Still Plodding Away Looking For Work!

I have not blogged in such a long time, but decided that I should at least try and blog something to keep my life in perspective.

To say that my life has been challenging over the last 8 months or so is putting it lightly! I am loving being back in Canada and love the place, but filing to get my teacher's papers and trying to find work in between has been the biggest challenge of all.

I filed for my qualifications to be recognized by The Ontario College of Teachers in October 2010, a month after I arrived here. I finally got my OCT licence two weeks away. I am now officially able to teach from Grade 7 to Grade 12 French and Spanish. I also was given an FSL accreditation, which is a great thing to have!

So now I have been applying for some jobs and let me stress SOME jobs. The jobs out there are all different with the boards and each has its own application process. I have applied to the Peel Board, the Durham Board and the Toronto District School Board. I am going to apply to the Toronto Catholic School Board, too, but need to meet with a priest to get a signature from him to prove I am a Catholic.

I have worked power-washing floor on a midnight shift, worked for Cadbury's Chocolate for two weeks, unloaded some trucks for Sportschek, did some door to door sales.......all temporary crap really............lol.

I have an interview on Monday for 1-800- Get Rid of It............let's see how that goes.

Enough for now. I am going to try and blog some more, but until then the Gypsy is still in the nest!

Update Time!

I have been back in Canada since September 10th and it is now fast approaching 5 months! Wow! Where did that time go? I know where..................doing lots of things and trying to hold out for the next phase of my life.

Let's just take a look at some of the things that I have done since I got back here. I have completed two medical test trials a.k.a. Guinea Pig..............lol. I have painted a couple of houses. I painted one for my sister's friend and actually painted the whole house including all the trim. The other house, I painted the bottom floor and the

upstairs hallway and landing and the baseboards and trim.

I spent the first Christmas here since 2003, which was quite enjoyable althou

gh a little quiet. It was difficult for my sister still and she mentioned that she is going to have to change it up next year as it is too upsetting having Christmas at her house like when Nuri was still alive. We all miss him like crazy and there isn't a day that goes by that we all still don't miss him.

It is a little strange for me sometimes because I feel a bit weird being in his house knowing that he will not come walking through the door! I am okay with things, but if I feel that way, I can't imagine what my sister and the kids must feel like. Anyway, we all got through Xmas and we continue to find our own ways of handling our issues and just plod along and wish for the best.

I am still waiting for my criminal check, which is in its 15th week. It is absolutely ridiculous that I applied for a check on October 4th last year and am still waiting for it to come through. It is th

e only documentation that The Ontario College of Teachers are waiting on to start processing my file and get my certification. It may even still take 3 more month for them to do that. I just have to keep telling myself to be patient and that things cannot be rushed that are out of your control. I even went and saw my MP to see if anything could be done and his representative said that they are aware of the ongoing problem with everyone's checks and that there was nothing that they could do. Typical answer when it comes to man-power that could solve the backlog, but the action never bears fruit.

I am enjoying being back in Canada, but miss the contacts of friends as I really don't have any around here that I hang out with. I am being careful with my money and trying not to go out at all. I talk to one of my friends from Korea, Rob occasionally as he has moved back here, too. I also talk to Clement who lives in Quebec and just married a Korea girl after going to Korea and doing the civil ceremony. He is going to have a proper little ceremony once she comes here and they are planning on a small party and he has asked me to be his best man, which I accepted with honor. We talk about future plans and what stress we have here adjusting back to "NORMAL" living..............lol.

The plan is to try and do another medical test and hope that my criminal check will come through soon and I can get going on my future as a teacher, which seems a little surreal at the moment. Almost as though it will never happen and it is a pipe-dream. I know things will get better, but can't wait to start the next adventure of my life, here in Canada.

I am keeping the weight off that I lost and have got the right idea about counting calories now and think I am in the best shape that I have been in, in a long time. I have been a little lax in some of the areas of my diet, but overall, I think I am doing an okay job. I still want to lose about 15 more pounds to get closer to the 205 target that I want to reach. I am at 220 at the moment and staying there consistently, but I think my body fat is getting lower all the time.

Once I move into my own place, I can eat more like the style I want and be in more of a routine. I will feel then that my life is going in the right direction then and won't be as skeptical as I am at the moment.

The weather has been very cold of late, but that doesn't bother me in the least. I like the cold and the snow and have promised myself to never knock Canada about the weather ever again............lol.

The Leafs have been disappointing and they don't look good enough to make the playoffs. I hope that they can improve after the all star break, but who knows! Liverpool are doing better under King Kenny and they look like they are happier and have more confidence. Let's hope they can finish in a European spot by the end of the season and that we sign some class players before the end of January..............god knows we need them!

