My life is simple: I get up, I read blogs, I read the news, eat some toast, putz, take a nap, eat lunch, get ready for work, and go to work.
And work... Let me tell you about my job.
I work at a gelato shop in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley (I'm sure that means nothing to you) where if the whole place were summed up in one word, it would be "broken." That's because pretty much everything there is broken. Broken cooler. Broken cash register. Broken blender. Broken system. Our owner is pretty much non-existent. She doesn't come by. She rarely pays on time (I'm told "pay day" used to be Wednesdays, now it's Friday and occasionally Saturday... Perhaps one day it will be Wednesday again...). I've even heard rumors about her awful business practices from people around Brisbane. Apparently she is no good at paperwork but I didn't need anyone to tell me that. I still haven't signed any tax documents.... Or seen a pay stub. One of our managers told me that she hadn't paid our delivery man for the gelato mix'ins in a while and just left it to him to pay it out of his own paycheck.
I'm constantly surprised by the lack of interest she takes in her business. I'm told that they are planning to close in the near future. Or at least they have been planning to do so for a while. Hopefully I will have a new job by that time or maybe be on my way to Sydney. But there are some things to be grateful for: I work by myself, at my own pace, at night. I get to read at work and listen to my own music (iPod with speakers) and I can eat gelato while at work (which is yummy though difficult to digest in large quantities). I also get paid well--$19.50 an hour. I'd never get so much serving ice cream at home! And it keeps me busy. As they say, idle hands are the devil's playmate... I was getting a little bored without a job.
Speaking of jobs, Jeremy has an interview next week in Sydney for a junior editor position with a legal encyclopedia group. It's a great opportunity and we're really hoping it'll work out. We figure he's got a good chance and there is only 6 other people being considered for the job. Pray that he gets it! The sooner we move to Sydney the better. Our own space, good jobs and grad school! He's decided to do a master's in law while I purse my master's in media. Should be fun.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Red Neck Wedding
My brother's wedding was last weekend to a beautiful girl named Nikki whom JJ has been dating for about 2 years. I'm so happy for them and really wish I could have been there because from what I understand, it was quite the event.
It seems that everyone is calling it the "Red Neck Wedding" (and with pride, might I add). My brother and all his grooms men wore camouflage vests and cowboy hats. My uncle got drunk, fell down and scraped his face.
The reception's main course was a pig that my brother and his wife-to-be shot the night before the wedding. Apparently none of the boys knew how to or wanted to gut the thing so the bride did it for them--in a white t-shirt. At the party, my dad cooked the thing on a spit (which my mom says he was rather proud of) and the entire party devoured the thing within a few hours ("picked it clean" is what my mom said. "All fifty of us.").
Apparently there wasn't much dancing but my mom said that there was a mother-son dance and that they danced to a country song called "Momma told me to be a Simple Man" (or something like that). I kinda snorted when she said that. My brother is certainly simple much like my dad.
And the whole thing just screamed Red Neck from the beginning: Nikki got pregnant and though they had planned on marrying for a while, the actual event hadn't been previously scheduled. So, it was a shot gun wedding. I am told that they announced the sex and the name of the baby at the wedding; he will be Mason Jeremiah Thoma (after my brother).
And then they rode off into the sunset on my dad's Harley. Okay, I'm not sure if there was any sunset or riding involved but who could pass a photo-op like this? I guess no Red Neck wedding could escape the underlying biker-ness in my family. :)
(By the way, all of these photos are compliments of my Aunt Debra who was so nice to send me some the day of the event since I couldn't make it.)
I share all this embarrassing family stuff with you because that's just who they are. They embarrass me, harass me, give me grief and heartache, but they also smile with me, celebrate with me, love me, and encourage me. I love them for all the quirks, faults and virtues. We are a wild bunch but at least we're an entertaining one! And no is more entertaining than the people you grow up with. :)
Congratulations JJ and Nikki! I wish you all the best and I can't wait to see you and your baby. :)
It seems that everyone is calling it the "Red Neck Wedding" (and with pride, might I add). My brother and all his grooms men wore camouflage vests and cowboy hats. My uncle got drunk, fell down and scraped his face.
