Stuff

Quick update. I have been able to work since the expiratory of my visa. On going to the immigration office, on the 4^th September (my last legal day of work), we took all the required documents minus the elusive criminal check. They gave me around 14 days to hand in the final piece, then I would be granted my visa renewal. They also kindly let me work in this limbo period. However, if the elusive document doesn’t arrive on or before the 22^nd of September, then I will have to reapply for a new visa number. A process that takes around two weeks and entails leaving the country. I won’t be able to work at all during this period. So two weeks of lost payment.

Anyway, I’m remaining positive and eagerly awaiting that pivotal email or phone call from my father, divulging the news that he has the gold dust in his hands.

Since I have been back in teaching mode life has been great. I’m finally settling into my humble abode. I have even started drawing up plans for moderations here and there. But I’m patient enough to wait until the dust has settled over the visa malarkey. a slight change from my first year, besides the new home, is a new gym. Another teacher in the neighbourhood works out at a gym around the corner from the one I have been sweating at for the pat 8 months, I thought I’d try out the new set of weights and cardio machines. The freshness of the new gym has given me a timely boost to my new keep fit regime. You may recall a few months ago I declared that I wasn’t drinking as much. Well I have taken it to levels of, some might say stupidity – others might say intelligence, either way, I get a warm feeling inside after just a glass of red or a big bottle of beer. My tolerance is somewhat less. So this along with my new enthusiasm for working out, I have maintain my slimmer waist line. Confirmation in this was witnessed today as I, for the first time in my life, bought a pair of trousers with a 32” waist. I almost kissed the, may I add male shop assistant, as he bagged up my 32’s…….

I had a request to divulge my morning routine yesterday. Here it is.

Bearing in mind that I start teaching at 9:30. I set my alarm for around 8:15. I then put a 5 minute snooze on, but about 20 seconds later, I get the anticipated “miss the snooze alarm” paranoia and jump up from my cosy pillow. I turn on my laptop and check for GOOD NEWS about my criminal record check. I then gulp down a glass of vitamin C tablet laced water and start cutting up a huge pear. Koreans have massive pears. Very juicy and always refreshing. I then iron a shirt of some sort. I have a selection of maybe 8. I tend to rotate about 4 of them, as the other 4 post some kind of frustration during the day. I’m thinking of just throwing them out to be honest with you. I’ll let you know. Then I pack my bag, plug in my headphones, debate with myself and my i-pod on what I will listen to and then set about my 20 minute walk to work. “No Shower?” you ask. I have a shower the night before. I’ve discovered that, significant to the summer months only, that having a shower before bed considerably and effectively reduces my body temperature enough for me to fall asleep without the aid of air conditioning.

That’s the gist of my routine.

This weekend sees the second instalment of a Cheosuk holiday for me, in Korea. Monday off and Tuesday morning off. No major plans. Might head to the beach for some quiet time. Might not. Decisions will be made based on weather, and instinct. I thought it would be nice to throw a few pictures up here of life at school. I won’t label them or divulge any details. Just enjoy the smiles and faces. Apologies for any typos or grammar errors, I can not be bother to red over thiss. I just wan’’t to pist it and got to bid and sloep.

My New House - INSIDE!!!

The pictures tell the story. One kitchen, one bedroom, one bathroom, one living room and then little bits here and there that connect all the above.















I'm in the process of buying a rug for the living room, enlarging some of my self-taken photographs of Korea, then framing them, then drilling them to the wall and finally decorating open and bland spaces with a collection of cheap and nasty bargains and those delicate and spontaneous finds that you discover in the quietest of moments.

Therefore, another, updated collection of pictures to follow.

I'm still waiting for a piece of paper.

Spurs start badly and so do I..............

The picture will be the happiest thing you see or hear in the next few paragraphs, so savour it now........ Red and Blue class during Speech Contest 2008.

Not sure where to begin. How about this? Right now I feel stressed, frustrated, run-down, lethargic, confused, betrayed and redundant. Why? Quite simply I haven’t got a working visa in Korea from the 4^th September. Why? Quite simply, I need a police check from the UK. Why? Because the new law in Korea asks so. So! Why is that such a problem? just get one! Easier said than done. In my beloved home country, the UK, it takes anything up to forty days to receive it, not including postage times they say. Why? I have no idea. In Korea you can order you police check and have it signed off and presented to you within 24 hours. Why? Because that’s how things can work. In fact you can have your entire workforce checked off within 24 hours. Our country, the United Kingdom, is obsessed with application forms. We love paperwork. We love small print. We seem to love filing systems. We’ve even created job roles specific to filing.