I am keeping my hand in correcting English essays from one of my Korean friends who has her own business. She sends me about a dozen or so a week and I correct them all. I enjoy doing it and it keeps me in the right frame of mind and I feel like a teacher. The other thing that is hard here in Canada is not having a car and that is even to help find jobs. I will never be in this situation ever again! I will get my own place, my own car and a nice nest egg of money behind me before I decide to ever travel and live overseas again. Once bitten, twice shy..............more like dozens of times...........my fault, though and I have to learn from my mistakes!

I am studying Italian on my own now. It has been a language that I was always interested in and with me speaking Spanish already, it is much easier to learn, although it is like any new language; very challenging. I am keeping up with my French and Spanish skills and am keeping up a little with my Greek and Portuguese. I also bought a book called "Arabic for Dummies." I will have a go at learning a bit of it on my own and hopefully will advance myself a bit with Sanskrit.

Not doing much else to keep myself busy, just plodding along. Going to the gym, looking after myself and doing my best to be a good father, son, brother, uncle and friend. Paying things forward is the best way to keep yourself going and that is why sometime this week, I am going to volunteer somewhere to help out people and to keep myself busy. I had made that as one of my goals last year to volunteer in the near future and that is about to happen very, very soon.

It's Been Ages!

Well, it's been a long, long time since I posted anything on my blog. Here goes!
I am back in Canada and am living with my sister and my niece. Things are going great, but I am still waiting for my criminal record check, which has taken over 11 weeks!
I need it as the last bit of criteria for my application to the Ontario College of Teachers and once they receive it, it can still take up to 120 days to assess my application and be issued an interim certificate, which will allow me to get on a s.upply list and start teaching French and hopefully Spanish sometime in the future.
The waiting is the hardest part, but all good things come to those who wait. Nothing else going on other than a great Xmas, totally chilled with the family and my sister and I are going down to London to spend New Year's Eve with our Mum and Dad. Should be fun and we have a few games that we want to play.
Jackie and I leave to get the 4.30 train on Friday afternoon and then get into London about 9pm. We return to Oshawa on Sunday, the 2nd and get in about 4pm.
I wish everyone a great new year and all the best of fortune both health wise and life wise for 2011. May all your dreams and ambitions continue to keep you dreaming about the future.

2010 A New Year And New Challenges

The new year is here and it has just flown by, to tell you the truth. I can't believe what changes I have made again. I will give you just a brief synopsis of what happened personally in 2009.

Left Korea at the end of April and arrived in Liverpool at the start of May. Found a flat about a week later and moved into it almost 8 days after I had arrived here. Had the interview to get into the PGCE program and was accepted into the program to begin in September.

Found a job teaching English for the summer for all of July and spent 2 weeks in Portsmouth and then 2 weeks in Norwich. Then returned to Liverpool right at the end of July and 3 days later had to leave to go to Canada due to the shocking death of my dear brother-in-law, Nuri.

Spent all of August in Canada and returned to Liverpool at the very beginning of September. Started my PGCE at John Moores and am still in the process of completing it, which will be at the end of June this year.

There have been ups and downs for sure, the worst of which was definitely the death of family members. There was the loss of my Uncle Tony who died after having a stroke taking his luggage of the conveyor belt while in Spain. The death of my Auntie Margaret who struggled with cancer before finally reaching her own peace. Then the sudden, shocking death of my brother-in-law who was only 52 and had no previous health issues.

I have chosen to deal with their deaths by celebrating their lives and not mourning their deaths. We will all miss them so much, but we need to celebrate their lives and keep them in our hearts and minds for as long as we live so their souls carry on in this physical world.

I am looking forward to the challenges and excitement that lay ahead and will carry on with my attitude of positiveness no matter what. My main aim this year is to finish my PGCE and then start working as a full-time or part-time teacher, whichever I am able to do. Make some money and start saving a little to have a safety blanket behind me. This is going to be the last time that I intentionally choose to have no money, doing my PGCE that is!

I am not sure what the year ahead holds, but am willing to take them on head first. Whatever comes in my way, I will deal with both good and bad and I will give all the support possible to my family and friends at all times.

I want to make sure that I am in Canada every xmas from now on to be with my family. That is a short term plan and who knows, maybe go back there more often to visit, if I can.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that only health, wealth and prosperity cross your path now and in the future. All the best to your and your family and friends.

Christmas and Almost 2010!

It has been a hectic last four months and I don't know where the time has gone. With school and school placement and all the studying and researching that I have been doing, I haven't found any time or had the desire to want to blog. I am writing this blog while waiting for my cousin's husband to come and pick me up on Christmas Day and to spend the day with the family.

I spoke to my Mum and Dad last night and our Jackie. They went to see The Sound of Music at the theatre. They said it was brilliant and felt like Nuri was there...........

It is going to be a tough Christmas for the family, but they will get through it as I know they can. It is the first xmas without Nuri, my dearly beloved brother-in-law. Also, Uncle Tony will not be here physically with his family in England......Nuri and Uncle Tony will always be here with us spiritually for all of our lives. That I know to be the truth!

