Learning and Educational opportunities.

This year is my final year at university and as I get ever closer to graduation and my final two papers being done. I realise that Education, and learning for that matter, is an every day occurrence both in and out of the classroom.

For me learning is about gaining knowledge and is a skill that many possess but not many actually take advantage of. For me I am always on the lookout for skills and try and learn new skills through courses and online classes. I enjoy being in the classroom but I also enjoy working through things at my own pace.

I have been taking some online classes recently in Event Planning, learning skills to be a Fashion Stylist, and furthering my skills as a Blogger, Photographer and individual.
I hope to be able to apply the skills learned to my life now and in the future as an educator and teacher for ESOL students. I find vouchers online from sites such as GrabOne for educational opportunities which I take on. I've also done a 140 hour ESL teaching certificate through them too.

One of the difficulties I face is in organisation of actually getting work done when I work from home. Because I often find other jobs to complete before I allow myself to really get into study and get the course work done. When I'm on campus and working in a lecture theatre I'm more organised because I can attend at the lecture and tutorial times which are pre-set by the university. When I'm working from home I have to really work to schedule these work and study times or I can easily stay distracted all day or just not work on the things I'm meant to be doing.

Today for example instead of studying for my online courses I vacuumed the house and made dinner and extra food. I tidied up. I did a bunch of cleaning that needed to be done.

And I didn't get my work done for study.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that some days just getting out of bed and breathing is a big achievement for the day.

I hope to report back with the good news of completing assignments for my courses and that I've been awarded the certificates soon...

Until next week,
xo, Lisa.

Update for the year and the future is coming

It is insane how fast this year has flown by, it's already the middle of May and that means that I have only mere months before I'm all done with study.

Come mid November after my final two exams are done, I'm a free woman - from university life at least - entering the big wide world of full time employment. I have a few ideas up my sleeve from working for myself as an ESOL Teacher, to finding full time work in a local tutoring service or school... or heading out overseas into the ESOL role I was offered in South Korea. There's plenty of options and I'm sure more will come knocking this year.

In the meantime I have to keep studying and reading - two more novels this week, and two essays by the end of the month... before two exams in June. I really hope I have managed to learn some relaxation techniques for my exam anxiety. I just want to pass the two classes and be done with school.

Then the excitement and madness of the Engagement Party in July with our families back in New Plymouth...            Before it all starts again for the second term of uni study!

(A dated selfie at Te Papa).

Daniel just celebrated making 5 years at his job at CricHQ which is quite impressive. He started at CricHQ when we hadn't started dating yet. I've certainly never worked that amount of time in one job!

I am also considering blogging more often in 2017, like a few times each week instead of just one post per week, but Daniel suggested I find a bit more of a niche market to write to, write about and share things from. Truth be told I don't really know what my overall theme or topic is, because I just write about my life - maybe I'm a lifestyle blogger? I do like a variety of themes though - I decided against cooking as an overall topic just because I find it hard to write a lot about cooking and baking... so while I enjoy doing it I won't be writing about it... I also like interior design type things but I also like to read about what others are doing in that realm!
It's hard to nail down to one or two topics.

If anyone has help or advice about how to nail down a blog topic - I'd love to hear it.
You can contact me on facebook - here, or on twitter here or leave me a comment below!

Until next Monday,
xo Lisa.

Life Update - I'm engaged? and a bunch of new things...

So over the past few months I've been donning a new hat - that of the Front of House Manager for Summer Shakespeare Trust's 2016 production of Love's Labours Lost.
This is the first time I've been the FOH Manager for a production, and I have to say I have really enjoyed doing so. A huge shout out and thanks for the memories and new friendships to all the Cast and Crew. I adore and appreciate each and every one of you. I'm looking forward to what this year brings for theatre in general for me and what I can get under way in terms of career, professional and personal development for myself. I'm also in my final year of university... Lots of changes are coming!

In December Daniel got the best Christmas gift* and surprise of his life when I asked him to marry me.  Today it's February 29th, perfect for "ladies to ask their man for their hand in marriage"... apparently. I wrote a more detailed post about this here. I'm still buzzing that we're engaged.
In a couple of weeks it will feel even more real when I have the ring on my finger too. It was ordered and it's being made now. I really love it. I'll write a post about the ring and why it was chosen and others we tried and why we went to the jewellers we did.

On the note of being engaged, I'm also in the process of finding a venue, and setting up everything for the Engagement Party. So far I think it will just be family, but with some friends - have to organise travel for some of us from Wellington back up to New Plymouth too.
Not much point having a big do down here in Wellington when our families are based in New Plymouth! Tentatively planning a smaller thing for our friends here at some stage this year.

Wedding plans aren't for a few years yet though - as we need to save up, and I need a full time job before we can really afford to do everything we want to do.
I started pinning ideas onto my Pinterest board, but over time things have changed, so it's not too accurate of what will actually happen.

