted to shore things up by bringing on an extra defender, but surely he could have looked beyond the player he had just brought on! Lee didn't look pleased, and who could blame him? I consider him one of our most naturally-talented players, but Kwan obviously doesn't fancy him...

A positive week continued with a 1-1 Champions' League draw away against Nagoya Grampus, continuing our fine form in that competition. Interestingly, it was the same starting eleven that had defeated Jeonbuk, so perhaps he is now a little clearer on his best eleven (even though it certainly doesn't correspond with mine). We'll be hoping to build that consistency against Busan, who have only picked up one point from four K-League fixtures so far. Their manager, Ahn Ik-Soo was assistant coach at FC Seoul last season, and obviously has a lot of pressure on him if he is to avoid the fate of Gangwon's Choi Soon Ho, who resigned this week following four opening defeats and no goals scored. A big win, and the disappointing start to the season will begin to feel like nothing more than a blip. Djeparov was back pulling the strings this week; Ha Dae Sung and Choi Tae Wook still to return.

Aaaaaand the rest of life... I remembered mother's day but forgot to do anything about it, due to a busy day of Noraebanging (google it, it's not as dirty as it sounds...). Dissertation? Slowly but surely. My sister's manic last-minute rush to submit hers has reminded me of the importance of keeping on top of things: exam June 1st; submission August 31st; still time to play with. Work? Going ok but I did have a bit of a nightmare class this week that certainly checked my self-made image of myself as god's gift to teaching. Ok, I'm not that bad... but not far off at times. I lost sleep over those guys, trying to put my finger on what I was doing wrong. Let's hope I don't have that again for a while, because I really can't deal with it. Job situation? Still favouring Nanjing, and hoping to put pen to paper (you'd swear I was a Premiership footballer) before I go on holiday (Singapore and Malaysia) next week. Anything else? I can't think right now. Over and out for tonight, have a great weekend everyone!

Out Cold

Didn't manage to make it to immigration this morning so I REALLY HAVE TO GO TOMORROW!! My Alien Registration Card (ARC) expires on Friday so, with lessons on Thursday and Friday, tomorrow is my last real opportunity. I should actually have the whole day off tomorrow but we have some ceremony to attend on campus and a new teachers' orientation in the afternoon. I set THREE alarms for 6:59, 7:00 and 7:01am this morning but didn't hear a thing. A few new teachers have moved in next door and across the hall. I'm sure they were loving me this morning! Never was one for the good first impressions. At least if the same thing happens tomorrow morning I might be awakened by an angry knock at the door.

I just got in the door from band practice in Hongdae. We only had two hours to go through EVERYTHING we are planning on doing this Friday and Saturday, so there was a lot of flying through things we think we already know, and a few songs we had to skip over altogether. Still, things were sounding pretty good and it'll be great to get back in action. Cheon got the venue mixed up so we were without a bassist for the first half-an-hour: 'crossed-wires' might have been an apt band name I often think.

So, tomorrow it should be immigration> interview for a school in China > campus shenanigans > teachers' meeting > cooking for Ji > collapsing in a heap. I just found out today from two of my referees that my old degree (International Politics at Magee) is being discontinued, and that the Conservatives are looking at removing Citizenship Education (what I did my teaching certificate in) from the curriculum in England. Aside from making it even harder for me to motivate myself to work on my Master's (in Citizenship Education - which has also been discontinued), it certainly is something to bear in mind as I job hunt. Where one door closes, another opens, and all that.

Bump!

Just checking in late on this Monday night with a few words on the weekend, the next few days, next weekend, and the general state of the world! Ok, well, the first few anyhow. I had a really good weekend in spite of the fact that my taxi home on Friday night had a bit of a run-in with a lamp-post. Nothing big (just a bit of sore back) but it was a bit scary at the time. The taxi next to us just veered across us so we had no chance. There was an old drunk guy a few feet from the post who had a close shave, but was oblivious to it all. I have certainly taken a few bumps this past twelve months or so.

It had been a great night because I went to Haebangcheon to see Zee at The Local, to be closely followed by Sticky Fingers unplugged at The Orange Tree. Zee's gig was so nice and intimate. I thought she was pretty good before this night; now I'm blown away. Just her and her guitar, so pure, raw, and right there in front of us. Banter between songs because the place was so small she could just chat away to all of us. Jeff's band just after were equally enjoyable. Seeing musicians stripped down (easy!) and hearing vocalists clearly - it was a great night. So much talent in this city.