My son is spending xmas up in Toronto with my sister's family and my Mum and Dad, which is a first! I feel quite sad that I can't be with them, but am going to try and make this the last xmas that I spend away from them. I am going to try and go to Canada every xmas from now on.

Xmas has always been a 'bah humbug' time of year for me in the past decade or so, but I am really getting past all of that now and just enjoying the time off and the special time that it is meant to be spending time with family and friends. I am little isolated here as far as friends go, but that will come with time. I have family here and try to see them as often as I can, but it is still difficult this time of year as they have their own families and their own schedules. Plus, I have been away for so long, I am kind of the prodigal cousin..........lol.

Our Gill was kind enough to invite me there for dinner and the day. I will be staying overnight and then tomorrow, we are all going to Yvonne's to spend Boxing Day. I am looking forward to just hanging out with family and having a good laugh. I have been on my own for the last 3 days, just kind of going through the motions. Watching movies, surfing the net, doing a bit of studying, sleeping, going to the gym. You get the gist of it..........lol.

I have put myself in this position, so I can't complain too much about it, can I? I have been moving around so much in the last decade. Few years in Canada, few years in Korea, back and forth to England and now living here. What can I expect, eh? Anyway, it sucks a bit being on your own this time of year, but I am well used to the alone bit, just the family times of year can be a bit harder. I don't worry too much about it, just get on with it. A new adventure as they say............every year!

I want to get my degree and teach here for at least 2 years, save some money and then off I go again. I am a gypsy and 2 years for any gypsy is a while. I don't know what the plan is, but I will have some money behind me before I decide to move again, that is one thing that I am going to make sure of. Don't want to be skint ever again and am going to do my foremost not to ever put myself in that position again. Should be well sorted with being a qualified teacher and be able to get a job anywhere in the world. Sounds so grandiose, doesn't it! I think it does or should I say, STILL think it does. I love being around the world and only at these times of year, but like I said, no matter where I am in the world, I am going to be with my family at xmas from now on, especially my son!

Enough for now. Getting off before I get too soppy. I will try and blog more in the new year, but can't promise too much. So busy with school. Half done, though. That is the good news. End of June, I will be a qualified French and Spanish high school teacher. God, that sounds so good!

Merry Xmas to all and a Happy New Year!

Happy 21st Katie!

Happy 21st birthday to my niece, Katie. I wish her a fantastic birthday and a wonderful 21st year. Wish I could be there to celebrate it with her, but she will be in my thoughts, as always and I will be calling her on the weekend, of course!

I started at my first school placement on Wednesday. The school is called Knowsley Park Language School. It used to be called Prescot Language School. The students there all study a language right through to either GCSE or other vocational language courses.

It is a brand new school and has actually merged two former schools together.

That in itself raises some issues. The school is a little overcrowded and it is sometimes mad trying to get up and down stairs with so many kids. The school has an open concept look to it, with some of the classes being held in the open spaces between classrooms. The tables are mostly round, which means some of the pupils have their backs to the teacher. I don't like that! Didn't like that in Korea, either.

The students are all at different levels and are put into a class according to their overall ability in the subject. The teachers I have met up to now are very nice and very helpful. I am learning so much and am enjoying it immensely. It has only been 2 days and I am loving it!

The behaviour of the pupils is not surprising. Well, some of it is! They shout out in class, talk over the teacher, stand up and make noises all of the time. Not all of them, of course. There are some very good students, but the overall behaviour is demonstrating a lack of behaviour management. The teachers spend a lot of time correcting this aggravating, persistent, rule breaking. But the overall feel I am getting, is great and I am just loving being at a school. I know that teaching has, is and always will be the job that I have always wanted to do. I am a happy camper......lol.

It takes me about 50 mins each way to get there, but very convenient. I catch the bus right outside my door, the 61 and then get off at a bus stop on Prescot Rd and then wait at the same bus stop and get the 10a. I then get off at a bus stop close to the school and walk for about 5 minutes to get to the school.

I get up about 6.15am and have a shave and a wash. Then I eat breakfast, which is usually weetabix and crumpets. I then go on the computer and check my email and facebook and read the football on my favourite sites. Then I leave the house about 6.55am and get the 7.05am bus.

Talking about football, the England game is not being shown on t.v. this Saturday. It is being shown on the internet and the cheeky bastards are charging 10 pound. From the people that I have been talking to, they are not going to order it. I hope not! It should be so much cheaper. Again, the greed of the businesses shines through clearly!

I began to exercise yesterday with a 4km run and I must say it felt great. I am going to start working out tonight and then back to normal after that. I have started this program called 100 pushups. My friend, Stu, told me about it and I am going to start the program, which is over 5 weeks and supposedly trains you to do 100 strict pushups without stopping. I did the initial test and was only able to do 20 strict pushups. I will keep you informed of my progress.