The reception's main course was a pig that my brother and his wife-to-be shot the night before the wedding. Apparently none of the boys knew how to or wanted to gut the thing so the bride did it for them--in a white t-shirt. At the party, my dad cooked the thing on a spit (which my mom says he was rather proud of) and the entire party devoured the thing within a few hours ("picked it clean" is what my mom said. "All fifty of us.").
Apparently there wasn't much dancing but my mom said that there was a mother-son dance and that they danced to a country song called "Momma told me to be a Simple Man" (or something like that). I kinda snorted when she said that. My brother is certainly simple much like my dad.
And the whole thing just screamed Red Neck from the beginning: Nikki got pregnant and though they had planned on marrying for a while, the actual event hadn't been previously scheduled. So, it was a shot gun wedding. I am told that they announced the sex and the name of the baby at the wedding; he will be Mason Jeremiah Thoma (after my brother).
And then they rode off into the sunset on my dad's Harley. Okay, I'm not sure if there was any sunset or riding involved but who could pass a photo-op like this? I guess no Red Neck wedding could escape the underlying biker-ness in my family. :)(By the way, all of these photos are compliments of my Aunt Debra who was so nice to send me some the day of the event since I couldn't make it.)
I share all this embarrassing family stuff with you because that's just who they are. They embarrass me, harass me, give me grief and heartache, but they also smile with me, celebrate with me, love me, and encourage me. I love them for all the quirks, faults and virtues. We are a wild bunch but at least we're an entertaining one! And no is more entertaining than the people you grow up with. :)
Congratulations JJ and Nikki! I wish you all the best and I can't wait to see you and your baby. :)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Return to Kyrgyztan
It's taken me MONTHS to finally upload these videos from my trip and I thought I would share one from Kyrgyzstan. This is the place where we camped in the Karakol Valley. It was really nice but since we were there just as winter was coming on, it was pretty stormy and we had to head back down the mountain.
Lately we've been talking alot about Kyrgyzstan and thinking that we may need to go back--and soon! We certainly didn't see all that we wanted to or do all the things we wanted to do. It feels like unfinished business. Right now, our two friends Owen and Rachel are in Kyrgyzstan following in our footsteps and having a much better time than they India (seriously, read their blog--it's hilarious). Owen's an awesome photographer so expect to see some beautiful photos here.
Happy trails!!
Lately we've been talking alot about Kyrgyzstan and thinking that we may need to go back--and soon! We certainly didn't see all that we wanted to or do all the things we wanted to do. It feels like unfinished business. Right now, our two friends Owen and Rachel are in Kyrgyzstan following in our footsteps and having a much better time than they India (seriously, read their blog--it's hilarious). Owen's an awesome photographer so expect to see some beautiful photos here.
Happy trails!!
Mother's Day
Mother's Day around here was quite the event. It started with Eca (a friend of the Moschner's) coming over and a little bit of cake for breakfast! Yum! Then we all jumped in the car and headed up to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to some sweet little villages in the rain forest for lunch.
This cafe, called Poet's, was really lovely and served up some fantastic fare! We all enjoyed our meal (especially since we didn't arrive until 2 pm and were all starved!).
After lunch, we walked around to all the shops and looked for little treasures to take home. Along the way we walked under this giant bat made of car parts (cool, eh?) and I found lots of American candies like Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids and Sugar Babies! What good timing too because I got my first paycheck on Friday! Yay! (One thing that might interest you, most countries in the world don't do the whole cinnamon thing so trying the Hot Tamales was Jeremy's first encounter with really spicy cinnamon candy--he loved it!)
But I can't say all of us were so excited about the shopping... Seriously, this table was well stocked with "man magazines" about cars and camping stuff. haha. Jeremy was ridiculous. He was practically running in circles around me chanting, "When are we going? What is mom doing?" (She was looking at a craft shop and buying a quilt rack--important stuff!) haha.
On the way home we stopped off at a scenic viewpoint and took some family photos. It was so nice to spend the afternoon together and I think his mom really enjoyed her Mother's Day.
The beautiful view. This size just doesn't do it justice. Click on it to follow the link to a larger size.
Unfortunately, the only thing I could give my mom was a nice, long phone call but it was so wonderful to talk anyway. I hear that my brother is getting married this Saturday; I wish I could be there. I also heard that my Great Grandpa Ray died on Saturday so please pray for our family. I'm not sure if they will be having a service (there is some talk that they might have one on Saturday this week--my brother's wedding day!) but there is a good chance that they won't since my Great Grandma didn't want one. If so, pray that they will all have the closure they need.
