tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29501105465236427282024-02-06T22:18:00.436-08:00Expat of the WorldAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-23513534478388584152014-05-17T03:17:00.000-07:002014-05-17T03:17:01.164-07:00The Start of my Solo Travel Across Italy: My First Hostel Experience: Sorrento (Sant'Agnello)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My
solo trip around Italy starts off in the beautiful coastal town,
Sorrento. I checked in for 5 nights (then a night in Naples) so I
could base myself and use the local buses or circumvesuvania train to
make day trips to Amalfi, Capri, Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius. I didn't
plan out exactly where/what the plan was each day because that's the
thing with solo travel, you don't know who you're going to meet. You
want to be flexible. You want the road ahead to be clear.</span></div>
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<i>Sorrento (not my photo)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although..
I was a bit of a travel virgin, so I did book my hostels in advance
(using <a href="http://www.hostelbookers.com/" target="_blank">hostel bookers</a> / <a href="http://www.hostelworld.com/" target="_blank">hostel world</a>) as well as the trains from city
to city (<a href="http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4ddd1a035296f310VgnVCM1000005817f90aRCRD" target="_blank">Trentitalia)</a>. This meant I had a vague idea of where I was
going, which definitely helped me in making the most of my time in
one place. Without some kind of outline or deadline, some travellers
I met were getting lazy- drinking all day and hungover on the beach. That's not to say I didn't have a couple of
these days... but the most rewarding experiences were found in those
exhausting long days, throwing on my rucksack leaving the hostel at 7
or 8am and getting back in the early morning sweaty and aching all
over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To
get to Sorrento, I got myself to Naples first. (I decided not to stay
in Naples at this point but to return after the 5 nights because from
Naples I would take the overnight train to Palermo, Sicily). So,
I took the circumvesuvania from Naples to Sorrento which was easy
enough to do, once I found the actual train itself after wandering
around the station for ages. I really liked the train because you
would buy your ticket in your coffee shop or tabacchi, then keep it
in your purse until the time you want to travel. Just
remember to stamp it before you get on! </span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now,
I didn't look at my hostel address properly. Big mistake. But with a
name like “<a href="http://www.hostelbookers.com/property/prp/99261/arr/2014-05-24/ngt/2/ppl/1/" target="_blank">Youth Hostel Sorrento</a>”, one would assume it was in
Sorrento, no? No. It was actually the next stop after Sorrento, in
the quiet and charming suburb, Sant'Agnello. This wasn't a problem though, only a 20 minute walk / 3 minute train from Sorrento, and at €18
a night (£15/$25) I wasn't complaining. This hostel was my first
ever hostel experience! It was clean, beds were comfortable- even had
a wardrobe and dressing table in the room. There was a small kitchen
with a fridge, hob, and microwave, which was great when travelling on
a budget. Only thing was from the station it was a bit of an up-hill
trek through the village on a narrow cobbled road. While it was
horrendous to hike up with a massive heavy rucksack and a dirty stray
dog following me, it was a nice bit of insight into local living. I'd
choose it again and again over staying in an expensive hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So
it's my first night here, I'm just packing a bottle of water in my
rucksack to go head out for the evening when I hear a lot of laughing
and music from the kitchen. Amazed, there's about 15 guys and girls
around 20-30 years old all squashed into this tiny kitchen, bottles
of booze everywhere, and I feel a little shy. I put my bag down and
go and introduce myself, some were travelling alone but most were in
pairs or small groups of friends. What an incredible feeling to meet
so many people from so many nationalities! I was the only one from
England and I loved it. We got ourselves sat in a circle on the floor
and chatted as a group and then came the drinking games. We planned
to take the last train to Sorrento and taxi it back but the drinking
got a bit out of hand and most of us just passed out in our beds. I
didn't spend a penny that night and had a fabulous time!
Sadly that night was the finale for most people, and by morning their
bags were gone. Then with each new day came new travellers, more and
more inspiring conversations and wonderful memories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next morning I left the hostel alone. Near the station in Sant'Agnello I found a cute caf</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">é </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">with a seating area under a yellow gazebo</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Got chatting with the barista and listened to his fascinating life story while explaining my own. He set off my morning with a delicious macchiato on the house, and I hopped on the train to Sorrento to take the blue SITA bus to Amalfi. What a ride that was!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0Sorrento Peninsula, Naples, Italy40.6262925 14.37579849999997440.6021885 14.335457999999974 40.6503965 14.416138999999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-19866303841617940032014-05-16T13:39:00.003-07:002014-05-16T13:39:50.406-07:00Is an expat just an immigrant with the “right” passport?<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After reading an article on the guardian, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/09/british-abroad-expats-immigrants-indians" target="_blank">The British abroad: expats, not immigrants</a>, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've been
thinking a lot about the different kinds of people who live and work
abroad; where they're from, how long they're here, why they're here,
etc, and why one person is referred to as an "expat", like
myself, while someone else is an "immigrant", like the Sri
Lankan's, working the bar on last nights "Expat Boat Party".</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZFlNyR25HP-a0rLxP1GjcTAGzoHP6mstQqCEUcS1rXNvrdyPIq0lE6VAGc3vloQ5gSl5K03Z6qWaXEjBZ-NhW8DAu5QTwxWlk0ZywekfrFz89AIlQfV02jh9LT2y00peqmKHPr823eU/s1600/expatriatevsimmigrant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZFlNyR25HP-a0rLxP1GjcTAGzoHP6mstQqCEUcS1rXNvrdyPIq0lE6VAGc3vloQ5gSl5K03Z6qWaXEjBZ-NhW8DAu5QTwxWlk0ZywekfrFz89AIlQfV02jh9LT2y00peqmKHPr823eU/s1600/expatriatevsimmigrant.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I chatted with a friend
who is currently working abroad in Thailand. He said that in
his travels he notices everybody will find somebody beneath them in
order to feel superior. In Thailand, they look down upon the
Cambodians, in Cambodia, they look down upon the Burmese. Here in
Maldives, I find the Maldivians look down upon the Bangladeshi's and Sri Lankan's- but not the Western immigrants, oh sorry, I mean expats. But the expats themselves, or at least many of them, look down upon Maldivians! In their own country! The way some Westerner's talk to them can
be truly appalling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm sat with a new
friend from Poland, who here, is of course an expat. Why then, back
in Britain, is he an immigrant? Here his presence is respected, in
Britain, he is <i>stealing </i>a Brits job. If the same logic
applies, is he not then stealing a Maldivian's job? Isn't that what
I'm doing? How Brits complain about immigrants in their own country
while living the life of an expat, either working abroad or retiring
abroad, I just don't understand.
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In Maldives, I'd say
much of the workforce is foreign- in building the roads and
apartments, in tourism, teaching- I met a doctor from Bangladesh the
other day while trying to promote the new school I work in. Is he an
immigrant or an expat? He has a respectful job, he spoke English
almost fluently, yet he'll be looked down on. It makes me feel angry.
I feel embarrassed for referring to myself as an expat, even the very
name of my blog and twitter accounts use the term expat, why not
immigrant? Why do I, as many expats do, avoid identifying myself as
an immigrant? Am I subconsciously using the term “expat” as a
stamp of superiority?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I assume that, ignoring the deliberate (or subconscious) racism/discrimination, the explanation lies in the fact that an
“expat” has not travelled to foreign lands solely to save money
or to build a permanent life in a new country, but for some spiritual
journey, for experience etc, and may only stay for a year or two,
while an “immigrant”, perhaps, is working abroad to earn more
money than he or she would do so in a similar job back at home. The
guys I mentioned working the bar at the party, I'm told are earning
about 6 times the amount they would back home. However, they don't
have much protection in terms of unions. We have a couple of guys from Bangladesh
working with us but they are treated well and are happy when
they visit home because they bring a decent wage with them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All of the foreign labour force are expats because we live outside of our native countries. Some of us are also immigrants, not due to our place of birth or colour of skin, but because our residence is permanent. I haven't travelled enough yet to decide to settle down longer than a year, but when I do go and make a life in wherever it is, I will consciously refer to myself as an immigrant rather than abhorring the word like some.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whatever the
reason for working abroad, no-one should be made to feel of less
value than someone else purely on race; it's disgusting. While it's
impossible to make absolute generalisations, I am starting to observe
that in no matter which country, people remain people, and although
attitudes and languages and culture may change, the majority of them
will still have the same prejudices as everybody else, whether they
live on an island, in the mountains, in riches or in poverty.
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />I hope that the term "immigrant" will start to lose it's negative connotations and just stand for it's
literal meaning. No more <i>them</i> and <i>us</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">NB: I recommend taking a look at the comments section on that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/09/british-abroad-expats-immigrants-indians?commentpage=1" target="_blank">article on the guardian</a>, it seems there's an idea that expats don't work abroad but live off of their own assets, while others who work abroad state they hate being called an expat- "Everyone I meet who calls themselves an expat has been a dickhead... wine-guzzling, racist.." Hmmmmm...... thoughts?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0Maldives1.977247 73.5361034-6.1130145 63.2089549 10.0675085 83.8632519tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-72371922111289099912014-05-10T05:06:00.000-07:002014-05-10T05:06:17.718-07:00How I Spent a Weekend in Paradise for a Little Over £60 ($100) a Night FULL BOARD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">Last weekend I had the privilege to escape the crowded, narrow streets of Male' and relish in the idyllic stillness bound within the remote island, Fihalhohi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Two fellow ESL teachers
and I booked ourselves a triple room, which included three glorious
meals a day (never have I been so happy to see pork on a buffet),
granting us with just a few minutes walk barefoot from the room to
the curve of blissful white sand and surrounding turquoise waters.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRxhnzvLs8y6saWzQbjtF7I2EoP8PUk0E9wHzmqDi9Q9XSmBM1MBNm1s6nvo0bBNr3sarAUkmxKJoa2QeniCdJWAoZibl5sDV8g6feaiCiw0db8vmB54b5muZl8VB27C-MEiF2GL0IJs/s1600/seablueandpurple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRxhnzvLs8y6saWzQbjtF7I2EoP8PUk0E9wHzmqDi9Q9XSmBM1MBNm1s6nvo0bBNr3sarAUkmxKJoa2QeniCdJWAoZibl5sDV8g6feaiCiw0db8vmB54b5muZl8VB27C-MEiF2GL0IJs/s1600/seablueandpurple.jpg" height="314" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How did we get such a
good deal? Ah, as is one of the many delights from working in a
foreign country; expatiate rates! The room and board split between
the three of us made about £60 ($100) each a night. Alcohol is not
included, and an even split of the bill made an extra £60 each (too
many vodka shots... my bad). So there I was, with two beautiful
friends on a luxurious mini-break paying a fraction of what the other
holiday-goers were subjected to- most of them on romantic breaks.