Not much else going on except being busy with school and doing assignments and readings. I am going to visit my cousin Yvonne on Saturday afternoon and stay the night. I will be meeting her in Chester and she will pick me up at the bus station.

A Week Of Frustrations, Again!

The week started quite well and I thought I was going to write a good blog about my first placement school. That was not to happen and a few other things were destined to annoy me.

The school was full of flu, so that headache and crappy Tuesday that I had, must have been down to me having a mild case of whatever was and still is going around the university. I thought it was the chocolate that I had eaten. Thank god it wasn't and I can still have my Fry's Turkish Delight. One of the rewards of life.

On Monday, we were supposed to see if the placement school had sent a fax through about what time to show up and any other items that were needed. Nothing happened, so we were instructed that if no contact had been made, we were to call the school and ask them personally.

Kate, the girl that I was supposed to go with at Ridgeway, did as asked and called them on Tuesday and left a message with someone about our situation and what we had to know. I went to the sauna after school (remember this is the afternoon before the next day that we were going to our school). When I got back there was a text on my phone from Kate saying that we had been cancelled at the school! The school had double booked and we were not able to go there! How could they be so unprofessional! I was so annoyed and wondered what they thought they were playing at. This is not the university that I am annoyed with. They had set everything up and were not aware of any problems. The school should be held responsible by someone for their actions..........grahhhhhhhhh!

Well, the situation now is that there are 4 teachers who have no school due to these moronic schools that waited 'til the last minute to tell the university. I have no idea what is going to happen other than the university has to find us all spots now. I am quite stressed out about the whole thing, and just hope that we find a school sometime soon and can get on with what the other 28 students in our class are doing: Teaching!

My back has been bothering me still and I am still unable to do any exercise other than walking. It is getting better, but slowly. Being 45 years old, things take a lot longer than they used to.

I started an Excel introduction in town, through the university and will continue for the next 3 Mondays with more Excel, then Powerpoint and then End Notes. It was really good and I learnt a lot that I didn't know. It is 2 hours per class and is included in our study support help.

My criminal background check came through and that was the good news. There was another problem that arose with a bunch of us over these checks, too. It got sorted out and I got it yesterday in the mail. I am not a criminal.

Watched the Liverpool game at The New Yorkers on Allerton Rd on Tuesday. Worst first-half I have seen Liverpool play in a long, long time. They were good in the second half, but did not do enough to win. Let's hope the game against Chelsea makes up for it this Sunday. Chelsea are without Czech, their goalkeeper, as he is suspended after that red card last week against Wigan.

Did lots of work yesterday and today and got a lot of research done for one of my big assignments in October. Got a lot of information and articles to reference, so that is a plus. Did all the catch-up stuff that I needed to do and am on track again now.

So that is the situation at the moment. Feel like I am in limbo, just like the other 3 teachers must feel. I am meeting Kate and Leyla, 2 of the schooless teachers, in town tomorrow for a coffee about noon time. We all just need to have a chat and make each other feel a little bit better. I think!

The weather is getting cooler here and autumn is in full gear. Nights are a bit chilly. I still am liking being by the park and love my flat!

I will keep you all posted on what is going on with my situation and hopefully will have good news soon. Until then, I am going to stay positive and not be to annoyed with the school or should I say schools. I harbour a little blame for both the university and the school, by the way. Not a good way to run things. Doesn't fly with me, anyway.

An Up And Down Week!

I have to say that this week was a very tough week emotionally. After the loss of my brother-in-law, I have just been kind of numb. Can't seem to stop myself from going up and down like a roller-coaster. I have a picture of him right beside my computer and believe it or not, I talk to him!







I keep thinking about what happened and just can't get to grips about how sad it is. Don't get me wrong, I am far from feeling sorry for myself, but.............I don't know what to say anymore, it is just so wrong what happened and I feel his loss everyday. People will say things and I will hear a line in a song, or I will see a couple walking along, so happy, and it just crushes me..........I miss my sister so much that it hurts and for the first time in a long time, I feel very lonely.............wish I could just drop round and give her a big hug and see the kids and my son and Mum and Dad. It is what it is, I know, but it would be nice if the world was a simpler place, or have I made it that complicated? See what I mean about how messed up my mind is this week!

I have not been sleeping very well at all, actually worse than I normally do, if that is possible.....lol. I have been having the weirdest dreams, most of which I cannot remember, but I just know they are weird. I know that this is all part of my grieving and getting on with my life, but if I feel this way, how do my sister and the kids feel? I cannot begin to understand the pain they must be enduring. I will end with the hope that we all find our way and be thankful that we had Nuri for as long as we did. I know it sounds very cliche, but how else can we get our heads around this? Anyway, enough of doom and gloom........I miss you, Nuri!xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The rest of the week has been mad busy and apart from my brain feeling like it was going to jump out of my head, it has ended up being a productive week and I feel a lot more settled about things in school. There is just so much to absorb and I felt like I was cracking up at the start, but as I said, am feeling a bit more comfortable now. The amount of work is going to increase and as long as I keep organised and with the program, I will be fine. I will do this and that is all there is to it!





