Hiya,
I hope everyone had a happy Easter! I just got back from a second trip to Ireland in as many weeks. I got called back for an interview with IBEC, or the Irish Business Employers Consortium. I will be extremely surprised if I get called back for the final interview, but it was an excellent experience and I am feeling much better about the whole moving to Ireland thing. I made it into the top 16 candidates out of hundreds of applicants. I am, if I may take a moment to indulge my ego, actually extremely proud of myself. I am extremely thankful to all of the people who helped me with the process! Lets hope this level of success translates to finding a job once I am over there!
I'm back in the states, more than a little bit tired and hitting the ground running preparing for our second to last family night, for Washburn Elementary. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take on a larger role in the planning an implementing process, and got to give the presentation for the English speaking families. The feedback was really positive and it's the first time in a long time I've given a presentation, so it was great to get the practice. TEFL teaching is surprisingly excellent prep. for giving presentations. This year has had it's ups and downs, but it has really helped me learn how to make alliances and find a role for myself within an organization that allows me to utilize my skills. Both invaluable lessons for future employment.
Wishing everyone a wonderful spring! It was so nice to return to Minnesota and find that everything was green! Winter sure does make spring all the more spectacular.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Ireland
Oh dear....seems I've been a bit remiss at updating. Just got back from Ireland. I submitted my visa application and the waiting game begins. I'm hoping they get back to me soonish, but I am so happy to have it in and out of my hands. I also had the opportunity to do some shadowing while I was there and it's official....I LOVE EMPLOYMENT LAW. That's a sentence I never expected myself to write. It wasn't all business though, I had a wonderful time catching up with friend, Sam's family and most importantly Sam. This whole seeing each other every two months is working out pretty well!
Went on an amazing hike with Sam's mom and brother out in Connemara, so beautiful! And I was in Galway again for St. Patrick's Day, which was actually really fantastic. Normally I am not a fan of the city during any holiday associated with drinking, but this year it was a good crowd. Watched the parade, watched Ireland get totally demolished by Wales in Rugby and then went out for the night with Sam and co. Ran into Sam's middle brother out on the town, which was a bit surreal for me. It's kinda shocking to think that he's all grown up now. Doesn't seem like it's been that long.
Now it's back to work. Counting down the days to the end. I enjoy my job, but some recent issues with a co-worker has made it a bit less pleasant. The weather warmed up this weekend and I was able to go for a bike ride. I saw a beaver in the wild for the first time in my life!!! So cool. I know understand why Sam gets so excited about seeing alligators.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Snow, snow, snow
Hiya,
Winter has re-arrived in Minnesota. Wind chill of 20 below zero and a harrowing drive to work this morning has really driven the point home. My goal this winter is to not get in an accident with my beautiful Olivia (my Subaru). Only problem being, some MN drivers don't seem to have clue how to drive in the snow. The number of accidents I passed on my drive to work seems to speak to the fact that no, you cannot tailgate when there are two inches of snow on the ground. On the bright side, MN is so much prettier when covered in a nice blanket of snow and it lends itself perfectly to snuggling up with a blanket and getting some studying done.
Work is going really well. There has been a staff change and it has made a huge difference in the success of our family engagement events. I have taken on more responsibility for the family engagement material that we send home, both at the pre-k level and for k-3, which has given me more to do and a sense of actually reaching some families. I've also started teaching beginning level small group EFL classes, which has been a bit of a transition. I prefer larger classes, but the program I am working with is much more supportive of the teachers, so it's an even trade. I am also still working in the reading lab, which I really enjoy, because it is one on one interaction with the students.
I am still studying for the FE1s. This has been both interesting and terrifying. It is literally possible to sue anyone for anything...apparently there is not such thing as "stuff happens" in law. Also, beware, if someone is trespassing on your property and they injure themselves, they can sue you! The levels of ridiculousness involved in tort law seems to know no bounds. I think I can fairly confidently cross that off my list of areas of law I would like to be involved in. It is the most fun to read about, but I think I would lose all faith in humanity if I actually had to practice it.