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I often read online of
peoples wishes for 'two 6-month vacations every year'. Of course they
are joking, since they don't seem to have the balls to just take a
leap and go and work abroad. That's not to say working abroad is the
same as a 6-month vacation, but it sure comes close. Just a month
into my contract teaching English in Maldives I've had my first
island resort experience. Next month I hope to spend the half-term
exploring and hiking Sri Lanka - I just can't wait to breathe in that
fresh mountain air. Until then, taking a lunchtime stroll in Hulhumale', carefully avoiding
the cig butts and trash on the sand, or taking a refreshing but odd swim in a burkini, will
have to suffice. </span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fihalhohi
in 12</span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">12</span></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQmljan8i9rFLyWx6RLC7DPNlu-oqSou2KXDxteD-SocZ03sKCoYiJt1AzXH24IMnyqXSevFQUn8jHLWUO-d4yaNFN5V5V4odzFFNcEyktp9MG6gBXqhBgreJmp_OHewvmQTfLQzrUw0/s1600/IMG_4900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQmljan8i9rFLyWx6RLC7DPNlu-oqSou2KXDxteD-SocZ03sKCoYiJt1AzXH24IMnyqXSevFQUn8jHLWUO-d4yaNFN5V5V4odzFFNcEyktp9MG6gBXqhBgreJmp_OHewvmQTfLQzrUw0/s1600/IMG_4900.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As it was off-peak season I had the unique experience of watching the sun set peacefully in absolute solitude.</span></span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></strong><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">11</span></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMb4Hz92-Poea406Jsx5RmqrgzhA2FAme1MPNUTPWjIp4EUHeOJDQQxGpkTnij3FcvPR9cVjaYrEw3SsOBulQezsIWKB1gZMbMveLlLo_XSvEznpsxOEhkMMbg7ZmIGCxC4iC21mVFPSE/s1600/IMG_4730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMb4Hz92-Poea406Jsx5RmqrgzhA2FAme1MPNUTPWjIp4EUHeOJDQQxGpkTnij3FcvPR9cVjaYrEw3SsOBulQezsIWKB1gZMbMveLlLo_XSvEznpsxOEhkMMbg7ZmIGCxC4iC21mVFPSE/s1600/IMG_4730.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Children play together in the completely transparent and unclouded sea. </span></span></strong></span></strong></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">10</span></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPZntazHZV9D7KXEC7rDj71YJ7Y8yPp0PceSKK0Pbq_YdavtMT6P11jntemOq7JpTzd3fEbiDlHsCG4VmrvsYCdA6MMbq6nBSd8AXgJgP4U7MCt2ptER3ixMI-AGOhc8vED4l6kZeSok/s1600/10153848_10203216445348520_2126462154219294035_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPZntazHZV9D7KXEC7rDj71YJ7Y8yPp0PceSKK0Pbq_YdavtMT6P11jntemOq7JpTzd3fEbiDlHsCG4VmrvsYCdA6MMbq6nBSd8AXgJgP4U7MCt2ptER3ixMI-AGOhc8vED4l6kZeSok/s1600/10153848_10203216445348520_2126462154219294035_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This TEFL business is a hard life.</span></span></strong></span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">9</span></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4pQst6T66lSRIN_G333yKpWw-nnsP2kwmSIIngwAkCwkk7j138UEBwxA0Ja2j0-A-k1SIE2_EDopNs8SYUD96Z9xWBse4DFBaiAVifEOCk34FO5xmI8JAdZpto7N1Riy8iAuW4_yc9Y/s1600/10264541_10203216491389671_6993799439177616971_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4pQst6T66lSRIN_G333yKpWw-nnsP2kwmSIIngwAkCwkk7j138UEBwxA0Ja2j0-A-k1SIE2_EDopNs8SYUD96Z9xWBse4DFBaiAVifEOCk34FO5xmI8JAdZpto7N1Riy8iAuW4_yc9Y/s1600/10264541_10203216491389671_6993799439177616971_n.jpg" height="410" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me trying out a free "practice dive" to get to grips with the oxygen tank. Saw some stunning sea life which almost had me paying up for a real dive, but I decided to wait and try to find a better price elsewhere.</span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">8</span></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeNfh00IS6T1pdJPLt9yrDFunVHY3r4njUpjhyNiWQ_Qhb577hYWXdsVr2xVC1lH4zdQrCf7nv6hdG9GVh-jqwGEFRdqPgPpNjnm3qYo5gQ6SwooVOvN2MH8u1cpdiiugXHwySXxaNkU/s1600/10298893_10203217027243067_5337091875523459205_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeNfh00IS6T1pdJPLt9yrDFunVHY3r4njUpjhyNiWQ_Qhb577hYWXdsVr2xVC1lH4zdQrCf7nv6hdG9GVh-jqwGEFRdqPgPpNjnm3qYo5gQ6SwooVOvN2MH8u1cpdiiugXHwySXxaNkU/s1600/10298893_10203217027243067_5337091875523459205_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Beautiful and breathtaking. The view's not bad either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">7</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa57cKyTnVVa2CXjsNroCM1JNLX0gPH5fROVZDUV753-LznTKjXFTrNRNd60MCBs23DoYJ0y-9i4-VK2CBmx9sgbrklx2bRQIfLLf5w0NBLno1SX4Vq8azDjYNNSJvrnG8yvladF5PUk/s1600/IMG_4741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa57cKyTnVVa2CXjsNroCM1JNLX0gPH5fROVZDUV753-LznTKjXFTrNRNd60MCBs23DoYJ0y-9i4-VK2CBmx9sgbrklx2bRQIfLLf5w0NBLno1SX4Vq8azDjYNNSJvrnG8yvladF5PUk/s1600/IMG_4741.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like the sound of the sea? Sleep with the ocean right below you.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />6</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMUxyF7n5ylSQXYWmVMuieKlWMaZ0tHD1R6-8YMYBJ_UaJzUSXVd21xxffNbLUpN1-NRPOk31-kcwP4_XG2ymuD7uvtAsiitqUGop7msxt9uEXOkqCSz6GJTYzsp8vAmqCH7e6TfbT3I/s1600/IMG_4778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMUxyF7n5ylSQXYWmVMuieKlWMaZ0tHD1R6-8YMYBJ_UaJzUSXVd21xxffNbLUpN1-NRPOk31-kcwP4_XG2ymuD7uvtAsiitqUGop7msxt9uEXOkqCSz6GJTYzsp8vAmqCH7e6TfbT3I/s1600/IMG_4778.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Who needs a fiancée when you've got your friends? </span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />5</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4p1nyrmtbVlB4PQt3M4-BsYo7UM_ApkAgkLrbteFw9PqvXM5RdSFviNMHiyMH81CwBfBRKv3CNEr4Il9pMnPUwYRF_1WhsLAk27yVilR9wvZQ2HpN6MdWUPnew8Vfd37K_axgJXT4pcI/s1600/10156012_10203216914040237_469249982822473962_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4p1nyrmtbVlB4PQt3M4-BsYo7UM_ApkAgkLrbteFw9PqvXM5RdSFviNMHiyMH81CwBfBRKv3CNEr4Il9pMnPUwYRF_1WhsLAk27yVilR9wvZQ2HpN6MdWUPnew8Vfd37K_axgJXT4pcI/s1600/10156012_10203216914040237_469249982822473962_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> At first I thought the birds were fake because of the way they pose so still and steady. He h</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ad a bit of a struggle getting it down!</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncxxG3iBnvYmlbNfd6YMRg7bMwLVz2cVO-4C_cSuKU6cJf2MdbiW2q_w2FMdYAZTWn7MC_S2T5CN4LJ6D153uzdzv1xwWL8jp01Uai03VDf4Hb3FLQg3SIDfhQUrw6SDpel6I08EN0oU/s1600/IMG_4832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncxxG3iBnvYmlbNfd6YMRg7bMwLVz2cVO-4C_cSuKU6cJf2MdbiW2q_w2FMdYAZTWn7MC_S2T5CN4LJ6D153uzdzv1xwWL8jp01Uai03VDf4Hb3FLQg3SIDfhQUrw6SDpel6I08EN0oU/s1600/IMG_4832.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I sat here for a while to soak up the sheer tranquillity impossible to find back in Male'.</span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />3</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1w-8hMNIGOVyTBJJe0FyD1f2OJUtj1kNk_37h8gC4ej1smrhBGditBdcuhIxqq50q6FY_2T4T56XR41FxEbrPk2ECVTzzlFLpnR8KYz8jCof20ZCNYpPb3x5fH6IF2m2ckEPQ8MWung/s1600/10154047_10203216901999936_537761167228230077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1w-8hMNIGOVyTBJJe0FyD1f2OJUtj1kNk_37h8gC4ej1smrhBGditBdcuhIxqq50q6FY_2T4T56XR41FxEbrPk2ECVTzzlFLpnR8KYz8jCof20ZCNYpPb3x5fH6IF2m2ckEPQ8MWung/s1600/10154047_10203216901999936_537761167228230077_n.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With each time I went under water I saw a different fish, a multitude of colours. Once under that water I didn't want to come back up!</span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">2</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq21gOCebOsvSjWnQF7cM1jKtWQgKvCIJp1Spx02tWwD0OjvyZXTHVwaWkFqy4kwfMs2J0hzFgB-geig-AnNsqbLCLEq3xFTCXf-EfvDat7g5S4jGaptBXa6ngZomw7zZ_LF2HvVci38g/s1600/IMG_4722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq21gOCebOsvSjWnQF7cM1jKtWQgKvCIJp1Spx02tWwD0OjvyZXTHVwaWkFqy4kwfMs2J0hzFgB-geig-AnNsqbLCLEq3xFTCXf-EfvDat7g5S4jGaptBXa6ngZomw7zZ_LF2HvVci38g/s1600/IMG_4722.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have never seen a clearer sea in my life.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">1</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRP29MPoFXkujlDEH8gYLQSm6X345azwEcXShfxwluCxo9NtHJ2Km7v6VgSwiwwf62gLpcenCgkk6ixf6pHhFC2d_UATExZkHeWBUJe8VXyOzQ1PGvXpP3tGQG3wf44FsSLJ__E_-Hts/s1600/10177310_10203217001082413_4954292151574208952_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRP29MPoFXkujlDEH8gYLQSm6X345azwEcXShfxwluCxo9NtHJ2Km7v6VgSwiwwf62gLpcenCgkk6ixf6pHhFC2d_UATExZkHeWBUJe8VXyOzQ1PGvXpP3tGQG3wf44FsSLJ__E_-Hts/s1600/10177310_10203217001082413_4954292151574208952_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is where those vodka shots come into action. Absolutely amazing performance from the Sri Lankan catering staff- I couldn't not join in!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.639999389648438px;">“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – </span>Jawaharial Nehru</i></span></blockquote>
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<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0Maldives1.977247 73.5361034-6.1130145 63.2089549 10.0675085 83.8632519tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-25905190232277285392014-05-06T10:22:00.000-07:002014-05-17T03:19:02.259-07:00Summer in Italy: Teaching English – Living Local – Solo Travel & Falling in Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfSGA3Raso40frx-HMvTnTPOUlqz3kwbhTHzyRYAl2KCEXDQrxsyLDcRi_BzyxcB-Tx-PT0lgvx_iumRFNeI6XDOzVcSb6_gOCVA-iumeDITjMWBDn5NHhg2I9UGnKdwhYnjxO8NSC5Y/s1600/italypicturescutout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>If
you search the synonyms of 'experience', the following words crop up:
action, involvement, maturity, participation, patience, practice,
struggle and understanding. Last summer, after <i>another
</i>breakup,
I decided I needed to spend the summer away; I needed an experience.
Something more than just the instant gratification of seeing the most
places possible- which is highly individualistic. I wanted to invest
in a collective identity. To integrate in a whole different context.
To suffer through language barriers and cultural differences. To
learn to adjust and restrain. To be able to quote Nick Miller and say
“Maybe I don't have to do it that way when I get home.”<br /><br />One
problem: I had just less than £100 to my name. <br /><br />I looked into
summer work and that's how I came across the camp industry. Having
already gained my TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign
Language) the year before in Vietnam, I found I was eligible to teach
English in camps across Europe <i>even
with the absence of a degree</i>.
While working at a summer camp, your board and food would be provided
by a host family, the son or daughter of which would be a student at
the camp. Therefore all you have to pay for are the flights. I had
enough to just cover the costs of a single ticket. I'd worry about
the return later. <br /><br />I applied to positions in France with
<a href="http://www.americanvillage.fr/en/recruitment/encadrer-sejour.php" target="_blank">American Village</a>,
Germany with <a href="http://www.sprachcamp.org/" target="_blank">Sprach Camp</a>, Spain with <a href="http://www.englishsummer.com/eng/campamentos-verano.html" target="_blank">English Summer</a>, and Italy with <a href="http://www.linguesenzafrontiere.com/work-with-us.html" target="_blank">Lingue Senza Frontiere</a>,
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://www.theenglishcampcompany.com/the-english-camp-company-home.html" target="_blank">The English Camp Company</a> and <a href="http://www.bellbeyond.com/en/tutorsleaders/" target="_blank">BELL – Beyond English Language Learning</a>.<br /><br />I
decided to go with BELL because they were able to offer me 4 two-week
long camps (8 weeks total) while the others only 2 or 4 weeks. Each
camp paid around $450 (£370). The first 3 camps were one after the
other, following a week of training, from June 17<sup>th</sup>
to July 26<sup>th</sup>.
