Rain on my screen

I drove to York early to give my last lecture at the University there. I left the house at about 7.00 and drove through the cold, rain and semi dark morning to arrive all fresh and looking for coffee. This time I got to talk about my experiences in International schools. What it was like to live and work abroad and also to explain the difference between some of the systems that are used in these schools overseas.

Sometimes, when I think of the last three years I still can't believe that I managed to live in Poland and France. Since university I has wanted so much to live in another country that I never could quite believe that I managed it. Hopefully, the excitement will continue on the European continent when I hear about the job I am dreaming of. Whatever happens, I was pleased to be able to share the huge benefits I have gained from the experiences I had in Warsaw and Paris.

Tomorrow is the day that I am both dreading and desiring in equal measure. To go back to the school and the lessons that I started my teaching career with will give me a sense of how far I have come. Even popping in yesterday to get my timetable and chat to staff felt very comfortable. Things are moving along nicely now. Change is in the air again. Now I can breathe deeply.

Bring on the books

My pile of 'to read' books just does not seem to be getting any smaller. Every time I meet L for a coffee we seem to wander into Waterstones and come out with armfuls of books. Add to this the fact that I have made the costly mistake of reading part one of what turns out to be a trilogy, and having enjoyed it so much I just had to go and get the others. Good job that I am not in full time work. Chomping through these books just eats up the day.

First, I read the latest Adriani Trigiani book. I love the woman because she once sent me a signed book after I emailed her to tell her that I have loved her first novel. The fourth of the 'Big Stone Gap' series is just as good as the others. Staying on the Italian theme, I read the first book by Annie Hawes about her life among the Olive groves of Liguria. I liked it so much that I am now halfway through the middle of the second one. After that I have the book that N gave me for my birthday which is about a frenchman who moved to Tibet.

As I am sitting here I am imagining my windowsill in my bedroom and the pile of books is getting so high that I couldn't even tell you what else there is there waiting to be read. What I can tell you is that the joy of being close to a bookshop full of inexpensive books in my own language is simply intoxicating.

Thai Green curry

As this is the weekend, I am at Ns.She is cooking and I am making sarcastic comments while not really helping and playing on the computer. Today we have gazed through travel magazines and planned about a hundred holidays in our heads and stopped the plans each time as I need a job first. We have also looked at maps and wondered about the city that I might be living in and tried again and again not to get excited. It is not working.

Today she is cooking Thai green curry and it is raining on the roof of her conservatory while we sit pale faced drinking cups of tea. The weather reflects our february moods which is why we are apathetic and dreaming of warmer, brighter days to come. I am still in love with my weekend routines. Yesterday I met the cutest kitten in the world, now the tiny companion of L in her house with the open fire. We sat in her house and drank cappuccinos made on her hob with the coffeee maker I dragged back from Rome.

There is a busy week coming up. Another lecture on Tuesday at the Unversity, three days teaching which will flush some much needed cash my way and the result on Friday. To interview or not to interview, that is the question.

Take me home country roads

Five hours on a train to nowhere and the pressure of an interview during the course of one day does not a happy Anne make. Thankfully I had the thought of an afternoon coffee with L, who I have not seen since the summer. In the end, the interview went well and I managed to spend a good couple of hours chatting to her and catching up on what we have missed about each others company and reminiscing about Paris.

Every time I go to London for an interview I become just a tiny bit more comfortable with the place. I am a northerner to the core, but I don't hate London like I used to. Good job too as I am faced with the prospect of more interviews there and more time on that never-ending train journey. The state of play is that there are currently two jobs on the table. Both of which sound very interesting and both of which I think that I would like. I am waiting to hear about whether or not I have an interview for one and whether I have been given a second interview for the job I had a first interview for yesterday in London. Phew, all getting a bit complicated.

I am trying not to imagine getting either of these jobs and have been very tight-lipped on my blog about the details as I feel that I have been without a job for so long now that I would not be lucky enough to get one of these positions. Somewhere in my head I imagine that my career is over, that I will never get another job in my life and will be forever scrounging off the kindness of family and friends. That is not too much fun in the thinking department either.

So for now, there is just the waiting. I have become very adept at this luckily, but I am hoping and praying that there is a couple of weeks more now, just a two more cheeky little weeks between me and the next big thing.

Class of 35

I popped into my old school today to hand in my forms to do supply teaching. It hit me for a moment that I might be in front of a class of 35 kids and it is literally years since that happened. In Warsaw my Year 9 class had 12 students in it, hardly what one would call 'crowd control'. Still I am looking forward to the challenge and am also looking forward to the money. This few weeks of work should set me up for rents and stuff wherever it is that I move to next.

I applied for a job yesterday that I am desperate for. You will have to wait, as will I to see if I have an interview. This is the dream job that I have been waiting to see, the one that I never dared hope would appear while I was available and looking. I would like to know now where I will be living and get my teeth stuck into something new. The fact remains that things are ticking over nicely in my jobless state. I feel Ok about everything, feeling positive about the opportunities that are coming my way.

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Cold and flu remedies

I have been ill for the last few days and that has not been fun at all. There has been much coughing and gallons of eucalyptus oil smeared on pillows and tissues before being frantically inhaled to provide even an ounce of breathing relief. Now that I am starting to feel better I have a busy week to look forward to. There is more training, this time on children with Austistic spectrum disorder and of course, Fridays interview.

In addition there is a family birthday and a nagging feeling that I should not be resting on my laurels and assuming that this job is going to take all my troubles away. I should also be finding out about some supply teaching work at my old school here and that means that the money worries may lessen a little bit. We are getting close to the end of February now and where am I exactly?

Half term holiday

I have to admit that I really have done very little this week. N and L are on half term and the ready availability for mates to have coffee or got to the cinema with is just too much temptation. I went to N's the other night where she cooked the most beautiful pancetta and butternut squash risotto in the world. It was creamy and soft and took ages to make, but hey, no time limit when you are on holiday.

L texts nearly every day with a cheeky coffee offer and we have sneaked a cappucino in most days. Yesterday M came to visit for the day from Manchester and the time was full of afternoon tea at Bettys and then flasks of hot tea while we looked out over the moors. Northallerton is only a 10 minute drive from the most beautful scenery in the world you know.

Tomorrow K is moving to Hull and next week is phase one of 'catch the dream job'. I will also get to see L while I am in London, which I am very excited about. There just seems to be lots of stuff going on at the moment, who knew how I had a social life and fitted in a full time job before?