I hope you all had wonderful Mother's Days with your moms (or your kids)! :)
This cafe, called Poet's, was really lovely and served up some fantastic fare! We all enjoyed our meal (especially since we didn't arrive until 2 pm and were all starved!).
Jeremy's paternal grandparents, Margaret and Norbert.
Jeremy's parents, Hanya and Ken.
Us. We're so cute. :)
And Eca (pronounced Ee-ka) who is a friend of the family that Ken met through playing Bridge (he is an avid Bridge player).
After lunch, we walked around to all the shops and looked for little treasures to take home. Along the way we walked under this giant bat made of car parts (cool, eh?) and I found lots of American candies like Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids and Sugar Babies! What good timing too because I got my first paycheck on Friday! Yay! (One thing that might interest you, most countries in the world don't do the whole cinnamon thing so trying the Hot Tamales was Jeremy's first encounter with really spicy cinnamon candy--he loved it!)
But I can't say all of us were so excited about the shopping... Seriously, this table was well stocked with "man magazines" about cars and camping stuff. haha. Jeremy was ridiculous. He was practically running in circles around me chanting, "When are we going? What is mom doing?" (She was looking at a craft shop and buying a quilt rack--important stuff!) haha.
On the way home we stopped off at a scenic viewpoint and took some family photos. It was so nice to spend the afternoon together and I think his mom really enjoyed her Mother's Day.
The beautiful view. This size just doesn't do it justice. Click on it to follow the link to a larger size.
Jeremy's family (l-r): (friend) Eca, (grandma) Margaret, (father) Ken, (mother) Hanya, Jeremy, and (grandpa) Norbert.
The mothers of Mother's Day.
I snuck this photo while they weren't looking. Such a cute couple!
The beautiful sunset. Every sunset here is beautiful but you can't always get a good look from J's parent's home (you can just see the colors in the sky).
Unfortunately, the only thing I could give my mom was a nice, long phone call but it was so wonderful to talk anyway. I hear that my brother is getting married this Saturday; I wish I could be there. I also heard that my Great Grandpa Ray died on Saturday so please pray for our family. I'm not sure if they will be having a service (there is some talk that they might have one on Saturday this week--my brother's wedding day!) but there is a good chance that they won't since my Great Grandma didn't want one. If so, pray that they will all have the closure they need.
I hope you all had wonderful Mother's Days with your moms (or your kids)! :)
Tearing up the rug!
To pass the time around here, we've been renovating the house which includes painting, replacing the skirting boards and trim around the doors, and removing the carpet so we can install hardwood floors.
It's been an adventure--as my previous post suggested--but it got a lot more adventurous yesterday. We found ants in the wall around the door. ACK!
I heard Jeremy oh-ing with surprise and came into the room to find him covered with ants and them crawling all over the wall. Turns out they had made a lovely like home under the trim. We sprayed the wall with bug killer but my skin was crawling and I was so grossed out I could hardly look at it. Then he found them again--under another door! What bad luck!
Anyway, it's been fun. Sorta. I puttied walls yesterday, he sanded and today I think there is a little more puttying in the works.
It's been an adventure--as my previous post suggested--but it got a lot more adventurous yesterday. We found ants in the wall around the door. ACK!
I heard Jeremy oh-ing with surprise and came into the room to find him covered with ants and them crawling all over the wall. Turns out they had made a lovely like home under the trim. We sprayed the wall with bug killer but my skin was crawling and I was so grossed out I could hardly look at it. Then he found them again--under another door! What bad luck!
Anyway, it's been fun. Sorta. I puttied walls yesterday, he sanded and today I think there is a little more puttying in the works.
India Saved
As you probably remember, my time in India wasn't all that lovely. Or fun. But on my last day there, on my way from Amritsar to Delhi, I met the most lovely family on the train and they honestly saved me from hating India. They were so generous, kind, caring, inquisitive, and sincerely interested in me--not my wallet.
