Life in London- the closing of a chapter

I'm currently on a long train ride to West Croydon and thought that I better spend my time on typing my last post then sitting there contemplating on life.

So what have I been up to with my remaining time here? Well, I travelled for two weeks at the beginning of February and decided to spend my last two weeks in London saying my goodbyes and spending time with someone who meant a lot to me. I've been doing a lot of job searching primarily for roles in Melbourne, Sydney and Hong Kong.

As some of you may know, I am in the process of changing careers. I have been looking at roles related to community services, human resources and training. So far, I managed to find one position which I have just sent in the application for. I have not gone through the process of job searching, let alone writing a job application, in a very long time! As you would expect, it has been very stressful and time consuming. I am going to give myself a one month deadline to find a job. After that, I will move away from Perth, irrespective of what happens.

I remember the reason for coming to London; things didn't go the way I have planned. I was going through a lot of things at the time and as my friend Em would say, "I just couldn't handle it!". Time has passed by so quickly and it has now been over two years in the UK. Well what have I gained with my time here? I guess the main thing is gaining self confidence and being comfortable with who I am. I have managed to travel to over 30 cities, hopefully made an influence to at least one out of the hundreds of children I have taught, and meeting some really special people along the way. 

I honestly am not ready to leave London, but there is always an expiry date to everything in life. I know that I made the most out of my time here. The things I have learnt and the experiences I have gained will never be forgotten. 

2014 will be very challenging for me, but I also have a lot I can look forward to. Whoever reads this, please do one thing this year that is out of your comfort zone. Go travelling to a place you never thought you will go to, do something adventurous, or even try eating something you haven't dared try before. Trust me, you will gain so much from it, just like I have!

This blog was created for my two year stint in London. I think this post will be a good way to close my chapter in London and to get ready for my next one...

I took this photo at a burger joint before I moved to London. Luckily I made the most out of my time here and never took anything for granted.

Life in London: Update 3

I realised I have been really lazy this year and haven't posted much. I have been so busy with work and my weekends have been occupied with exploring new places and spending time with my friends and housemates ( Sam and Carl).

So how is life in London? Never been better especially after moving closer to the city. I now live in Zone 2 rather than Zone 4, which means less time to venture out into Chinatown, minutes away from Bricklane, and there is a massive 24 hour Tescos supermarket nearby...

I've continued to get work during school time and have been working full time, hence funding for more travelling before I move back to Australia. Teaching in London continues to be stress-free; yup you heard it right, stress-free! I love supply teaching here, no planning, assessment, take home marking and reports. Although I currently have a year two class for 2 days a week, I mainly do supply teaching on the remaining days at different schools.

So far this year, I have travelled to Reykjavik, Paris, Florence and Rome. I have also booked for flights to Amsterdam, Budapest, a tour to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Oh yeah I have also booked for flights to New York! Bet you are thinking how the heck I can afford all this travelling? Well that's why I work my butt off and travelling around Europe is much cheaper especially if you can book your flights ahead.

At the same time, I realise I only have ten more months before moving back to Australia. I now treat London as my second home and the thought of moving back home is daunting. However, moving home means being closer to my family and friends.

In the meanwhile, I'm going to continue discovering new places in London, more travelling to outer London and possibly a few more trips in August? If you want to come to London, come now before I move back to Australia next year!

My Architecture Encounter- Open House London

I've always been into architecture since I was a young kid. I remember whenever I had the opportunity I would always draw the skyscrapers that make up the Perth skyline. Being in London, I always come across interesting buildings but most do not allow public entry. So when I read in the newspaper about Open House in London, I immediately got excited! Open House in London is basically when over 700 properties over the city is open for only 1 weekend and is free for public viewing. Looking at the website, I narrowed down to 30 properties I really wanted to see. Unfortunately, I was only able to fit in 10 properties over the 2 days. Below are the ones I managed to see (not in any particular order):

55 Baker Street
This building used to be a department store but has been transformed into an office building. It has three glass in-fills between the building voids and one of them creates the dramatic entry. A shame we weren't allowed to explore more of the building apart from the lobby.

Artchive- Phillip Hughes Studio

This is a private art studio which was extended at the back of the building with a sloping glass roof. The bathroom is actually in the lounge room made from concrete and ceramic tiles to create an enclosed "cave".

City Hall
This building is home to the Mayor of London and deserves to be called a landmark in itself. As you can see in the picture, one half of the building is made up of a spiralling staircase that allowed you to see views of River Thames. I was lucky enough to go to the viewing platform (at the top of the building) which is usually only open during private events, to get a glimpse of the London skyline!

Container City
This is situated in a hidden wharf at East India which contains London's only lighthouse. The building is constructed out of ship containers to create a centre for the arts. This building was one of my favourites as it was creative and original. The wharf also had an awesome American diner that sold cheap burgers and hot dogs which I will definitely revisit!

Ed's Shed/ Sunken House
This house literally looked like a wooden cube at street level. The building is clad in a cedar rain screen and contains a vertical single window at the front of the house to create a 'minimalistic' look. My favourite area of the house was at the basement level where two large windows frame the courtyard, looking out to a beautiful tree (not sure what variety the tree is).

Hidden House
This is literally what you call a 'dream' home. This house has been featured on Grand Designs and was only completed last year. The house is made up of four levels and has it's own night club dance floor on the bottom level. It also has a 'wellness' centre that consists of a sauna and spa complete with background relaxation music. This house was innovative and inspirational in terms of what can be achieved in such a tight space. The house can only be accessed through the wall at the end of a cul-de-sac as it was built on a former neighbour's backyard. Guess what? It can be building from only 850k (pounds)... Bargain!

One Bishops Square
This building was not what I expected it to be. On the outside it looked like a normal office building, but it was the inside that really stood out. The building is a creation of Foster and Partners (if you are into buildings then you will know how awesome their designs are!). The building contains two voids, each containing a distinctive art installation. The first installation is made up of vertical flowers that move through the use of magnets and will open up when it senses sunlight. The second installation is made up of vertical 'curtains' of LED light bulbs. The main highlight of this building was the rooftop garden which has extensive views of the city skyline surrounding Liverpool Street. I can see myself working in this building...

Ravensbourne
This unique building is an art and design university situated in Greenwich. It is a next door neighbour of the O2 Arena. On the outside, it is made up of circular windows of various sizes and clad with metal 'jigsaw' pieces that fit the building perfectly. Inside, it contains interlinked floors of open and closed learning spaces. This is definitely one of the coolest university buildings I have seen!

Roca London Gallery
Unfortunately I did not make it in time to view the internal of this showroom but the outside was created using curved pieces of concrete. The showroom displays bathroom products so I guess the outside of the building was inspired by the rippling effect of water?

Village Underground

This was the first place I visited on my two day tour of Open London. I remember walking down a normal side road and upon finding the address I had to enter the actual site by walking up a set of spiralling stairs in a small courtyard. The land is actually on top of an abandoned railway viaduct. It uses recycled tube carriages to create space for artist studios. On the top carriage, if you look outside the drivers area at the front, it shows views of the surrounding street so it feels like you are 'driving' above ground. This building shows a creative and sustainable use of space.

30 St Mary Axe 
I was very disappointed I could not go into the building as there was a 5 hour wait to enter. The queue was unbelievable! The building also known as 'The Gherkin',  is a 40 storey office building in London's financial district. The building is distinctive and has a glaze dome at the top which shows a 360 degree view across the city.

For those people in Western Australia, Perth will have its first Open House event from the 1st to 3rd of November 2012. Unfortunately, I will be in Sydney during that time and I have heard the new Perth Arena will be open for public viewing!

I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to explore buildings I would never have the chance to. I believe the whole event allowed the public to appreciate architecture and their surroundings.

Homesick

This post is probably a less positive one as I've been sick for the past 4 days and have been told that I have a chest infection... Already had to cancel two days worth of work and will take tomorrow off too. Not a good thing when I'm trying to save enough money to last me through my six week mid year break in July...

I have nearly hit the 3 month mark for being in London and although things have been going smoothly, I was quite home sick last week and especially now when I'm sick. I have been on and off sick since arriving in London. When I think I have nearly recovered, I get sick again. This time round, I have been the sickest... I miss having dad cook me congee (rice porridge) and checking on me when I'm unwell + sis doing house chores  for me.

It is only when you are this far away you realise how much you have taken your friends and family for granted.  I miss being in that safety net where you got people around you to care for you when you are sick or down and  being able to have reliable friends you have known for years to hear you out. I remember experiencing this previously when I was working in Geraldton two years ago, where I was constantly missing those back home. The only difference was that I often drove (5 hrs driving) back home on the weekends to see them when I was in Geraldton, but here it will take me 17 hours by plane to go home.

To be fair, I've only been here for 3 months so I'm allowed to be homesick right?
On the plus side, I've made some awesome friends here, live in a house surrounding by friendly house mates and have met someone special who takes good care of me :) Not only that, I have decided to put stable yet stagnant life on hold to come all the way here to England to experience the sights and sounds that Europe has to  offer! What more can I ask for?

Anyway before I start rambling on, 2012 is still one of the best years in my life and I can't ask for more! So remember to be grateful for what you have and learn to appreciate everything you have around you (well that's what I'm trying to live by at the moment and I hope you are too...).

Life as a Supply Teacher

I've been wanting to write a post about my experiences as a supply teacher, just for those who are curious about what I am doing or for those who are interested in becoming a supply teacher in London...
By the way, supply teaching (as known in England) is basically relief teaching.

It all started with me going to a seminar in Perth about supply teaching in London. The seminar was organised by a recruitment agency called Protocol and they gave me a glimpse of what it was like to work in London as a teacher. They basically had me sold by the end of the presentation!
A few months later, Protocol organised a telephone interview with me about my teaching experiences and to also sort out some paper work before I left Australia.
When I arrived in England, they set up an induction for me. They helped me organise my registration, assisted with opening a bank account and told me all I need to know about supply teaching. Three words: all too easy! Signing up with a teaching agency before I left was part of the reason why moving to London was quite a smooth process...

Well I've been doing supply teaching for over a month now and I have worked at probably 5 to 10 different schools. It was interesting how I was pre-warned by so many people that teaching in London was going to be challenging and difficult. However, I haven't really had too much trouble apart from one or two classes which still  was manageable. It could be the teaching experience I have accumulated over the 3 years, especially when those  classes I taught back in Australia were even more challenging... I'm not sure why, but I have been given a lot of supply teaching at infant schools (Reception to year 2 classes). I was initially quite worried about teaching younger kids but I seemed to have enjoyed them more than teaching the older kids! The students in England are basically the same as any student in the world. Most are naturally curious, especially when you tell them your surname is Chan or you are Australian, some are cheeky and all of them have the typical English 'posh' accent. The schools in London are very multicultural, with over half of the students in each class coming from Indian or European backgrounds. I remember teaching a class where there was only 1 Caucasian child and the remaining students were from ethnic backgrounds.

The pay with supply teaching is not as much as what I get paid back in Australia but according to London standards, it is pretty good... I have been able to survive on the money earned to pay for my accommodation, food and even save a little for my upcoming holidays...

The best thing with supply teaching is the flexibility. This means that if I only want to work for 3 days in a week then I just let the agent know, and they will find work for me on the days I am available. The downside is that on days you are not given work, you will need to be on standby mode.  This involves you waking up early and getting yourself ready to work. Usually they call you between 7am and 8am in the morning. If they call you, they expect you to be out the door straight away and arrive at the school by 8:15, which at times is not quite possible. I recently was called at 8:45 to work, even though schools usually start at 8:55. I guess they were that desperate for a supply teacher, even though I said I was still literally in bed. I ended up getting ready in 10 minutes and arrived at the school at 9:40! Talk about being efficient!

I have just been offered a PPA position to teach 4 days a week for the whole of next term which means I will have a long weekend (Sat, Sun and Mon) every week! That will mean the possibility of short trips to Paris, Amsterdam etc... being on the cards! For those who don't know what PPA means, it is basically a support role where I will release teachers from their class so they can do their planning. The best thing with this position is that I will not have to plan, deal with parents and write reports!!!!!!!

So to sum it up, supply teaching is a good way to earn some money and to fund for your holiday abroad. It has also helped me regain my passion in teaching which might be because of the reduced stress from not being a full time classroom teacher?

UPDATE: A modified version of this has just been published by my recruitment agency: Protocol Education and I will get paid for it! Bonus :)

You still get drawings from students as a supply teacher!

Life in London: Update 2

I still remember that the same time last year I was in Perth focusing on work and nothing else. I never imagined that a year later I would end up living in London! Again, I can't say enough of how blessed I am to be here and that things do happen for a reason.

It has been over a month of living in England now. I am so used to living here now that it naturally feels like my second home. So much has happened over the month, both good and bad, but it has been a great learning experience for me.

It was interesting how numerous people warned me before I came to London to be prepared for the tough classrooms I will encounter. However, so far I have had a regular supply of work at different schools and have enjoyed teaching all the classes given to me. I actually feel passionate about teaching again! I guess it has helped because of not having to deal with the planning side of things and dealing with parents. I know I may eventually experience a really challenging class, but fingers crossed that the good classes will last a bit longer...
My agency has just sent in my CV for one of the schools I do supply teaching in for a 2-day-per-week support role.Hope that I might get that role!

I have made some friends here and am lucky to also have great house mates I can socialise and make jokes with. I was recently invited to a party which I thoroughly enjoyed and have constantly met new people along the way. Saying that, I do miss my friends and family back in Perth and it is such a shame that the 8 hours difference have made it so hard for me to keep in contact with them. I'm glad that there are a few friends who do make an effort to keep in touch with me, but I guess I need to do the same and make an initiative with everyone I'm close to back home.

I have started attending a Baptist church for the past two weeks and although it cannot be compared to my church back in Perth, I am glad my faith has been put back on track!

Anyway, my travel adventures will be kicking off very soon, as I have booked a six day tour to Ireland in early April, followed by a twelve day trip around Turkey in July. I had scored them through good deals from a travel expo I recently went to with my house mates. If I don't end up getting my position for two days a week as a support teacher, then I will book an eleven day trip around Europe in April. A very exciting time indeed!

There are some other exciting news as well, but I'll hold onto that till it is the right time to share with my close friends and family.
I have to say that the pessimistic and stressful Jason has taken a break. It is now replaced with the originally optimistic and happy version, and I'm sure it is here to stay for quite a while.

Can you see my excitement and optimism?

Life in London: Update 1

It has already been two weeks+ since I moved to London from Perth. I have to say that everything has fitted in really nicely with accommodation and work already sorted out within the first two weeks of being here. For the first six days, I stayed at a budget hotel near Liverpool Street which not only was in a good location, but the hotel itself was modern, clean (just a tad bit too small). Straight after checking out of the hotel last Friday, I moved into my new house-share in South Woodford with 5 other house mates. Although all my house mates are girls, they are all easy to get along with (with two of them being Aussies) so it's all good!

My bedroom

My backyard on the day I arrived! No more snow now...

 I haven't yet been around the whole suburb yet, but it is a nice suburb with tree lined streets and town houses stuck side by side. My house is only 10 minutes by foot to the nearest tube and takes around 25 minutes to the city.

So what have I been doing for the last couple of weeks? Well, for the first two weeks I did some sight seeing (as tourists would usually do) mostly by foot. I usually like having my headphones plugged in my iphone with music such as "Falling away" by Big Scary and "Boston" by Augustana and discovering new sights as I walk. Here is a quick snapshot of some places I have been:

A must see landmark if you are a tourist: Big Ben

Guess who lives behind these gates? 

Tower bridge- A really unique bridge matched with beautiful surroundings

The scenic town of Richmond, only 75 minutes from where I live

I promised my kids (ex students) that I will go on the London eye but have
yet to find  someone to go on with me yet...

A royal park in Richmond with my friend Christos in the background

The weather is a bit of a bummer though. I guess getting used to an average 30+ degree heat in Perth and coming to an average of 4 degrees in London, I do need time to adjust to it right? However, seeing snow twice since I have arrived in England is all worth it! The whole landscape and atmosphere changes when it snows!

I started my relief teaching job today and am fully booked for the rest of this week! I actually don't mind relief teaching as most teachers have everything prepared for you, and you basically go in and take over their class for the day. I'm glad that my first relief teaching today actually went well and the students I had in my grade two class were really adorable! Still trying to get used to the younger kids being so clingy though... (not good for a male teacher). Hopefully the jobs will keep coming through!

I know some people who are thinking of or will be travelling overseas. For me, I think it is the BEST decision I have ever made in my life (not exaggerating). Although I have been here for only a couple of weeks, I have seen so much and done things I would not usually do back at home. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone a couple of times and has continued to help me grow as a person. Carl if you are reading this, the message you have sent me has really gave me the courage and inspiration to do a lot! So thanks again for the encouragement :)

I'm homesick quite often, but am getting better at dealing with that as I continue to lead my life abroad. I'm thankful that having such a bad past year has helped me appreciate every single day I have now. I'll keep you all posted as time goes by. Take care!