Wedding bells in 2018? Most likely. All comes down to finances.

Uni starts back today, so I'm busy having classes Monday to Friday and I'm doing both 200 and 300 level English Literature papers this trimester. Going back as Limited Full Time too, so I've jumped from one to two papers each trimester.
Final 4 papers (courses) here I come!

Until next time,
xx
Lisa

*Well I think so anyway! That image and post is from our friends coming over for dinner and celebrating. Not of the engagement. (Sorry to disappoint!)

2016 Goals and Aims

It's already 2016.
Where did 2015 go? Time sure does fly when you're busy!

For the first half of the year I will have a lot going on, from summer school which starts this week for an intense month of studying...  and then next month Summer Shakespeare shows for two weeks - full time working hard in the Front of House as the FOH Manager.

In March I begin my final half of the year for my final four papers.

For 2016 my goals are:

1. To finish my final 5 papers for my final year of study at VUW. I'm enrolled in a paper for summer which starts tomorrow - I'm excited and nervous to get these final 5 papers done. - I don't know what 2017 will bring - uni will be done and I'll be working!?

2. To lose weight, and this isn't a generic "I'll lose weight because it's New Years" thing, I'm serious.

3. To actually push myself creatively - writing blog posts, photographing for my Instagram, making YouTube videos? Actually doing things regularly to get my creative juices flowing.

And the usual New Years Goals:

• have fun, 
• keep growing my nails out, (2015 and prior every year it was hard to stop biting nails, counseling helped on this one!)
• exploring more of the city,
• learning new skills,
• and learning new things.

According to a bunch of articles, and in particular this online article from 2012, sharing your goals online makes you less likely to actually succeed in doing them.
Weird huh?
I thought if you share your aims and goals that it would mean more people could encourage you in your progress. Apparently this is the opposite effect as sharing means more people are there to push you more, and increasing pressure means you're more likely to fail. So weird!



Some notes:
Goal 2: I went to my doctor in early December 2015 and found that I'm 25kg overweight. My fitness levels are non-existent. I've become addicted to sugar and eating junk food. My BMI is in the 'overweight' category and is on the Obese end. To put it the other way if I gained an extra kg I would be in the Obese category. That freaks me out. This is the wake up call I needed to see that I'm not living a healthy lifestyle right now. I need to work on my fitness levels and get healthier in what I'm using to fuel my body, mind and soul.

Nanowrimo

NANOWRIMO has been an amazing month. I did not actually hit the 50,000 word target, but I did manage to write a lot more words than I ever expected to do in a month.

I'll keep writing more and try and post it as a huge post - it's a really long piece though. Over twenty pages and counting. If I wrote around two-thousand words per day I would be close to the 50,000, but alas I wrote a mere thousand or so each day instead.

Here's an excerpt:

"Hello dearest reader, my name is Lisa Taylor. I was born one balmy spring day in September in the late nineteen eighties. My parents a scale technician and a housewife, had been labouring away finishing off their newly built home. They had been rushing to finish off the interior painting before my birth. But alas I came a few weeks earlier than expected at thirty six weeks. Some of this story is based on real life facts of my life. More will be made up as I go along. It is up to you dearest reader to sort fact from fiction and see how well you really know me. How well do you really know the people you meet online? In the bookshop? In the cafe every Sunday morning on Cuba Street in Wellington? On the bus every night after work? I guess this work asks these questions and more and suggests ways in which we can get to know people. To learn their quirks. To learn their traits. To actually listen and hear their story, versus what we think we hear when they speak. What is not being said, what do we read between the lines?"

I have had a lot of fun mixing up my past and future dreams and history within the literary narrative. I also spent some time on the road, with a Conference and other events going on mid-writing.

Today is Day 30 anyway, and I have a lot more to do.

I am actually taking some time off it, to allow for me to complete the Summer Shakespeare ticket sales and NZ Skeptics Journal stuff. I've just also signed onto a medical trial for Asthma, so will see how this goes. 

Social Media updates and exciting new ventures.

So, so, much has changed in the past two weeks. 

To be honest it's a bit overwhelming how much life changes; for the better. 

First of all I dusted off my camcorder and started filming a few things for my YouTube channel. You can see the latest things here; Lisa Taylor's YouTube... and on that note - started talking to more local YouTubers on Facebook - slowly gaining followers, can only hope to grow more by recording more and furthering my own skills in editing, recording etcetera.

I see a lot of the local YouTuber's seem to solely do YouTube...
I'm still happy to have Pinterest, Instagram, this blog and Facebook going on. I created a page on Facebook for the Blog and YouTube updates - I'm thinking that I should really make it include the other social media stuff too: instagram, twitter and Snap Chat too. Just literally downloaded Snap Chat again, and I'm really unsure on that app!