We had a wonderful time sitting around, sharing songs and laughing together. They sang me several of their traditional songs from their home village in Kerala and I sang them a traditional song from my home country too--Lean on Me. :) They told me stories and jokes and I shared with them my photos from some of my travels and throughout India. I will never forget them. Honestly, if it hadn't been for this one beautiful family who showed me the kindness of the Indian heart, I probably wouldn't return. But I want to and I will.
Here are a few videos to help experience the moment:
We had a wonderful time sitting around, sharing songs and laughing together. They sang me several of their traditional songs from their home village in Kerala and I sang them a traditional song from my home country too--Lean on Me. :) They told me stories and jokes and I shared with them my photos from some of my travels and throughout India. I will never forget them. Honestly, if it hadn't been for this one beautiful family who showed me the kindness of the Indian heart, I probably wouldn't return. But I want to and I will.
Here are a few videos to help experience the moment:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Streets of Lahore
In the next couple of days, I intend to upload some videos from my trip. The following is from Lahore, Pakistan.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A Woman's Place
A woman's place is not in the kitchen, it is at her man's side because someone needs to make sure he doesn't kill himself.
This week, Jeremy and I have started remodeling his parent's home, starting with the living room. On Thursday we dismantling things by tearing up the carpet and removing things off the wall. Unfortunately for me, Jeremy was armed with his new Leatherman and falling deeper and deeper into Go Mode. ("Go Mode" is my term for a state of tunnel vision fuelled with speed.)
As we got working and dust was flying everywhere, Jeremy decided to turn on the ceiling fan at which point he turned the knob and all other mental processes stopped. His only thought while looking at that fan knob was, "I could take that off." And in typical male fashion, he proceeded to dismantle the fan's wall unit with all the vigor of a 5 year old with a new toy. Less than five minutes later, something else caught his attention and he left the fan unit hanging there out of the wall. He didn't even bother to touch the light switch or the plug in covers. In pure Go Mode fashion, he dismantled and forgot about it, moving on to the next subject.
Fast forward 30 minutes.
I get up and head to the kitchen to make us some lunch and notice the fan unit--with it's wires exposed--hanging out of the wall over the top of the light switch.
"Jeremy, did you take this apart?"
"Yeah."
"Well, put it back together! This is dangerous."
"No it's not. It's fine."
"Well, I can't turn the fan off."
"Yes you can."
"No, I can't. I'm not going to touch it. And where is the knob?"
"(Sigh) I'll do it."
He comes over, I hold the unit up against the wall, he pulls out his Leatherman and uses the pliers to turn the peg where the knob used to be.
Fast forward to the next morning.
Jeremy's dad wants to show us how to use the sander when puttying the walls. We take him on a tour of the living room and he finds the hanging fan unit.
"Jeremy, this is dangerous. These wires are exposed. Be careful you don't touch them."
"Ah, it's fine."
"Yeah, but you see these wires? They'll give you a real bad shock."
Fast forward 30 minutes.
Jeremy's mom is getting ready for work and goes to turn off the light below the hanging fan unit. She doesn't know about the hanging fan unit and accidentally touches the exposed wires as she reaches under to turn off the light. And she gets shocked. Surprise!
I made Jeremy go turn off the power breaker and put the fan unit back together but his mom was still pretty "shocked" over the whole thing. She went to the doctor after pain in her arm persisted and he said she just had a mild shock but would be fine. Jeremy's a little embarrassed though. I just find the whole thing a little comical. Go ahead. It's okay to laugh. Really though, how many times have you ladies--like me--cautioned your children/husbands/boyfriends not to jump off that, bite down on that, drive so fast, run so hard, take that apart, etc? I swear God created woman not just to help man but to save man. :)
This week, Jeremy and I have started remodeling his parent's home, starting with the living room. On Thursday we dismantling things by tearing up the carpet and removing things off the wall. Unfortunately for me, Jeremy was armed with his new Leatherman and falling deeper and deeper into Go Mode. ("Go Mode" is my term for a state of tunnel vision fuelled with speed.)
As we got working and dust was flying everywhere, Jeremy decided to turn on the ceiling fan at which point he turned the knob and all other mental processes stopped. His only thought while looking at that fan knob was, "I could take that off." And in typical male fashion, he proceeded to dismantle the fan's wall unit with all the vigor of a 5 year old with a new toy. Less than five minutes later, something else caught his attention and he left the fan unit hanging there out of the wall. He didn't even bother to touch the light switch or the plug in covers. In pure Go Mode fashion, he dismantled and forgot about it, moving on to the next subject.