We were all out on Saturday night for Catherine and Stephen's birthday at Shamrock n' Roll. It was a good fun night all round. Those two got fairly well on, as one must on your birthday! I headed home early enough (still the wee hours) because I had rehearsal the next day with Cheon's band at the ungodly hour of 2pm on a Sunday! It was a cool rehearsal because it was them playing their original stuff and me finding melodies for it: kind of what I have always wanted. Cheon has sent me the files so I'll spend the next few weeks working on melodies and lyrics, before we attempt to get something recorded. We're also going to tease the Muse cover thing out a bit more; maybe with a Muse-only cover gig once a month or something. They are fun guys to play with.

I'll be meeting Cheon, Jeff and Jim tomorrow night for Dead End Friends' rehearsal in lieu of our gigs this Friday and Saturday in Bucheon and Hongdae. They'll be our first shows since January 15th (in Gwangju) for one reason or another, but we're hoping to play three out of the four weekends in March, including a couple of shows for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations here. Lots to look forward to! My big aim for the next month or so is to get our name out there a bit more. Might start spreading a rumour about one of the lads for a bit of publicity...

I'm off to immigration tomorrow for my visa extension. Six more months at Duksung, at least. Still mulling over Cairo. Indonesia not completely ruled out. Interview coming up for an international school in China (I'm not 100% clear where in China exactly!). I still really like Duksung and my classes here but I still also feel as though I'm stagnating and could do with a change and a better level of teaching. If no suitable international school jobs come through, I'm going to have a look at a few Citizenship jobs back in England. I've been reading some Council of Europe recommendations for citizenship education these days and I'd love to be putting it all into practice.

I highly recommend downloading The Daily Bacon podcast from bbc radio 5live today, if only for his interview with a catty Ruby Wax. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy her cutting him down for his smugness and lazy research, but she also highlights the problems associated with depression and the attached stigma in a forthright and honest way, which actually bordered on blunt. Like her or not, she makes some brilliant points about a condition that affects 1 in 4 people in Britain directly, yet is barely talked about.

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...

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.

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,

Close Your Eyes, Stick A Pin In A Map

It might not even be Christmas yet but, if you're looking for work at an International School next summer (as I am), then it's time to get on it. Next year could be a real crossroads for me, with a girlfriend and life of my own in Korea, but a niggling feeling that I'd love to try something new. There will be jobs available in Korea (and probably at Ji's school), but there's no denying the excitement of looking through the job postings in Bali, Kenya, Poland (among many, many others) and wondering, 'why not?' I don't know about you, but the place where I do my best thinking and decision-making is at home. I'm going to enjoy fourteen sweet days back in the land of my birth (beyond fourteen is generally the point where I slowly start wanting to leave again) and come back ready to face 2011 with a firm goal in mind. There'll be lists of pros and cons, chats with my nearest and dearest, beer-inspired claims that I am going to 100% definitely do x or y, only to think the exact opposite the very next morning. Words of wisdom are welcome, but with my MA finishing in the summer, my patience running out with TEFL, my desire to start really putting my training into practice by teaching something I am passionate about, and the looming job crisis for teachers best exemplified by this Scottish example, I know 2011 is the year to get on to the IS circuit. I can recommend a fairly good blog about IS teaching here, but any further links are more than welcome.

I was in Asia-Pacific International School today covering English and AP history with some forensics thrown in at the end of the day for good measure. Every day I spend there is great for my dissertation, which will focus on (as yet unselected) international schools in the research section, which I aim to begin in January. Ji is pretty keen for me to apply for the social studies position opening in the summer, but working with my girlfriend is an idea I'm just not comfortable with at the minute. She rightly pointed out earlier (girlfriends tend to be right, don't they?) that, as I'm looking for my first IS position, I'm not really in a position to be choosy. Still, I'd like to throw my hat in the ring at a few other locations first, and see what comes of that. I don't know, but sharing a workplace and a private life with something must be tough. Or maybe I just need to grow up.