Then there were 3 weeks where no camps were running through lack of
demand. The 4<sup>th</sup>
camp ran August 19<sup>th</sup>
to 30<sup>th</sup>.
Later on I was asked if I could do a 5<sup>th</sup>
camp at a private school, which I happily accepted. This ran straight
after the 4<sup>th
</sup>camp
from September 2<sup>nd</sup>
to 14<sup>th</sup>.
<b> </b><br /><br />After
the first 3 camps I had been given the opportunity to teach children
ages 4 to 12 years old which had earned myself over a grand. I had
lived locally across 3 different regions
in towns I may not have otherwise visited (Teramo, Massa di Carrara,
Baricella). I had experienced real insight into Italian life. I
learnt to eat, speak and kiss like an Italiana- something a guide
book can't teach. There are times of course when living in someone else’s home isn't always
easy, but with struggle comes a new opportunity to learn and experience. Not sure if summer a camp is for you? Check out my post <a href="http://anydistance.blogspot.com/2014/04/8-reasons-you-should-be-english-camp.html" target="_blank"><strong>8 Reasons you should be a Camp Counsellor/Tutor this Summer.</strong></a></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong></strong><br />I
used the entity of my earnings to fund the month of adventure that
came after, saving just enough to get the train to my host family the
Saturday before camp 4 started (which was later reimbursed by the
company). I then used my final salary on a shopping spree in Bologna
(where I was living with my host family), bought my flight ticket
home, and put the rest towards a romantic weekend- my last weekend in
Italy- with a special guy we will refer to as Mr Italy.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />This passage sums up my trip perfectly, written by my beautiful friend Jessica (@jessicadiana - Instagram) who I met at camp, plus a couple additions from me:<br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><em>Basil infused hands, crisp dry laundry hanging from the line. The explosion of encompassing jasmine. The sound of espresso cups clinking in the cafés into their tiny dishes. Extraordinary conversations with ordinary people. Biscuits for breakfast. Waking up to the sea and falling asleep to the breeze sneaking in through the window. Late sunsets and freezing ocean dives after heat exhausted days. Churches compelling enough to enter. Vanilla gelato melting onto your sticky fingers. Coconut granita, steam from fresh pasta, and arms wrapped tightly around your waist. Morning cappuccinos, and afternoon nutella sandwiches. Cliff dives, cold showers and wine after a hard days work. Long trains, longer walks, and laughs that are forever remembered. </em></span></blockquote>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><u></u></span></span></strong></span><br />
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">My
Itinerary</span></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<div align="center">
</div>
</span><br />
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(With the help of <a href="http://budgettravel.about.com/od/howtobeabudgettraveler/gr/frommer_daybyday.htm" target="_blank">Frommer's "Italy: day by day")</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepPgK5yfupqPNI437jazais3wH93jaD9eEnuC8Mvw9o8p8ZTEV9Mv27oeHhEjQ3VSP0coQhpialXAV0FI_rzyNqRc7cs73OH3bTK4njjI7TJfw4JV3jzKDimJyURdC7soNK8gH7kIwko/s1600/italy3weektirp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepPgK5yfupqPNI437jazais3wH93jaD9eEnuC8Mvw9o8p8ZTEV9Mv27oeHhEjQ3VSP0coQhpialXAV0FI_rzyNqRc7cs73OH3bTK4njjI7TJfw4JV3jzKDimJyURdC7soNK8gH7kIwko/s1600/italy3weektirp.png" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Campania (Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello, Capri, Pompei, Mt
Vesuvious & Naples) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>6
nights<br />
<br /> </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5gX5rc7WsBpVt7kLibhg3htvii9NpaDnPahyphenhyphenfAVOkBxR0BOQTqRF5q_oLpvu_1QlCkLY3X2gWL2Rmy3hLDsjww46GBWm1zTYL9n1rPV66zjesQEQQNgfk99tK-54qc-rC1IDEcZx7wE/s1600/Campania.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5gX5rc7WsBpVt7kLibhg3htvii9NpaDnPahyphenhyphenfAVOkBxR0BOQTqRF5q_oLpvu_1QlCkLY3X2gWL2Rmy3hLDsjww46GBWm1zTYL9n1rPV66zjesQEQQNgfk99tK-54qc-rC1IDEcZx7wE/s1600/Campania.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Exploring
the ruins of a destroyed town. Watching the sun set and sharing wine
with two Italians. Feeling at home in Ciao Toto's ristaurante. Racing
to the ferry in Capri with new friends from the hostel. Spending the
day with a family I met at a bus stop. Smoking on the platform.
Climbing a volcano with a friendly Aussie. The Amalfi Coast bus ride.
Searching for Gino Sorbillo for the best Neapolitan pizza. Bumping
into the same family at dinner the next day and pulling up a chair. A
shot of limoncello. Throwing my head under various fontanelle (small
fountains) to cool down. Stamping the tickets. Stripping down to
underwear and swimming in the Blue Grotto. Making friends with the
waiter over an espresso at the bar. Taking a chairlift and admiring
the views below. Donating blood for Italian children in a mobile
clinic. Buying a bag of deep-fried aubergines for next to nothing.
Taking a cheap and cramped overnight train to Sicilia...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://expatoftheworld.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-start-of-my-solo-travel-across.html" target="_blank">The Start of my Solo Travel Across Italy: My First Hostel Experience: Sorrento (Sant'Agnello)</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.
Western Sicily (Palermo, San Vito Lo Capo, Erice, Agrigento) <b>3
nights</b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStWsez1hY0b-ziUlsrMSWys0TGYuFiWPnHiSR3eDuDmCoi_nmHSpBPWecSs0YPNrm3XD0PbqAjK17dnKK7MNjqHPUOLc3ppjm1KDJdHUT8gfMVVhEyAZwkA08npeEWOY-Pza5Fs8wSfM/s1600/Sicily.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStWsez1hY0b-ziUlsrMSWys0TGYuFiWPnHiSR3eDuDmCoi_nmHSpBPWecSs0YPNrm3XD0PbqAjK17dnKK7MNjqHPUOLc3ppjm1KDJdHUT8gfMVVhEyAZwkA08npeEWOY-Pza5Fs8wSfM/s1600/Sicily.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<br />
Crispy hot arancini. Watching Sicilian teens have a dance-off in Mondello.
Getting chatted up (and stalked) by a Palermitan. Delicious seafood
and drinks with new Italian friends. Sunday at the Temples. Massage on
the beach. Cable car to the castle of Zeus. Swimming in the warm
turquoise sea. The kindness of strangers. Lunch with a stray cat.
Horse-drawn carriage rides. Stargazing outside the hostel. The 3-hour
bus ride East...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.
Eastern Sicily (Syracuse, Taormina) <b>2
nights</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy53lUmQQS6TNpDTsP3wfL0Rmn1sDtcBJc8B1l3VK7GLQ9L-1RzbkUEcD8HoJg9N5MRtJVx_w7hU90X9RvZ0keFyyNr8HmrbSIxqTfgdQ0SfbZhvcA4eoCr1j9l7S4z0cMVVhH1jz7Zs/s1600/1001224_10151477992576106_2030375625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy53lUmQQS6TNpDTsP3wfL0Rmn1sDtcBJc8B1l3VK7GLQ9L-1RzbkUEcD8HoJg9N5MRtJVx_w7hU90X9RvZ0keFyyNr8HmrbSIxqTfgdQ0SfbZhvcA4eoCr1j9l7S4z0cMVVhH1jz7Zs/s1600/1001224_10151477992576106_2030375625_n.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>
<br /> </b>More
arancini. Exploring Ortigia Island. Night out with a couple Irish
girls and their vodka. Looking for a bar and finding the ballet.
Dinner on a budget. Staying up to 4am on the cubes with new friends.
Girls in the bunk next to mine from the same home town as me. Jumping
into crystal clear sea. Watching newly-wed couple walk hand in hand
across Piazza del Duomo. Exploring the tiny side streets. Gazing out
over the harbour. Being the only ones dancing. Getting kissed by Mr
Italy. Scrapping plans to climb Mt Etna just to spend one more day
with him... <br /><b><br /></b>4.
Rome <b>3
nights</b><br />
<strong></strong></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<b></b></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXjIzvJ8-R7yeYXPFXJg52LPd0Mpq7xu4NoPVSU6A_Zafo-KgOSbGVfeGVC2do_CQt8A8sXEyaGLdGoO9f-LpkrvosiINjSrZqz_U9ZuptXkTxJ44WEkZfswJkKP3u8PWwCVrYWgMG1E/s1600/levitation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXjIzvJ8-R7yeYXPFXJg52LPd0Mpq7xu4NoPVSU6A_Zafo-KgOSbGVfeGVC2do_CQt8A8sXEyaGLdGoO9f-LpkrvosiINjSrZqz_U9ZuptXkTxJ44WEkZfswJkKP3u8PWwCVrYWgMG1E/s1600/levitation.jpg" height="400" width="361" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>
</b>The
Pantheon. Piazza Navona. Fiat's yellow, red, black. Castel Sant'Agelo. Touring the
Vatican. The eternal pine-cone. Michelangelo.
St Peter's Basilica. The Spanish Steps. Trevi fountain. Countryside
views along Via Appia Antica. The underground world of the Catacombs.
Vespa's colouring the road. Ivory covered bridge with a history. Campo de' Fiori
and Trastevere. Exploring the Jewish Ghetto. Sitting in Capitoline
Hill and people watching. Spending hours in the Roman Forum. Taking
in the Colosseum. Staring in
awe at the statue of Pieta. Trying
to work out how the Indian busker levitates. Hydrating with free,
ice-cold water from a nasone fountain. Almost crying in the Sistine Chapel. Taking time wandering around. Listening to
fabulous street musicians. Buying art from a stall. Taking the train
north to Firenza...<br /><b><br /></b>5.
Florence <b>2
nights</b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeWiQYemZEgpRyunM7RdvWT3uEllaRCk1wBdWKqVuCW2uyxM-FLBhdG7QztA56xAN9TONSuLTa68Aa8bOuAdkcLAHaG7oLbfSyHpelYesi2lH-_arg-7eihF8W9iEwEyjWs3j6BA-aJ8/s1600/Florencemap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeWiQYemZEgpRyunM7RdvWT3uEllaRCk1wBdWKqVuCW2uyxM-FLBhdG7QztA56xAN9TONSuLTa68Aa8bOuAdkcLAHaG7oLbfSyHpelYesi2lH-_arg-7eihF8W9iEwEyjWs3j6BA-aJ8/s1600/Florencemap.png" /></a></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Climbing
414 steps up Giotto's campanile. Queuing for the Uffizi for 3 hours.
Taking in the beauty of the architecture. Making friends with a
German busker. Being drawn for free by a street artist. Sitting down
by the Palazzo Vecchio drinking a beer. Infatuated with David.
Watching artists paint on the ground. Haggling for leather at Mercato
di San Lorenzo. Taking a stroll over the Ponte Vecchio. Buying parma
ham and dried porcini at the Mercato Centrale. Breathing in the river
air. Train to Venice with under €100 left in my account...</span><br /><b><br /></b>6.