Isn’t it time we started relying on computers more? We are 8 years into the 21^st century now and we’re still applying for things through paper applications. A process that has so many negative and destructive aspects. “Lost in post”, “Postage back an forth ads on a week to the process”, “mislaying legal documents”, “if any errors then whole process has to start again, i.e. fill out application form again, this time use BLACK CAPITALS – Why?? Why?? Why??” I pray for the day that our country sits down and relaxes a little. Stop being so damn anal and break away from the paper past.

One aspect of this particular process that I’m currently three days into was false information given on the application form. It clearly says, in slightly bolder and blacker text, that you should enclose x2 copies of identification. I did so, then on receiving the copies they then say that it’s new policy to have original copies and not ‘copies’. But they haven’t updated this on their TRUSTY application form. Finally, just to reiterate the pathetic-ness of our anal and vintage system in the UK, when my father went into the police station to hand in the forms etc the policeman kindly sympathised with my fathers matching concerns and the policeman actually said “I could look up your criminal record here and now and print it here and now”……… do I need to say anymore??????!!!!! Really???

OK, so maybe you’re thinking why didn’t I start this process two months ago. Then there wouldn’t be this rush to get it tied up now, before the 4^th September. Well, I did my duties. I asked my boss if I needed a police check in order to renew my contract and get a second year visa. He said no and the rest will soon be history. Hopefully. I won’t go into any further details on conversations with my boss, as I’m not into kiss and tell, but lets just say that I now face 2/3 weeks of unemployment and non-payment, due to OTHER peoples misuse of accessible information. So I’m now set for budget eating, budget entertaining, no fun and frolics and finally a whole lot of time to get even more frustrated at the turn of events.

Welcome to my second year!!!!!!!!!!

More to follow………….

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!

Landed

I didn't fly Quantas

OK. I’m back in the land of teaching and much much more. I have just finished my first day of teaching, I was a bit rusty at first and think I will be for a few more jet lagged days. But the future is bright and that is all I can think of right now. I’ll give you all a brief, or detailed, insight into my last three weeks in the UK.

Here is a list:

Ate bread.
Ate lots of bread.
Threw big stones into the sea, at Walberswick, for Biffer to try and find.
Sunbathed in my mothers garden.
Got sunburnt, sunbathing in my mothers garden.
Bought some shorts in Topman.
Ate numerous English fry-ups.
Watched Emmerdale, Eastenders, Hollyoaks, Sky Sports News 24, Re-runs of Friends, Channel 4 news, Come dine with me, The Charlotte Church show, all on TV.
Ate a roast dinner.
Slept on 4 sofas.
Woke up with a view of Highbury and then walked alongside the Emirates Stadium. Huge apologies Yids.
Had a delicious BBQ at Fran and Rich’s yard.
Rummaged through my old clothes and picked out some treats.
Overheard a pathetic argument in Sainsbury’s.
Took 2 hours to get from Acton to Balham.
Updated my Oyster Card a few too many times.
Watched Spurs destroy Norwich 5-0 at Carrow Road.
Witnessed Spurs humiliate Roma 5-0 at White Hart Lane.
Roasted some Sausages, accompanied them with some Flageolet beans and mixed veg.
Bought a new extra strong Dyna-Band.
Been to two house parties, not knowing the host.
Taken two trips in London black cabs.
Witnessed Michael Vaughan retire and Kevin Peiterson step in.
Bought something online at Harrods.com
Questioned peoples rudeness in public places.
Learnt how to say, Optimistic, Peaceful, Beautiful, Interesting, Funny, Romantic, Awkward, Strange, Cool Collected, Sincere, Fat, Thin, Big, Small, Long and Wide in Korean.
Read no books.
Bought a bigger and more practical suitcase.
Bought a bigger and more practical hand luggage suitcase.
Witnessed what a butchers should look and smell like.
Saw my Mother, Father, Step-mother, Step-father, Sister and nephew. And Grandmother and aunties. Rufus has transformed from a big baby to a small boy.
Watched England Vs South Africa at the Oval.
Not gone to the gym.
Wanted to go to the gym.
Missed eating Bi-Bim-Bap.
Discovered Lorna is having a baby.
Got served a baked potato with NO Beans (good idea though Rick)
Packed my bags.
Ate my last breakfast.
Went to airport………..

p.s. had a great time.

