So basically this move is happening. Yesterday I finally mailed my contract back to Kuwait. Cost me all of 57 lats (which comes out to about 114 USD) but you do what you have to do. I figured since I am not paying for my flight there or having any housing costs then I can mail it with the assurance that it gets there. Gosh DHL don't loose it please!!!
Also last night was my school's Annual General Meeting (AGM) where my current director announced to everyone who was there (this means parents and the board members) that I and other teachers are leaving. Afterwards at the reception people kept coming up to me to find out more about this big change.
So its official I can tell people that I am leaving. I guess I was most worried about how to tell my class parents but now that my director has done that I can tell who I want.
About 50 more days of school left but still so much to do.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A joke
So a joke that I have between my dad and a few of my male friends is that I will go to Kuwait and someone will try to buy me for camels. It makes me laugh but this morning on the radio, the show hosts have found a site where you can find out how many camels you/your girlfriend is worth. As A joke I went through it and I would be worth 40 camels, 3 goats, and 9 sheep.
Want to see what your worth?
Want to see what your worth?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Getting ready!
So over the past few weeks I have been e mailing back and forth with multiple people from my Kuwait school. Sending documents getting more and more things done for the move. I am getting myself mentally prepared for the move. I check out what the weather will be here in Latvia and then take a quick peek at what its like in Kuwait. A nice way to start the day putting on my winter jacket and thinking . . . this time next year I will just need a scarf!
Not only am I getting ready for the move but my cat too is conditioning her body for the warmer weather.
Not only am I getting ready for the move but my cat too is conditioning her body for the warmer weather.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
getting ready for the trip
I recently wrote to my new school to inquire about traveling with my cat. I got all the information what I would need to make it happen. I am pretty excited about my cat Minka making this trip with me. At least one familiar face will great me every day when I get home. To be honest I think she has known about this trip for a while because I have found her sleeping in my suitcase since I came home from London with the news. I think she will like it there. If anything it will be an adventure for the both of us.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A change in Language
About a week ago I received my official contract. Ok so that to anyone else might seem lame and boring. BUT is your contract written in two languages? Mine is in both English and Arabic. Its pretty cool to see both of the languages side by side.
Signing them officially today and then need to find DHL to send them back to Kuwait!
Signing them officially today and then need to find DHL to send them back to Kuwait!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
From the beginning
What better of a place to start then from the place that landed me this life change.
I started this year with the change from teaching grade 4 to currently teaching grade 1. I knew I needed to change something and that maybe a small change would be all I would need. Grade 1 sure has been a challenge but I have loved it. Seeing children at the beginning of their school career is eye opening. I can't for sure right now say if I like grade 4 or 1 better but they both have their great moments.
As the year moved into its rhythm, I started to feel that I really would want to have a bigger change. I love my current school and if I could move with it to a new country then I would in a heart beat. But since I can't move the entire community, I started to come up with my options. I set out to send in my paper work to an organization that holds a yearly job fair for international teachers in London. At the same time I did my research for a masters program that I could do just in case a job change wasn't in my near future.
The job fair in London was intense. Basically it is speed dating for a job. You have to run around in the morning of day 1 signing up for interviews and then each interview lasts over the rest of the day and the next day. Interviews can last from 20 min to 45 or more. I signed up for about 10 interviews that spanned countries from the Bahamas to Angola to Korea and completely randomly to Kuwait. I thought well it will be a great first interview warm up. Lo and behold they really liked me and wanted me to come to Kuwait. I spent the rest of the day running from interview to interview, some promising while others not so much. On of my last interviews was with a school in the Philippines. Would have loved to work there, and she really liked me though didn't have the space for me so she said she would hang on to my CV and would call me as soon as something came up. She was a wonderfully helpful director and I hope to hear from her in the future.
Some great offers were passed my way for small schools and I knew that I really wanted to work in a big school where I wouldn't be the only grade level teacher. I thought about it long and hard, e mailed home to see what my parents said. Their first e mail seemed hesitant but then their second e mail - about an hour later - they seemed OK with the choice.
With my parent's seal of approval and my final decision of wanting to work at a big school and see more sun I met with the director and said that I would love to work at his school. I think we both couldn't have been more excited about it.
Two months now have passed since this big decision, internet searches have been made and books have been bought, yet I still can't believe I am moving to Kuwait in August.
I started this year with the change from teaching grade 4 to currently teaching grade 1. I knew I needed to change something and that maybe a small change would be all I would need. Grade 1 sure has been a challenge but I have loved it. Seeing children at the beginning of their school career is eye opening. I can't for sure right now say if I like grade 4 or 1 better but they both have their great moments.
As the year moved into its rhythm, I started to feel that I really would want to have a bigger change. I love my current school and if I could move with it to a new country then I would in a heart beat. But since I can't move the entire community, I started to come up with my options. I set out to send in my paper work to an organization that holds a yearly job fair for international teachers in London. At the same time I did my research for a masters program that I could do just in case a job change wasn't in my near future.
The job fair in London was intense. Basically it is speed dating for a job. You have to run around in the morning of day 1 signing up for interviews and then each interview lasts over the rest of the day and the next day. Interviews can last from 20 min to 45 or more. I signed up for about 10 interviews that spanned countries from the Bahamas to Angola to Korea and completely randomly to Kuwait. I thought well it will be a great first interview warm up. Lo and behold they really liked me and wanted me to come to Kuwait. I spent the rest of the day running from interview to interview, some promising while others not so much. On of my last interviews was with a school in the Philippines. Would have loved to work there, and she really liked me though didn't have the space for me so she said she would hang on to my CV and would call me as soon as something came up. She was a wonderfully helpful director and I hope to hear from her in the future.
Some great offers were passed my way for small schools and I knew that I really wanted to work in a big school where I wouldn't be the only grade level teacher. I thought about it long and hard, e mailed home to see what my parents said. Their first e mail seemed hesitant but then their second e mail - about an hour later - they seemed OK with the choice.
With my parent's seal of approval and my final decision of wanting to work at a big school and see more sun I met with the director and said that I would love to work at his school. I think we both couldn't have been more excited about it.
Two months now have passed since this big decision, internet searches have been made and books have been bought, yet I still can't believe I am moving to Kuwait in August.
Life changes
In August of 2007 I boarded a plane to Latvia. My plan was to work in Latvia for a year as a grade 4 teacher at the International School of Riga. Who would have know that I would still be here in 2011 finishing off a 4th year of teaching in Latvia.
I am currently teaching grade 1 but looking for a bigger change. In January I went to a London job fair and that's where my life took a turn for something new.
I have never been a journal keeper or a blogger but with my new life change, many people will be following my every step. And to keep everyone with me, I have decided to start a blog about my new experiences. Follow me here on my travels around the world and the excitement of new life in a new country.
Destination: Kuwait! Job: Grade 4 teacher.
I am currently teaching grade 1 but looking for a bigger change. In January I went to a London job fair and that's where my life took a turn for something new.
I have never been a journal keeper or a blogger but with my new life change, many people will be following my every step. And to keep everyone with me, I have decided to start a blog about my new experiences. Follow me here on my travels around the world and the excitement of new life in a new country.
Destination: Kuwait! Job: Grade 4 teacher.
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