The Internet Ramblings of the QiRanger

To say things have been moving quickly as of late would be an understatement. Since putting my resume on-line and noting that I was interested in retuning to Korea, my in-box has been full most days. In fact, several recruiters have even taken the initiative to call me before even asking for further documentation from me.

But there have been a few silly instances…

Yesterday evening I received a call (from Korea) from a recruiter that saw my resume on-line. Great! This isn’t unexpected. But was unexpected was what he asked for… Could I send him my resume with my phone number, because he didn’t have it.

I was quite taken aback by this, since he was calling me from Korea! I also thought it was funny that he said he didn’t have my resume because when I apply for a position, I not only send a cover letter and resume, but my photo, and copies of my degrees (yes all three). So what the guy was really saying, was that he was too lazy to copy & paste it from the job board.

But onto the job hunt news…

Things have been progressing quickly. I have one interview tonight and have had several discussions with other public school boards. I’m not sure which route I will go, and I’m still waiting on a call from a recruiter in San Francisco that has an excellent lead for me.

One of the topics that comes up on a regular basis is where I want to teach. I truly have no preference, other than where ever I am that it has access to express buses and the KTX. After spending six months in the Seoul Metro area, I’m ready to branch out and see some of the other areas of Korea. My preference, if you can call it that, would to be closer to Busan, so I can easily catch the ferry over to Japan.

Talk about a fun weekend away!!!

While looking for a new school to resume my teaching career, I posted this letter of interest on a Korean Job Board:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Steve. I have worked in Education since 1994 and LOVE IT! My career first started out working in University Dorms, assisting new students become acclimated to their new surroundings. It wasn’t long after that, that I started serving as manager for both educational programs and international conferences.

However, the greatest joy I’ve ever received has been in the classroom teaching. I’ve taught science laboratories at the University Level, various vocational classes, and English to Korean elementary, middle, and high school students. It was the last experience that I truly enjoyed. I love languages and cultures, so it was pure joy developing curriculum and being able to implement it to assist new English Learners that was relevant to their everyday lives. In fact, I still keep in contact with some of my Korean students via Skype.

I loved living in Yongin and exploring the Seoul Metro area. Seeing the country’s rich history made me fall in love with it and long to return. What made my experience so positive immersing myself with the language and with the people around me. I pride myself in establishing friendship bonds not only with my coworkers, but also with those that live in the city where I work. I love living abroad and can’t wait to return to the Land of the Morning Calm.

I bring with me a diverse professional background that includes a solid foundation of instructional design. This allows me to tailor each class session to meet the changing dynamics of the classroom, while still meeting the educational objects of the school. In fact, I counseled most of the teaching staff on how to develop innovative and interactive teaching strategies.

I have several obligations in the United States, but will be available to return to Korea 15th June 2009. I’m looking forward to learning more about this exciting opportunity.

Respectfully,

Steve, MEd

With my resume and letter, it wasn’t long (and I mean within 15 minutes), that recruiters started contacting me. It was with great humility that I started screening out potential recruiters, for I did not want a repeat of what happened last time. During the course of discussions, and subsequent interviews with public and private school, required me to go into detail about why I left my former school. Here’s what I told them:

There are two reasons why I did not finish my contract at the hagwon. Primarily due to health reasons. My one-room was unclean and too small for me. I am 194cm and the ceiling was only 190cm. This caused neck problems for me. Furthermore, there was mold in the bathroom, which led to a fungal infection of the sinuses. This leads to problem #2.

My employer was supposed to pay 50% of the health insurance. They did not and did not assist in helping me see medical attention for the fungal infection. As a result, the associated cervical lymph nodes were also impacted. Because my employers would not take me to the hospital or physician, I was only shown to a dermatologist who could not identify the issue. After 5 months of not getting medical attention, I had no choice but to return to the US. After one visit to the US doctor and simple over-the-counter medication, the issue completely resolved within 2 weeks.

Above and beyond not paying for the 50% health insurance they were contractually bound to do, they did not contribute 50% to a pension fund, paid myself and other teachers late, and took money out of my pay check for bills and then didn’t pay the vendor – thus resulting in the vendor coming to my door asking for money. The owners would also ask myself and other teachers to work during non-paid hours for free.

Since June 2008, eight teachers have left before their contracts were complete. When you hear horror stories about corrupt and crooked hagwons, this one is the classic example. When I left, I asked for a letter of release and my tax information. The owners failed to provide both, even though I gave a month’s notice.

I hope this clarifies things. I would have loved to have completed the contract, but working for an organization that fails to abide by the written contract and cannot even assist to provide simple health needs, it wasn’t in my best interest. I can assure the you that I will complete my contract and not only be an exemplary teacher, but their best for many years.

Let’s see where this gets me…

Here’s to a great cup of coffee! Cheers! I’m here at a local Starbucks, mainly because I think they do deep, rich blends very well, and because they have free wi-fi.

You see, a few days ago, I received an email from Starbucks informing me of a new seasonal blend: Brazil Ipanema Bourbon. I love trying new coffees and found its description really enticing:

As you take a sip, a smile and the song both come to mind.