Fast forward 30 minutes.
I get up and head to the kitchen to make us some lunch and notice the fan unit--with it's wires exposed--hanging out of the wall over the top of the light switch.
"Jeremy, did you take this apart?"
"Yeah."
"Well, put it back together! This is dangerous."
"No it's not. It's fine."
"Well, I can't turn the fan off."
"Yes you can."
"No, I can't. I'm not going to touch it. And where is the knob?"
"(Sigh) I'll do it."
He comes over, I hold the unit up against the wall, he pulls out his Leatherman and uses the pliers to turn the peg where the knob used to be.
Fast forward to the next morning.
Jeremy's dad wants to show us how to use the sander when puttying the walls. We take him on a tour of the living room and he finds the hanging fan unit.
"Jeremy, this is dangerous. These wires are exposed. Be careful you don't touch them."
"Ah, it's fine."
"Yeah, but you see these wires? They'll give you a real bad shock."
Fast forward 30 minutes.
Jeremy's mom is getting ready for work and goes to turn off the light below the hanging fan unit. She doesn't know about the hanging fan unit and accidentally touches the exposed wires as she reaches under to turn off the light. And she gets shocked. Surprise!
I made Jeremy go turn off the power breaker and put the fan unit back together but his mom was still pretty "shocked" over the whole thing. She went to the doctor after pain in her arm persisted and he said she just had a mild shock but would be fine. Jeremy's a little embarrassed though. I just find the whole thing a little comical. Go ahead. It's okay to laugh. Really though, how many times have you ladies--like me--cautioned your children/husbands/boyfriends not to jump off that, bite down on that, drive so fast, run so hard, take that apart, etc? I swear God created woman not just to help man but to save man. :)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I'm a working girl!
Last night was my first night by myself at the ice cream shop and I think things went pretty well. It was a slow night though. In 4.5 hours I only had 8 orders. So I spent the evening solving sudoku puzzles in the newspaper and listening to Ingrid Michelson and Planet Funk. Yeah, my work is a total party place. jk. :)
In other news: Jeremy had an interview yesterday with a recruiter for a boutique firm here in Brisbane. He said it went really well and it seemed the recruiter liked him. Surprisingly, when he got home and looked up more information about the firm, he found that two of his professors practice there and that the new partner (the one he would be hired to work under) worked in Korea for a little while. Even though it's small, it's exactly in the field and experience bracket that he wants to be in. The only thing not cool about it is that it's in Brisbane (which is HOT in the summer). The recruiter said they will continue looking for applicants over the next month and then start doing some more call back interviews but that J should expect to hear from them again. Good news, right?
God smiles on us again. Happy Wednesday (or Tuesday)!
In other news: Jeremy had an interview yesterday with a recruiter for a boutique firm here in Brisbane. He said it went really well and it seemed the recruiter liked him. Surprisingly, when he got home and looked up more information about the firm, he found that two of his professors practice there and that the new partner (the one he would be hired to work under) worked in Korea for a little while. Even though it's small, it's exactly in the field and experience bracket that he wants to be in. The only thing not cool about it is that it's in Brisbane (which is HOT in the summer). The recruiter said they will continue looking for applicants over the next month and then start doing some more call back interviews but that J should expect to hear from them again. Good news, right?
God smiles on us again. Happy Wednesday (or Tuesday)!
Crazy Job Ad
Jeremy found this job ad online. Pretty sure it's fake but rather funny. And I'm pretty sure they're not a native English speaker either. :)
__________________________
__________________________
ARE YOU A NASTY LAWYER WITH A NO HARD BARD MEAN STREAK>? WE ARE IN SEARCH FOR LAWYERS/SOLICITORS WITH A TOTAL DIFFRENCE FOR PERSONAL PEOPLE ( PRIVATE )GOLD COAST BRISBANE, AT THIS TIME. SUCH AS A VERY TOUGH AND AS HARD AS NAILS SAVVVY LAWYER >?