I have been extremely intrigued by the Republican race and it, much like torts law, has been a constant source of entertainment. I won't delve any further since I know I am in mixed company, but I will say the greatest highlight has come in the form of Colbert's super PAC ad. Regardless of political affiliation I think we can all appreciate it. 30 seconds of pure attack ad genius that takes "corporations as people" to it's logical extreme.
I booked my ticket for Ireland and will head over in March to submit my visa application. Fingers crossed!
I started piano lessons, in order to learn how to play my Melodica. They have been going really well, I am now ok with my right hand, and lack any ability to play with my left hand. It has been an extremely humbling experience for me. The 2nd grader who has lessons before me sounds like Chopin in comparison to me.
I hope everything is well with everyone!
Winter has re-arrived in Minnesota. Wind chill of 20 below zero and a harrowing drive to work this morning has really driven the point home. My goal this winter is to not get in an accident with my beautiful Olivia (my Subaru). Only problem being, some MN drivers don't seem to have clue how to drive in the snow. The number of accidents I passed on my drive to work seems to speak to the fact that no, you cannot tailgate when there are two inches of snow on the ground. On the bright side, MN is so much prettier when covered in a nice blanket of snow and it lends itself perfectly to snuggling up with a blanket and getting some studying done.
Work is going really well. There has been a staff change and it has made a huge difference in the success of our family engagement events. I have taken on more responsibility for the family engagement material that we send home, both at the pre-k level and for k-3, which has given me more to do and a sense of actually reaching some families. I've also started teaching beginning level small group EFL classes, which has been a bit of a transition. I prefer larger classes, but the program I am working with is much more supportive of the teachers, so it's an even trade. I am also still working in the reading lab, which I really enjoy, because it is one on one interaction with the students.
I am still studying for the FE1s. This has been both interesting and terrifying. It is literally possible to sue anyone for anything...apparently there is not such thing as "stuff happens" in law. Also, beware, if someone is trespassing on your property and they injure themselves, they can sue you! The levels of ridiculousness involved in tort law seems to know no bounds. I think I can fairly confidently cross that off my list of areas of law I would like to be involved in. It is the most fun to read about, but I think I would lose all faith in humanity if I actually had to practice it.
I have been extremely intrigued by the Republican race and it, much like torts law, has been a constant source of entertainment. I won't delve any further since I know I am in mixed company, but I will say the greatest highlight has come in the form of Colbert's super PAC ad. Regardless of political affiliation I think we can all appreciate it. 30 seconds of pure attack ad genius that takes "corporations as people" to it's logical extreme.
I booked my ticket for Ireland and will head over in March to submit my visa application. Fingers crossed!
I started piano lessons, in order to learn how to play my Melodica. They have been going really well, I am now ok with my right hand, and lack any ability to play with my left hand. It has been an extremely humbling experience for me. The 2nd grader who has lessons before me sounds like Chopin in comparison to me.
I hope everything is well with everyone!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Winter!
Hiya everyone,
Winter has arrived! I now have exactly 3 separate episodes of snow driving experience under my belt. Sam arrives Dec. 17th and I am crazy excited. I have big plans for his visit, a number of which involve snow. Sadly, the snow just melted, so fingers crossed we get a moderate amount, so we can go ice fishing and cross country skiing. The job is going well, volunteering is going well. Finally found a project that Minnesota Reading Corps is willing to support involving reaching out to ELL families. I am putting together videos of simple phrases in the Somali, Spanish, Hmong and hopefully Karen. Reading Corps tutors will have access to the videos and will be able to learn how to greet families in these languages. It's not much, but it is a small step towards making ELL families feel more connected to the school community. One of the primary complaints these families have is they feel disconnected and helpless, because English is dominate even at events for family outreach. I went to Christmas Fest at St. Olaf, for the 100th anniversary performance, which was really nice. It is also the final year for one of the conductors and the pastor who narrates, so it was the end of an era performance. I was also able to visit some of my professors and catch up with them! Serious drama happening at Olaf.
I just wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday season! It is wonderful to be somewhere that is actually cold for Christmas, it does add a certain something to the festive spirit! I hope all is well with everyone!
Winter has arrived! I now have exactly 3 separate episodes of snow driving experience under my belt. Sam arrives Dec. 17th and I am crazy excited. I have big plans for his visit, a number of which involve snow. Sadly, the snow just melted, so fingers crossed we get a moderate amount, so we can go ice fishing and cross country skiing. The job is going well, volunteering is going well. Finally found a project that Minnesota Reading Corps is willing to support involving reaching out to ELL families. I am putting together videos of simple phrases in the Somali, Spanish, Hmong and hopefully Karen. Reading Corps tutors will have access to the videos and will be able to learn how to greet families in these languages. It's not much, but it is a small step towards making ELL families feel more connected to the school community. One of the primary complaints these families have is they feel disconnected and helpless, because English is dominate even at events for family outreach. I went to Christmas Fest at St. Olaf, for the 100th anniversary performance, which was really nice. It is also the final year for one of the conductors and the pastor who narrates, so it was the end of an era performance. I was also able to visit some of my professors and catch up with them! Serious drama happening at Olaf.
I just wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday season! It is wonderful to be somewhere that is actually cold for Christmas, it does add a certain something to the festive spirit! I hope all is well with everyone!
Friday, November 4, 2011
The season of ice begins!
Hiya everyone,
I had ice on my car this morning! Eeeps! Soon I'll be take my chances with driving in the snow. Nothing much is happening here. Still teaching ESL, still enjoying my job. Finally taught a lesson that really went over well with my students; mortgages and buying a house. I was really dreading teaching it, since I am not exactly an expert on making large purchases. It went over really well! The job is still a bit nebulous in it's expectations, but I really like my co-workers and my boss at the community education office. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of women to work with!
Looking forward to the up coming month and a half. Sam comes December 17th! So excited! I've had a busy few weeks, it's so nice getting to see friends from college. I've been really fortunate that they are all far better at organizing social events than I, so I have gotten to see a lot of them with minimal effort on my part...haha. Went on a Zombie Pub Crawl a couple of weeks ago, which was great fun. Supposedly there were over 20,000 zombies involved. It was great fun! I am going home with friend for Thanksgiving, which I am really looking forward to. Turkey, stuffing and pie that I don't have to make! I love Thanksgiving, and celebrating last year in Ireland just wasn't the same.
I took the GRE on Sat. and it went surprisingly well. I signed up for it ages ago, before I decided I wanted to pursue law. Probably won't need it, but it's good for five years. So I have it if plans change. Right now I am pretty comfortable with my decision not to go back to school for my PhD.
Hope everything is going well with everyone!
I had ice on my car this morning! Eeeps! Soon I'll be take my chances with driving in the snow. Nothing much is happening here. Still teaching ESL, still enjoying my job. Finally taught a lesson that really went over well with my students; mortgages and buying a house. I was really dreading teaching it, since I am not exactly an expert on making large purchases. It went over really well! The job is still a bit nebulous in it's expectations, but I really like my co-workers and my boss at the community education office. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of women to work with!
Looking forward to the up coming month and a half. Sam comes December 17th! So excited! I've had a busy few weeks, it's so nice getting to see friends from college. I've been really fortunate that they are all far better at organizing social events than I, so I have gotten to see a lot of them with minimal effort on my part...haha. Went on a Zombie Pub Crawl a couple of weeks ago, which was great fun. Supposedly there were over 20,000 zombies involved. It was great fun! I am going home with friend for Thanksgiving, which I am really looking forward to. Turkey, stuffing and pie that I don't have to make! I love Thanksgiving, and celebrating last year in Ireland just wasn't the same.
I took the GRE on Sat. and it went surprisingly well. I signed up for it ages ago, before I decided I wanted to pursue law. Probably won't need it, but it's good for five years. So I have it if plans change. Right now I am pretty comfortable with my decision not to go back to school for my PhD.
Hope everything is going well with everyone!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
LL.M.!
YAYAY! Finally, I have received my grade on my thesis. This means I have a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law. Please feel free to contact me with any human rights related questions, as I can now work as a freelance consultant...haha. I am so excited and happy to be done. I got a high second class honours, so I am very pleased with my results. It was a great experience and it is so nice to be done with a Master's in only a year. Thanks so much to my family for supporting the somewhat out of left field idea of moving abroad and getting a Master's in something I knew basically nothing about. It worked out!
