Wednesday, March 17, 2010
PodCasts
Oh, I almost forgot to mention my new discovery! I know I'm a few years behind on this, but I just started listening to Podcasts (the free radio-ish channels you can get through ITunes). They're AMAZING. I've been able to get an unlimited supply of absolutely fascinating history lessons, random funny quiz shows, interviews with intellectuals, cool stories told by average people, and fun mini-lessons on everything from how bail systems work to how carbon credits work. Ok, I know I'm a nerd, but I'm so excited- this makes all the time I spend cruising around Istanbul on the bus so much more interesting, fun and useful! Who knows, I may even end up being able to hold a moderately intelligent conversation about history, politics or current events one of these days!
Ace and I have both been busy bees lately. He is continuing with the endless stream of job applications, planning, and grading. He’s had some success with his students lately though- through a ton of hard work, he’s gotten some of them producing pretty decent 5 paragraph essays! Our friend Erin is taking her Model United Nations club to Russia next week for a competition- both cool and terrifying. I picked up yet another-also awesome- student in my area, and am probably going to be getting a few more hours with a former student- so I’m doing really well, and about to be doing even better. Hooray!
I’ve also been working on resumes and cover letters, as I found a job advertised online for an Online Writing Lab Tutor starting in August or September. It’s through SMARTHINKING, Inc.- a really reputable American company that provides online tutoring services to high schools and universities, and I’d basically be doing exactly what I did in the writing center. If I got the position, I could work anywhere from 9-35 hours a week (I think 10 or 15 would be plenty, though- don’t want to spend all day on the computer) from anywhere in the world with a reliable internet connection. So that would guarantee me at least some work at a decent wage while in South America next year! They look like they’re pretty choosy, but here’s hoping!
Last weekend I got to hang out with some new friends- a bunch of Americans working at various language schools. It was really great to find some people who are on similar schedules as me- it’s been hard knowing mostly high school teachers who are working hardest when I have free time! I’m planning to go on a weekend trip to Bulgaria with two of the girls soon Ace and I also had a Mexican food night at Anna’s on Friday, worked and celebrated Missy and Hussein’s birthdays on Saturday night, and lazed around the house all day Sunday. I cooked up a massive batch of super-veggie pasta sauce to keep us fed for those busy days. I also started up my Turkish lessons again- I know I don’t have that much time left, but I really feel like I should leave here knowing more than I do.
This weekend we’re looking forward to a scavenger hunt planned by a friend I met while subbing at the international school and yet another birthday (another teacher we met on the last Bulgaria trip). The weather is supposed to start looking up again this weekend, so I’m hoping we’ll be able to start exploring again- it’s just been too icky and cold lately to try to climb to any viewpoints or visit nearby cities or anything.
Anyways, things are good here-Ace is surviving school and squeezing in some fun on the weekends, and I’m getting more work and getting to spend more time with friends. Keep your fingers crossed for our future job prospects, please!
All our love!
I’ve also been working on resumes and cover letters, as I found a job advertised online for an Online Writing Lab Tutor starting in August or September. It’s through SMARTHINKING, Inc.- a really reputable American company that provides online tutoring services to high schools and universities, and I’d basically be doing exactly what I did in the writing center. If I got the position, I could work anywhere from 9-35 hours a week (I think 10 or 15 would be plenty, though- don’t want to spend all day on the computer) from anywhere in the world with a reliable internet connection. So that would guarantee me at least some work at a decent wage while in South America next year! They look like they’re pretty choosy, but here’s hoping!
Last weekend I got to hang out with some new friends- a bunch of Americans working at various language schools. It was really great to find some people who are on similar schedules as me- it’s been hard knowing mostly high school teachers who are working hardest when I have free time! I’m planning to go on a weekend trip to Bulgaria with two of the girls soon Ace and I also had a Mexican food night at Anna’s on Friday, worked and celebrated Missy and Hussein’s birthdays on Saturday night, and lazed around the house all day Sunday. I cooked up a massive batch of super-veggie pasta sauce to keep us fed for those busy days. I also started up my Turkish lessons again- I know I don’t have that much time left, but I really feel like I should leave here knowing more than I do.
This weekend we’re looking forward to a scavenger hunt planned by a friend I met while subbing at the international school and yet another birthday (another teacher we met on the last Bulgaria trip). The weather is supposed to start looking up again this weekend, so I’m hoping we’ll be able to start exploring again- it’s just been too icky and cold lately to try to climb to any viewpoints or visit nearby cities or anything.
Anyways, things are good here-Ace is surviving school and squeezing in some fun on the weekends, and I’m getting more work and getting to spend more time with friends. Keep your fingers crossed for our future job prospects, please!
All our love!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Things have smoothed out a bit around here this week. Ace got paid the wages the school owed him for the last two months, which is pretty exciting, even though I was excited about the prospect of having some weekday-morning movie festival and hangout sessions if he had to strike. We were also able to get all the info on our bills, so were able to do the math and figure out that we do indeed owe the landlady money- $10.33. She is displeased with this information, as she wants us to pay her $200, but we don’t really care. We’ll pay her what we owe her, and plan on pretty much ignoring her unless she comes up with any new info or arguments. So far, so good. Glad that’s sorted, at least for now.