I have been receiving calls and emails throughout the day from students querying their grades or asking for clarification in specific areas. As I've told them, I'm happy to answer their questions, but it is a little frustrating that I have already given them all the information in their course syllabus at the beginning of each term and as I assigned each piece of assessment. Still, it's only natural that they would pay more attention now even though, in reality, it's a bit too late. The student grades effect who gets full/partial/no bursaries for the course, so I made pretty damn sure that I put a lot of thought into finding a fair and clear evaluation method that I could justify if I had to. I'm confident that the majority of my colleagues did the same, but there was one teacher boasting about how he just made all the grades up, so you can't blame the students for questioning us in a way. Although almost all the people I work with are professional, creative and talented, the odd lost soul teaching English because they can't find anything else they can do (like the person mentioned above), does really hit the morale of those of us who think what we're doing might actually matter.

I spent like what seemed forever sorting out the final marks for my general English classes during free periods today. There was a bit of confusion when a student's paper who I've never taught showed up in one of my piles, but we soon located where it should have been so minor panic over. Once I have met my boss to go over a few things, handed in my final grades and tied up a couple of loose ends with two of my students tomorrow, I'll be officially done for the semester. Then starts the process of getting ready for home, Christmas and making sure I don't leave anything important behind. Now, where did I leave my passport...?

Rubber Soul

Hey there, I hope everyone is doing well. It's cold in Seoul and colder on the British Isles so chances are that if you're reading this blog, you've probably been doing a fair bit of shivering over the past few days. Tough it out, it's December! If, on the other hand, you're visiting from Australia then I hate you and you should feel bad about yourself. Jealous? Me?

I've been having a busy following a predictably packed weekend. Rehearsal was good on Saturday but we had an eerie few minutes towards the end when we realised we were the only people in the whole studio. They wouldn't leave for a bomb shelter without telling the waegooks, would they? Funny how paranoia starts seeping through at times like these... It was Cheon's birthday so we headed to 'El Bliss' right next to FF for a fancypants (thanks for getting that stuck in my head Annie) dinner. It's strange that somewhere so swish and upmarket is right next door to FF, which is... whatever the opposite of swish and upmarket is. The gig that night at Woodstock was, "just a gig" as Jeff put it. We were fairly tight and played well enough without the night being really noteworthy for any reason. The place was pretty much empty when we got there (they'd been having a punk night since 8pm) but a good few of our brilliant friends came along and ensured there was a good atmosphere throughout the gig. I can say without doubt that it's the first time I've been asked to sing 'Gangster's Paradise', repeatedly. I'm from Donegal. We don't have rappers, we have Daniel. Maybe I could do a Daniel rap, or... maybe not.



This weekend we're playing as part of the Rubber Soul event taking place in several venues around Hongdae, as well as in a couple of North American cities. We'll be playing at 11.15pm at Ting Tings in Hongdae, which is just a few doors down from Club FF. I'm looking forward to taking part in such a big night for a good cause. Of course it's always good to play at a new venue too. We were in having a look last week and it looks as though it's going to be pretty nuts if there is a good crowd in. We'll be finishing the live part of the night off following on from Sotto Gamba, who are one of the best band's I've heard in my time in Korea. They have two great vocalists, a 'funky groove', play great original tracks and are great to watch live. Check out their videos on their facebook page here. If you're in Hongdae that night, you could do worse...

Monday was NOT just the same old Monday. I'm not really sure why, but I was full of beans (a word that is making me slightly ill after that video...) all day. The morning classes were great, I did a bit of prep for my Lit Review, got my classes ready and they went really well. No Monday blues, no weekend hangover, no energy dip. I'm sad to say, I can't tell you why. I think it was just a fluke. I even got to catch up with family on skype later in the night. Only a week-and-a-half until I'm back on Irish soil for a couple of weeks. I'm really, really looking forward to it.

Yesterday I spent the whole day writing my draft Literature Review. I made the usual mistake of reading for too long and starting the writing too late, but it is just draft so it doesn't matter too much on this occasion. Now that I'm writing my dissertation, I'm paying much greater attention to small details than I have ever done in the past. Also, reading 'Succeeding with your Master's Dissertation' by John Biggam is really helping to focus my work. Aside from prepping and teaching my two DDE classes last night, writing the review took up my entire day. In saying that, I actually enjoyed it, which is a good sign if I decide to opt for further study once I get this MA out of the way. I know some of you are also working on your dissertation these days. I've said it before, but that Biggam book is a must-read.

