Four Days to Go...

It has been a busy few days, in terms of preparing for my adventure in England (and Europe) and saying farewells, which I hope to only be temporary. The feelings are of course a mixture of anticipation, excitement and a little nervousness.

(c) anaa yoo. Available under license CC BY-ND 2.0

Yesterday, I printed out the last few documents and also began converting some Aussie money into pounds and euros. There remain just a few things to do before I leave. Besides packing my luggage, which I'll probably start on Monday, and activating my UK SIM before departing Melbourne, I need to have a chat with the representative from CXC Global, the umbrella company I have signed up with, to become familiar with how the payment process works, and also whether I can claim language study in France as a work-related expense. More about that later.  

Some of you may be wondering what will happen with Vanessa. Well, I'm pleased to say that she's already booked her flight to come and visit me at Easter next year. I'm thankful that God has enabled us to spend some time together over the next three days before the 6+ month period of physical separation begins. During that time, we will keep in touch via Facebook and Skype, and although the separation will be hard for her, she has already promised to keep herself busy and productive, which demonstrates her maturity. 

Then on Tuesday, the night before I leave, I will be participating in my final concert in Melbourne until I return next year. In conjunction with his group PLEXUS, RMP's accompanist Stefan Cassomenos will be premiering his most recent composition, Requiem for the End of Time. We have been rehearsing it for the last few weeks, and dare I say it sounds amazing. It's certainly an original setting for the traditional liturgical text, a culmination of various music styles to symbolize the title. Thankfully, my flight is in the afternoon, so there's no morning rush the day after.

Besides getting used to my new surroundings and sorting out paperwork, there are some things to already look forward to. 
On August 15 - my third day in London - my church friends Tim and Charlene will be tying the knot after getting engaged at the start of the year. Although I won't be there in person, I will of course be thinking of them and praying that their wedding and honeymoon will be a joyful occasion.

(c) Jim Howard. Available under license CC BY-NC 2.0

That evening I will be attending my second live international rugby match - a Rugby World Cup warm-up between England and France - at Twickenham, one of the game's great venues. I've already purchased my ticket, and prefer not to divulge how much it cost. Needless to say, in general, attending sporting events in London is VERY expensive, but I'm sure the atmosphere alone will be worth the price, and if the game is an entertaining one, that will be a welcome bonus.

I have also been seriously contemplating heading over to France to undertake an intensive two-week language course to give my French skills a boost before I start teaching. In a sense, starting out as a supply teacher could turn out to be a good thing; my supply work contract with my agency (Smart Teachers) doesn't start until 14 September, which gives me some leeway into September if I need it. 

(c) by Les SIM's. Available under license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

At this stage, I might enrol with a language school called Lyon Bleu International, due mainly to location (I haven't yet been to Lyon and really want to visit it!), flexible course dates and accommodation options. Although my main method is German, I have been asked by Smart Teachers if I can also teach Spanish or French, given that they are the two most popular foreign language choices at high schools in London. I have done some casual relief teaching here for French, and my reading skills are reasonable due to my fascination with the language, but my listening and speaking need some work. Also, I have yet to learn French in a formal classroom setting. To try and get some sort of head-start, I've recently started listening to the recordings of the renowned language teacher Michel Thomas, whose method I greatly admire and am aiming to incorporate into my teaching style. 

By the time I write my next post I will most likely be in London. Prayers for journey mercies are most appreciated.
Till next time, Cheers and God bless!