I’m sure there is more, but a little dazed still……… more to come, maybe.

Free Tasting Session......... Sign up now.

I have been in the UK for nearly three weeks now. I know, for a fact, that you have all been sitting on the edge of your seats, like a dog waiting for its dry breakfast, eagerly wanting to know what I have been doing here. Well, I'm going to give you a little taste right now. Once I have returned to my adopted home I will divulge all the details.
For now, some imagery to get those taste buds flowing and to relieve the stress formed on the edge of your seat.

Biffer the Dog........


Alistar Cook defending the South African attack. Man, I was close huh??? (Sigma Lens, 70-300mm - RRP £99.99)


A street in W1.


My Dad's van, on location. A days work??? surely you didn't go home and work.... did you??

Before I start again

I'm a few days away from returning to my adopted home, South Korea. My kind mother dug out some old snaps of me as a child, it provoked me to think of my kids in Korea, and therefore get back on the blog-band-wagon.

This first image is of Myself and my sister Eleanor. If you can pull your focus away from the £3 sized gap in Eleanor's teeth, you can see my eye for style started at a tender age. The predominately white t-shirt is scattered with multi-sized black dots. Rockin!


'Hey there Mr. Sweet Tooth' is the title for this second image. This is the moment my mother found me nestled in the cupboards with hands, fingers and face all residing within the jar of the strawberries finest, jam.


The final picture speaks for itself in terms of style. Although I have to thank my mother for this one. It was, if my memory serves me well, a street fair in the local village and I was dressed up to join a specific parade.

"Teacher, I have finished"

One year on. One year gone. How has it been? What’s it like living/working/playing in a vibrant, metropolitan Asian city? What are the positives? The negatives? What have I learnt? Or more importantly, what have I taught? The past year has seen me give a lot more than take. I’ve discovered a new pasture in my life.

I’ve really, to put it simply, got stuck right into the art of teaching English, as a second language. Some teachers come, get their free passport to Asia, do their year and march on with little care. I guess this was kind of my plan, although no cement was mixed. I didn’t really expect to warm to my new job in the fashion that I have. I did have doubts about my capabilities, and also my patience for the adolescent ages. What has happened has surprised me. Not life changing, just an adventure, forming a new chapter of my life.

I can’t help but compare a few things from ‘Now and Then’. The one comparison that sticks and acts as the sticking point for me is the job satisfaction.

The Then:

Working at Bellwood Media was a great job. Reading big movie scripts months before you street kids get your public eyes on them, was kind of cool and rewarding. Securing that BIG placement deal was a rush I not had in the workplace before.

The Now:

Hands down. Flawless. No question. No doubt. Seeing a 5/6 year old grow, not only in personality and character but, of course, their English speaking ability is the single most satisfying reward I’ve ever come across.

That’s my sticking point. And that’s why I’m sat on an airplane, writing this, thinking about my 3-week vacation to the UK. And it being, just, a vacation and not a homecoming. No just yet anyway, “Teacher! I haven’t finished”.

Something else:::::

It was a monsooning Monday. I had finished work, eaten my dinner consisting of a kimbap roll and a bottle of soya milk and had juts left my (old) apartment and was heading to my (new) apartment to check on a few things with my substitute teacher. She’s residing at my new gaff during her month long stay in Seoul.

The rain was teaming down. The kind of rain that reduces visibility down to a metre or two. I ceremonially opened my umbrella and a wave of adulthood flew through me. It suddenly dawned on me that I had an umbrella. An umbrella of my own, that I had purchased for myself a few weeks ago in a very wise and grown-up state of mind.

I realised that an umbrella, a self owned umbrella, is a significant accessory to that of a grown up person. A person who has, over the years, acquired a mature level of practical convenience. In the past, I had willingly accepted getting wet and even felt kind of macho about the whole thing. “Umbrellas are for pussys”. “A little bit of rain never hurt anyone”.

Well, I’m 25 now and feel it’s warmly acceptable for me to carry one around.

Still with umbrellas in our thoughts. A few days ago, I witnessed an umbrella collision, pile-up and resulting traffic jam. Yet again, as it does in monsoon season, the rain was violently pouring. A wide berth of pavement narrowed to become a generous single file. Around ten people, all carrying golf sized umbrellas, all come to locker heads. It was beautiful to watch. I stood back as they organised themselves like a heard of cattle packing into its truck. Normality soon resumed.