THAT NO LAW FIRM HAS AFTER YEARS OF SEARCHING LAWYERS IN MANY AREAS OF VARIOUS LAW . BUT THEY MUST BE UNDERGROUND>? AND ARE NOT THERE TO BE YOUR FRIEND SOFT TYPE OF LAWYER .YOU MUST BE STILL OF COURSE BE WITHIN THE LAW . ( WE ARE NOT A LAW FIRM YET ) OR PRACTICE) THESE POSITIONS ARE A NEW PROJECT TO9 US AND 100s OF OTHERS AND IS ON CALL/CONTRACT BASIS WHEN NEEDED SIMILER TO INHOUSE BUT TO WORK OUT OF YOUR OWN PREMISES HOME OFFICE .MOBILE POSITION.BUT MUST HAVE THE RESOURCES. WITH LEGAL PROBLEMS IN VARIOUS AREAS OF LAW, SUCH AS FOLLOWS
1 CRIMINAL LAW,
2 LITIGATION,
3 COURT MATTERS CIVAL MATTERS& CRIMINAL
4 PROVIDE LEGAL ADVISE/ AND TIME.
5 EMPLOYMENT LAW.UNFAIR DISMISSELL
6 MONEY OWED TO PEOPLE. FRAUDULANT MATTERS ETC,
7 COMPLAINTS VARIOUS TO BE ADVISED.
8 MEDIA COVERAGE,PUBLIC AWARENESS DISPLAYS
9 STALKING LAWS INCLUDEING SMS WILLFUL DAMAGE MINOR MATTERS . PERSONAL DISPUTES PERSONAL AND BUSINESS LEGAL ADVISE.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUFFERING/MENTAL ANGUISH AND DAMAGES. investigations INTO MISCONDUCT .LIST GOES ON...
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO ACT ON OUR BEHALF AND OTHERS BEHALF AT TIMES. AND MUST BE ABLE TO REPRESENT PEOPLE IN ALL COURTS AND APPEAR! AND LISTEN FOR CIVAL AND CRIMINAL, PREPARING DOCUMENTS DRAFTING OF LETTERS INCLUDEING LETTERS OF DEMAND!! TO ACT ON OUR INSTRUCTIONS DONT THINK ABOUT IT ( JUST DO IT DO IT !!!!) DONT GIVE UP DONT ROLL OVER AND LAY DOWN ATTIDUDE.WE HAVE SOURCED A HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE WANTING HELP THEY CANT GET OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT WHAT THIS ADVERT DESCRIBES .JUSTICE!!!NOT JUST IN CRIMINAL.
FLEXIBLE HOURS TO SUIT ,IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL/SMS AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU ASAP THIS IS A GENUINE ADVERT AND THERE ARE URGENT MATTERS IN NEED OF LEGAL HELP. WE CAN THEN EMAIL YOU A BRIEF OF WHAT THIS POSITION INVOLVES AND ANSWER I,M SURE QUESTIONS YOU WILL HAVE >? BUT NO TIME WASTERS PLEASE!! EMAIL ABOUT YOUR YOURSELF PLEASE,
PHONE/SMS ANDREW CHRISTO OR DAMIAN DRAGON
0412 491 475
0400 019595
OR EMAIL DRAGONLAIR73@yahoo.com.au
Monday, May 4, 2009
Life Down Under
"We-Are-Fam-i-ly"
Saturday night was a big ol' family dinner at a Thai restaurant way out in the middle of Nowhere, Australia. But it was delicious food and a good time. Everyone was there and we order TONS of food, picked off each other's plates, caught up on all the latest stories, made fun of Michael (J's brother) because he's been seeing this girl almost everyday but says they're not dating (right...), talked about our trip, and hung out with Uncle Bob and Greta who live in Thailand and only come home once every few months. Afterwards, we all went to J's grandparent's home for some coffee, tea and dessert. When we left, I was so surprised to realize that J's family is so much like my own sometimes. We all gossiped over cheesecake, poked fun at each other, someone passed out on the couch from too much wine, the boys went out back to look at Uncle Bob's boat, and at the end of the night it was hugs, kisses and goodbyes as we headed out to our next party--we only stayed for about 10 minutes. I guess that's a sign that hanging out with the family can be just as much fun as hanging out with your friends (and just as tiring too!) so we headed home and got some rest. It was a wonderful night out and showed me once again (as if I didn't already know) just how wonderful Jeremy's family really is. I feel at home here and I'm so glad to be here with him.
