I did it. Less than an hour ago I put down my first payment for TEFL training to teach English abroad.
I still have time to choose either Japan or South Korea but I've always been leaning towards Japan and that is where I'd like to end up (Tokyo or Kyoto onegai shimasu!).
I'm nervous and I'm excited - both to the point that I can barely focus today. As I talked to Kristin on Friday we both came to conclusion about our decisions (she would like to go on a 3-week mission trip to Kenya), "Sometimes when something is on your heart for that long, maybe it's what God wants you to do," Kristin said.
I think she's right. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time - it may not be everything I hope it will be ... but then again it may be just what I need.
I start my online classes January 10th and then I guess I'll find out.
There's been much to discuss and I will catch up on that later but this blog post is going to be straight to the point.
I have decided to sign up for TEFL classes and go to Japan (South Korea is less of a possibility now as my dad would freak because of the recent bombing). I'm terrified but I'm also excited.
I've known for a while that something needed to change in my life. I've always wanted to travel and I've been considering being a teacher so this is a good opportunity to try out both.
I don't want to have a that nagging "I should have" or "What if" hanging over my head.
I'm not lying about being terrified - the longest I've been away from my family would be 2 weeks in Australia - so I hope I'll get support for my decision, but even if I don't at least I'll know I went for it.
In my last post I talked about how much I was thinking about it but there's a point where you have to stop thinking, considering or wishing and do something. I've been wanting to do something for too long and I think it really is time to just go for it.
I will have made my first payment by next Wednesday and will start classes either January 11 or 31 - which will have me done finished with training by April at the latest.
I really, really hope this works out.
Here's a fun MUTEMATH song to end my post.
In the words of one of my favorite characters of all time, "Whatever happens, happens".
I've been a bit melancholy lately. I don't really like November - despite it being my birth month. I get bummed more easily during this month.
But I'm not here to be bummed which is why I decided for the title to be from Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash. When I saw Weezer they had a very nice cover of that song - and Rivers sang it while jumping on a trampoline on stage so it triggers happy memories of a fantastic set from Weezer.
Currently I am in the process of trying to leave the country for 6 months to a year. I'm looking into getting TEFL training so I can teach English abroad. I'd like to go to Japan or South Korea. I'm pushing for Japan more (I'd love to stay in Tokyo or Kyoto) but South Korea would be cool.
I speak a little Japanese so it'd be fun to use it ... and I had a lot of Korean friends in high school so I know a few of the bad words. At least I would know when I'm being cursed at or called "stupid", "fat", "crazy" or "idiot" and when I'm being told "hi" and "bye". Yeah, those words are the extent of my Korean.
I'm not 100% sure about this ... I desperately want to travel, but I'm terrified of leaving my family and other responsibilities I have here. It would be completely different from anything I've ever done. But that's what makes it so very, very appealing.
Also, I think I'd be pretty good at it. I'm kind of a grammar nerd and from tutoring a few Korean kids I do know some of the struggles they have learning English.
With the cost of the training I wouldn't be able to get started until January though. I wanted to start now, but it's just too expensive.
It would be pretty wicked to go though.
That's all really. I'm gonna leave with a MUTEMATH song that's stuck in my head as I try to pull out of this melancholy.
I can't believe I didn't post in October. A lot happened that I wanted to talk about. I finally got to see MUTEMATH! They were awesome. The experience getting there ... well, I'll save that for my next blog. It was definitely an adventure.
Anyways, I watched the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Saturday and enjoyed Jon Stewart's speech. He had a point. Instead of the media doing it's job it tears us apart. It tells us we are or aren't this or that because of one decision - it leaves little room for compromise and that is reflected in our government. We can't change or help the country if the government isn't willing to compromise.
With elections going on, I was really starting to lose my faith in people's sanity. But seeing all those people also tired of this stupidity made me feel a bit better.
Other than that ... today is election day. So I guess we shall see what that means.
That's all for today. I really just wanted to post the speech because I liked it. I also really liked Colbert's montages and John Oliver in that Peter Pan outfit.
Today is "Ad Day" or something. First, I want to Save the Blue Like Jazz Movie. Donald Miller is my favorite Christian author and it really makes me sad that they were able to put together a solid script and good cast but lose out because they can't fund it and still keep it the way it's written.
According to Donald Miller's Blog, Miller is trying to present the movie as he writes, honestly. And sometimes being honest means doing away with the stereotype that every kid being raised in a Christian home is or should be perfect so their having trouble raising the dough. Check it out here.
I'd like to donate once I get paid Tuesday so someone needs to hold me to that.
Next, I'm advocating Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. It's about time someone tried to get a bunch of non-extremists together. It's disgusting how much politicians and "news" channels try to tear the country apart. Really, it makes me sick to be told I'm not a Christian if I support Obama because he's some white-hating, Muslim, Socialist and Communist - especially when I don't think these people actually know the difference between Socialism and Communism. And I'm just as sick of hearing that I'm a bigot because I subscribe to a system of beliefs or having it assumed that I want to burn Korans and beat gays because I dislike a policy or am somewhat offended when someone belittles my .