Venice <b>3
nights</b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlQoEiic_4ueSUSA2vI3ynFS1c-AZ5qI3_22BLnz2IPw0yzkHjpoTa8hsxUs_yAbrs92-Jta6OEOVOaQ09wTZ3KG_dWh8-VlwYLR9-O6OOCCd0zsedFBzdm2cKU_FjQb2E1bfDnG4COY/s1600/Venicemap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlQoEiic_4ueSUSA2vI3ynFS1c-AZ5qI3_22BLnz2IPw0yzkHjpoTa8hsxUs_yAbrs92-Jta6OEOVOaQ09wTZ3KG_dWh8-VlwYLR9-O6OOCCd0zsedFBzdm2cKU_FjQb2E1bfDnG4COY/s1600/Venicemap.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A
bottle of red wine by the Grand Canal. Sipping a cappuccino in Piazza
San Marco. Making friends on the beach with the guys selling beer and
clothes. Taking a relaxing gondola ride with a couple new friends.
Strolling through the Rialto markets. Taking a passeggiata (evening
stroll) on the Zattere. Struggling through crowds for a view on the
Ponte di Rialto. Running out of money! Looking out at the rough seas below and the sun sinking into the backdrop. Taking the time to sit in bed
to read, reflect, and restore. Preparing for the next
four weeks of camp.</div>
<b><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“Please
be a traveller, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and
look beyond what's right in front of you. Those are the keys to
understanding this amazing world we live in.” </i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Andrew Zimmern </i></span></blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0Italy41.87194 12.56737999999995729.678010500000003 -8.0869170000000423 54.065869500000005 33.221676999999957tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-13450797910130005892014-04-30T15:13:00.000-07:002014-05-06T12:05:33.096-07:008 Reasons you should be an English Camp Counselor/Tutor this Summer<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rqVYGLWtA_uhXNYPHdoA9xAQAkzdv-WAsZzNKccuCfIwQI9limMav2DSOJAl6cJSDOtbYtZYjHmmBoP2FuO7p8bABX2wDZbupDB-74sphmsRHYXAhSWKNn8_e3QFf2A9XjfbpnYgupw/s1600/creativity1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rqVYGLWtA_uhXNYPHdoA9xAQAkzdv-WAsZzNKccuCfIwQI9limMav2DSOJAl6cJSDOtbYtZYjHmmBoP2FuO7p8bABX2wDZbupDB-74sphmsRHYXAhSWKNn8_e3QFf2A9XjfbpnYgupw/s1600/creativity1.jpg" height="250" width="640" /></a></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dw5V_fkbN9k3Ha0EKZVbGT_7_PruaNfruLLSvsIY94RMUr4YZSV4hl-CbcoBZH7ZrSmBHKbD9I1Sa99Q73Re-KFeB9_QMu-ZNWxJnLLvajwzh2KI6RrEprzGxKK-ElLuImrbM5vL454/s1600/groupwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dw5V_fkbN9k3Ha0EKZVbGT_7_PruaNfruLLSvsIY94RMUr4YZSV4hl-CbcoBZH7ZrSmBHKbD9I1Sa99Q73Re-KFeB9_QMu-ZNWxJnLLvajwzh2KI6RrEprzGxKK-ElLuImrbM5vL454/s1600/groupwork.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></span></strong></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Teaching
English in a Summer Camp is one of the most fulfilling ways I have
spent a summer. If you are a native English speaker or an
independent/proficient speaker, with some experience either in
childcare- be that from babysitting, volunteer work with kids, scout
leader, etc- or in teaching, you have all the tools necessary for a
summer abroad at camp. All what's next to do is decide where in the
world you want to go! </span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
you are looking at saving money and live in Europe, stick with
European camps. You won't have to pay excessively for flights and
won't need to spend a penny on a visa. A friend of mine spent a
summer at Camp America but just about broke even afterwards. Same
goes if you are non-European- unless you are like my Canadian
girlfriend, who fund-raised for her flights, then worked at a camp
with me in Italy to use the money to travel around England. Things
brings us nicely to the first reason for being an English Tutor this
summer:</span></span></strong></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span>
<span style="color: black;">
</span>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>8.
It Pays for Travel Later</b></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
seems that in general, a 2-week camp will earn you anywhere between
£200-£400, with food and board included. Get a couple camps racked
up and you'll soon have enough to travel blissfully around the
country. In Italy I worked 3 camps one after the other, making 6
weeks total, and earned about £1000 (I would have had more but I was
buying too many espressos and nutella gelato). With this I had some
amazing experiences across Italy, from <a href="http://anydistance.blogspot.com/2014/05/summer-in-italy-teaching-english-living.html" target="_blank">Naples to Sicily, Rome,Florence and Venice</a>. (I'm c</span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">urrently
writing up my memories travelling solo around Italy, please keep
posted!)</span></span></span></strong></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>7.
Accommodation Provided by a Host Family</b></span></span></strong></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
<br /><br />Living
with a host family is an unmissable experience. It gives you the
opportunity to live like a local and really embrace the language and
culture from a generous family who have opted to have you stay. While
working in Italy I stayed with 5 different host families. It is
amazing how bonds are made in just 2 weeks. Each time I said goodbye
to my host family there were tears and promises to see each other
again soon. It's only on the train to the next camp you can take a
breath and finally enjoy the peace and quiet away from the screaming
children, drama and chaos (although this depends on how many children
are in your host family... and how many you're used to living with at
home. I'm one of six so my threshold was pretty high).</span></span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></span></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>6.
Live and Work in Quaint and Lesser-Known Towns You May Never Have
Otherwise Seen</b></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></strong><br />
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<strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
While
teaching in Italy I was blessed to have lived with families from the
following towns: Teramo, Massa Di Carrara, Baricella and Tirano, and
a family in the city of Bologna. After training finished and everyone
started getting put here and there, at first there was big envy of
the staff chosen to work the camps in Florence and Rome and other big
cities. As it turned out, those camps were some of the worst. The
children were your typical 'city kid' and particularly rude and
spoilt. In addition, the camps were extraordinarily huge with around
10 tutors to 170 children.... I don't even want to imagine how Circle
Time Songs played out. <br /><br />However, mine were far more localised
and in my opinion, a more rewarding experience. In Teramo and Massa
di Carrara there were just two of us teaching and around 30 students,
while in Baricella and Tirano there were four of us teaching and
around 45 students. By the end of the 2-week camp I would know the
names of all the campers and their individual personalities. The
smaller camps were far more manageable and we could do whole camp
activities- for example in Tirano we set up a Dodge-ball Tournament
in the gym, while in Baricella we organised the campers into teams
and spent the afternoon doing a “mini Olympics”, with medals
awarded to the winning team at the end- Team England sadly lost but
we did of course champion over Team Ireland!</span></span> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>5.
Weekend Breaks</b></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />The
camps I worked ran Monday-Friday around 9am – 4.30pm. You had to
supervise at break and lunch so you weren't really entitled to a
break, unless tutors took turns to cover each other. Therefore the
weekend after the first week of Camp is super important to relax and
see some of the local neighbourhood you're staying in (especially
because after this weekend, in the second week of camp... the kids
are absolutely insane... words just can't describe it.. it's like
they have eaten nothing but pure sugar canes all weekend, oh wait, if
they're Italian- they probably have).</span></span></span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6P-W9fRmsGLfLU540PURrBO_LrWVnNivmUaSBBDlMvq0oMvDc5_zED01fYeMwJM2Zj6TQ7XL_phfV026adzDFuRaD0oDnseaS98c2aHG3ciJWbHaIWsK0V65rGc_CFOv9l2BS5DNnTA/s1600/1044306_10151429697611106_1038039353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6P-W9fRmsGLfLU540PURrBO_LrWVnNivmUaSBBDlMvq0oMvDc5_zED01fYeMwJM2Zj6TQ7XL_phfV026adzDFuRaD0oDnseaS98c2aHG3ciJWbHaIWsK0V65rGc_CFOv9l2BS5DNnTA/s1600/1044306_10151429697611106_1038039353_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a><br />
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</span><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="color: black;">I
was lucky enough to be welcomed on a range of trips with my host
families. I preferred this because I loved my families and wanted to
spend more time together to learn from them. Other staff, especially
those in Rome, chose instead to meet up with each other and go into
the city to explore, which is fair enough. I saved the sights for my
travelling afterwards, so taking these weekend breaks with local
families, for me, was a really special and unique experience.
<br /><br />Couple of trips include a day trip to the Cinque Terre, which
was even more fabulous because the dad was proficient in English and
able to explain all the history and wonderful details about these
beautiful coastal towns. Another trip involved hiking in the
mountains in a place that translates to “Horn of the Stairs”. We
took the two golden retrievers and had a picnic lunch by a
clear-running waterfall. I was also shown around Pisa and then given
a unique experience flying in an aircraft taking in the glorious
Tuscan views. In Tirano I was blessed with a host family who owned a
cabin house with views of the Alps all around. I actually really
adored Tirano and would advice anyone wanting to travel Italy to take
it into account. It's a beautiful green and hilly town with clean air
and a bright red train that comes choo-chooing right through the
little town centre.</span></span></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>4.
Not a 24/7 Deal Like Camp America</b></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />You
don't have to make sure the boys and girls aren't sneaking into each
others dorms or getting up to other mischief, or forcing them to wake
up in the morning. As soon as you get home, your air of
responsibility just evaporates right off. Most families let you go to
your room and have some “me” time,but some are overly-clingy and
just want to spend as much time with you as possible. The kids may
come and knock on your door and want to play something you taught
them at camp.... which could get old very quickly. Especially if the
kid is a little demon when it's around it's parents- something I
noticed a lot. They'll have a full blown fit with their parents over
something stupid like not wanting to put their trousers on and you'll
be stood their awkwardly not sure what to do. The good news is you
don't have to do anything, you're not an au-pair!</span></span></span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">In Massa my
host family included a 22 year old brother and 24 year old sister.
They made plans for literally every night of the week and introduced
me to all of their friends. My 20th <span style="font-weight: normal;">birthday fell on one of the nights and they made me feel so special! I felt like I had known them and their large circle of friends for years. </span><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Slightly</span></i></span></strong><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> hungover at camp the next day though...</span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></strong><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3.
The FOOD</b></span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: black;">What
better way to experience a country’s cuisine than to eat delicious
home-made meals from local produce?! All of my host mama's were
fabulous chefs and nothing beat sitting around the table with the fam
and enjoying bite after bite. <br /><br />I will eat pretty much
anything- in Vietnam I tried dog meat and also bit the live and
beating heart out of a snake. We are talking European camps here so
don't worry too much but try and be open minded! In Teramo my host
family handed me a dish of some snot coloured octopus stew thing but
it was so delicious I asked for seconds!<br /><br />At camp your family
will either give you a packed lunch or pay for you to eat at the
school. Tirano by far had the best food at lunch, providing a variety
of food to choose from, including the traditional pasta dish
pizzocheri which was absolutely incredible- and to think I may never
have tried it if I didn't get put in this camp! They also hired extra
staff to deal with the kids while us teachers could sit away and
enjoy our food. I miss those lunches so much...</span></span></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>2.