Outside of Social Media: I'm teaching more, I have four adult students now. They are all from South Korea which is interesting. Mostly I've taught South Korean's here and a few Chinese people too.

I'm on a break for the year from university. It's exams right now, and I was clever enough to choose a paper which was all internal. I'm waiting on my final essay's grade which should be out by the time the Summer Semester begins.

Over Summer - after Christmas (so January and February), I'll be going crazy with Summer Shakespeare where I'm the Front of House Manager** - no pressure! The team -including me- was featured in Victorious the VUW alumni magazine recently - you can see that article and photo here. Was an awesomely fun photoshoot, and new for me- normally I'm on the other side of the camera and taking videos and such, so it was nice to play Model for an afternoon!

Just have to invoke my inner Queen Bee (Beyonce too!).

In a few weeks I'll be down to the Skeptics Conference again - 

Christchurch you'd better be ready for us! 

I'll be there for a few days with Dan and the local skeptics doing the conference talks 

and recording the podcast... 

IF I remember I'll also film some stuff to upload when we get back.

Music that has me singing along:

Adele's Hello! (2015)
Britney's Work B*  (2013).

Movies I love: 

The Minions movie (2015)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Harry Potter - all of them (2001-2011)

Don't care that this is also from 2013: Selena's song Come and Get It 

- always makes me dance and sing along!
Also reminds me (fond memories) of working at a job I had for a few weeks when this song first came out and we played it in the store every day, super loud. 

One good thing about having a bit of time off before the craziness of Summer Shakespeare begins, means I have more time to catch up with and see friends...

So friends (yes this is me being my usual dorky, awkward self):  

It also means that YES I'm heading home to Taranaki for Christmas - see you soon New Plymouth!


**NOTE: This is the same page used every year, so in 2016 it will change to the next play for shows in February of the following year. Show dates for Love's Labours Lost are for February 2016.

Thinking about the future... So many options!

So recently Dan has been getting some job offers from overseas.
While we are not really in a position to be leaving New Zealand right now, it is obvious to us that we're considering it in future. After all I'm studying towards becoming an ESOL / ESL Teacher. I've already got a fair bit under my belt for it. Which is why I'm pushing myself so hard to get the final 6 papers needed for me to graduate under my belt and under way.

I have plenty of worries on my mind about how moving overseas will work, there's so much to consider -

 Location - will we be in an Anglophonic region? Will we need to learn another language to do every day things? (Shopping etc.) If we do need to learn another language will we pick it up easily? I already speak, read and write some French - it's schoolgirl French and I'm rusty!

Where is Dan's job located? Will it be easy to find a job for me for when I join him?

How long will it take to get back to NZ if we need to say in an emergency? How much will this cost us? Or if a family member or friend is getting married... Or for a funeral... So many family emergencies that could happen. Can't deal with any of them until faced with them properly. The "what if's" don't help, but being prepared for travel if we did need to isn't a bad idea!

How easy would it be for our family and friends to visit and stay with us etc?

What is the income level versus expenses of living in that location?

Accommodation costs, including expenses for the bills. What is typically included in rent there? Would we pay extra for water, power, internet? How good are these services?

Every day living costs - food, travel to / from work (both there and for me in NZ while I'm studying)...

Is there good public transport? Would we need to buy a vehicle? Would I need to drive there? How would Dan get around without me? How would I get around without him?

Health Insurance & other Medical expenses - I have Asthma so need 6 monthly/ yearly appointments as well as regular prescriptions, and then there is also our contraception costs and prescription. (I currently use an IUD, which is good for 5 years, so I could have a new one placed before I left NZ.) The question of how their medical system relates and compares to what we're used to in NZ. I also have (rare) occasions of depression and anxiety so sometimes I need help for those. Dan and I are both aware of a few other health things we keep an eye on, such as our eyes!
We both wear glasses - so there's the cost of replacement for those when needed, as well as the yearly eye exams. If these are covered by insurance, or get done out of pocket.

Setting up the new accommodation as well as everyday things like a bank account, drivers licence and other ID transfers. I also drive (Dan doesn't) so there's a question of if I have my NZ drivers licence transferred and exactly how this implicates things (like if I end up back in NZ within the 5-10 years after doing so) and the financial implications related to doing so.

What is the climate there? Cold, temperate or warm? Would we be forced to buy lots of Warm clothing (and snow chains for the car?) or is it bikini weather year round? NZ is pretty temperate year round, and we both get grumpy if it's too hot (over 26'c)...

Job security - Can both of us can find jobs in that place. I have the downside of potentially being the person left in NZ until I've graduated with my BA. (Within the next 3 years). With the question over doing my post graduate study for my Teaching Diploma / Master's Degree in TESOL. (Or just travelling over as soon as I've graduated with my BA).