I also like the idea of Stephen Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive too. I love how Colbert plays on the ridiculousness of the media.
I wish I could go to the rally ... in fact I'm trying to see if I can work it out financially but I am in California and it is in DC so we shall see.
It'd be nice to see American media "Take it Down a Notch". Polarization has gotten out of control - the way to keep this country going is to work together not by verbally or physically beating those with differing ideals. It seemed like media had come a long way since the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers back when journalism was planting it's roots in America and the fact that we're back there after knowing all we know now is just sad. Here's the video of Stewart's announcement because I love it.
I love that video. I have feeling a few of my gamer friends would do the same thing if they had the money.
Since last Tuesday I've been making an effort to get in some time on Halo: Reach. I didn't play Halo: ODST much when it came out and by the time I did get on people were pretty much over it. But I like Reach as much as I can like a game from the Halo franchise.
You see, I suck at Halo. The first Halo for the X-Box was one of the first shooters I played so I was absolutely terrible at it. I thought with having a little more shooter experience, I would be better at Halo 2 ... but there wasn't much improvement. When Halo 3 came out I'd had shooter experience with Star Wars Battlefront, Gears of War and Call of Duty so I thought I would for sure do well. Alas, I still was pretty bad. Better than the first two but still bad.
I don't know what it is about the franchise, I just royally suck at Halo. You can see how much right here. (Note: There are some good stats from when Ben played on my account)
I still have a good time though. I enjoy the game and the story line so I like Reach - I'm just not very good. I'm lucky my gamer friends online are, or I'd probably never play. Online, I tend to be our handicap and/or bait ... funny, but sadly true.
I haven't bought my copy and have been using my brother's so I haven't beaten the game yet but it is pretty good so far. I'm especially impressed with the backgrounds. The maps are HUGE and distractingly pretty to look at. Bungie did a fantastic job with the Reach planet. I get lost in the big maps but haven't minded too much as I usually enjoy the surroundings (and lack of people killing me) enough that I can't complain.
Tonight I'm headed to Andre Ethier Fleece Blanket night at Dodgers Stadium! I'm excited to get my blanket! The season may not have been what we'd hoped for but I still love going to Dodger games. I'll be sad when baseball season is over.
I am in love with this song. I may be falling for this band too - their lyrics are fantastic.
I wish I would've been super cool and hip and heard of them sooner, but as soon as I heard Little Lion Man I looked them up. Then I listened to more of their stuff this week ... and I love it.
I am a sucker for British and Irish folk-y music. There's something about it I really love. My dad says it's because I am Irish and that's probably true but no one else on my Irish side of the family seems to like it as much as I do. Seriously, I have The Celtic Woman CD from the PBS concerts - I have the Christmas version too. I just dig it.
This is the link to the official video by the way. I like both versions, I just put the live one up because I happened to be on the page.
Speaking of folk-y kind of music, I also love this version of Til Kingdom Come/ Ring of Fire by Coldplay. I'm sad the embedding was disabled.
Young Pilgrims by The Shins is another folk-y track I enjoy so I'll post it. (I know they are not British or Irish but I love the song).
Other acoustic/folk-ish stuff I like besides the obvious (i.e. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash): Good Old War (particularly the song Coney Island), Schuyler Fisk (Hello and Fall Apart Today are great), Corrine Bailey Rae and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution (acoustic side of Streetlight Manifesto) to name a few. I'm no acoustic/folk expert but I enjoy it once in a while in general. Suggestions are always appreciated!
I've had a lot to say this week but traffic has been awful so I've been in a really bitter mood and thought it best not to rant again. Playing volleyball last night and being told I only have to work half day today have put me in a much better mood today.
Volleyball kicked my ass last night. My legs and lower back are sore. I was definitely rusty from not playing in a while. I'm excited to be playing again. Kristin and I put together a co-ed team too. It should be a good time.
Also I've begun broadcasting volleyball for CSUF again. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it. The first game I had to do play-by-play though (I normally do color) and that was not so great. I had issues with the equipment and then some sound difficulties once we got it fixed - I was a bit flustered because of it all, honestly. It got better though.
Oh, right! And for the first time since I was about 8, I have short hair. It takes a little getting used to (almost been two weeks and I'm just getting used to it being me in the mirror without all my hair) but I really do like it. My sister picked the perfect cut for me to have short hair I think. At first we were going to do a bob but we decided to do layers, so I have more of a pixie cut. I know no one but me cares about my hair but it's a really big deal for me. I never thought I'd have short hair, but I definitely needed a new cut.
I didn't want to rant and ended up rambling instead, so I'll stop now.
