Preparing for Texas

I always leave packing to the last minute. 

I'm going back to Texas in two days and I haven't even started. My room is trashed and I don't know where to start.

This is all further complicated by the fact that I have to choose which things to take home and then which things to leave here. I have stuff at my parents house in Austin, but I can't for the life of me remember what. Apparently there are winter clothes there?

A walk through Malá Strana

Now I know I haven't had many touristy moments since I've been in the Czech Republic, but that happens when you're busy studying and/or drinking beer that's cheaper than water.

But after finishing the TEFL course on Friday, I realized that there was really nothing stopping me except for sheer apathy which I've had one hell of a case of lately. 

Finally I got up off my butt, donned my scarf and trench coat — I feel so European — and went walking around. We've had some incredible weather around here lately and every day we just cringe at the thought that it might be the last crisp, sunny day in Prague until Spring. That in itself should have been enough reason to make myself go out. 

Of course, it still took me until mid-afternoon to actually walk out the front door.

I have an announcement to make

So I know the blogging has been a bit sporadic (that word always makes me think of the movie Clueless) here but I promise it's because I've been very busy. Mostly.

I've been making new friends and going out a lot with them. And of course I have been studying hard. I'm happy to announce that it has all paid off!

On Monday I was informed that I received a Pass 1 grade in my TEFL course. That's the highest grade they give and it is accompanied by an automatic offer of employment. That means that I have both a TEFL certification and a job in the Czech Republic.

But wait there's more! I was also given an option between starting now or starting in January. 

I have learned some interesting stuff here:

First of all I want to say that while I've been learning, or shall I say re-learning, grammar in this course, I have realized that we say so much in English without ever actually saying it. 

For instance:

If you say, "I went to Spain," you're simply stating an action that happened in the past. It's done and over.

If you say, "I have been to Spain," then you're talking about an action that happened in the past and has bearing in the present. (Maybe we're about to talk about Spain. Who knows?)

It's crazy how much we say indirectly and without realizing it.

But on to the more interesting things, such as language acquisition.

By the way... I'm in Prague

 

I've done a million things and yet at the same time basically nothing in the two and a half weeks I've been in the Czech Republic.

It's kind of crazy to think that I'm already halfway through with my course. I've been super busy with homework and lesson planning and getting lost in the city that I haven't really had time to stop and think much less blog about it.

 It's kind of hard to care about getting lost when you're in a city this gorgeous.

Five nights and Four and a Half days in London: Night One

I would first like to preface the next few entries with a word about my overall feelings of London.

I spent five days in London and from the moment I started making my way around the city I started catching myself thinking, "I could totally live here."

There was a moment when I actually started looking at jobs in the area and considering blowing off the TEFL program and just staying. Yeah, I liked it that much.

However, I can't really afford to live in London. Not just yet at least. I'll revisit the idea later when I'm more financially solvent.

Obviously I very much enjoyed my stay in London. It was the general feeling the place gave me which may have been aided by the fact that for the first time in eight months I could read and speak without have to pantomime everything.

I'll try to start from the beginning though.

A day and a half in Kuala Lumpur

By the time I got to Kuala Lumpur (KL from now on), I was absolutely exhausted. I managed to sleep about an hour and a half before I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to get ready and make sure I had everything, then I hopped in a cab.

There was a girl already in the cab but she was going to a hotel that was apparently on the way to the airport, so no biggie. Or so I thought...