I started back at the gym with full workouts on Monday and must say I am so sore! It feels good, though. I have kept up with my running except for Wednesday when I was in bed for about 12 hours (a mix of depression and a run down body, I think!) I can't feel my arms today and just finished a 4km run. Have to push myself to the limit in all areas to keep my spirits up and also to just feel better physically.






The weekend approaches and I am striving to get all my work caught up by the end of it. The show with our Emma in it has been cancelled until next month, so I will not be meeting my cousins in town. Too bad! Could have done with the company.





Hopefully, one of the fellas from my class, John, will be coming over on Saturday and watching the game, either at my place or the pub up the road, and also we will help each other with some of the work that we have to do. The ICT is the biggest challenge for me. Although I like computers, this is all new territory for me and a lot of things to remember and my experience on Excel and Office is limited. I am getting better though.





I have included some pics of my campus, IM Marsh on Bexhill Road. It is a small campus, but very quaint and picturesque. I like it as it is only a 12 minute walk from my door to the campus. That beats the hour and a half each way that it will take me to get to my first placement school over on the Wirral......oh well, Seoul prepared me well for that, with 3 hours a day minimum on the subways and buses for over 2 years straight. This will be a piece of cake........lol. Another funny picture of Nina when she came to visit me in Liverpool. She had no umbrella, so the shirt had to do. We went to Anfield and visited The Hillsborough Memorial, too.

Second Week Of School Completed

The second week of school has already been completed and to be completely honest with you, it has flown by. I have learnt so much in just two weeks that it is mind boggling. It is so interesting to read all the research and theories about education, and it makes me realise how much work is going on behind the scenes to keep our national curriculum going and maintaining pace with the advent of all the new technology.

One of the things that has surprised me the most about teaching is the fact of how important computer skills have become now. It is part of the degree now, to be able to improve and achieve success in areas of ICT and to be

able to incorporate this in your lessons and overall scheme of plans for the students. I for one, am glad that I am going to be learn more about ICT each and every week. From Excel to Powerpoint, to using other software that I have never used, it is going to be a huge learning curve and I guess how big of a curve, is up to the individual.

I went on a test-run today to the school that I have been placed at. I wanted to see how long it would take me and it took me one hour from my house, to town, to Upton Station and then a 15 minute walk to the school. It is in a very nice area, so the walk, I am going to enjoy everyday. I met, Kate and Leyla, who are in my class, at Upton Station. Kate is going to be with me at the school. Then we went to Staples and got a few things for school.

I picked up a cordless keyboard and mouse, which helps a lot, as now my computer console can double up as a desk. All I do is move the keyboard and the mouse out of the way and also, there are no more cords in the way.

I start my placement on September 30th and am looking forward to it immensely. It is the start of my new career and the career that I have always dreamt of having. A secondary high-school language teacher!

Went to town last night Hannah's on Hardman St. and met a bunch of my classmates. Got a lift off John in my class (who is around the same age as me,) and a lift back. Only stayed for about an hour and a half. About 12 from the class showed up. I drank lime cordial, which cost a whopping 40 pence. I am sticking to my no-drinking policy and am determined to get healthier and healthier.

Had a look around Birkenhead Market and then back to town and Iceland shop to get some milk and salad. Then off home.

Went for a 4km run. Around the park once and then a little more around the corner from my house. Back home to have a kip and then tonight more swotting for my assignments and research for the papers.

Researching To Do A Poster!

Today was a very good day. We learnt a little more about finding our way to the resources on the web and were introduced how to do a poster about a specific issue about a certain subject. This is the formative task, which means it does not get marked, but is more like a practice run for us. We have one that we have to do individually in the middle of October.

Albert Dock....Liver Building hidden by the construction.

It is very interesting doing research and I am learning so much, all of the time. It is really neat to be realising that there is so much stuff that we don't know. Although it is very time consuming, the fruits of our education will be born all throughout the course.

I am in a group of four and we met to split the research up today after class. 2 of us are doing the academic career paths and routes for 14-19 year olds in language study and 2 of us are doing the non-academic paths and routes. We have to come up with referencing for books and articles and also have to do comparisons and reflections about the subject matter and use graphs and images along with text to make it look like a proper poster.

We are meeting at school tomorrow at 11am and spending some time organising the poster and filling in all the necessary information that we will all have gathered. I spent about 3 hours tonight finding information and sites and making notes to take to our meeting tomorrow. I also found some graphs and statistics that we can use in our poster.