Easy Way to Gain TEFL Experience</b></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="color: black;">
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<br />
<span style="color: black;">English
Language teachers are in need all over the world. The only thing is
you might not be ready to sign a year of your life away to a school
in China or Thailand. Working in a summer camp is a great way to dip
your feet in the water and see how it feels. Not all English camps
require tutors to have a TEFL but I would recommend getting one
because it helped me in producing high quality lessons with lots of
creativity. I took my TEFL with a great company called <a href="http://www.i-to-i.com/tefl" target="_blank">I:to:I TEFL</a>,
which also has a jobs board with positions worldwide you can browse
and apply for.</span></div>
</span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<span style="color: black;">The
TEFL experience you'll gain from camp will stay with you forever. We
learnt how to make learning English a fun and exciting environment to
be in, a world away from traditional “sit down be quiet copy the
board/translate the text” methodology. You will teach English
through games and songs, arts and crafts, sports, drama and so much
more. You'll do some activities in the class, some outside in the
field, some just with your class and some as a whole camp, such as
face painting and sports day. You'll learn how to teach a range of
ages (likely around 4-14 years old), strengthen your leadership
skills and ways of managing a class. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kJwUI2SzIsf0mfd7wheT9Vmpc6Yobtquedo9Gx7iwqP0P1wmME4hi20ey60FhyphenhyphenE4VIBcZ4aGR7Z_1V4fzTx5a9lQiqOF7ScyFqXuivt7s68AtglZLDKpVp0V0Q0PqpZhyphenhyphenWTc-5_b5Ak/s1600/agerange2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; height: 211px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 640px;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kJwUI2SzIsf0mfd7wheT9Vmpc6Yobtquedo9Gx7iwqP0P1wmME4hi20ey60FhyphenhyphenE4VIBcZ4aGR7Z_1V4fzTx5a9lQiqOF7ScyFqXuivt7s68AtglZLDKpVp0V0Q0PqpZhyphenhyphenWTc-5_b5Ak/s1600/agerange2.jpg" height="240" width="640" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo4ke_txbSHxFSadYRCdJSHwVZl7SJ-He4-ATe4GQCnkTLuSNPPwzU714yw2qFgLyuUsXzXCiu_mK3PJbJF6vgnDPrysLnAtMc8d5VS849PE4dy9smq29yAWm68Vy5LM8MrMjJ2gAcqw/s1600/agerange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo4ke_txbSHxFSadYRCdJSHwVZl7SJ-He4-ATe4GQCnkTLuSNPPwzU714yw2qFgLyuUsXzXCiu_mK3PJbJF6vgnDPrysLnAtMc8d5VS849PE4dy9smq29yAWm68Vy5LM8MrMjJ2gAcqw/s1600/agerange.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a><br />
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You will embrace the
kids creativity, encourage the shy ones to come out of their shell,
gain the students respect and paint, play, hold competitions, talent
shows, and in the camps I worked, help the students in learning lines
and creating costumes for an end-of-camp play which their mums, dads
and local community will be invited to. The little ones performed
Peter Pan, slightly older was Robin Hood, then Alice in Wonderland,
and then for the Seniors there was a Michael Jackson script made from
the song “Smooth Criminal” with crazy dance moves they had to
learn. All the students worked so hard and I will admit, watching
them on the stage brought tears to my eyes. In Bologna, the English
level of the students was above and beyond the scripts pre-made by
the company, so I rang my boss to ask if I could design a script
myself based on a play the students decide on, and she said yes! The
next day I got my class together and discussed what they'd like to
perform, and we decided on Mamma Mia. I found the original script on
google and altered it for the kids, cutting it to about 20 minutes in
length including a couple verses from 4 or 5 original songs. The kids
auditioned for roles they wanted and they worked so hard memorising
their lines and dance moves. My favourite moment was the church scene
where everyone crowded around our 'Donna' singing “Say I do! I do,
I do, I do, I do, I do.......” and both our 'Donna' and 'Sam'
characters blushed incredibly as their mums snapped a hundred
photos.</div>
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<br />
This is a job far beyond the office walls of your
nine-to-five. Working in a camp I felt wanted and respected as the
local community were so thrilled to have native speakers interacting
with their children- in fact, back in Teramo our camp was put in the
local paper- unfortunately I was taking the photo so wasn't in the
shot! </div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b>1.
Creating Lifetime Friendships and Memories</b></span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If
living in a new country for a couple of months, earning decent money,
living in local neighbourhoods and eating traditional food, learning
the language and being whisked away – at no expense to yourself- on
weekend and/or day trips, isn't enough to get yourself to apply to
camps this summer, then think about the truly beautiful and genuine
friendships to be made.<br /><br />The first week prior to camp was a
training week where we learnt a range of games and songs to be used.
60 something camp tutors from all over put up for a week, sharing
dorms together and spending the evenings at the bar or by the
swimming pool. Making friends was easy because everyone was eager to
meet new people. There were no “clicks” or any of that nonsense.
On the last night of training we had a big crazy party and then from
5am the next morning we set off in our separate directions to camps
across the country.<br />
<br />
While at camp, your colleagues are the
only thing keeping you sane. There was a time I took a breath outside
my class just to get away from the kids for a minute (they were
driving me crazy) and I look down the corridor and I see my Canadian
lover also stood outside her class. I run up to her and give her a
hug, she says her kids are just so loud this morning. Me too. We
decide we'll take our classes outside and give them some fresh air,
let them wear themselves out playing Olly Olly Octopus while we take
a sit down in the shade. There was also a time when me and the Camp
Leader (someone slightly higher up the ranks who takes pleasure in
bossing you around but whom I mostly ignored) had a bit of a falling
out over something like where we would face paint the kids (things
seem like a big deal when you're in the bubble of camp), and me and
my Irish girl went off at lunch for a coffee so I could smoke a pack
of cigs and blow out all my annoyances and frustrations. Just a
couple months ago she came to visit me in England, and I hope to
visit her in Ireland next year. <br /><br />
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<br />
<br />In addition to the friends
you'll make at camp, you'll have your new families – most of whom
will love to stay in contact with you after you're gone. Me and my
host mama in Teramo exchange letters, while me and my host dads in
Baricella and Tirano send emails, and me and the brother and sister
from Massa have each other on Facebook. Unfortunately I left my host
family in Bologna in such a rush to catch the train I was running
late for that we forgot to exchange details. Nevertheless, I know we
won't forget each other. I taught the 12 year old daughter in that
family how to dive. She confessed to me her crush and asked for
advice, like a real little sister would do. Over in Tirano the 10
year old daughter was an only child and she absolutely adored having
me around. She tried on some of my clothes and we painted each others
nails. In Teramo I was invited to their nonna's house and literally
met the ENTIRE family- aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, nieces,
cousins once removed, learnt about their family's history, how the
parents met etc, while learning the language and eating a banquet of
delicious foods, course after course after course. </span></span></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
This
summer I've been accepted onto American Village, an English camp that
runs in France, but regretfully I've had to decline as I'm contracted
to teach English in Maldives til December. Probably around
September/October I can start looking for positions that start in the
new year and last around 6 months, so that I can spend next summer
working at a camp again! I really can't wait.</div>
</span></span></span><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVQ97d66EWUkAt6SV6fkcGlcmMeVSOzEQW41y256nU5R91c62G3H9x3QZ2XgKAk5s5-zRFreRKaRTRpGPoupVKKLmbgar_t3njcuTOETwGWcTOraL7v-_J-0hIP59Y7mL67GqWKJqGd8/s1600/playandsports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVQ97d66EWUkAt6SV6fkcGlcmMeVSOzEQW41y256nU5R91c62G3H9x3QZ2XgKAk5s5-zRFreRKaRTRpGPoupVKKLmbgar_t3njcuTOETwGWcTOraL7v-_J-0hIP59Y7mL67GqWKJqGd8/s1600/playandsports.jpg" height="210" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLWDKhJCKd0ursgPVVsqS_fz2J1PmI2lmQJYmJaeZTDSnZyD2SuMEBJcKH_RoqFAgGriEeDlIRRnKe_lP1rWnZbWSs-CNz-3hbiYTzKXd5MC3uQDGOVDwmYDpIA5EqL5Gij_JlH_Iibc/s1600/knowthekidspersonal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLWDKhJCKd0ursgPVVsqS_fz2J1PmI2lmQJYmJaeZTDSnZyD2SuMEBJcKH_RoqFAgGriEeDlIRRnKe_lP1rWnZbWSs-CNz-3hbiYTzKXd5MC3uQDGOVDwmYDpIA5EqL5Gij_JlH_Iibc/s1600/knowthekidspersonal.jpg" height="294" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>
</span></strong><strong></strong><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />12
useful tips to remember when you're teaching English in camps
abroad:</b></span></span></strong></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<strong>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></strong>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></strong>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">1.
You do need to sing quite a bit... okay no, A LOT</span></strong></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong>
</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2.
If you're not careful, the kids will see you more like a friend and
walk all over you. Be firm and manage them properly!</span></span></strong></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3.
Living in home-stays isn't for everyone.</span></span></strong></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4.
Flights are rarely reimbursed so try and get it cheap as possible<br /><br />5.
Go to a country you have a genuine interest in<br /><br />6. Only opt to
teach English if you really care about teaching English.. some guys
at the camp with me had poor attitudes and just signed up to get away
from the UK for a couple weeks. They were fired after the first week
of the first camp.<br /><br />7. TALK SLOWLY both in class and around
your host family. Their level of English might be relatively low. Try
and keep your accent to a minimum too to avoid misunderstandings and
try to have conversations that go past the “how are you / I'm fine
thank you” stage.<br /><br />8. Understand that you're in a new country and
things might not be done the same as what you're used to. For
example, in Italy the kids were babied a lot. If one fell over and
cried but didn't show any marks or anything, we were still to lavish
them in attention and cuddles and make them laugh again. <br /><br />9.
You'll get sick of saying “mangiare mangiare.. eat one more bite..
please.”<br /><br />10. Remember, speaking the native language is NOT a
requirement, in fact, in most cases it puts you at a disadvantage.
Camps tend to advertise as 100% English immersion with native
speakers. You need to teach English using only English. If they don't
understand a word or instruction and you know how to say it in their
native language, I would advice you to refrain from doing so. Try
explaining it another way, using pictures or miming, asking lots of
concept questions (e.g “Do you eat it?”, “is it soft?” etc)
and trying to deduct the meaning/answer from the student themselves
(we call this 'eliciting'). <br /><br />11. Don't be afraid of the older
ones. Some of my friends were too nervous especially around the
12-going-on-13 year old boys. Seriously- take away their mobile phone
and get them to take their backwards cap off, and underneath their
“swag” lies a child who will play the games and sing the stupid
songs as long as you make it interesting, interactive, competitive
and rewarding. <br /><br />12. BOND WITH THE CHILDREN! Have a bit of
banter! Get to know them. Understand them. Some of them might not
like sports. I know some of the boys really hated the art and craft
activities. Tailor the classes around the students. If something
isn't working, be innovative and change your plan. I can't speak for
all countries but I know in Italy it was far less formal than back in
the UK. Not so many rules around teacher-student relationships. I
would play dodge ball and football with the kids at lunch, and really
tackle them or give them a little tickle in order to steal the ball
off them, or I'd sit in the shade and comb a girls hair and put it in
pretty braids. Sometimes, especially the younger ones, just like to
sit on your lap and watch the other kids play. Whatever it is, just
relax. No-one is going to lock you up for forming bonds in order to
teach English effectively.</span> </span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">All
this talk of Summer is making me really miss it! If you've worked in
a Summer Camp, I'd love to hear about your experiences!</span></span></span></strong><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;">Love
Sarah @ Any Distance</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain, 1857</span></em></span></blockquote>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0Maldives1.977247 73.5361034-6.1130145 63.2089549 10.0675085 83.8632519tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-28038260801862725722014-04-28T06:47:00.000-07:002014-04-28T10:16:19.049-07:00“Can you take your glasses off for a second... Wow you look so much better without them on.”; Improving my sight- and apparently my looks- for a bargain with EyeCare Opticals in Male', Maldives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ27giZ3oiXOw9MywBwnbWGuZF9hiLaAwQzoH_QcJ6fd6Tq19k_m5nR_KElIKo5gq6X8nh2imM8HfypvveVfRA-xCpxUkgmfgZYPh0wUmIBG32wi11YaridZEFScdxo10QYp1QZJnB5bs/s1600/glassescontactspun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ27giZ3oiXOw9MywBwnbWGuZF9hiLaAwQzoH_QcJ6fd6Tq19k_m5nR_KElIKo5gq6X8nh2imM8HfypvveVfRA-xCpxUkgmfgZYPh0wUmIBG32wi11YaridZEFScdxo10QYp1QZJnB5bs/s1600/glassescontactspun.jpg" height="273" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back
in the UK before I arrived in Maldives, I thought about bringing over
a stockpile of contact lenses since I really dislike wearing glasses-
not because of the obvious fact that they're hideous- but because
they slip about when my face is dripping sweat and leave sore red
marks around the bridge of my nose. But I decided to cancel my
subscription in order to save a bit and persuaded myself that I
didn't look too bad in glasses. But then the other night, someone I
had only just met over in HIH basically told me I'd be more
attractive walking around blind than with my glasses on.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With that in
mind, just yesterday while walking home from work I popped into
EyeCare Opticals over on Fareedhee Magu (opposite Seagull Café). I
asked the girl at the front counter about getting contact lenses and
how much it would be etc, she told me to go upstairs. I go upstairs,
before I can even open my mouth the girl at the upstairs counter
hands me a slip with a number on it. Around the room are about 15
people sitting and waiting, but I check the number on the screen and
mine was just 1 away.... then before I even sit down the optician
calls me in- far better service than at home – no appointment
necessary! I was impressed.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The optician
was super friendly and very well-spoken, Indian I think, and we were able to have a bit of banter! He does
his thing with the machines and it turns out my sight has gotten
worse since the last time and so I've been putting stress on my eyes
in order to see clearly, which has been giving me these horrendous
headaches.</span><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />He gives me a prescription for contact lenses, reminds me to always wash my hands before handling them, whispering "Maldivians keep forgetting this..." and says we
ought to change the lenses in my glasses too. I head back to the
counter and hand it over. Now back home, I would have waited about a
week for that appointment- then some days waiting for the contacts to
be delivered home, maybe a day or two for the glasses with new
lenses, would have to set up a direct debit and sign a contract.
