Future Plans

If you think that my email updates have been erratic this year, then you'd be right. I did start this on Sunday, but there was a problem with blogger, where I host the picture of the week. I've had a busy week, and so I haven't got back to it until now.

The pic of the week is taken from the diving boat when myself and Enda were in Playas del Coco. It shows the people who were diving with us, and in the background Cabeza de Mono, or Monkey Head (you can see why) which we circled on our dive.

Back at school
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It was a very busy week last week, as school started back on Monday. I also had the National Conference of Teachers of English in San José on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That entailed 6.30am starts, so I was wrecked after the week. This week is also very busy. I have a French private student (French meaning he's from France, not that I'm teaching him French), and he travels a lot internationally, so we have intensive classes on the weeks he's in Costa Rica. So I've had private classes with him for 3 hours every day, in addition to my regular classes.

Future plans
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I realise that I've never updated you on my future plans. You may recall that last semester was supposed to be my last in Intercultura, but there's been a change. I've decided to stay for one more semester. My boss, Barbara, is going on a sabbatical in later this month, so I'll be helping out in running things in her absence. It also gives me more time to plan what I want to do next. But this is definitely my last semester. I'm now the 4th longest serving English teacher out of the staff of 23. And I'll become the 3rd in April when another one leaves. I'm fast becoming the elder lemon.

So that will bring me up to June. I then plan to move to the Pacific coast for 3 months. My plan there is to write, not teach. Writing has very much taken a back seat to teaching, so I'm hoping to achieve more by giving it dedicated time. Over the next few months I'll travel to the coast and decide where exactly I want to stay.

That will bring me up to the end of September. My plan then is to travel around Central America and Cuba. Hopefully including Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. And I'd love to take in some of Colombia. I've always enjoyed the company of the many Colombians here, and I'd love to visit there if I can.

This would have me finished by the end of the year. I hope to be home for Christmas (my first since Christmas 2004!), and I've yet to decide where I'll be off to for 2008.

New students
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I've quite a few brand new intro classes. So starting with 'Hello, my name is ...' and very basic stuff. I did one exercise where students had to choose a famous persona, then ask each other for their names, telephone numbers and email addresses. I realised I had a lot of work to do when in one class I had Brat Pit, Ton Cruz, Ton Hamps and even Maycol Llordan (Michael Jordan)!

Change of address
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I'm not moving yet, but I'm not going to renew my post office box as I'll be leaving Heredia mid-year. So my new postal address will be at the school. So it's:

Éamon McDonagh
Intercultura
Apartado 1952-3000
Heredia
Costa Rica

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Well, that's it for this week. I'm dashing off again to my French guys private class. Sorry about the delay. I'll try to do better in future.

Until next week,

Pura Vida

Éamon