April 28th - Book Twenty-Two: Girls

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

I finally finished another book. It's been two weeks but it's because I'm reading three books at the same time, plus I'm trying to learn the Math 11 curriculum so I don't look like an idiot when I teach it every weekend. I'm staying one step ahead of them and it's working...I think. Girls is a book by Nic Kelman, an MIT and Brown University grad. I bought the book in England because of a positive blurb I read about it written by James Frey. It was somewhat a thoughtful commentary of what men think about when someone of the opposite sex walks by but the style is weird and the story is broken up into complicated bits and pieces that don't neccessarily fit together. This book has received a lot of praise from critics all over the world but to me it's not really that great a book. But what do I know? 2.5/5. (214 pages. Total for the year: 5696 pages)

April 14th - Book Twenty-One: Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

So, I've broken the 20 book level which means I'm more than 40% through the goal of 50 in 52. Koren Zailckas wrote this memoir of herself growing up as a lush. The book, which kicks around some - but thankfully not too much - statistical data about youth drinking is able to limit most of the seemingly requisite preaching found in similar books that drive to tell people how they should live their lives. Her story provides interesting reading for anyone that wants stripped-down insight into what college drinking in the United States looks like. She is able to convey the negatives of binge drinking without doing anything by telling her weird, drunken stories. I bought this book for $5.99 at Book Warehouse on Broadway. Rating: 3.5/5. (343 pages. Total for the year: 5482 pages)

I'm not in Kuwait. (Though it's pretty damn hot here, too.)

It seems like there are many out there that still believe that I'm in Kuwait. Though, I was suppose to leave on the 19th for this lovely middle eastern country, I didn't go. The school didn't send me the promised plane ticket. And my hiring agency - though truly surprised and seemingly helpful - aren't really concerned with it. Apparently, the school had some second thoughts about hiring me for the remainder of the school year considering there were only 90-odd days left. As well, the school was sold just days after they agreed to hire me, which the agency thinks, played a part in them reneging on this teaching placement. I would have loved to have gone to Kuwait but, well, it's not happening this time around. Instead, I'm just sitting around waiting for ITN to get something short-notice for me so I can teach somewhere in this world for the remainder of the 2007 Academic year. Following is a transcript of my emails with the school.

March 9 - "Edmond Jay [VH]" to alnaki
I am preparing to come to Kuwait and will look into flights for next week or the following week. I would like to speak to you or a representative from the school before I come. If possible, could you please ring me at my home phone number between 2000 and 2400hrs Pacific Standard Time tomorrow? I have a few more questions that I would like to discuss before completely committing to this position. My number at home is 604-###-#### I look forward to speaking to you.

March 10 - alnaki to me
dear mr jay,
with reference to your telecon had with mr al-naki. pls note that mr al-naki is out of kuwait and will be back on 15th march' 2007. answer to all your queries will be given on 15th march' 2007.

thanks
ms manju
secretary

No one from the school called me.!!!

March 11 - I called Mr al-naki and made arrangements to come on the 19th. He promised to get me the plane ticket and some information about the science department by the 15th.

March 16 - "Edmond Jay [VH]" to alnaki
Hello. Still waiting for some information on the biology department and my eminent flight to Kuwait that I believe is being organised on your end.

March 19 - "Edmond Jay [VH]" to alnaki
I am still waiting for news about working with KIES. I was agreed upon in my last phone conversation with you, I was expecting some information on the science department to be emailed to me as soon as possible and to travel to Kuwait, through organization via the school, on March 19 but that date has already passed. Can you please update me on what is happening?

March 20 - alnaki to me
dear mr edmond,
thank you for your e-mail.
time was just passing in corresponding and now the academic year is ending and after 2 months the school will close. pls let us know your availability for next academic year staring from 1st september' 2007.
regards,
mohammed al-naki

March 20 - "Edmond Jay [VH]" to Sally (ITN)
Sally, upon speaking with the head of KIES on the 12th, I had made arrangements with him to fly me out on March 19th. He said the school would get everything done for me for the 15th. I've been emailing him constantly over the last week to get everything done because of the imminent arrival of the 19th but he hadn't responded to any of my correspondences until today. And in this response, I'm very disappointed to read that the school has rescinded their offer. I quit my hospital job and my math position at a private school on the understanding that I was going to teach for the remainder of the year and now Mr. Al-Naki has told me they don't want me. As you can imagine, I'm very unhappy with this turn of events. They seemed open to me accepting the posting and told me to get ready for travel on the 19th. This included me giving notice of my hospital job to my current employees and my teaching position to the math department at Formosa School. But, for some reason or another, Mr. Al-Naki no longer want me for the remainder of this year. Now, I don't have a job here in Vancouver nor a job in Kuwait and I am surely going to lose out financially because of this. As my representation, there must be something that you can do. As I've stated, on my telephone conversation with KIES they assured me of my employment with the school and told me to prepare to leave Vancouver for Kuwait for March 19th. Now, on the 20th they have reneged on this offer. I anxiously await your assistance in this matter.

March 21 - "Edmond Jay [VH]" to alnaki
Mr. Al-Naki, I am disappointed to hear that you are rescinding the offer you provided to me for immediate employment with your school. As we spoke on the telephone on March 12th, it seemed that everything was okay and I had the impression of you guaranteeing me work. Because of this conversation and the mutual agreement between us for me to leave on March 19th, I have been preparing over the last week to travel and begin work in Kuwait. This preparation included me quiting my two jobs here in Vancouver. Now, with you and your school reneging on your offer, you have left me without employment in Vancouver for the current time being. I must say again how disappointed I am with your decision not to provide me the Biology opening at your school for the remainder of the year. Not only was I looking forward to the opportunity of working in the amazing country of Kuwait but now, based on the information you gave me on the 12th you are also leaving me in
a very difficult financial situation in Vancouver.
Please note that I have forwarded your last email correspondence to ITN stating my disappointment with how your school has dealt with the situation. I must say that without employment beginning immediately I cannot see how I could agree to be available to your school for any future employment opportunities.
If you or KIES would like to talk further of this situation and possibly how it may be remedied, please email at this address or phone me 778-###-####.
Respectfully,

March 26 -alnaki to me
dear mr jay,
we had all the correspondence. the delay was from your end. in one of our e-mail we had also mentioned that "pls let us know when you want us to book and from which airport" but we never received response from your end.
regards,
mohammed al-naki

March 26 - I sent Mr. Al-Naki a lenghty email - maybe a 500 words - about the agreement. It's too long to paste here but the gist of it was my anger in them not telling me earlier that they were opting out of the agreement.

I never heard from Mr Al-naki after this last correspondence.

March 28 - Sally Barrett to me
Hi Ed
Quick update for you. The plot thickens.....Just had a call from one of our associates who has picked some information this morning on the international grapevine. It turns out that the one and only Mr Al-naki has just sold the school and bailed out of the education business entirely! Apparently it happened just over a week ago, which certainly ties in with them reneging on your job offer and our not being able to get hold of him. I will now try and get hold of someone at the school to see if I can find out who has bought it and who the new management are.
Cheers fro now
Sally
Sally Barrett BEd(Hons)
International Consultant
INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS NETWORK

Correspondences from ITN are, as always, few and far between. This was the last email from them on this matter so it doesn't seem that anything was really done for me on their behalf.

April 3 - Sally Barrett to me
Hi Ed
Just had a note from v good school in Jordan in need of someone to teach maths and some KS3 science next term. It is a temp post with a poss of becoming perm for Sept. I have, of course, sent thru your details to Ken, the director, and hope to hear back form him later today. Will keep you posted.
This is the basic info Ken sent thru. You can check out the school at: http://www.ics-amman.edu.jo/
For expatriate staff, the ICS offers one free return economy flight for the duration of this temporary contract, thereafter one free annual economy flight per year. This would be for ALL accompanying members of the immediate family. There is free schooling for all children. ICS provides an accommodation allowance of 5,500 JDs per year which is enough for a basic three bedroomed flat. We pay a utilities allowance of 700 JD per year. We do not cover telephone bills. The school is responsible for all maintenance, other than wilful damage. For this temporary contract, all payments are pro rata.
The salary will be in the region of US$3,300 per month, depending on qualifications and experience.
Currently, we have 350 pupils aged 3-16. We are moving into A levels and Nursery from September 2008.
Cheers
Sally
Sally Barrett BEd(Hons)
International Consultant
INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS NETWORK

It's now the 11th and I really don't know what' happening with my teaching situation.

Ed

April 9th - Book Twenty: Not Wanted On The Voyage.

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Everyone in Canada knows Timothy Findley. If you don’t – and he’s not that guy that sits next to Don Cherry during Coaches Corner – then you’re not truly Canadian. Mr. Findlay is probably one of the five big Canadian writers and of those five, which includes Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies, W.P. Kinsella, Alice Monroe, and Mordecai Richler, he is definitely my favorite. I’ve read many of his books and this one is without any doubt my favorite. And to re-read it during Easter long weekend, well it’s just an indication of what I really think about organized religion. I think I’ll make it an annual tradition from now on. The premise is pretty ingenious: It’s an imaginative retelling of what might have happened on Noah’s Ark. I know there are other books out there that ‘fictionalize’ stories from the Bible, such as A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters by Julian Barnes, but this is the best example, in my mind. It’s a funny, thoughtful and surprising story that provides an amazing view into the wonderful writing abilities of Mr. Findley. There are numerous turns and twists in his story as he makes fun of both religion and science within the 350-odd pages of this book. If you ever wanted to know what happened to the mythical Unicorn or why demons are evil, then this is the book that gives you as good an answer as any. Go read this book. Rating: 5/5. (352 pages. Total for the year: 5139 pages)

April 6th - Book Nineteen: The Tetherballs of Bougainville.

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

I purchased this book from Book Warehouse a couple of years ago but couldn’t find the time to give it a go until now. It’s an amazing satiric story written in a way that would make Jonathan Ames blush. Written by the funny Mark Leyner there were numerous amazing passages that made me laugh out loud and even more passages that almost made me pee myself as I giggled like a 6 year-old watching some ‘evil’ character get nutted (once again) in a slanderous cartoon rendition of a classical favorite by the Walt Disney Corporation. (Mind you, I use this analogy as high praise for Mr. Leyner’s book because I (a) consider voided urinal volume during fits of laughter as an honest measure of how funny a book is and (b) I actually think it’s funny when someone gets roasted in the nuts.) The book’s plot is actually very thin but really, if you’re reading this book for content then you’re also probably watching “Coronation Street” for its sociological study on Northern English life. The book is broken into two parts. The first part describes how a thirteen year old deals with the lethal injection execution of his father for shoplifting a hand-blender. The second part is written as a screenplay by the same thirteen-year-old as he describes how the story of the execution of his father would play out on the silver screen. Lock yourself in a room with this book, a bar of butter (unsalted), and a wooden spatula and don’t come out until you finish reading. Believe me, the time will pass so quickly, when you finish only 2/3 of the butter will have been used and you’ll only have a handful of splinters from the spatula. (Don’t worry, Narv. I’ll lend you the book. You’ll have to get your own butter and spatula, though.) Rating: 5/5. (240 pages. Total for the year: 4787 pages)

April 1st - Book Eighteen: Clay’s Way.

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Written by 21-year-old Blair Mastbaum about a 15 year old skater boy that is in love with an 18 year old surfer dude. Very abstract but somewhat believable. The story jumps around a lot and plays into a lot of different things that make the story seem disjointed but I think it’s just in the vein of how a 15-year guy might actually think when going through all of the trails of falling in love with another guy. It’s not the greatest book out there and it might not be worth your time to search it out but if you find it out there for, let’s say $4.99 – like I did at Hager Books on 41st Avenue – then maybe pick it up for a quick read. Otherwise, maybe just try out your own ‘alternative’ side and experience this story for yourself first hand. Rating: 3/5. (246 pages. Total for the year: 4547 pages)

By the way, did you know that Vancouverites purchase more books per capita than any other city in North America? If this is actually true, it leaves me wondering why half of my friends are illiterate. (And some of these are teachers.)