And why not? This coffee, with its mellow, pleasant notes of cocoa and almonds, is as light and lovely as a classic bossa nova tune.

Of course, there is one important difference: the mysterious girl from Ipanema was remote and unobtainable. But the coffee – ah, that you can find here, for a short time, as it is our newest seasonal offering. These seasonal offerings are coffees we present to you at the peak of their flavor. Brazil Ipanema Bourbon has a distinctive soft and nutty taste, with a complexity we don’t typically find in other coffees from this country.

As you may know, Brazil produces more coffee than any other nation. But of all that it sells, this one is unique. Ipanema Bourbon is a true varietal coffee, harvested from a stock of arabica Bourbon trees with a colorful history. These trees trace their lineage back to a seedling that was smuggled into Brazil in the 18th century.

And friends, let me tell you… they are right. It’s a light and lively blend that explodes right on your tongue. Since it’s a special blend, I knew it wouldn’t be part of their brewing cycle, so I was forced to purchase a full french press of this beautiful coffee.

Yeah… Like I have to be forced to drink a full pot of good coffee. The only thing that would make it better would be a nice little chocolate biscuit… oh wait… here it is… *CRUNCH*

What else is happing in the amazing life of the QiRanger? Well, nothing in terms of job searching… which lead me to the decision to entertain the notion of teaching overseas again. It was something I was trying to avoid, since I genuinely love being here with Jo and interacting with my friends. But as the balance on my savings quickly approaches $0, I’m left with few options. Since posting my resume for ESL jobs Sunday, I’ve had a half dozen inquiries and several interviews. In fact, I have another interview this afternoon.

I had wanted to try to visit Japan or Taiwan during this TEFL teaching excursion, but it doesn’t look possible. So, unless I find something in the US, I’ll be headed back to the Land of the Morning Calm mid-year. Knowing what I do now about Hagwons and schools, I am being far more cautious and careful when selecting where I’m looking. While part of me is tempted to return to the Seoul-metro area to catch up with friends still in-country, I am also looking forward to exploring new areas. In fact, a job in Busan would allow me to travel to Japan very easily.

The nice thing about some of these newer jobs, is that some offer 3-4 weeks vacation and a settlement allowance. That is helpful, since outfitting your apartment can be quite expensive. But please keep those prayers coming for hopes of a new job.

In other news, Jo and I will be traveling to the Washington, DC area over Memorial Day. She has a wedding to attend (and participate in), so we’re going to hook up with my brother and stay a week. It’s perfect timing, since I may have to leave shortely thereafter to start teaching. While there, I’m hoping to see some friends and take in some amazing monuments. If you live in the DC area, please send me a message and we’ll try to connect while there.

Well, I think it’s time to start reading the news… have a great day!

——————-

I had the pleasure of getting a few laughs yesterday, and being the kind person that I am, I thought I would share them with the Internet…

First up, I was contacted by an old teaching colleague that is now in Thailand. His new employer needed a reference and I happily provided such. Afterwards, I got to talking with Brad and got the skinny on some new happenings at the old school. 1) Another teacher pulled a runner. This makes 2 runners in 3 months. It also marks the school loosing 5 teachers in 6 months- all before their contracts ended. 2) I also learned that the the owners fired the one good manager that they had. 3) The head teacher that was there when I taught has been demoted and now the secretaries are placed at a higher level than the teachers.

I’m actually amazed that the school is still open with such piss-poor management. I really don’t give it too much longer. All the ‘investors’ are going to start wanting their money back soon – you know… ROI – and I just don’t see it happening. My former students that I keep in contact with have all left the school and have moved on to better places.

The second thing that got a laugh out of me were a few job descriptions I saw:

Close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Not to be outdone by:

Regular talking and hearing.

I wonder if anyone really proofread those pages before they were sent out.

A video story...

It’s been said that the moment we cease to learn… we die. I’m not sure that statement is really true, but I usually feel stagnant if I am not challenging myself by learning something new. So this past week, I decided to buckle up and start learning languages again.

Now, I’ve taken up learning Tagalog/Filipino and will be learning Chinese soon as well. I had tried to use a text book, but without a guided structure to really hit home the facts, I found myself lacking in progression.

So I bucked up and plopped down the cold hard credit card and bough a 6-month subscription to Rosetta Stone. It’s money well spent. I’ve used other computer-based learning programs and audio CDs, but nothing gets you up and running faster than Rosetta Stone. In fact, I hope I can keep up my current pace, for I will be able to finish both levels before my subscription expires.

I was actually torn between ordering the computer program vs. on-line service, since once you cancel the subscription, you never have access to the learning again. But looking back to how often I’ve gone back to the Rosetta Stone software I bought two years ago, I figured the on-line system would be all right, especially since I can print off the student text and go back to it time and time again.

One of the unforeseen benefits of acquiring the on-line program has been access to the entire catalog of learning programs. Well, 3 lessons per language. I decided to pop into the Chinese one to see of the lessons. Rosetta has it broken down into romanized letters, old characters, and new characters.