What options we have available to up skill in the jobs we find. Or will we be stuck at that position for a long period of time? Is there a chance of job improvement based on income changes (increases) or what other bonus' are there?

In my questions I have found some good stuff come out of it though - there are LOTS of websites for those questioning all of these changes like I am.

I'm also looking into the locations of the job offer given by the recruitment agency to Dan, to look into the expenses and general guidelines around that city / country. So far I only have one place I've semi-crossed off, but I'm willing to give anything a go to make it work. I just do not want to see us end up in debt over our choices of where to live and work. If it's not financially viable it isn't a good idea. Plenty of advice is to be found: Here's just 5 that I found quickly.

Tips for arrival

19 tips from expert Expats

Best cities to live as an expat - Best places to be an expat: the USA...
Worst (3rd most expensive city): London.

The 20 best countries to be an expat - Australia, Germany, and Switzerland.

Then there are LOTS and LOTS of Blogs from all over the world from Expats and where they share their experiences and stories from the road.
I already follow a number of these. I love that their stories show so much emotion from anger and disgust at being robbed, to happiness and joy of getting there 'just in time' for a special family event. To sharing dodgy accommodation and dodgier street food and sanity questioning taxi drivers...

Either way no matter what happens - one thing is for sure I'll keep blogging and sharing our journey as it goes. The next 2-3 years for me will be in NZ anyway to ensure I've graduated and got my BA.
There's so much to weigh up as individuals as well as a couple. 

High tea, time with ladies and etiquette.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of being invited to a High Tea at Margaret's house.
We had eight of us ladies present. This was an informal meeting for all the volunteers who worked during the past 5 years for Eva's Attic. [A charity, premium second hand clothing store.]

Teaching English ESOL and other thoughts about Languages

Image from here.

Since coming to Wellington in mid - 2008 I have been working towards becoming an ESOL / ESL / EFL teacher. (They're all the same role - teaching English to speakers of other languages). In the past few years I've taught at a school for South Korean students (aged eleven to seventeen) at a Hostel as an after school homework Tutor, as well as an at-home home tutor for an adult student.

During that time I've taught more than forty students. 

I've been researching possible places to live and teach for after I graduate - as I've been learning French since High School, I've come to realise that France or the French regions of the South Pacific may be possible places to also teach ESOL, not just South East Asia as previously thought. It does mean I would need to drop some roles - but I have another three to four years before any possible move anyway! 

I still have seven or so papers to complete at VUW - so that is my first aim and goal. 

Image from here:

To Complete my BA at VUW. 

Then to get a job teaching ESOL overseas. 

I'm still unsure exactly how I will fund this, but I have another few years to get finances sorted at any rate. 

Being in a new culture, society and place is exciting. 

Having language problems - of being misunderstood, and on top of that learning the local customs and culture. It's all exciting. And scary.  Leaving family and friends and everything familiar behind is scary - and I'm sure I'll feel home sick and nervous. Thankfully too Dan has agreed to come over with me wherever I get placed, so I will not be fully alone in a strange, new land!

Reminds me somewhat of the excitement but nervousness of the contestants off shows like The Amazing Race, which sees teams go around the world in a competition.

http://teachesol.wordpress.com/ is a great resource too. A lot of ESOL/EFL and ESL teachers write blogs and they're often a good look into the life of a teacher on the road and in new places. When I go overseas, I will write a blog on my life too - as a way to keep family and friends in the loop as well as a kind of journal or diary online.

Updates: of Health & Work or rather the lack thereof.

So I haven't been great at writing this year. I've been busy with things going on - Facebook group admin work on a number of groups (closed and open) they're all fun in their own ways. The topics that come up are entertaining and can be time consuming to solve. 

It's a great test of my patience (I test others patience too! I am sure) as well as for my problem solving

skills. Honestly it isn't all fluffy puppies and butterflies.

More after the jump.

When the lights come on I'll be ready for this...

Some thoughts about my day and things I've been up to...

How do you write when you have nothing to talk about?

I've been reading quite a bit online the past 48 hours about writing and blogging. Thinking about how to do this as a career, or at least as a sub-career to my teaching.

I've come across some interesting things, like:
http://thewritepractice.com/feel-like-it/

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-a-good-blog.html

http://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-write-a-successful-blog-and-get-more-people-t-1257476541

I realised I need to write more often, even with shorter posts. Because shorter posts more often is better than less posts of more substance, surely?

Insane how fast life moves

I have spent the past 10 days or so madly applying for jobs. Any jobs. Full time preferred.
Yesterday I had an amazing interview. - You know the ones, where you walk in and just rock it? Where you answer every question and just know you were kick-ass?
Yeah, one of those.

October already!?

Oh my, how this month has flown by.