Here, she unlocks a cabinet and takes out the contacts of my
prescription, grabs a bottle of cleaning solution, takes my glasses
and goes to her computer and charges me:<br /><br />6 months worth of
monthly contact lenses: 980 MVR (£37.53/$63)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact
cleaning solution: 95 MVR (£3.60/$6)</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New lenses in
both right and left side of my glasses: 600 MVR (£23/$38)<br />Eye
examination: Free of charge</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GST 6%: 100.50
MVR (£3.80/$6.40)</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">= 1,775.50 MVR
(£68/$144)</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get my
lenses changed back in England would have cost anywhere from 0 to £50
depending where, plus a fee would have applied for taking the eye examination. Contact lenses were costing me around £15 a month.
So buying the same thing, minus the GST, would have cost me about £90
for the contacts plus say £30 for the lenses, so near enough double
what it cost here. Elated, I hand her the cash and about an hour
later she calls me to tell me my glasses were ready for collection.
So the lesson folks is don't buy in bulk back home! Also I shouldn't
care so much what people think... however wearing contacts today for
the first time in about 5 months was soooo nice. No build up of
sweat around the frames, no having to keep pushing them back in place, no twat tan and no
headache!</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone found somewhere else around here that does it cheaper?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-32067707572239040572014-04-23T01:46:00.000-07:002014-05-14T05:40:15.461-07:00My First Month Living in Maldives: 10 Survival Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9JlBZPcuSbLN3E922RZApIfWTZ2jyEKDG8FA_h5wzfG7Kthyphenhyphen0rwzNNW0QsT9pSim1JD_wtipLazgJcpGHdsoWeUKu_cdTl1hlOiI7QyPwVmmPGNMf6mR9sUg3-1d3u2cOQz631uofMk/s1600/flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9JlBZPcuSbLN3E922RZApIfWTZ2jyEKDG8FA_h5wzfG7Kthyphenhyphen0rwzNNW0QsT9pSim1JD_wtipLazgJcpGHdsoWeUKu_cdTl1hlOiI7QyPwVmmPGNMf6mR9sUg3-1d3u2cOQz631uofMk/s1600/flag.jpg" height="218" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
first couple of weeks were difficult- just small things that end up
feeling like big things when you're all alone in a foreign country.
My first night I had no internet connection, I arrived during a
half-term holiday so hardly any expats were around, my
first nights dinner was a pathetic plate of peanut butter sandwiches,
my air-con remote ran out of batteries and my sheets were drenched in
sweat, my apartment had an ant infestation and I was bitten
throughout the night by god knows what was in my bed. There's not a
huge amount of info on the net about life in Male' for an expat, so
I'm going to give some tips about important stuff I've learnt so far.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Male'
– the 5<sup>th</sup> most densely populated island in the world</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED09nNbSfX9H3YeuVbukrASdKlM5lyyQb9msLO90eVXdpp-pxdqzvOkiaMhSqtuZWhx248MTNz9jzqC7irOXnsc5fbldr4vpkMOVnZ_qz2dUw8ci3eAVzQhyphenhyphenfVTb1zWKc3twFW-K7esI/s1600/homepiccompressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED09nNbSfX9H3YeuVbukrASdKlM5lyyQb9msLO90eVXdpp-pxdqzvOkiaMhSqtuZWhx248MTNz9jzqC7irOXnsc5fbldr4vpkMOVnZ_qz2dUw8ci3eAVzQhyphenhyphenfVTb1zWKc3twFW-K7esI/s1600/homepiccompressed.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YQjRoA0H5JFbn7XZzgocYTclWKhhw7uh_2PPKkNnodcxDBH4Xqq-zE_gqgyroqrDjKzeQm5C7jAUR7FWOFrv_3XiA03DaR3JFvr9ZUWzeFOuszS6rKjBi4Qw2oWlWrb9Wb5H_YSDVkc/s1600/IMG_4319compressed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YQjRoA0H5JFbn7XZzgocYTclWKhhw7uh_2PPKkNnodcxDBH4Xqq-zE_gqgyroqrDjKzeQm5C7jAUR7FWOFrv_3XiA03DaR3JFvr9ZUWzeFOuszS6rKjBi4Qw2oWlWrb9Wb5H_YSDVkc/s1600/IMG_4319compressed.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maldives
capital city is Male' (pronounced Mah-leh or at least I do anyway)
which is the nucleus of Maldives, hence it's translation: “Islands
of Male'”. At first it can feel far bigger than what you imagined,
with all the hidden side streets and gazillion motorbikes and it
taking forever to get anywhere because some Maldivian's walk so slowly,
but now I've come to realise it really is small. Small, congested,
overcrowded and humid- but I love it. I've lived in Asia before so most
things don't bother me, things like the spitting in the
street, the non-existence of bins, paths only so wide you almost
always bash shoulders with someone going the opposite way, the
complete absence of motorbike helmets or suitable clothing, etc, but
then as the weeks past I started to adapt (the most important thing when you move abroad!) and the initial culture shock began to fade. Mostly I think I was just lonely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <strong>Majedhee Magu: </strong></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the main road that'll help get you from A to Z. It boasts a range of shops selling items such as clothes, shoes, mobile phones, kitchen utensils etc, as well as general hardware stores and a couple of supermarkets. This road really seems to have been built around the tourist, since shop windows advertise "great deals" next to fake branded items. I find the better shops and restaurants etc are further away which I've heard is because all new businesses start off on Majedhee
Magu until they move further out to make room for new businesses. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />2. <strong>The artificial beach</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most picturesque part of the city. I have sat here reading books and
watching the sun set, but don't expect to sunbathe here. Bikini's
are strictly forbidden and will get you arrested. You can have a
swim of course but cover up- I've seen women in full dress burka's
having a swim but you can just wear knee length shorts or leggings
and a top that covers your shoulders and stomach. I believe men are
free to swim topless and in trunks- no comment. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <strong>Travel</strong> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy enough
once you know where you're going. I find the app Foursquare very
helpful for finding known destinations such as restaurants or
supermarkets, or google maps for making your way back home. I travel
everywhere on foot but I have friends who cycle or even ride a
motorbike (there's a little driving school you can learn in) however
I'm far too wimpy right now, plus it's my excuse for not taking
those morning runs that I said I would. </span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There's
quite a few taxi's around, just lift an arm out until one stops.
They have a fixed charge of 25 Rufiyaa (approx $2/£1.30) wherever
it takes you. Bare in mind that cars have to travel extremely slowly
to dodge all the motorcyclists and pedestrians that just walk into
the road without looking, so don't take a taxi in a hurry. I was
really surprised that there aren't any motorbike taxis, I used to
take them all the time in Vietnam. </span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crossing
the road: Hesitation kills. Decide you are going to cross and just go for it. Careful crossing side roads because bikes can come out of nowhere way too fast.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. You fly into <strong>Hulhumale' </strong>(the island to the right of the blue dot on Male'')</span><br />
<div>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a 20
minute jetty ride/ 5 minute speedboat from Male'. At the airport
there was a really long wait at the Work Visa desk, from this moment
onwards you will need to learn patience. I quote my American friend,
“here the customer is always wrong”- remember this whenever
you're in a bank, or trying to set up internet, or anything that
involves customer service of any kind. From Male' to various other
islands you'll travel by sea but there are also sea planes, although
I have yet to ride one.</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hulhumale' is in stark contrast to Male'. It's quiet and peaceful. The roads are massive and the few cars and bikes drive very slowly. There's a beautiful beach too- but remember, no bikinis as this island is "inhabited".</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <b>Currency: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made the mistake of changing
my GBP to USD before leaving England and taking just USD with me
(plus a £1 for a trolley at the airport). I did this because the
internet suggested that everyone accepted USD so it wasn't a
problem. It is a problem. It's a problem because the exchange rate
local shops and businesses will give is 1 USD to 15.4 MVR which means you'll be paying more for everything. I
managed to change my USD at a money exchange place I found which was
actually just some Sri Lankan guys apartment... and he gave me a
rate of 16.2 but I've heard you can get 16.5 – 17 on the black
market. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know much about the whole thing but it seems everyone wants the dollar. Rufiyaa are worthless once outside of the country so do NOT take home with you. I'm currently looking into how I'm going to get money into my British bank account to avoid the accumulation of too much Rufiyaa and the best bet seems to be using Money Gram (as oppose to facing the charges of using Western Union or bank transfers from a Maldivian bank account), but I haven't used it yet as I haven't been paid yet- will let you know!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notes made up 500, 100, 50, 20 (which I didn't have for the pic sorry), 10, and 5. Small change 2 and 1 Rufiyaa, 50, 25, and 5 laari (there is 100 larri in 1 Ruffiya).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. <strong>Maldivian Law = Islamic Law</strong> Last week I
heard this from someone thinking of moving to Male': “Is it all
Muslim or are there parts that aren't?”. The easiest way to
describe it would be to say that to be Maldivian is to be Muslim, no
arguments, or face complete shame and ultimately, deportation. Male'
is one of the hundreds of “inhabited islands” where Islamic Law
applies universally. The laws, norms and values that apply to
inhabited islands do not apply to foreigners in uninhabited islands
(I.e resorts), but do certainly for Maldivian's. </span></div>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consumption of alcohol or pork
is strictly prohibited. On one of the children's worksheets I had
to teach the word “bacon”. You should have seen their faces. I
believe it's something to do with them believing pigs are dirty and
disgusting, which makes sense.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hulhamale' International Hotel (HIH) has a
licence to serve non-Maldivian's alcohol and is only a 5/10 minute
jetty ride from Male'. The hotel provides the ride free of charge I
guess to make up for the extortionate prices. I tend to go for the
bucket of beer: buy 3 cans of Lion get 1 free. The cans will come
out already open to ensure you don't try and smuggle them into
Male'. The atmosphere is nice on the terrace and about 6pm we have
a great view of the sun setting. They also have a pool with sun
loungers (about $20 to spend the day) where bikini's etc are
accepted and drinks are served all day- although the deal on the
Lion beer only comes into action at 6pm... hence why we always
catch the sunset). </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You can even see all the trash being set on fire in the distance over on Thilafushi!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't go to Male' drunk. I'm guessing it really
isn't worth whatever trouble you'll get into.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything that goes against Islam is forbidden
(e.g pornographic material, The Bible). Best to just stick clear of
religion altogether.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non-Muslims are restricted from becoming
citizens and therefore do not have any rights in things like voting
etc. Muslims of alternative nationalities to Maldivian tend to
practice alone. I'm not really sure why but I am noticing that the
expats of Sri Lankan, Indian or Bangladeshi races are rarely
treated equally to Maldivian's or Westerner’s. I think that a
large majority of Bangladeshi are working here on wages
as little as $200 a month.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dress code: dress modestly or look like an Idiot Abroad. Seriously though, the amount of tourists I see with mini shorts and strappy vests, you look ridiculous in a country so conservative! I've seen a couple Maldivian's spit at these women.. not nice.. However, even dressing modestly will get the attention of some men and you'll be stared at quite a lot, mostly in the breast region.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most
embarrassing moment I've had so far was bending over to mark a
couple of 13 year old boys English work and not realising they all
had direct view into my cleavage. If they had told their parents I
probably could have got fired or god knows what. Pack your case
with that in mind!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <strong>Social
life: um..... </strong></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get a Facebook account, search “Expats in
Maldives” and join the group, post something short and sweet
about yourself and you'll get some friendly replies and ads from
other expats. Search also for “Go out and make some memories”
which a friend recently created. There are many other groups
depending on your interests, e.g photography in the Maldives,
Muslims in Maldives (of course), Brits in Maldives, healthy eating
in Maldives... etc etc.</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday night expat meal, each week in a
different location. Really good opportunity to meet new people while trying out new places to eat. This goes on in a Facebook message which new expats are frequently added into once they join the "Expats in Maldives" group.</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday boat trip! I'm new to this but I've been
on two so far and both have been wonderful. From 9am – about
5/5.30pm (leading firectly onto HIH bucket of beer..) is a great
escape from the noise and dirty air of Male'. We surf and snorkel
in fabulous clear waters and either bring lunch on board or stop
off at a local island. Big range of expats come and I've made good
friends through this. I also saw dolphins for the first time ever!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViYLh8sJnEFFQ95nIbiwXJmRqOOdX3AVcwdthKP0YlaHenZt1OpeRnIFPAjOxvSwDshQqtF2-HY7fcAtyyjgr5XTm7mmKPzosj3eM_TG3qnsSn2jymI5sN6l3si92SIIS8iZkaQ0zmRo/s1600/boat+trip2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViYLh8sJnEFFQ95nIbiwXJmRqOOdX3AVcwdthKP0YlaHenZt1OpeRnIFPAjOxvSwDshQqtF2-HY7fcAtyyjgr5XTm7mmKPzosj3eM_TG3qnsSn2jymI5sN6l3si92SIIS8iZkaQ0zmRo/s1600/boat+trip2.jpg" height="446" width="640" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb5dGEI-YxC2v9WZH1Y2Gn40coGataaSjwD7Y71iAyJHhgIv1lq173nEwTsFJQcs-0KIcpTp11OHl3ya6U9MIPKsv5bFsy1dxyJopaG1Xv29uNo9cF5IOwV0C2Gs0m0dA3OKR5bB1oyU/s1600/boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb5dGEI-YxC2v9WZH1Y2Gn40coGataaSjwD7Y71iAyJHhgIv1lq173nEwTsFJQcs-0KIcpTp11OHl3ya6U9MIPKsv5bFsy1dxyJopaG1Xv29uNo9cF5IOwV0C2Gs0m0dA3OKR5bB1oyU/s1600/boat.jpg" height="234" width="640" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPszE8UTGwE-64AbNq6O4XP61XIdex0r7q1S06rzaXR-e-ybrJWpYACdRZBa9GhoW4gDJqgFJ_N8RI2lUZ2BOOrMTGQ-sOHqKV8lSg25ptY_J8zkshC3FHcuP94VlFGgWIXWgXUHcqNJI/s1600/underwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPszE8UTGwE-64AbNq6O4XP61XIdex0r7q1S06rzaXR-e-ybrJWpYACdRZBa9GhoW4gDJqgFJ_N8RI2lUZ2BOOrMTGQ-sOHqKV8lSg25ptY_J8zkshC3FHcuP94VlFGgWIXWgXUHcqNJI/s1600/underwater.jpg" height="640" width="618" /></span></a></div>
<div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a couple of decent gyms around. I go to
some great evening yoga classes 3 times a week at Empower Fitness
for a tiny 550 MVR a month ($35/ £20). Each session focuses on
different skills and I really love it. Me and my friend usually go
for a snack after or do some grocery shopping... come join!
Although, it is held in the “woman's only” part of the gym-
sorry boys!<br /><br />When: Saturday, Monday, Wednesday at 7.45pm-8.45pm</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZiY6U4QDjGQAhWuHMKxlMoA2TzvedZFUbWoFjM75c-nN8HwasG9W5TbtIxeWFCVhodAWQYTCrVJfod6Xyq4M1tq00vfdT419wiftKioSftTAyZMw6_5AL2Cn3tRk1vOtRfoRew6b9ZU/s1600/empowerfitness.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZiY6U4QDjGQAhWuHMKxlMoA2TzvedZFUbWoFjM75c-nN8HwasG9W5TbtIxeWFCVhodAWQYTCrVJfod6Xyq4M1tq00vfdT419wiftKioSftTAyZMw6_5AL2Cn3tRk1vOtRfoRew6b9ZU/s1600/empowerfitness.png" height="300" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKJLIhb5Zd44vz98FJYKD3gH6DZyBWdk2MAiII6l-WU8788CoHOO9L5JQn2AsXodj5daNCiGohh1Sn7KmfbXA3-AwIgGv4B5DWe2IfMNvWa7w43YsY_RXIp5OLkSMRJDqkdnn0FxuTJg/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKJLIhb5Zd44vz98FJYKD3gH6DZyBWdk2MAiII6l-WU8788CoHOO9L5JQn2AsXodj5daNCiGohh1Sn7KmfbXA3-AwIgGv4B5DWe2IfMNvWa7w43YsY_RXIp5OLkSMRJDqkdnn0FxuTJg/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a><br />
</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure you either bring your mobile unlocked
or enough cash to buy a phone here and get yourself a Maldivian
SIM. I went with Ooredoo and it seems OK- oh, a hint, all of the
dozens of shops selling mobile phones actually <i>don't</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
sell SIM cards which was really weird for me I don't know about
you- but anyway Ooredoo was easy enough to find. DON'T FORGET YOUR
PASSPORT. They take down the number I'm not really sure why. I paid
19 MVR for 500 SMS texts to Maldivian numbers and I paid something
else for 2GB of data- don't remember but it was cheap.
International texts cost about 1 Rufiyaa which isn't too bad either. Note: the texts and data expire after 30 days and you must
go back in a reload. </span></span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm still pretty new around here so I'm still
figuring it out. DVD shops come in extremely handy, especially when
you're waiting an age for the internet in your apartment to get up
and running. I've found my favourite DVD shop because it's close to
City Bakery so Saturday morning I can grab a croissant and the next
season of something and spend the day recovering from the day/night
before. (Oh, the working week is Sunday- Thursday and weekend Friday/Saturday). At most DVD shops you can give them your USB or
external hard drive and they just whack it all on there instead of
giving you a load of discs (wish I had realised this before
accumulating dozens) which is also very handy for those without a
disc drive in their laptops.</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently there is a cinema? Anyone know about
this?</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've also heard there is a swimming pool in
Trader's hotel but I'm yet to use it. You can also swim lengths in
the sea in tailed off areas in Male' and Huhamale' but I'm not sure
about that either... any tips?</span><div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Usually
everyone heads for the resorts on half terms/ long weekends, and
some resorts offer a day price to use their facilities... maybe
including alcohol? Still figuring this out. <br /><br />There's a long weekend
May 1</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">st</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">
and I'm looking forward to a short trip out of Male'... I don't
think you could stay here and enjoy your time if you didn't indulge
now and then. The good news is the majority of resorts offer an
expat discount! But this is by showing your work permit card...
hopefully your employer will be on that.</span></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. <span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Compulsory
medical examination</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
<li>for
the right to work in Maldives (as it is required for your work
permit). There are two hospitals, one public and one private I
believe. I heard the public one managed to give HIV to a pregnant
lady so I went for the other one, called ADK (en route to the
Artificial Beach). You go in and pull a ticket, when your number is
called you go up to reception. I would speak English a little slower
just to save repeating yourself, ask for a Medical Examination and
hand over the 200 MVR ($12/£7), which gets your blood pressure
taken, an x-ray of your chest (to look for TB I think?), and your
blood tested for HIV. </li>
<li>24 hours later (REMEMBERING YOUR
PASSPORT AND A PASSPORT SIZED PHOTOGRAPH – or be like me and have
to walk to the hospital and back about 3 times in 35 degree heat),
you can pick up your results plus a souvenir of your chest x-ray!
The experience in all wasn't really one I would ever like to be
repeated. There's quite a long wait and none of the doctors or
nurses converse with you. I hate having my blood taken and I'm used
to the nurses being all sweet and giving me pineapple juice to stop
me from fainting, but here you're pretty much invisible. When I got
up to leave I said to the nurse “You'll let me know if I'm dying?”
but she didn't so much as crack a smile. </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vbHDA97b4KzMH10qkIWaAhJf29d5qLdZI-0xkMng8VZTFYZb4O61V1hMrbkqg0tQ6vGLCvK9oLGTQO6WgFUjL1fURMnzQKDD9PiobufAUQrvzF5gcclfIDqHm-G8eCGZA7pRLGS33tE/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vbHDA97b4KzMH10qkIWaAhJf29d5qLdZI-0xkMng8VZTFYZb4O61V1hMrbkqg0tQ6vGLCvK9oLGTQO6WgFUjL1fURMnzQKDD9PiobufAUQrvzF5gcclfIDqHm-G8eCGZA7pRLGS33tE/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. <b>Food and other stuff:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ol>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agora is a great store for general stuff like
bottled water (been told not to drink from the taps because it's
basically sea water with things added), milk, fruit juice, cereal
etc. It's also good for kitchen utensils, bedding, cleaning stuff
etc. The fruit and veg is very hit-or-miss so don't rely on it. <br /><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fantasy is a nice clean food store with almost
anything, except balsamic vinegar for some reason? They, like
everywhere, imports everything so expect to pay more. Supermarkets
include the 6% tax or whatever it is in the price but restaurants/
cafes add it on the end (as well as a 10% service charge). I like
Fantasy a lot, but once you find other smaller local stores to buy
your fruit, veg and meat and start eating a more Maldivian diet
(rice, tuna... uh.. spices?) it becomes less necessary.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol>
<ol start="3">
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A brand new supermarket has just opened up this
week on Majedhee Magu called Red Wave Mall, right next to Agora.