Oy! That will be a challenge!

In this downturned economy, people are stressing about money. When you lose work or are without it, you really start looking at how you spend it. But let’s take a look at the global economy.

If you make US$30,000 per year, you’re actually in the top 7.16% of the world’s wealthiest people. Think about it. Most people don’t really think that that $30k is all that much money. It’s less than $15/hr, but look at how rich you are!

If you’re below the US poverty level and make only US$10,000 per year, you’re still in the top 13.31% of the world’s wealthiest people. That’s just over $5/hr. Look at how rich you are!

Then keep in mind the kicker… Over half the world’s population survives on less that US$2/day. Over 3,000,000 survive on less than $730 per year.

$730 per year.

Now… how rich are you?

So a friend told me the other day that the Canadian Medical System now calls Sexually Transmitted Diseases STIS (for infections). What do you think? Should the US adopt this PC approach to this?

Desert Beauty

Well, I’ve been gone for a few days… In fact, it’s been really nice to get out on the road again and see a few new things. Saturday morning, Jo and I grabbed the rest of her family and headed towards the border of Arizona. It was a long drive, but one well worth the trip. Our destination? Kartchner Caverns.

It truly is a beautiful place. The limestone cave was found in the late 70s by a pair of cavers on the Kartchner property. They were blown away by the sheer enormity of the find and that it was completely unknown to everyone in the area. They took years exploring the caves before even bringing it to the attention of the Kartchner family. When they did, a race was on to protect the cave from others.

Kubla Kahn

In the late 1980s, the Kartchners sold the land to the Sate of Arizona and construction began on a State Park to preserve and educate the public. That park has been open for nearly 10 years now. The crown jewel of the cave is Kubla kahn, a 58-foot column in the “Throne Room.”

Because of the length of the drive, we over-nighted in Benson, AZ. A very small town. We had a great diner and Sheryl ordered a prime rib that must have been at least 5 pounds. It was freaking huge!

Then we moved on south to the “town too tough to die:” Tombstone.

"Virgil "Earp"

I had never been to Tombstone when I lived in Arizona and thought this would be a fun trip. I had heard a ton about the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral, but never really even looked that deep into it. Walking through the historic districts and seeing the re-enactment really put things in perspective.

Here are a few additional pictures from the trip and a little video rant about YouTube and Microsoft.

Comments on Giving...

While looking for a job today, I saw the following posted:

A candidate that we would NOT be interested in working with would most likely call our office one day and state one of the following:

1.​ “I’m having an allergic reaction to _______, and I need a day to recover.​”

2.​ “My grandmother’s/​grandfather’s memorial service is today.​”

3.​ “My wife/​husband is extremely ill and I need to stay home and take care of them.​”

4.​ “One of my children got in trouble at school.​ I need to go meet with his/​her teacher and the school counselor.​”

5.​ “I took some work home last night and will be going through it today from home.​”

6.​ “I have a doctor’s appointment.​”

7.​ “I got pulled over for speeding on my way to work the other day and I have to go to traffic school.​”

8.​ “My accountant made some clerical errors on my taxes and I’m being audited.​”

9.​ “My roommate left her skateboard at the top of our stairs, and well, it was all downhill from there.​”

10.​ “My wife left the window open…my flying squirrel is missing…animal control is on the way.​”

I know they’re trying to be cute. But putting such a negative spin on family and personal time just rubs me the wrong way. I would not want to work for a company that expects me to give up everything for them.

I am still left speechless.

On another note, check out my thoughts stemming from a recent Family Feud.

Foxy Lady... and Steve

I’ve been back in the United States for a little over two months, and while I have been traveling quite a bit, I’ve never ceased looking for work stateside. The problem being is that there is so little of it. In addition, some of the positions that would be fun and pay really well, would take me far away from Jo, and after spending six months apart, I’m not really ready to walk down that road yet.

On another note, since there was no joyous post from me on Monday, you may have surmised that I did not make the cut for the Top 50 for the Island Reef Job. While it would have been awesome to be on the Great Barrier Reef for six months, it’s clear from their list and ever-changing terms of service, that I would have hated the job because what their marketing focus is doesn’t coincide with what I like to produce. All-in-all, it is a great result and I had a fun time entering the contest.

Rather than sit on my butt all day and surf the Internet… OK – In addition to sitting on my butt all day and surfing the Internet, I’ve taken to moving in with Jo and her family to provide some help around the house. I take care of her Casita and provide 3-4 therapy sessions a day to her parents. I also help out with the three dogs. In between all this, I write, study, read, and job search. Being able to give therapy to her parents is a great joy (her mother has had shoulder pain for 30 years) and helps give value to my day.

I’m not sure what the job front will be in the coming months, as the market continues to tank here, with many organizations I’d normally work for experiencing hiring freezes. Heck, even Wal-Mart is laying off staff around here. But even as dire as some of the hiring situations may be, I’m thankful and happy. When you look at the grand scheme of things… they are great.