Bet you’re wanting a translation of the title right about now… too bad. It’s Ukrainian and as yet I do not speak or read that language. But for the record it is the name of the school at which I will be teaching English in about three weeks. Let me first back up and explain a bit why I will be teaching English and why I will be doing so in Ukraine.
Well, you see the work visa I obtained through BUNAC was valid for only 6 months in the United Kingdom. No extensions, no exceptions. It is meant as a work exchange program for Americans to come and get limited experience living and working abroad and visa versa for British citizens to come to the States. It is not meant (as was explicitly stated in our first BUNAC orientation) as a means of gaining permanent residency in the UK. Of course that was my intention regardless, however after applying to, interviewing for and finally being turned down for a few jobs here in Great Britain, I realize that it is no small matter trying to convince employers to sponsor a work visa for me. (Sponsoring a non-UK national is complicated only by the number of forms and questions that need to be answered on how the non-national is more qualified than every other UK citizen on the island to do that particular job. Note: The same principle applies to non-US nationals who wish to work in the States. For having such a wonderful political relationship our two countries seem to be very wary of population swapping.)
As I was saying… couldn’t find a job that would sponsor me to stay in England. Therefore, determined to keep moving east I started to apply for jobs in Eastern Europe teaching English. I found one in Czech Republic, but they didn’t pay very much (and they paid in Czech currency as well) and then I found the one in Ukraine. The job is not in the capital (Kiev) but in Kharkiv (a.k.a. Kharkov, Harkov, etc.), which is the second largest city located in the eastern side of the country, right across the border from Belgorad, Russia. So starting on April Fool’s Day I will begin the next leg of my journey in Ukraine. I arrive in Kiev about 4pm on the 1st and will spend a day or two touring that city with Kate, the Director of the school. She’ll then help me to Kharkiv where I will have accommodation paid for by the school and I should start teaching straightaway.
As for the rest of my time in jolly ol’ England… I have about three weeks without a job (as my contract at Central Saint Martins ended at the end of February, right before my visa expired) to get in all the sights of London I haven’t been to before or want to see again. Yesterday I completed moving out of my flat with Alastair in Golders Green, which I’m very sad to leave, and will be staying with my work-mate Emma and her boyfriend in southeast London (exact opposite direction of my old flat, about an hour’s public transportation ride away). They are generously letting me stay in their spare bedroom for the time. Also I will be going to Perranporth, Cornwall with Darren and a dozen or so of his good friends for his birthday the last weekend in March. I am going because I mentioned to Darren that I had yet to make it out to the southeast of England and as yet to see the coast, which is ridiculous living on an island this small! So he very kindly invited me along to his surfing birthday bash. So there is my plan for the next few weeks. I am going to take as much advantage of my time left here as possible and to that end I need to get off the computer and go explore southeast London!
P.S. The official translation of the school is Kharkiv City Youth Language Club also know as WAY Language School. So there. You got your translation out of me after all.
3 comments:
Awesome, the Ukraine! Best decision you've ever made. Well, at least a close second behind befriending me. Hope your Russian is good enough to accomodate me when I come and visit (pressure's on now). Da, da, da...(wasn't that a song for a car commercial a while back? da, da, da...)
Wow! That sounds fabulous. Sometimes I wish I'd taken off for wild and exotic lands rather than South Bend.
Don't they mostly speak Russian in the Ukraine? I didn't even realize Ukrainian was a different language- and I have friends from there. Hmmm.
How can I beat the best decision of meeting you when we had no choice, we were destined to meet (due to the logistics of alphabetical order and school trips)? Of course, I'll be able to accomodate you when you come. And yes that was a song.
Ukrainian is a close cousin but definitely a distinct language from Russian.
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