And then it was Wednesday. It's another full day of classes, conferences, 'volunteer' supervision and study. The big global event today is, of course, the first leg of the K-League Championship final between Jeju United and FC Seoul on the southern island. There's a nice preview as part of this week's The Outside View podcast here. The good news for us is that Ku Ja Cheol is out injured for Jeju, having been so influential from midfield all season and for Korea U-23s at the Asian Games last month. The bad news for FC Seoul is that I'm going to miss the first half because I have to 'volunteer' to supervise a TOEIC study session. The loss of my support is going to be a big blow (I know), but I'm hopeful they can come away with a draw at least and set things up for a big finish at Sangam World Cup Stadium on Sunday. It's going to be cold, but it's going to be worth it... I'm already dreading three straight hours of oral exams with my General English girls on Monday morning. I know what you're thinking. Shame on you!

If you found the first video offensive, best not click on this one... Have a good day everyone. A special welcome to those visiting from the Korean blog list.

Thanks!

Well happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends (yes, they exist) and I hope you're having a good holiday. I felt a bit sorry for my American co-workers who I had some dodgy Korean canteen dinner with a few hours ago. Not what they would be doing back home, I'd imagine. I've been enjoying everyone's 'thankful' status updates on facebook today, possibly because I'm in a bit of a sentimental mood these days. No particular reason. No particular reason not to either. My classes are all going really well and we're coming to the end of term so I don't have long to go before I'll be back home catching up with friends and family. I'm also really enjoying the musical side of things these days. Dead End Friends is going well for us. Our gigs have been pretty tight and we really had the crowd on our side last time out at FF. Our next gig is on Saturday night at Woodstock in Itaewon. It's at midnight so, although it's late, we hope to have a good crowd. We'll be belting out two sets including four covers we haven't played live before. If you're in the area, it'd be great to have you join us. To be honest, it isn't just gigging that's going well. We are rehearsing well and still getting to know each other and gel as a band. At the minute it's all good craic and we're getting on well. How long before the inevitable handbags I wonder...?

My dissertation is coming along quite well. I have to submit a draft literature review on Tuesday so I'll have to spend at least a portion of the weekend being sensible... Somehow I'm managing to work at it at least a little every day. For any of you out there contemplating doing an MA, or with a dissertation looming, I highly recommend Succeeding With Your Master's Dissertation by John Biggam. I'm reading it alongside my other research and it's really keeping me focused and making clear what's important in attempting to get as high a mark as I possibly can. It helps that the reading itself is pretty interesting and that my teaching schedule isn't taking up too much time. The problem is that I'm not spending enough time studying Korean so I'm just stuck in a rut on that front. Those of you engaged in the banging-head-against-a-brick-wall process that is learning Korean might find this interview with an American fluent Korean-speaker interesting. It could even be a bit of an inspiration! I'm hoping so..

I'm heading into Suyu now to meet Tom for bit of grub so I better sign off. Just wanted to write something as I have been falling out of the habit recently. Hope you're all well and I'll try to write again soon.

Well done, well done

Oh yeah Halloween rocks. I'm still wrecked from the weekend but that can only be a good sign, as well as a sign of my old age... We managed to fit in everything we wanted to do, and I even threw together a lazy outfit (see left) at RMT - how last- minute is that! What made the night so good was the company. We were just laughing non-stop all night. With so much going on Monday-Friday (and assignments even to do on the odd Saturday) it's good to have weekends with good people to look forward to. People keep leaving, but I'm lucky to still have a good store of funny friends here.

After a lot of procrastinating, I got my assignment in on Saturday, although I wouldn't say it was the highest standard. I just couldn't switch on properly but it's still very early days and it's probably best to be making my errors now.

No rest for the wicked, even on a Sunday. We were up (relatively) bright and breezy to get over to World Cup Stadium for FC Seoul V Busan. We were missing a few influential players (a busy fixture list these days) so it was a bit more disjointed than it has been of late but we still ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. Goals this week from Jeong Jo Gook, Dejan and Choi Tae Wook. You can watch the highlights here. Wednesday's trip to Seongnam is crucial for us. A win and we are well on course to top the league and go straight into the play-off final (with the second leg at home). Defeat, and we might just have to settle for second and would have to face a semi-final. With Derry City FC returning to the top flight of Irish football on Saturday, I'm hoping for a clean sweep of league victories this season. Maybe that's asking a bit too much.