I started with a new evening student yesterday, which I’m excited about. It’s nice to have some more work, and he’s going to be fun to work with. Plus, I can walk to his place, which is much closer than any of my other appointments. Good news. I’m still looking for another student or two, though- my evenings are getting a bit busy, but my mornings are still a little quieter than I’d like. It’s funny, I never thought I’d wish for the 9 to 5, but after two years of not 9-5ing, it’s starting to look really good. In Korea we were working evenings, which was ok, but put us on a really weird schedule. Also, I wake up feeling like being productive, and get antsy and grumpy if I don’t have anything to get me going first thing. Same problem here in Turkey- I certainly can’t complain that I’m working too much, but on weekdays where I don’t have a morning lesson I feel sluggish and end up moping around the house being lonely more often than I should. It’s gotten me wondering what I should do next year- if I should work at a language school or something in the daytime and supplement my income with private lessons, or keep doing what I am now. If I could find an exercise class or volunteering first thing in the mornings, that might do the trick as well. I guess I’ll have to wait and see where we land for next year, anyways.
Other than that, nothing much new here. We’re looking forward to hanging out with some of Ace’s work friends this Saturday, and going to a Picasso exhibit with a Turkish friend and his girlfriend on Sunday. I’m pretty happy about that, as I feel extremely guilty for not taking advantage of all the art and music in this city. It’s nice just knowing it’s there, I suppose, but I’m not benefiting from it much via osmosis.
Oh, and our anniversary weekend was nice! It was a pretty long trip- about two hours from apartment to ferry to bus, then 3 hours on the bus. And Agva (our destination) is still technically part of Istanbul- unbelievable, right? The weather was grey but it didn't rain on us much. We hung out in our tiny little wood bungalow, played with the giant dogs roaming the area, and paddled a little paddleboat on the very muddy river. The hotel provided some really yummy food, we watched some good DVD's, and we played a lot of backgammon and GoStop (the card game we picked up in Korea). Before leaving, we went further up the road and took a peek at the Black Sea. It was nice to get away.
Not much news on the job front for next year, either- Ace is still sending out applications and calling schools, but no particularly promising leads yet. There are some job fairs in the UK and the US in a few months, and he may fly out to one or two of those if nothing comes up before then. That’s really late in the hiring season, though, so we’re hoping he doesn’t have to wait that long to secure something.
Lots of love from us both! Just 3.5 months more- we’re both starting to look forward to home.
I started with a new evening student yesterday, which I’m excited about. It’s nice to have some more work, and he’s going to be fun to work with. Plus, I can walk to his place, which is much closer than any of my other appointments. Good news. I’m still looking for another student or two, though- my evenings are getting a bit busy, but my mornings are still a little quieter than I’d like. It’s funny, I never thought I’d wish for the 9 to 5, but after two years of not 9-5ing, it’s starting to look really good. In Korea we were working evenings, which was ok, but put us on a really weird schedule. Also, I wake up feeling like being productive, and get antsy and grumpy if I don’t have anything to get me going first thing. Same problem here in Turkey- I certainly can’t complain that I’m working too much, but on weekdays where I don’t have a morning lesson I feel sluggish and end up moping around the house being lonely more often than I should. It’s gotten me wondering what I should do next year- if I should work at a language school or something in the daytime and supplement my income with private lessons, or keep doing what I am now. If I could find an exercise class or volunteering first thing in the mornings, that might do the trick as well. I guess I’ll have to wait and see where we land for next year, anyways.
Other than that, nothing much new here. We’re looking forward to hanging out with some of Ace’s work friends this Saturday, and going to a Picasso exhibit with a Turkish friend and his girlfriend on Sunday. I’m pretty happy about that, as I feel extremely guilty for not taking advantage of all the art and music in this city. It’s nice just knowing it’s there, I suppose, but I’m not benefiting from it much via osmosis.
Oh, and our anniversary weekend was nice! It was a pretty long trip- about two hours from apartment to ferry to bus, then 3 hours on the bus. And Agva (our destination) is still technically part of Istanbul- unbelievable, right? The weather was grey but it didn't rain on us much. We hung out in our tiny little wood bungalow, played with the giant dogs roaming the area, and paddled a little paddleboat on the very muddy river. The hotel provided some really yummy food, we watched some good DVD's, and we played a lot of backgammon and GoStop (the card game we picked up in Korea). Before leaving, we went further up the road and took a peek at the Black Sea. It was nice to get away.
Not much news on the job front for next year, either- Ace is still sending out applications and calling schools, but no particularly promising leads yet. There are some job fairs in the UK and the US in a few months, and he may fly out to one or two of those if nothing comes up before then. That’s really late in the hiring season, though, so we’re hoping he doesn’t have to wait that long to secure something.
Lots of love from us both! Just 3.5 months more- we’re both starting to look forward to home.
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