The slow life...
Yesterday was Doug's birthday (that's Jeremy's sister's fiancee) and we took some interesting back roads to get there. It was kinda like adventuring all over again and it felt good to be out of the house. The party was really nice and I finally got to meet some the people Karen talks about a lot. One thing you'll notice about Australians (should you ever visit) is how relaxed they are. I was shocked when this one dog at the party (not Karen's) peed on TWO hand bags and no one flinched. They just laughed and carried on. Didn't even wash it off. I know this is probably a relaxed extreme (because most people would get upset) but it's still true: Australians are certainly less up-tight than my own people.
Reflecting on my Time in Korea
I've been having some dreams lately about being back in the classroom at Mung Yeoung Girls High School; last night it was about being evaluated by another foreign teacher with a TESOL certificate and my old co-teacher, Shin Eun Jeong. In my dream I felt that I was doing a good job in the classroom but it seemed like I wasn't getting good marks on my evaluation because I kept hearing Shin say, "Well, it's not bad for someone who isn't certified." Of course I know exactly what it means. I've found myself feeling a little guilty lately for not putting more effort into my lessons at school and feeling like sometimes I really just checked out of class all together. Teaching was hard and those last few months it left me a little bitter. I didn't really know what I was doing there and I was so ill-equipped to teach students of another language. I've often said that Koreans really need to change their education system if they want students to succeed in English but I never believe it more than now. They take on too many inexperienced teachers and ask them to teach 24 different classes a week of 40 students each for one hour at a time and expect those test scores to improve. How? How can anyone be successful in such a situation? I don't think I want to teach again. I love the whole "imparting wisdom and knowledge" part but I'm definitely not a fan of lesson planning. Maybe I'm just not that creative. And I'm a person who needs visible results that can be seen a little more often than once every few months.
Work and Stuff
So, Tuesday night will be my first night closing by myself. I've got the key and I'm ready. I'm also thinking that after I get paid this week, I might enter myself in the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary volunteer program. It's $60 and lasts for three months but it would give me a chance to hangout with the animals, fill some empty hours around the house, and look into a new career that I never really put much thought into. I'm still planning on grad school for journalism but I must admit, there is a bit of lingering doubt there... Is it really the right path for me? I feel like I'm in a good place to make a career shift so I just want to check out a few other options...
Mother's Day
Mother's day is coming up and I've been thinking a lot about my mom and how much I miss her. She really is a wonderful mom. She always supports me and helps me out financially when I need it. She always sends me packages when I'm missing things like Butterfingers or Macaroni and Cheese. She always takes time to talk with me when I call. She really is a good momma. I was thinking about her the other day and how when I was in my last year of school I pretty much broke down under the stress of The Talon Journal and all my writing classes and really just needed someone to cry with me. I bawled, and bawled, and bawled on the phone with her for nearly two hours and she just sat there, crying with me, encouraging me, assuring me that I made the right decision to resign, and giving my assistant editor a few verbal slappings for betraying me (a good momma always defends her young). My mom may not always be capable of giving me the best advice but she always gives the best hugs (even if it's just over the phone).
Saturday night was a big ol' family dinner at a Thai restaurant way out in the middle of Nowhere, Australia. But it was delicious food and a good time. Everyone was there and we order TONS of food, picked off each other's plates, caught up on all the latest stories, made fun of Michael (J's brother) because he's been seeing this girl almost everyday but says they're not dating (right...), talked about our trip, and hung out with Uncle Bob and Greta who live in Thailand and only come home once every few months. Afterwards, we all went to J's grandparent's home for some coffee, tea and dessert. When we left, I was so surprised to realize that J's family is so much like my own sometimes. We all gossiped over cheesecake, poked fun at each other, someone passed out on the couch from too much wine, the boys went out back to look at Uncle Bob's boat, and at the end of the night it was hugs, kisses and goodbyes as we headed out to our next party--we only stayed for about 10 minutes. I guess that's a sign that hanging out with the family can be just as much fun as hanging out with your friends (and just as tiring too!) so we headed home and got some rest. It was a wonderful night out and showed me once again (as if I didn't already know) just how wonderful Jeremy's family really is. I feel at home here and I'm so glad to be here with him.
The slow life...