We had another busy band practice later on Sunday in Haebangcheon. With only days left until our first full gig at Rocky Mountain Tavern (Saturday, November 6th), we're still working at getting songs together and tightening other bits and bobs up. It's tough, but getting there. We're going to need two more rehearsals (so no trip to Seongnam for me on Wednesday) and I'm sure there'll still be some dodgy moments, but hopefully we can pull it off and have a fun night. If you haven't seen it already, our facebook page is here. All support is greatly appreciated!

Another Monday almost done, and not as horrific as they have been in the past. So glad to have nice classes that make work more of a pleasure than a pain. Hope your week is getting off to a good start, wherever in the world you are. I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of our Halloween party at work last Friday.

Prepared, As Ever!

Well, it's that time of year where for some unknown reason we all think it's totally normal and acceptable to dress up and look ridiculous for no particular reason. I love it! It's always a bad time to be away from home because the celebrations in Derry are hard to beat. Still, we always manage to make a night of it no matter where we are. I have some great memories of Halloween celebrations in Seoul, playing gigs, shocking innocent Koreans in bars who have no idea what's going on, etc. The year Jim and I (dressed as spiderman and 'superhero') walked into a Korean bar in Hongdae for a quiet drink and asked for scissors to cut holes to aid our toilet trips, before being politely asked to leave. Definitely one of my classiest moments.

Last night, we had a Halloween party at work which actually ended up being a whole lot less crap than I had expected it to be. The students had a small budget and about an hour to transform their classroom into a theme of their choice with activities for other classes to take part in during the party time. My homeroom opted for a ghoulish casino (might go some way to explaining my appearance above) and really pulled out all the stops to make it look amazing. I'll put a picture of their work up when I can. The actual casino games took a bit of a back seat to posing for pictures and wandering around the other rooms. It was amazing how great all the classrooms looked considering how little time (and money) they all had to do it in.

About 20 minutes before class ended, they started cleaning up WITHOUT ME HAVING TO EVEN ASK THEM TO! Not a week goes by without a reminder of how different it is teaching in Korea and teaching in England. I don't see myself staying here forever, but I'm certainly going to miss the respectful behavior and positive attitude of students here, as opposed to the teeth-pulling (and sometimes overt verbal abuse) elsewhere. No doubt, teaching here has softened me up a bit, but I'll cross that bridge when and if I come to it.

As usual, it's Halloween (or at least the night we'll be going out to celebrate it) and I have feck all organized to wear. I was some kind of zombie teacher last night so I'll probably go down the lazy route and be a zombie again tonight. Bit of blood, torn clothes, make-up, fuzzy hair... that should do it. I actually gave away my 'priest' costume to a co-worker so I wouldn't be tempted to wear it for the FOURTH time. I definitely would if it was still in my possession. More to the point, I have an assignment due tomorrow that I just can't get into the frame of mind to sit down and actually write. Hence the blogging, the costume planning, the tidying, the doing of the laundry, the calling everyone about tonight's plans, the doing-anything-I-can-think-of-other-than-writing-my-assignment...

Before I go and face the inevitable, a quick plug for my mate's new Irish bar in Hongdae. It's called 'Shamrock n' Roll' and is very close to the little park across from the main gates of Hongik University. We headed there on Wednesday night for their first night of business and were all really impressed. It's a good size, easy on the eye, has a good selection of drinks, easy-going bar staff, big screens, and, well - it's an Irish bar! We're planning on spending some of our time there tonight and, if you're in Seoul, you could do worse than follow suit. Happy Halloween everyone!

My Dead End Friends Again...

I'm subbing in Ji's school today ('teaching' history and media) but it has been a pretty straight-forward day so far. I love having the chance to do the odd day here and there and it gives me an insight into what my job will be like when I land an International School job (note the positivity). There is a volleyball tournament here today with a lot of the other International Schools visiting. It's interesting how ethnically Asian-based this school is in comparison to others. The boys were complaining about not having a nice range of girls to drool over. I had the same problem when I was at school, boys! It's also interesting to see how the ethnic-Korean majority interact with the minority students. I can't say they do so very well, from what I can see...

