Online Classes Pretty Much Suck

I am really struggling with motivation for my TEFL course lately. It's not that I don't want to go to Japan ... it's this online format. Oh my, it is awful.

I will be the first to admit I have awful study habits - I have relied on my brain and ability to comprehend material in class for ... most of my life and gotten away without having to make time to study. I can b.s. my way through tests and have previously been able to do homework at the last minute without much trouble getting decent grades. But, alas, in an online course this strategy does not work well.

I have a solid 86% right now but this past week not wanting to go online and write out lesson plans or do the reading has killed me. I don't think my last assignment was very good and frankly the feedback from my online instructor has been minimal so it's difficult to know where I need to improve. I'm frustrated and, typically, when I get frustrated I become apathetic. How do I make that not happen?

The problem with apathy here is that if I am apathetic and get a bad grade in the course I cannot go to Japan ... and I really want to teach in Japan. I've been flying through the process of getting everything ready for the application process this past week but it will all be useless if I cannot find the motivation to complete the course.

Rock meet hard place.

I hope I can find a way to get more excited about my class. I'll admit it'd be easier if I actually saw or really talked to any of my classmates. Human interaction tends to make attending class more bearable but that cannot be done in an online course. I need to find more ways to stay motivated

Whatever will I do?

I have no idea. But I most definitely need to do something.

'Nuff said,
Crysania

Time Won't Let Me Go

I've been thinking "I need to blog" then forgetting. Time is moving faster than I'm ready for at the moment. I feel like the day drags on and on, then suddenly it's been a week.

I've started my TEFL classes and am doing well so far. I wasn't worried about the course work as much as paying on time and finding a way to get the student teaching done. Somehow it all has worked out. It's really amazing the way God puts things together. Just when I was getting to major "Oh crap, I'm going to have to change my work schedule and take less hours ... which means less money for leaving ... blah, blah" I got a call from the lady I used to tutor for saying her niece was in town from Korea for 2 months and if I could tutor. So I get the perfect opportunity to get me ESL Teaching done!

Lots has been going on in other venues as well. Last Sunday was Youth Sunday and our college group "took over" the church. We did everything from ushering and music to me delivering the message. I must admit ... it was scary. I can sing in front of people without issue but speaking to them is something else ... then I said "crap" on the pulpit. I didn't even realize it but apparently a few people got a kick out of it. I was surprised by the amount of positive feedback I got from people at the church ... whether they really felt that way or were just being nice is another story but I would hope they managed to get something out of it. I can assure you many of them never Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Wonder Twins analogies in a single sermon before. At least I can say I accomplished that.

So things are busy ... though I'm still managing time to play The Sims 3. I've never liked Sims games but I'm having fun with this one. Weird how simply putting a game on a console opens it up for my desire to play but whatever. It's not my normal cup of tea but I'm enjoying it all the same.

Finally, I thought The Green Hornet was adorable. I loved that movie. It was a good action comedy with emphasis on the comedy. I think the only way not to enjoy was to take it too seriously. Oh I also really enjoyed all the Bruce Lee throwbacks (one. inch. punch)! Because I'm not old enough I never got to see The Green Hornet television show, really, but I'd seen lots of clips and stuff in Bruce Lee documentaries and such. I do love Bruce Lee.

So I will make more of an attempt to be on blog. I'd like to keep in the habit so I do it when I'm in Japan as well. I really can't wait to get there.

I know the song doesn't exactly go with my situation but I like it anyways.



'Nuff Said,
Crysania

The Last Post of 2010

I don't really have much to say right now. Honestly, I just wanted to finish with an even 40 posts for this year.

I guess 2010 has been ... kind of forgettable. It wasn't awful but it wasn't very good either. There were a lot of hard times and far more stress than I ever wanted but there was some good - I mean, I did finally see both Muse and MUTEMATH so that alone made the year worth having. I think it seems kind of fitting for the year that I end it with this bad cold I have.

I'm looking forward to 2011 though. I'm still terrified and excited about the possibility of teaching in Japan for a while and I'm hoping other things get better as well.

That's all really. I got a new camera for Christmas (which was definitely full of good and bad this year) and haven't uploaded the software to my computer yet so once I do that I'll post about it. But yeah ... adios 2010!!

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

Wow

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.

Right now though, it feels pretty good.

'Nuff said,
Crysania

Going For It

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".

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

"Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?"

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.



Good stuff.

'Nuff said,
Crysania

"We have to unify and watch our flag ascend"

That's a line from "Uprising" by Muse.

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.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania