Thank you lord for your guidance

Some great news to report! First, I got two job offers! One from a large traditional school (this one teaches every kind of English) and one from a more corporate-centric school (this one focuses on Business English, General English and private lessons). After careful thought, I've decided to go with the more corporate one for 3 reasons.

1. I have lots of business experience so it plays to my strengths well.
2. They do 90 min classes not 45 min ones like the other school (this means I only have to plan half as many lessons)
3. They pay better, which means I have more money to use for traveling over here.
Bonus: They also help much more with the visa process here which I would call a nightmare but that's being unfair to most nightmares.

But the good news doesn't stop there! After entirely too much looking, I found a great flat for Tim and I to live in. It is relatively cheap, close to the airport (easier when people visit us), only a short distance from the center of town, and best of all, a place i really like and felt comfortable in the moment I set foot in the door. I've attached a video I shot of the place for anyone who wants a 3 and a half minute guided tour of our soon to be new home (this video was originally shot to show the place to Tim since he couldn't make it to the flat's viewing). Sorry for the lousy camera work but it was shot on my digital pocket camera.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for me!!!! It really has seemed to help through this tough but meaningful experience. Hopefully before I know it, my friends and family will be dropping by to visit and I'll be traveling to a new city every chance I get! See you soon!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Something amazing has happened. For the first time in weeks, I'm caught up. I'm ahead of the game. I have finished my interviews (i should here back from the last 2 on wednesday), i don't teach again until thursday, and I even emailed several people about setting up a time to look at flats(apartments). I'm absolutely caught up.

Since I'm still in shock over this fact, I won't add much except to say that hopefully we manage to find a flat by next week. If we find a good flat and I get an offer from one of the places I interviewed with today, then life will be nearly perfect. Once I know for certain where I will be living, I'll send pictures.

In the mean time, since I try to make it a policy to never a have a post without pictures, here are some of Wenceslas Square. This is considered the center of Prague and is named for Bohemian Duke (and Saint) Wenceslas who is revered in the Czech Republic in much the same way King Auther is in Britain. He is best know to Americans as the subject of the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas".

My new home

Well its official. Tim and I will be living in Prague for at least the next year. I have been offered a full-time job and Tim has 3 promising interviews in the upcoming week. With this school, I will have the option to focus predominately on teaching Business English or if I prefer, to teach a variety of classes. I'm not sure which i'll opt for at this point.

However, now that we are confident of work, we are looking for a nice flat (that's an apartment in Euro-speak). Once we find that, all that will remain will be to pass this teaching course, decide which job offer to accept and start working and traveling. So this awe-inspiring, cosmopolitan city will now become our home for a year. (strangely enough, for a city that has the population of Dallas, it never feels very crowded or busy here)

Hopefully lots of you will be able to come over and visit us during the coming year. We will welcome guests anytime. When you take out the cost of accommodation, traveling to Europe isn't all that expensive :) Plus, you'll get to see sights like this as part of your everyday, walking around experience.

Wow, and I thought grad school was challenging

First let me preface this short post by saying that I think this city is indescribably fascinating and it looks like I'm going to stay here at least a year. That said, right now I'm working like i'm enrolled in med and law schools simultaneously! 14 to 16 hour days are quickly becoming the norm.

Fortunately there is a light at the end of the work! Once we graduate this program, hopefully Tim and I will both have jobs and we'll be able to take some R&R for a week or so. For now, we work hard and relax harder :D

Also, if anyone has any tips for staying sane through absurd workloads, I'd love to hear them. Remember, sarcasm is always welcome (quod erat demonstrandum!)


PS. For those of you who like pictures, here is one of the Old New Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Prague. This is the oldest active synagogue in Europe (it was built in 1270).

And video's too!!

In Prague, they love Jazz. Who knew?



Here is Old Town Square, the center of Prague.