Me and my coworkers

... as drawn by Grade 3 student Rachel!

Olympic Park in the Rain

Click to play the slideshow. Click again to go see the full-size photos.

My new neighbourhood

As many of you know, I accepted a new job as the Northeast Asia Coordinator for the International Debate Education Association. I'm so excited about this opportunity - I will be travelling around NE Asia promoting, organizing, and training people in debate!

Although I do love my teaching job, I'm pumped at the prospect of more challenge and a really dynamic workload. I mentioned in another blog post that I went to a debate camp/tournament to meet the debate community, and I was drawn in at once. So although I know it will be at times draining and frustrating, I am confident it will be just as rewarding. I will keep you, my readers, (all five of you!) updated on my travels and challenges.

The new job also entails a move to a new part of Seoul. (In the map to the left, I currently live at the south marker, in Anyang, and I am moving to the east marker, in Gangdong.)

한국...

... feels kind of like home today.

Malaysia: the price tag

All prices in Canadian dollars.

Flight: $645.69
Scuba (one day): $116.12
Hotel, food and fun: $480.52

Trip cost: $1242.33. Pretty darn good for a week in Malaysia.

If you add in the clothes I bought pre-trip ($113.90) and the books I bought there ($104.45), the trip total is $1460.68 - still under $1500, which was my goal.

My return to the debate world

I went to a university debate tournament last weekend! The Asian Debate Institute, a week-long debate camp, was taking place in Seoul, and my friend Michael (the current President of the UBC Debate Society) was there doing some training. Also, I wanted to do some networking in the Asian debate community before starting my new job. (More on that later.)

It was nice in a lot of ways only a debater would understand. For example, I had to wait for 45 minutes and watch a round before I could talk to anyone. When they realized I was also a debater, they welcomed me immediately and invited me to dinner. I came back the next day to watch the outrounds (quarterfinals, semis and finals), which were pretty decent.

Oh, and in case it's not clear, all this debate is in English.

And I can never stay away from a piano...

101st post...

... and also the cutest. Courtesy of one of the Grade 1 students: