In the world of "professionalism" and "proper conduct" it is disagreeable to discuss one's work in the public domain, which is, unfortunately - here. So I can't. Back in Japan I could vent my frustrations daily because no one I worked with could understand a thing I said. I was free to vent and ponder the many complexities of my life in public and my ever eager audience was always thirsting for more. But now, the daily rigours, joys and frustrations of my life (which there are many) have to be kept under wraps. Which leads me to my next point. I now have absolutely NOTHING to post about, which leads me to my next point: My life has become completely pathetic since I clearly have nothing to talk about but school!

Ugh! Recently I have begun to very strongly reconsider my desire to slog it out for another year here. I am on a term contract which means that I don't even know if I am going to get my job back next year. I have had people tell me all year long that it's pretty much a done deal since I am pretty much the only person in the district (besides the lady I replaced) who is trained to do my specific job and the school invested a lot of $$ to send me to specialized training but now I have to sit and wait and wonder as union rules and seniority issues dictate my life.

If I was a normal teacher with a normal life it wouldn't be a big deal. School district rules dictate that even if I don't get MY job next year, they have to give me a comparable job somewhere in the district. But here's the clincher. The only reason I am in Canada is because of the job I have right now. If I don't get my job back I'm as good as gone. The thought of having to live the suburban Canadian life and teach regular ol' school just doesn't cut it. I'm here because of the whole I.B programme gig. If I don't get it back then I won't stay - problem # 2 is that stupid union rules make it so that I won't even find out if I have my job back or not until the end of June. Which makes getting another job overseas a bit more difficult. So I'm stuck. What to do I do not know. Only time will tell.

On a happier note, I am busily awaiting my summer escape to Thailand. Considering that I was expecting to come back next year to my current job I have been planning on escaping pretty much as soon as school ends, jumping on a plane to Thailand, backpacking up to Laos and maybe Burma, sitting on Bottle Beach on Koh Phang Nang and then hitting up J-town for a much needed Japanese injection, returning just in time for fall term to begin. I guess all that really is up in the air now is whether I will be coming back or not :)

I usually take the stance of the fates direct me as they will and I just need to follow suit. I need to keep that in the forefront of my mind for the next little while.

Silver lining...silver lining...silver lining.

Cheers from the land of waiting and wondering

J