Listened to the Champions League games on Sky Sports News and also watched a bit of the Utd game online. The Liverpool game is ITV on Wednesday, so I will be watching that. I had a chance to buy a ticket for the match, but turned it down, as I need to watch my money and also didn't want to see Liverpool play the Hungarian team. I prefer to see one of the better teams. I am determined to watch my money, that is one of my main goals over the next 10 months.

School, school and more school!

Well, my second week has started at school and there is more and more reading to do everyday. While it is very interesting, it is still a huge amount of work to digest and absorb. Oh well, no pain, no gain!

I have my first school placement. It is on the Wirral and it is called Ridgway High School. I will be there every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I have a girl, Kate, from my class, also going there, so it should be a good experience. I am looking forward to it.

My son turns 22 on Wednesday, September 16th. He was actually born on a Wednesday, too!

I miss him as always, but technology is brilliant, as I can talk to him on Facebook or on the phone or on Skype.

No worries there. I just found out that he is going to take cabinet- making at college. He has always been a hands-on type of fella and I wish him all the luck and happiness pursuing his future.

Monday is almost over and I have had a very constructive day. Did all of my reading for school and read some of my textbook that I got on the weekend. Also, messed around on the John Moores system and find out where different things were and how to use them.

Did my washing at the launderette and got a bit of shopping after I finished at the gym. I am feeling a bit sore after Saturday's workout, but today's workout was much better. Worked back and a bit of biceps. Going to run tomorrow. I am sticking to my healthy diet and am starting to lose a few pounds. Note the stress on a 'few' pounds.......lol.

Have a full day at school tomorrow and more challenges to face. Here's to having a brain that is working again.........love it!

Time to get blogging again!

Picture: The lovely sunset while we were scattering Uncle Tony's ashes at New Brighton beachfront

To all of my readers, the first thing I must do is to apologize. I have not been blogging for the at least the last 6 months with any regularity. I am going to try and fix that minor lull and hope to blo
g about my new adventures in Liverpool and all the ups and downs of doing my teacher's degree at John Moores University. I will continue to rant and rave about issues close to my heart, but cannot promise to be always politically correct. That is why it is called MY blog, haha.

The last few months have been nothing short of challenging. There have been deaths in the family and I have to say that emotionally, I have been all over the place. I could compare myself to the tide of the ocean. In and out and in and out and back in and back out again and again and again.

Uncle Tony died, Auntie Margaret died, my brother-in-law Nuri died and to tell you the truth, it all seems a bit of a blur when I talk about them dying. Dying is sadly a big part of everyone's life, but it is still so difficult to grasp and understand and it always ends up consuming a large part of your psyche, good and bad. Mortality is always at the forefront, especially in my case. Sometimes, I just put all the pain in the back of my brain, but sadly it always seems to come to the front eventually. I am dealing the best way that I can, but it takes time and I wish all my family and friends the strength and

perseverance to continue with their lives and challenge them to live life to the fullest as best they can.

Picture: The owners need to sell our club. Enough is enough

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Enough of doom and gloom, but in memory of my Uncle Tony and my brother-in-law, Nuri, I am putting a great picture of both of them together at last year's wedding. It personifies them both as happy men and that they were enjoying their lives. I unfortunately do not have any photos of Auntie Margaret, but will try sometime in the near future to obtain one from my cousins.

Picture: Uncle Tony and Nuri. A beautiful picture of them both.

My mobile phone has been acting up and I just found out why I was not getting any replies to my texts being sent; there is a problem with the sending of my texts. I am going to sort that out tomorrow by contacting my provider and see what can be done. Then it will be, text away, text away!

I started my PGCE course (teacher's college) on Monday and the first week was totally mind warping. So much information to absorb, but very, very interesting. I can see that I am going to enjoy the content of the course immensely, but know that it will be very challenging to keep up with all the work and to absorb everything that I need to become the best teacher that I can.

I already have my first school placement. It is at Ridgway High School on the Wirral. It will take me at least an hour or so to get there each day, but I guess the 3 hours a day in Seoul, South Korea, on the buses and subways was good practice to prepare me for anything similar. I travelled like that for 2 years straight, so this will be easy compared to that. All about perspective, as t

hey say! I will be there with another trainee from my class, so that should make things a lot easier, as we will be able to help each other with any problems either work related or school rel

ated. I am really looking forward to getting into a school and getting stuck in to teaching. I love teaching and am looking forward to the challenges that will come with teaching French and Spanish. It will be a grand challenge, but I am up f or it!

Picture: My favourite Iceland Store bag!

I have decided to quit drinking for a whole year. That is right! A whole year! It is a two-fold plan. The first is to do something to honour Nuri and the other is to see how healthy I feel with no alcohol in my system after a year. I have not been clean of booze for at least the last 5 years, so let's see. Also, an added benefit is that I will not be wasting money, which I have very little of, on senseless drinking and of course having no hangovers. Let's see how it goes, anyway. It has been 4 weeks now and I know that I can do it. I quit smoking 4 years ago, so I know that when I decide to do something, I generally stick to the task at hand.

