Thursday, December 07, 2006

My wife


I just married this beautiful woman. Though the photo is from 2004, she is at least as beautiful today. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Wedding Bells

Hello everybody!

I know you've all been breathlessly awaiting this announcement. :D Just kidding, of course. But we have finally decided to take the leap. My girlfriend and I are getting married! Everyone, send money or presents! :D

The wedding will take place on November 24, 2006 (yes, that's a week from Friday as of this writing), at the university church here in southern Mexico.

We are going to try to register online at Walmart.com and maybe a few other places like Foleys.com, but we've been having major internet problems for the past few weeks which are not completely fixed, plus we've been super busy with wedding plans, etc., so we'll see if we can. This also explains why this notice is coming less than two weeks before the wedding. We also don't mind wedding presents or cash that come a little late. Far better late than never!

Have a great day!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Still here

I don't have a lot of time to write, but a quick update is in order. I am still here in southern Mexico. I've decided to stay, even though I won't be able to get that other situation I was hoping for. But I am the English Academy Director, which is a slight increase in pay, etc.

One cool thing is that I am in meetings with the Academic Vice-President about my vision for the English Academy. At the moment it is not officially recognized by the university. That is one of the things I want to change. Eventually, I want it to become a School of Languages which offers a Bachelor's Degree in English. Additionally, I want it to be in charge of all the English classes that the university has in all of its majors. I also want it to offer refresher courses for professionals. Plus, there should (will) be a course for teachers that is continual and required, but counted as a part of their teaching load. These are just a few of the ideas I have for the English Academy. I'm very excited about the possibilities.

I also want to start talking with the ESL department of the college where I got my BA. I can learn a lot about how these things work from them, and we may be able to work out a deal where workers from there come here to teach, and our best students from here go there to finish their degree.

At the moment we're in the middle of registration, and we have far fewer students than we should. Pray for us.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

More changes to plans

Hey look, everyone! I blogged twice in the same calendar year! Recently, that's some kind of record. As you can read above, my plans have once again changed. The main reason I wanted to be in the US this summer was to take the GRE. The Academic Vice-President called me into his office a few weeks ago and explained to me that, since the English Academy Director was leaving, that I was his first choice to fill her role. When I mentioned the test I needed to take, he explained to me that I could take it in Mexico City, and that we could arrange for me to leave my work for a weekend or so, allowing me to take that test. So I decided to stay for the summer course. It ends towards the end of August, so I'd better already be talking to universities, etc.

Another idea that a friend of mine told me is that I could offer to stay on the condition that they let me go get my Master's and doctorate in the US and that they help me with it, plus that they change my status to "Inter-Division Employee" in the church, which, as long as I want to keep working in the church system, would put me light-years ahead of starting from zero as most people do. It would also facilitate an easy switch if/when I got a call from another part of the world to teach English there, as I dream of doing in many places.

That second thing is still just an idea, but I do rather like it.... We'll see how things turn out.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Silence is golden, but this is ridiculous!

My apologies to any/all of you who are following this blog. I have not updated it in a very long time. However, the title of the blog is fair warning, I would say. Since my last blog post, I either have not had time, or have not felt like it.

I went with Yesenia to Peru in December. I did not ask for her hand in marriage, because I did not feel ready. For the same reason, we have not made wedding plans.

This semester has been hectic, with a class for administrative secretaries, a class in English Composition, the same two classes in the elementary school, a class for the Theology department, a class for Sciences of Education department (during Spring Break), and working in curricular development, among other things.

The plan now is to come back to the US in early July, see all my family, take the GRE and GRE Lit, apply to grad schools (maybe in WA near my parents and two of my brothers or in TX near my other brother and his family, maybe in southern California like my English teachers did, maybe somewhere else), find a temporary job, etc., etc., etc. I'm going to be busy.

Because of the combination of things that are happening right now or about to happen, I'm feeling mixed/odd. I'm happy, sad, apprehensive, and more, all at the same time.

Please pray for me. And if you have an recommendations on grad schools, info on the GRE, or other comments, feel free.

I hope you have an extraordinary day!