Sunday, September 7, 2008

Numbers, Traffic and All-Around Stress

Well, I can now, honestly and truly, explain to each and every one of you (because I’m sure you’re all VERY eager to know...) what EXACTLY happens once you actually manage to get a visa issuance number and meander down to the Korean consulate... However, I will not, because I’m equally certain that not a one of you really cares. And if you do, you can email me J. Suffice it to say... be ABSOLUTELY certain that you give yourself enough time to fight through traffic and make it to the consulate before noon, when the visa window closes. And by “enough time”, I mean, a ton of extra time, because this day will inevitably be the one when you lose your cell phone, almost run out of gas and get stuck in traffic because the bloody Gardner is down to one lane RIGHT before the exit you need. On this particular day, you will decide how much you hate driving in Toronto and, despite making it to the embassy on time (barely), you will have a stress headache all day because you were forced to rush and speed and become that driver you usually hate down to the very core of your being... True story.

On a more positive note... my interview is scheduled for next Wednesday at 3 pm... which hopefully means I can fly out on Saturday... The deal is even sweetened by the fact that Monday is a holiday, which essentially equals more time to combat the jetlag that everyone is so certain I will not experience. Those people obviously don’t know me very well... I image that, for the first few days anyway, I will have a strong reliance on melatonin pills... and adrenaline...

In other news...

Most of my teacher friends started teaching this week. Many are teaching children they love in subjects they are passionate about. Several are not. One in particular managed to get a job despite never having applied for a teaching position seeing as she decided that she did not want to teach. Ever. As if this weren’t odd enough, she’s teaching a grade level that she has no experience with, nor any desire to get to know. Let’s call her... Lynn. While Lynn is stressing about the students in her Kindergarden gym class getting bloody noses and how to go about teaching grade twos how to conjugate verbs in French, I am getting WAY too excited suggesting that she sing her grade ones the alphabet song in French, find translations of Hannah Montana for her grade sixes, and have her grade fives trace one another on chart paper and dress “themselves” in the attire suitable for their desired future professions. Not just suggesting, but calling, texting, emailing these suggestions “sans cesse”. Not that this incredibly brilliant and wonderfully creative individual couldn’t come up with ideas just as exciting/ interesting as these (if not more so)... it’s just that I, for one, have a problem. I NEED to get back in a classroom. Soon.

Oh, and “Lynn”... I think this will be a great experience for you. The world needs more dedicated, inspirational teachers like you; whether you believe you truly are well-suited or not.

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