I am enjoying my flat after having been away for all of July and all of August. In July, I was teaching English in Portsmouth and Norwich and in August, I went home to be with my sister and my family for the whole month for comfort and support. It was a great decision and although I now feel guilty being so far away, know that it is always better when things go back to somewhat normal for the family.

Picture: Some of my colleagues while I was teaching down south.

My flat really feels like home now and I am making it more comfortable all the time. I have the internet and TV here, so what more do I need really.....haha. I am enjoying living by the park and have started getting back into shape again. Due to circumstances, I was only able to run maybe half a dozen times and work out 2 times over the last 8 weeks plus. I have started running again this week and had my first workout yesterday. Once my body adapts to the small workouts, I will begin the full workouts again and will run everyday when my body conditions itself again. I figure that will take about 3 or 4 weeks and then it is full blast ahead.

I have started eating well again and have cut out all fried foods and any junk. It is just a question of eating healthier and maintaining the same healthy choices no matter what situation arises. I was inspired by my son, Tyler, who has lost about 45 pounds and looks fabulous. I use people both to feed off of and also to inspire, if able.

I have been getting up at 7am everyday, which has taken a bit of getting used to, but down south while I was teaching, had similar hours, so that helped also. I used to get up at 5am for about 8 years a long time ago, so my body is used to it, I just have to get it back into the swing again. I am at school for the next 2 weeks everyday, then once I start my placement, I am at university every Monday and Tuesday and the rest of the week at the school.

It is nice to be surrounded by football and in the country where it is almost like a religion. I love the fact of being able to watch Sky Sports News and also Match of The Day. It is awesome!

Enough for now. Hope that I have not bored my readers too much. I am finding it therapeutical to write about things right now and am going to try my best to keep blogging consistently.

Off To Teach Summer Camps

Well, applied online Monday night, June 22nd for two TEFL jobs. Sent one of them my CV and cover letter about 11pm. At 9am the next morning, I got a call on my mobile from a company called Plus Ltd.

The gentleman on the phone said that he had received my resume and was interested in hiring me. He told me that there were camps all over England and if I was interested in travelling and becoming a part of the teachers' team.

He suggested that I do 2 weeks in Portsmouth and 2 weeks in Norwich, starting July 2nd. Accommodation paid for and a weekly salary. Sounded great to me, so that means the whole month of July, I will be teaching at two English camps. He also said that there should be other stuff coming up in August, so hopefully will have a chance of making some money and travelling some more then!

I am really looking forward to the challenge. All I have to do is tell my landlords that I am going away and to keep an eye on my house and mail and switch everything off barr the fridge and freezer.

I got a freezer tonight, which I am thrilled about. That means I can stock up on frozen stuff now and not worry about going back and forth all the time to the grocery store or shops. It used to belong to my Uncle Tony who passed away about a month ago. Thanks, Uncle Tony! I also got loads of other stuff from his house that was going to be either thrown away or given away, so I am pleased that I was able to use some of his stuff.

I am off to Portsmouth next Wednesday, July 1st and leave at 9 a.m. and get there about 6pm at night. I am staying on campus and the camp starts the next day. It is mostly morning work and only 15 teaching hours a week plus one or two day trips with the kids. They are aged 10-18 and all international students. Should be cool and I am really looking forward to the challenge once again and of course making some money!

Sadly, my Auntie Margaret passed away this week, on Monday. She had cancer and was suffering quite badly, so in a way, it was better that she did not have to suffer anymore. I feel sad for her family and wish them all the strength and courage to get through a most difficult time. Unfortunately, I cannot go to the funeral as it is the same day that I leave for Portsmouth and would not be able to arrive on time for my camp if I went. I will go and visit my cousins this weekend and give my condolences in person.

Not much else going on. Just watching Wimbledon and running around the park. Taught a private class again tonight and have the final one, next Monday. Too bad that I had to give the student such short notice, but with my financial situation, I had to take the job I was offered, as 2 hours a week would not suffice my monetary needs. I will try and keep the blog updated while I am doing my camp, but am not sure about internet access. I am sure I can find it somewhere, so keep watching this space!

4 Season In One Day!

The weather here in Liverpool can only be described in one way; 4 seasons in a day. It is cloudy, sunny, windy and rainy usually everyday and you know what? I am not complaining at all...........

As long as you have a warm jacket or sweater, you are all sorted. You wonder why Liverpool has the greenest grass and the best trees? There you are........rain, rain, rain and more rain and cool weather.

Still job hunting as we speak, but waiting to hear about one job at Aintree Racecourse. I did start a private tutoring English job with a Brazilian man at Novartis Vaccines in Speke. It is not that far from my house and it takes about 15 mins on the bus and then a 10 min walk from the bus-stop. I did my first class on Wednesday.