Their opening night they boomed tunes down the main road such as “Where is the Love?” and “Drop it Like it's
Hot” which certainly attracted attention! I had a wander around
and I'm very happy! The fruit and vegetables are much nicer than
Agora's, and there's way more variety of brands etc.<br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">I get my tuna fillets and chicken breast from a
little Maldivian store down a tiny side road from Fantasy- It's called Le Finn- and it's
super cheap- I got 3 big steaks of tuna which I could cut in half,
giving me 6 fillets, and a bag of chicken breasts for about 100
Rufiyaa ($6/£3).</span></span>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol>
<ol start="5">
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish market / fruit and vegetable market. I've
only been once and unfortunately it was too late so the good stuff
had gone. The good news is you're free to haggle, but you might
want to make it clear that you live here because they might assume
you're a dumb tourist who'll pay $10 for a coconut. <br /></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Restaurants/ cafe: there's quite a handful
around Male'. Service isn't usually great, but if you can't be
arsed to cook or wash up then it's definitely worth it. I've been
to Seagull Cafe which does a great coffee, the Olive Garden,
Breakwater, Shell Beans, a little hole in the wall called Cinnamon
Garden for a chicken burger a bit like KFC, City Bakery, City
Garden, Jazz Cafe. Note these are all particularly western, which
is my own downfall...<br /><br />I haven't eaten many authentic
Maldivian meals but that's mainly because I don't feel overly welcome
in the locals, which tend to be full of men who glare at me. I've heard if the windows are blacked out then women
aren't allowed in at all. It's like their equivalent of a
Gentleman's club. I have tried a variety of their 'short eats'
(savoury snacks) including deep fried fish rolls and a pancake, all
involving dried fish and spices in one way or another and they're
surprisingly good and extremely cheap- about 1/2 Rufiyaa each.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 7. Tips involving food in your apartment:</span><br />
<ol>
<ol>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy loads of plastic tupperware to prevent
ants/flies getting into your food.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol>
<ol>
<ol start="2">
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Freeze your rubbish – food waste, fruit
peels, tea bags, anything that will attract unwanted guests. When
I first moved in I had my rubbish bag on the floor which gave way
to a million ants all in a line which was totally gross. After
spraying them all to death I invested in a large plastic bin with
a lid but then I found when I opened it up a swarm of flies would
come at me which was even more gross. Freezing it all in a plastic
bag and disposing of it when you throw out all your rubbish is the
ultimate win. </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol>
<ol>
<ol start="3">
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put a clean cloth or something over your
kettle. A friend found cockroaches in his.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tin openers- my worst enemy. Does anyone have
any idea how I use this? I managed to get inside eventually but it
was some bloody effort. Wish I had brought a normal tin opener
from home, haven't seen any here...</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesVEVPC6n35PDC7rlWRBuYGNjeSr2W2BOb4YXQeUfRQLrYLYULu0KA5jPSWHL6nSrzJKXpTauU9f4VOQvA3S_39h566HlAil6oN97hUjkFCbp03qksTb70SntWTep05D6cno3BlSfjxU/s1600/IMG_4621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesVEVPC6n35PDC7rlWRBuYGNjeSr2W2BOb4YXQeUfRQLrYLYULu0KA5jPSWHL6nSrzJKXpTauU9f4VOQvA3S_39h566HlAil6oN97hUjkFCbp03qksTb70SntWTep05D6cno3BlSfjxU/s1600/IMG_4621.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigct3tWFM6HsrnxaIp1arEEmgyqAxkrTIy1oG3a-grf4H2LFHdHn7q6eAK0VRCMOTEb8tT6LMZ1IZXFpft_5LAGckyseb3VAh0tWpCuK5-trjcsL-j4CfqE1FAkYr0OQSBX2tvz6tzaQc/s1600/canopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigct3tWFM6HsrnxaIp1arEEmgyqAxkrTIy1oG3a-grf4H2LFHdHn7q6eAK0VRCMOTEb8tT6LMZ1IZXFpft_5LAGckyseb3VAh0tWpCuK5-trjcsL-j4CfqE1FAkYr0OQSBX2tvz6tzaQc/s1600/canopen.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Don't eat in public with your left hand like I
do- they think it's really gross because they all wash their bits
with their left hands using what we like to call a “fanny hose” attached to the loo.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
</span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">6. The
opening/closing times can be annoying. I guess things start
opening about 9, but then they shut around 12-2pm because
everybody goes on lunch and it's like has no-one heard of
alternate shifts? Guess not. Everything also shuts down between
6-8pm. Best time to shop would be around 9 maybe where the weather
is cooler, but the streets become extremely congested. On top of
this, shops seem to close throughout the day “for prayer”(.....
or for a quick cigarette and a gossip). </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
</span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
</span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">10. <strong>20 things you must bring from home or else
pay A LOT</strong>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">
<div>
</div>
<ol>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mosquito spray</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bite cream</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Diarrhoea tablets</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Aloe Vera</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sun-cream</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Room spray / perfume something with a nice
nostalgic scent to cover up the random and gross smells that arise
now and then. I use Hollisters <i>Seacliff Beach</i> and it's
wonderful.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Photos from home/ travels/ friends/ family to
decorate the room maybe some posters too. (Getting stuff sent over
is SUPER expensive and takes weeks – sometimes months)</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Snorkelling equipment or even just a pair of
goggles at least. It's very expensive to buy the stuff over here,
over 1000 Rufiyaa for the set.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If you can vacuum pack your bedding or even
just a blanket or something I would because it's crazy expensive,
over $100!</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Books/magazine or something to keep you
occupied if the net breaks (mine took a month to fix. I recommend a
sweet collection of travel stories “Better Than Fiction”, based
on true story “Into the Wild” and of course Kerouac's “On the
Road”.)</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Something you take for granted when you're
home. For me: 240 box of Yorkshire Teabags. Best thing I brought I
reckon!</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sports leggings/shorts to wear when swimming on
an inhabited island / or when surfing</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
RUFIYAA!</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Waterproof camera. A friend of mine has a “Go
Pro” thing on a stick which takes absolutely stunning shots
underwater. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A normal tin opener!</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A USB/ external hard drive</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tampons. (Better safe than sorry)</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sea-sickness tablets (if required)</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
BB cream / creams with foundation rather than
heavy make-up, which will just drip off of you. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ear plugs. Building works, traffic noise, random yelling in the street - you name it- most hours of the night even after the shops close around midnight. Just last night I was woken up at 4.30am by prayer songs blasted through the towns speakers. They also sing at midday. There's usually loud music at night too. So pretty much 24/7 noise noise noise.
</div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Thank
you for reading My First Month Living in Maldives. I hope it
satisfied any questions or worries, do get in touch with any
feedback or extra info- remember I'm new so advice is really
appreciated! </div>
<br />
Much love,<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sarah </div>
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16615165900682883566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950110546523642728.post-82270466623115295212014-03-17T05:58:00.000-07:002014-04-28T06:49:37.347-07:00Does a Degree Truly Indicate Candidate Quality?<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">I am not stating that University degrees are entirely worthless, but that contrary to popular belief, </span><b style="text-align: center;">the value of a degree should be dramatically reduced.</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd
like to point out that</span></div>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not claiming that <i>not</i> having a degree is better.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I understand some young adults lead rather sheltered lives and
simply aren't ready for the real world. University could be
required in some cases as the bridge between adolescence and
adulthood.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I understand certain degrees are essential to some fields. The following is <i>mainly </i>my experience of students studying subjects such as Politics, Economics, History, Sociology, Media, Art, Film and Philosophy.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The University degree
(and the position of that university in the ranks) can propel you
further in life, increase your value, and ultimately, bag you the job
at the end.</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">How is that possible
with virtually no real-work experience?</span></h4>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because of the
qualities universally deduced from the term 'degree-holder';
hard-worker, organised, team player, critical thinker, skilled,
independent, experienced, respects authority, well-disciplined.. and
so on, and the impact this has on the 'non-degree-holder', the one
who resigns himself to a life of burger-flipping (which, by the way,
takes a considerable amount of all the above).
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The point?</span></h4>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Employers should
evaluate the value of an applicant <i>without</i> the credentials of
a traditional degree, rather than simply having computers filter them
out.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Why bother with
those losers/dropouts/idiots/*insert stereotype of a
non-degree-holder here*? </span></h4>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because the presupposed
qualities of a degree-holder are not absolute. In my experience, many
students are the most lazy, disorganised, idle, unskilled, dependent,
inexperienced, disrespectful, and undisciplined people I've ever come
across. Of course there are exceptions, but the students I've lived
with both in halls and off-campus waste the majority of their time
while throwing both their student loans and their parents money into
learning only the <i>theory</i> of the workplace.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">What 'Degree-holder'
means to me</span></h4>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ability to squeeze
a term and/or year into the 1-2 weeks before deadline, producing some
kind of assessment, be that an essay, report or exam, that
regurgitates everything into a format that passes the set criteria,
and voilà! (Plus, bad grades are entirely the result of a <i>bad
department</i>, not ones own poor effort, of course!). I wrote four
assignments the night before they were due and received marks between
68% and 75%- does this make me a good quality candidate in the
workplace?</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Status</span></h4>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The degree-holder
simply waves a copy of their BA as a signal or <i>status</i> of
candidate quality – yet that piece of paper does not necessarily
provide the employer with someone who has the skills needed for that
job. So long as employers advertise jobs to require a degree, the
filter will remain in place. I can't help but wonder, since attaining
a degree requires a significant amount of money, are we really just
using money to determine a persons value?</span><br />
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Me</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have enrolled and left university twice for different reasons. I refuse to believe that I am less valuable than my peers who made it to graduation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
do you think, does a degree truly indicate candidate quality? Or
should the value of a degree be reduced?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">Every
person has a story and so I started this blog to capture mine. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">My
name is Sarah, I'm 20 years old, I grew up in Essex where I spent my
childhood in fear of my step-dad who decided he hated me. I'm one of
six and we're an exceptionally dysfunctional family to say the least.
I left home at 16 and moved in with my eldest sister where I juggled
college with helping to bring up her beautiful boy. I haven't had
contact with her, or with my second eldest sister, in a long, long
time, and I don't know if we ever will. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">I
gave uni a first attempt in 2011 with a shot at a BA in Sociology and
Philosophy at York. Not long into first year things got bad- break
ups, drugs, death, grief, anxiety- I was issued with a leave on
“compassionate grounds”. My mum pretty much declared me a failure
at this point. 2012 I decided to pack up and leave, got myself TEFL
qualified, and ventured over to Vietnam where I lived and taught
English for 5 months. I was only 19 at this point. I didn't yet
realise that travel could be more than an escape, it could be a way
of life.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">I
came back to Essex and moved in with my best friend, who just
happened to be my eldest sisters ex-boyfriends mother. She's an
amazing woman, a very important figure in my life. I picked up my old
college job at McDonald's which started its work on destroying my
soul and could only focus on getting myself back to university. The
summer before University started (2013 June, July, August and first
two weeks of September) I spent in Italy teaching English in
children’s summer camps. I stayed in various Italian host families,
which was perhaps the most enjoyable part of camp- I got to see what
it's really like, family life. A mum and dad under one roof. Never
seen my own folks, I think I was still in the womb when the divorce
went through. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">The
other most enjoyable part of camp was the time off between camps. I
had about a month of blissful solo travel around the country.
Somewhere in the middle I met my man I'm with today, just 8 months
on. He flew over to England to come visit me, and he's probably my
favourite person. It's still early stages... but I've got a good
feeling about us. He doesn't seem to mind either that I'm bat shit
crazy, which helps.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">Gave
uni it's second attempt not long after returning from Italy,
enrolling in a BA in Social and Political Sciences at the same
university as attempt no.1. I moved in with friends who were now in
their final year soon to graduate. That was weird for me, starting
over in first year. A few months later, as the desire to be abroad
increased, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a condition which
causes widespread muscular pain. I figured if I'm going to wake up
every day in mind-numbing pain and go to bed feeling the same way, I
might as well be somewhere I really want to be. Somewhere I've chosen
to be not just what I think is expected from me. In March 2014 I left
Uni and accepted a position teaching English at a language school in
The Maldives. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">This
time round my mum was real sweet about my decision. We are much
closer now, me and my step-dad too. Of course we'll never be a
totally normal family, but who is? I've been living in Ma<span style="font-size: small;">l</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">é</span></span>,
the capital of Maldives, for about 3 weeks now and can't wait to
start blogging about my experiences thus far. I just thought I'd
start with a little background info so anyone reading can understand
me and my story a little bit better.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Ebrima;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: large;">“<span style="font-family: Ebrima;">Your
time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of
other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s
opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the
courage to follow your heart and intuition. Everything else is secondary.” –
Steve Jobs</span></span></i></div>
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