I’m taking a course through Oxford Seminars this month to prepare for TESL (teaching english as a second language) in a foreign country. My number 1 spot to go to is Japan, and I hope to get there maybe in November or December, if things pan out right.
I heard about Oxford Seminars from my sister, Julia (the travel/tour guide queen), and looked it up online. It’s a Canadian company, and the course takes place over 3 weekends in September. You can go during other months too, and they’re held all over Canada.
I had intended to go to the one in Charlottetown, but it was canceled because of lack of interest. So I frantically tried to find another place. No one could help me in Halifax, the closest location, and a hotel would be too pricey. I couldn’t stay with Julia in Toronto because she moved into a new place Sept 1st and has roomies (she can’t ask them if her sister can stay for 2.5 weeks right from the get-go). I thought about my aunts in Edmonton, but since the course is just on the weekends and neither of them have the internet (!), it didn’t sound that appealing. And then I asked my friend Beatrice, and she’s graciously said that I can stay with her and her husband for that amount of time in Calgary, Alberta.
The classes start on Sept 13th, and I’ll be on a plane tomorrow, Sept 11th, and back on PEI on Oct 1st. I’m very excited about going. I managed to get a cheap flight thanks to Julia, and I haven’t seen Beatrice in ages, so this will be great. I’m also looking forward to seeing Krista, who I haven’t seen in ages (though a lesser value of ages).
The classes themselves are 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and will prepare me for the challenges of having to teach in a foreign country. While I don’t have to have any teacher training specifically for this, I do need to have my B.A. (it’s about time that’s useful). You don’t have to take a course either, but from what I’ve read, I think it’ll be more helpful. Oxford Seminars helps you find a job, helps you get settled, really prepares you for the transition. It’ll be culture shock no matter how prepared I am, but hopefully this will make it a more pleasant culture shock.
I sent my passport away to be renewed last week, and it can take up to 8 weeks before I’ll get it back (though I was told that sometimes it happens in a month. As a quirk of living in a small city, I happened to know the postal worker who processed my application and readied it to be sent), so that’s why I’m thinking it’ll be November before I’m off on my teaching adventure. I’m really excited about going, first to Calgary, then the bigger adventure of teaching in Japan.
Now, as promised, a pink hat:
It’s for my cousin’s granddaughter, Ava, who is 5. Same Nubby Brim Cloche pattern but with mods, making it smaller, doing a knot rose instead of a bow. I used Bernat Glacier, then TLC Cotton Plus held triple. More information and pictures on Ravelry
Seeing my jewelry box there reminded me to take out some earrings and a necklace or two for my trip. Although I’ve traveled with the box before, I don’t do it for short trips.
Oh, I almost forgot, I made a headband with leftovers:
It’s called the Harlequin Headband, and there are some other great patterns on the website, too. As you can see, my diamonds look a little… off. I did something consistently wrong, but at least it was consistent ^-^