I'm hopefully going to have a chance to talk over some of my preliminary research questions with the head teacher here after school. Interestingly, the sample questionnaire I have for her touches on issues of multi-culturalism, diversity, and learning to live together. At this early stage, I'm only interested in getting feedback about the nature of the questions to aid my methodology, rather than being too concerned by her actual responses. I have my first assignment due on Sunday and preparation is going quite well so far. At this early stage, I'm interested in the topic and so it doesn't seem like a drag studying. I'm sure that won't last too long.

Straight after I finish here I'm going to have to go buy some more snacks and decorations for our Halloween Party in class tonight. The girls are going to set up a ghoulish casino and get the room looking suitably spooky. The girls in the office are going to go round taking pictures and I think the best classes will win some money, so they're pretty well-motivated for it! It a should be a fun night anyhow and I'm glad I don't have to teach having been here all day already. I still haven't gotten round to sorting out my own Halloween costume so it'll be pretty lame tonight. There's a big Halloween warehouse in Sadang so I'll go there and sort something out tomorrow. Prepared well in advance, as ever. I was tempted to just wear my priest costume for the fourth time or whatever it is at this stage.

Before I wind this up for the day, a quick plug for our new band and a request. We're working hard to have a good set together for Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon, on November 6th. I just set up a facebook page for us today so please check it out here, click 'like' or whatever is, and we'll be able to keep in touch with everyone about upcoming shows and the like. If you could suggest the page to friends, that'd be even better. Have a fun Halloween everyone!

A Sigh of Relief

Well, today marks the end of one of our 'sessions' at work and this particular session has been a frickin' tough one, I can tell you. I taught 61 hours overtime and that doesn't include the extra thought, planning, rethinking, re-planning, marking and reporting that involves! Next block, I won't be teaching Brand English so that means I'll no longer need to be getting up at crazy o' clock in the morning and still be teaching at stupid o' clock at night. In fact, I'll be going from a very tough schedule to a pretty lax one. Very much looking forward to that. All work and no play makes Brian a dull boy and all that. The timing is perfect because I restarted my MA studies last week (although I haven't done much so far) so I need to start devoting a couple of hours a day to that soon.

I'm thinking of doing my dissertation on education for democratic citizenship in International Schools and the lessons that can be learned for national contexts. That, no doubt, sounds very boring but I think it'll be fascinating and, practically speaking, will help me learn more about and network with International Schools as I go on a serious job-hunt for next year. The actual submission date for the dissertation isn't actually until 31st August, 2011, but I have my first assignment for it due on October 31st coming. I'm officially set on trying my best to get a first overall and dropping this, "oh, I don't really mind either way" carry on. The work starts next week, as I don't have any classes to teach really.

More confusion with our 'band that may never be' today. Apparently, Cheon has some dinner he has to attend, so Jeff canceled our rehearsal. Unfortunately, neither Jim nor I got wind of this, and only found out by chance this morning. Nevertheless, the three of us are going to meet up tonight to go over new songs as much as we can without a bassist. On top of that, a few of the dates I was hoping to play next month are already taken (by Jeff's other bands) so, all in all, it might be getting to the point where we have to start looking elsewhere. I can't explain how much I'm missing the buzz of performing, the routine involved, the bonding (that's bondING!), the craic, the seeing people you don't see as often as you'd like, the music, the dancing around like an eejit, the meeting new people, etc., etc., etc.... It seems like I've been saying we'll be up and running 'soon' for an absolute eternity. If 'soon' isn't November, it might be time to seriously consider our other options. Poor old Jim and I are chomping at the bit!

Tomorrow, we're heading to Ulsan for a bit of a boys night out and the crucial encounter between Ulsan Hyundai and FC Seoul on Sunday afternoon. I just this second found out that Stephen might not be going, to keep the recent trend of 'people-saying-they're-going-to-do-something-but-not-doing-it-in-the-end' going on strong. I know I'm guilty of it myself from time to time but keeping the lines of communication open would be nice. Frustrating. Either way, I'm going to head down. Big game for us and will be nice to get out of Seoul and do something completely different for the weekend. Being off next week, I'll be able to stay out on Sunday night guilt-free and watch the Merseyside Derby. I should go sort out my crappy fantasy football team for the weekend...