Yesterday was Doug's birthday (that's Jeremy's sister's fiancee) and we took some interesting back roads to get there. It was kinda like adventuring all over again and it felt good to be out of the house. The party was really nice and I finally got to meet some the people Karen talks about a lot. One thing you'll notice about Australians (should you ever visit) is how relaxed they are. I was shocked when this one dog at the party (not Karen's) peed on TWO hand bags and no one flinched. They just laughed and carried on. Didn't even wash it off. I know this is probably a relaxed extreme (because most people would get upset) but it's still true: Australians are certainly less up-tight than my own people.
Reflecting on my Time in Korea
I've been having some dreams lately about being back in the classroom at Mung Yeoung Girls High School; last night it was about being evaluated by another foreign teacher with a TESOL certificate and my old co-teacher, Shin Eun Jeong. In my dream I felt that I was doing a good job in the classroom but it seemed like I wasn't getting good marks on my evaluation because I kept hearing Shin say, "Well, it's not bad for someone who isn't certified." Of course I know exactly what it means. I've found myself feeling a little guilty lately for not putting more effort into my lessons at school and feeling like sometimes I really just checked out of class all together. Teaching was hard and those last few months it left me a little bitter. I didn't really know what I was doing there and I was so ill-equipped to teach students of another language. I've often said that Koreans really need to change their education system if they want students to succeed in English but I never believe it more than now. They take on too many inexperienced teachers and ask them to teach 24 different classes a week of 40 students each for one hour at a time and expect those test scores to improve. How? How can anyone be successful in such a situation? I don't think I want to teach again. I love the whole "imparting wisdom and knowledge" part but I'm definitely not a fan of lesson planning. Maybe I'm just not that creative. And I'm a person who needs visible results that can be seen a little more often than once every few months.
Work and Stuff
So, Tuesday night will be my first night closing by myself. I've got the key and I'm ready. I'm also thinking that after I get paid this week, I might enter myself in the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary volunteer program. It's $60 and lasts for three months but it would give me a chance to hangout with the animals, fill some empty hours around the house, and look into a new career that I never really put much thought into. I'm still planning on grad school for journalism but I must admit, there is a bit of lingering doubt there... Is it really the right path for me? I feel like I'm in a good place to make a career shift so I just want to check out a few other options...
Mother's Day
Mother's day is coming up and I've been thinking a lot about my mom and how much I miss her. She really is a wonderful mom. She always supports me and helps me out financially when I need it. She always sends me packages when I'm missing things like Butterfingers or Macaroni and Cheese. She always takes time to talk with me when I call. She really is a good momma. I was thinking about her the other day and how when I was in my last year of school I pretty much broke down under the stress of The Talon Journal and all my writing classes and really just needed someone to cry with me. I bawled, and bawled, and bawled on the phone with her for nearly two hours and she just sat there, crying with me, encouraging me, assuring me that I made the right decision to resign, and giving my assistant editor a few verbal slappings for betraying me (a good momma always defends her young). My mom may not always be capable of giving me the best advice but she always gives the best hugs (even if it's just over the phone).
I love my mom.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Just a quick little note...
I got a job this week at the gelato shop which is SUPER good news. Jeremy and I can finally start going on dates again! And I can get my eyebrows waxed (very important)! First day of paid work is Tuesday night--I can't wait!
I've been storing up some stories to share and so I'll post again on Monday... I think. This is going to be a busy weekend. Yesterday we went to see X-Men Orgins: Wolverine (a definite MUST see!), tonight we are having dinner with J's Uncle Bob and his gf Greta who are in town (we met in Thailand) and then we are going to a James Bond theme party. Tomorrow is Doug's birthday party (that is Jeremy's sister's (Karen) fiance) and Monday is a holiday--I think it's Labor Day? So, lots of stuff going on.
Stay tuned!
I've been storing up some stories to share and so I'll post again on Monday... I think. This is going to be a busy weekend. Yesterday we went to see X-Men Orgins: Wolverine (a definite MUST see!), tonight we are having dinner with J's Uncle Bob and his gf Greta who are in town (we met in Thailand) and then we are going to a James Bond theme party. Tomorrow is Doug's birthday party (that is Jeremy's sister's (Karen) fiance) and Monday is a holiday--I think it's Labor Day? So, lots of stuff going on.
Stay tuned!
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