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| (c) by Geee Kay. Available under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
It has only been now, away from the hustle and bustle of life at home, that I've really been able to reflect on the past few weeks.
The weeks between my previous post on my birthday till now have been busy, mainly with teaching at DUELI and also starting up with an online company called Wealthy Affiliates.
I've really appreciated the opportunity at DUELI to try my hand at both General English (GE) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at varying levels, and the previous intake was arguably the most satisfying to date.
It was my first time taking EAP 3 (I had done two stints at level 2 and had a few weeks doing level 1 before flying out of Melbourne today) and with the help of my co-teacher, I'm pleased to say that everyone in the class passed, which is actually not as frequent an achievement as you would think.
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| (c) by SEOPlanter. Available under CC BY 2.0 |
Before joining Wealthy Affiliates in May, I had tried my hand at two other online wealth creation companies, only to find they weren't really for me. For a while now, the idea of earning additional income through creating an online business has appealed strongly to me, given that a teacher's salary is only adequate at best and I'm looking to buy a house with Vanessa hopefully next year, among other things.
Having already been "burned" once, I made sure I read as many reviews as I could on Wealthy Affiliates before making my decision. So far, I haven't regretted it, although I have yet to earn any money from the new website I've created, Best Ways to Learn Languages. But the Wealthy Affiliate courses provide you with valuable step-by-step instruction in which you learn new skills, and encourage you to connect with other members of the community online who are happy to help you out and provide positive feedback.
A few posts ago, I mentioned the possibility of me going to teach in the UK for one year. I can now confirm that IT IS HAPPENING!
I went to collect my working visa on Monday and also booked my flight to London. I managed to secure a discounted airfare from Flight Centre (beating a competitor's price!) to fly via Singapore on August 12.
Vanessa appears to have resigned herself to my impending absence, which I'm relieved about in some ways. She has promised to keep herself busy, while I've promised to keep in touch with her as often as possible while away. However, she has booked her tickets for a two-week visit during the Easter holiday next year, so that's something to look forward to!
I have a cousin living in Slough, a town west of London near Heathrow Airport, and thankfully he has agreed to let me stay for the first two or so weeks while I search for share house accommodation. With a clear departure date now set, the countdown begins, during which there are whole host of things I need to sort out before then.
Anyway, back to the present. After arriving in Queenstown, we set about getting ready for the rest of our time. After checking in at Goldridge, we went to hire our ski gear before hitting the shops to get food supplies.
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| (c) by Sandro Lacarbona. Available under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
Tomorrow we're headed to Coronet Peak for our first day of skiing. I have only been skiing once prior, and that was the Year 10 snow trip to Mt Buller, and even then we only spent one day there. At least this time I should have sufficient opportunities to practice. My personal goal is that by the last day in Queenstown, I'll be able to follow Vanessa down a blue run. Wish me luck!
Cheers and God bless