I was chatting to my Dad yesterday to wish him luck for a job interview he had (I still don't know how it actually went). He's hoping to become a driving instructor, and we all think he'd be really good at it. Amazingly, he has been in his current job (as a tour bus driver) for 13 years now... He reckons he might have met as many as 10,000 people in that time, all over the British Isles. At his age, no-one wants him to be away from home, trekking all over the place, doing crazy hours, taking flak from passengers anytime anything (even beyond his control) goes wrong. I really, really hope he gets the job. He's a great driver, intelligent, good with people, and a calming influence. Cross your fingers or pray to whatever or whoever or wherever it is you believe in people, will you? I can't wait to get back home in December and catch up with my old Daddy-o and Mammy-o. Not for too long though, of course...

Big old Friday feeling in my guts today. Started the day with coffee with my Brand English class to mark the end of the session, did a bit of marking, met up with two of my favourite students for another coffee, finished my marking, had a tough but fun language exchange with the ever-wonderful Na Ra, and now I'm here sharing it all with you and enjoying it all over again! I think there may well be a few drinks tonight at rehearsal and a few more over the course of the weekend. You can't beat the little tingly excited feeling you get thinking about what it might hold in store for you. I don't get it as much as I used to these days. No doubt there will come a time when I can't even remember the sensation, but hopefully there's life in this old dog yet. Have a good one, wherever you are, and I'll catch you up on Monday.

Silverware!

Well it's a momentous night because, in all the time we've been supporting FC Seoul here, they have finally got their hands on some actual silverware! Ok, it might just be the Posco Cup (the third tier competition here, equivalent to the League Cup in England) but beggars can't be choosers. It was a 3-0 victory away to reigning league-Champions Jeonbuk Motors who recently inflicted a 1-0 defeat on us in the league. Having survived some sustained pressure at the beginning of the game, FC Seoul began to assert themselves and new signing, Djeparov, should have put them ahead having been put through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Unfortunately he choked. That guy could really be doing with a goal to help him settle and become the key player I believe he has the ability to become for us. Goals from Dejan (which we missed as the TV directors were still showing a replay of Djeparov's miss), Jung Jo Gook (going with the 'baby' celebrations again) and substitute Lee Seung Ryeol sealed a famous victory for the Sangam-based club. Let's hope they can push on from here and seal the championship. I'll be going down to Suwon on Saturday night for a huge derby match with our traditional rivals, who have been showing improved form of late, since their change in management.

I was intending to shell out the stg2,100 for the final installment of my MA today but, annoyingly, my Irish debit card wouldn't work for me so I'll have to do it tomorrow. It's a huge amount of money to pay out at once and I've certainly never spent that much at once before. In saying that, it's nice to have got to this stage of my education without incurring any debt, so I know it's a lot less than some others have to pay in the long run. September is going to be a painful month for me financially but I'll start recovering from October onwards only for Christmas to clean out my pockets again. Ah the continuous cycle of earning and spending only to necessitate the need to earn further for future spending - why do we bother!? No, I know the MA is, in a way, an investment and I hope it'll pay off in the long-term. As for Christmas, I just (finally) uploaded my pictures of Christmas 2009 to facebook and it's something you can't really put a price on.

I was a PE teacher for the day yesterday at APIS. As pointed out by my sole commenter (mainly), it was a welcome change from the books. The kids at that school are predominantly ethnic Koreans but all are native English speakers. They are well-behaved and enthusiastic, in the main, but it's not always easy to motivate them all to participate in games. I think PE teachers are all too easily admonished by their peers but it's a skill I'd love to know more about. No doubt, encouraging children and teenagers to be more active and spotting talent where it exists are worthy activities. I always enjoy the atmosphere of the International School and it further whets my appetite. Hopefully 2011 will be the year...

Band practice just didn't happen this week because we all had other things going on. Still, Jim and I were just chatting tonight that we still might be able to practice briefly on Saturday and try a short gig later that night. I was eager to play Friday so that a few of those leaving soon might be able to hear us first, but we haven't played together in over a month so I guess it's too great a risk. I'm really keen to get things going again and build up some momentum so that we can be playing full gigs by ourselves by October. Let's hope we can get everyone on side to do just that.

Rob and I said our goodbyes tonight so I won't be seeing him again until Christmas. Jess, Kev and Jo all follow suit in the coming days so it's definitely the start of something new for us here in Seoul. It's pretty late here so I'm going to head to bed and read a few more chapters of David Copperfield now. I should have time to blog again tomorrow and I think it's time to write about one of those other topics I mentioned that I have been avoiding so far. I'm not as worried about ruffling feathers as I was when I started this carry on.