So - new things.

I WILL still be working for the same company. Kind of. I WILL still be in Japan and living in the same place but I've been given an awesome opportunity at the perfect time -

- just when I was getting bored of classes of mainly 1 or 2 students
- just when I was getting fed up of doing the same kind of classes all the time
- just when I was getting frustrated by the predictability of my students and their responses
- just when I was thinking about the next move and how my experience here would limit me
- just when I was thinking of applying to jobs in the Middle East (impeccable timing with the current situation)
- just when lots of other things.....

My company (who has small language schools) is part of another company (who amongst other things sends teachers to kindergartens, high schools, businesses, etc to teach) and that company called me up, out of the blue, last Thursday to tell me about an amazing opportunity. And HOW perfect is the timing?

To cut a long story a short, I'll be working Tuesdays to Fridays in a Junior College (18 to 20 year olds) teaching a lot of IELTS (exam course) and culture classes. The groups will be of 15 to 25 students. This is SUCH an awesome opportunity to be given. It's going to be a complete teaching change and will be SO good for future applications, increasing my teaching experience and know-how, etc.

The dauntedness (dauntingness?) of it has faded a tad and I'm mainly just really excited by this new challenge and SO happy I was offered it.

I start it in under two weeks (things CAN apparently be made to move quickly in my company!) and will still be at my current Saturday school (which I'm really happy about as it's probably my favourite school at the moment).

The contract is initially for 4.5 months, after which I may continue or I may be taken back into a contract like the one I have now for the schools.

Good, huh?! I'm thrilled!

The only downside is that my Cambodia / Lao trip will have to be shortened by about 5 days, which I'm a little disappointed by, but it's not such a big deal in the scope of the new job.

Now, as for the college - I've been given their 'rules' booklet. It includes such gems as -

- students should be told to clean the classroom if you see any dirt or mess
- the summer temperature of the classroom WILL be 21 degrees and the winter temperature 26 degrees.
- students will not use your first name
- students will stand and say hello when you walk into the classroom (although it doesn't have to be in chorus, apparently). They will also bow to you. Japanese teachers should bow back. Foreign teachers don't have to do so.

Mah. I can't remember any more of the amusing ones at the moment. But it's all good!

Oh, and it involves a bit of a pay increase too :D

The timing really is perfect and just goes to show: something I'm not going into publicly happened that made me take stock of things, and nurture and find positive elements in my life whilst realising I really didn't need the negative ones. Just goes to show what positive energy can achieve. I feel that way about it anyhow.

P.S. Reception rooms are NOT DESIGNED TO BE TURNED INTO PADDLING POOLS. I just had a little accident. I have an old-fashioned washing machine that you fill by turning on a tap and letting water run from the wall into the top of the washing machine via a rubber tube.

Well, I just put it on full- blast and came back into the bedroom, water running onto washing to rinse it (high technology in MY apartment). Suddenly heard a loud, strange noise. Rushed into reception room to see that rubber tube had detached itself from machine and was busy turning my reception room into a sodding paddling pool. Luckily I have a crappy over carpet over my crappy under carpet, and that took the brunt. Unfortunately it also means I now have no clean dry towels. I guess it's the old holiday trick of drying off after the shower with a sarong.

And of course, I've done laundry today so there IS no more room to hang things out on the balcony. Oh the silliness of it all!