I am studying now for the Fe1s, which are the exams I have to take to practice as a solicitor in Ireland. So, still got my nose in school books for a while yet. I'll take those exams in Sept...and hopefully pass (the pass rate for first time takers isn't great, so I am prepared to have to give them a second go). The hopefully, once I pass, I'll be placed with a solicitor in a kind of apprenticeship program. Two years of the that and I am good to go! First hurdle completed. Several more to go...
I am studying now for the Fe1s, which are the exams I have to take to practice as a solicitor in Ireland. So, still got my nose in school books for a while yet. I'll take those exams in Sept...and hopefully pass (the pass rate for first time takers isn't great, so I am prepared to have to give them a second go). The hopefully, once I pass, I'll be placed with a solicitor in a kind of apprenticeship program. Two years of the that and I am good to go! First hurdle completed. Several more to go...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
An update long overdue
Hiya Everyone,
So I have not in fact fallen off the face of the earth. I am all settled into an apartment in St. Paul. My job is going well with Minnesota Reading Corps. I am lucky enough to work with one of my best friends, which makes a huge difference in the work day. In addition I am volunteering with a local non-profit teaching ESL classes. This has been an interesting experience and has been trial by fire for the first couple of classes. I am teaching one multi-level, multi-nationality, two hour civics class and one intermediate class. The most I have ever taught before this was a one hour, single level class. It is such great experience!
I am also in the midst of studying for the FE1. This is the entrance exam for Blackhall in Ireland. I am taking the exam in Sept. so I have a year to learn Equity, Torts, Company and Contract law. It is a bit of a daunting task...
Blackhall is where I have to go to be trained as a solicitor and I am planning on specializing in employment law. It's going to be a ridiculous amount of work and most people don't pass the FE1 the first go around, so we'll see.
Working for Minnesota Reading Corp has really made me realize how much I enjoyed law and being out of school has made me realize I do not have the personality to spend years of my life researching the same super specialized topic in the hopes of turning it into a book. I love teaching, I love research, but I also have an extremely short attention span. Thus law seems like the best fit. Practical application and a bit more variety.
Sam is coming over in December so I am looking forward to that and my parents are coming to visit in November. I get to share the MN snow...haha.
Everything is going really well. I am super busy between studying, teaching and work, but it is a nice change from last year. It is amazing how quickly time passes when you work 9 hour days and then go home and study. I have a whole new appreciation for people who go to school while working full time. I don't know how they do it!
Hope all is well with everyone!
So I have not in fact fallen off the face of the earth. I am all settled into an apartment in St. Paul. My job is going well with Minnesota Reading Corps. I am lucky enough to work with one of my best friends, which makes a huge difference in the work day. In addition I am volunteering with a local non-profit teaching ESL classes. This has been an interesting experience and has been trial by fire for the first couple of classes. I am teaching one multi-level, multi-nationality, two hour civics class and one intermediate class. The most I have ever taught before this was a one hour, single level class. It is such great experience!
I am also in the midst of studying for the FE1. This is the entrance exam for Blackhall in Ireland. I am taking the exam in Sept. so I have a year to learn Equity, Torts, Company and Contract law. It is a bit of a daunting task...
Blackhall is where I have to go to be trained as a solicitor and I am planning on specializing in employment law. It's going to be a ridiculous amount of work and most people don't pass the FE1 the first go around, so we'll see.
Working for Minnesota Reading Corp has really made me realize how much I enjoyed law and being out of school has made me realize I do not have the personality to spend years of my life researching the same super specialized topic in the hopes of turning it into a book. I love teaching, I love research, but I also have an extremely short attention span. Thus law seems like the best fit. Practical application and a bit more variety.
Sam is coming over in December so I am looking forward to that and my parents are coming to visit in November. I get to share the MN snow...haha.
Everything is going really well. I am super busy between studying, teaching and work, but it is a nice change from last year. It is amazing how quickly time passes when you work 9 hour days and then go home and study. I have a whole new appreciation for people who go to school while working full time. I don't know how they do it!
Hope all is well with everyone!
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