The student wants to improve his report writing and needs some help with prepositions and phrasal verbs. He is eager to learn and I think he enjoyed the class. He said he wants to do 2 hours a week, starting next week. One class on a Monday and the next class on a Thursday. He wants to do about 4 or 5 weeks. I am working through a tuition company called, "Academy International." Hopefully, this will be a good start for me and I can acquire more work.

There is a camp coming up in July, in which we coach sports, but in a foreign language. It is 5 hours a day for 5 weeks, so that would be awesome. Some pocket money to help pay my bills and some good experience to add to my CV.

I am back on my good eating kick again and this time have made a really over the top goal. I want to lose 2 and a half stone, 32 pounds, 14 kilos by the end of July. I really want to slim down and get rid of this excess wait that I have been carrying for quite a few years. Last time I was at my correct weight for my height and build, was about 5 years ago, when I lived in Korea. I want to do it for my health, first and foremost, and also just to feel lighter on my feet and better in my clothes.

I am feeling great living in Liverpool and it is really starting to feel more like home, each and every day. Mind due, give me about 2 weeks anywhere and being a gypsy, it feels like home.

My friends, Jacqui and Alan have gone to Tenerife for 10 days, so they should have a good time and will come back nice and brown! They are going by themselves for a change, but have been there so many times, as Jacqui's cousin, John, lives there and has done for the last 5 years or so.

I met my cousins Yvonne and Gill at my Uncle Tony's house on Monday and cleared all the cupboards and closets out and took a lot of the stuff home to my place. I am all decked out now with everything that I needed and I feel good having things of Uncle Tony around me. It feels like he is here and all the things will be a constant reminder of my Uncle, which I am really pleased about . I still have a small freezer to come and a few stands and stuff, which Gill's husband, Albert, will help me get over here when he has the time.

Job Searchin In Liverpool.......

I went to a job fair on Saturday, June 13th at Aintree Racecourse. For those of you that are not familiar with the place, it is where The Grand National is run every year. That is the probably the world's most famous steeplechase race for horses and the fences are huge.

Anyway, I attended the job fair, filled out the application and had a 3 minute interview. The woman that interviewed me told me that her company had just attained the contract for the hospitality services at Aintree. I told her that I would do any type of work and she responded by asking me to wait a week and she would find something for me, for sure. It is all weekend work and that would suit me fine. Could be doing anything from waiting on tables to security to cleaning.........don't really care. A job is a job as far as I am concerned and I need to be doing something from now until September, when school starts. It would be good also, as I will not be able to work during the week while I am at school; it will be too intense. That will leave the weekends to work, which would be fine by me.

I also have an interview at a private tutoring company, today at 3pm. I called the company and then sent off my resume, or CV, as it is called in England. I then received a phone call last Friday and the lady asked me if I could come in at 3pm on Monday for an interview. It will be to teach one of the languages that I have experience in, either English, Spanish or French. I hope to get the job as it is great experience and also pays well!

Yesterday, had a roast chicken dinner over at Alan and Jacqui's. It was awesome. Had roast chicken, yorkshire pudding, broccoli, carrot and turnip, marrowfat peas, corn and lovely roast spuds with beef gravy. Alan cooked the lot and my compliments most certainly go to the chef. Jackqui's mum came over and we all sat outside and had a chat before going in to the feast.

After the dinner, we sat outside again, as it was a lovely sunny day and really great weather. Jacqui's mum left and then about 20 minutes after, we all went to Jacqui's nan's house and had a short visit there. I met Jacqui's aunt, Pauline, also. Nice people for sure! Alan and Jacqui dropped me off at home after and must I say, was full fed and a happy man........thanks to the Griffitheses..........lol.

Alan picked me up this morning and we went to town. We parked the car at Jacqui's nan's house and then walked to town, which was only about a 10 minute walk down Park Rd to Berry St by China Town. Alan and Jacqui are going to Tenerife for 10 days, tomorrow, so Alan wanted to pick up a few t-shirts for the trip

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I bought a 4 port USB adapter due to having my webcam and printer and external mouse and keyboard hooked up to my laptop and my ipod also. I had no ports left, so I had to buy an extension USB hub. It was only 12 pound and does the job perfectly. No more wires hanging around everywhere and no more unplugging and plugging back in devices.......sound as!!!!!!

The weather today is briliant and I am enjoying the sunshine flooding through my massive windows in the house. Looks like a busy week ahead, still job hunting and doing other things to get my life in order. All in all, I am quite satisfied with how much I have accomplished in the 7 weeks that I have been here now.

Next goal is to drop 20 pounds by the end of July. I have to really slim down as I am carrying way too much weight for my liking. Let's see if I can do it........game on!!!!!!