Lassen Report, etc.

Well, we arrived back in Santa Rosa on Sunday, 2 August 2009. It was great. We had thunder and lighting (none dangerously near) and hard rain the last night. (It didn't make the trail muddy, just kept the dust down.) We all got out fine, and everyone had a great time.

All this past week I've been attending an all-day ESL teacher training institute. It's been great, but it hasn't left me much chance for things like correspondence or blogging.

I can now report that I had two telephone interviews before I left, and both of them resulted in job offers. I've been to this point before, and had a good job offer pulled after I sent in all the paperwork. I feel better about this one.

I am applying to teach at a private Christian school in South Korea. They want Christian teachers, and they have openings for math teachers who can teach in English. Since I have a degree in Mathematics, and English is the only language I can teach in, that should work out well. Their application was heavy on my Christian beliefs. (They want to know how I feel about charismatic gifts! It felt like an application for a youth pastor at a conservative Protestant church.)

For this position, I am told that I can go there on a tourist visa and apply for an E-2 visa when I get there. That will streamline my preparations, certainly. I've just finished Korea Calling by Allegrea Spect & Jay Freeborne, and they say that's the safest way to go. They say, go on a tourist visa as a free agent, and look around. I want a bit more security than that, but it's reassuring to know that I shouldn't have much trouble finding work once I'm there.

Well, it's after 23:00, and I've got to get to bed. Just one more thing: I am actively preparing to leave, and I have less than two weeks before I need to be completely ready to go. That means that if anyone has any unfinished business with me, it needs to be wrapped up ASAP. Thanks for understanding.