now that's a first!

ok, people. i'm a little excited about this. i bet you guys who are a bit ahead of me will think it's nothing, but for me, it's a pretty big step. ready?....i got my first-ever job offer on tuesday!

i was downstairs in the stephen center, at a going-away party for a good friend of ours who is moving back to canada in a couple weeks. sitting at the table next to me was this korean lady that i had never met before... she struck up a conversation with me. "so how did you meet (friend's name)? how long have you lived here? you are from america? what do you usually do for vacation?" etc. just random questions like that. it was really loud, with lots of people talking in that echoey room, and her english was pretty broken, so it was kinda hard to follow exactly what she was saying, but i did what i usually do in situations like that--focus, play verbal connect-the-dots, and smile--even when i couldn't understand what on earth she was saying. ;)

so from the talk, i learned several things about her. she and her family had come to albania from korea two-or-so years ago. her two kids (girl=10, boy=9. i saw baby pictures, too! :P) are currently attending the missionary kid school here. she teaches art for the korean part of the school, and has been a teacher for a total of 15 years.

while we were on the topic of school and such, she asked me if i had ever had any teaching experience. inside i was like, "what? what kind of a question is that??" but i told her that i was teaching my sister algebra 1 and i had helped quite a few younger kids with homework before... nothing super extravagant. i still had no idea why she had asked me. "the most important thing about a teacher," she went on to say with a big grin, "is character." she searched for some other words... "patience!...ah...smile, happy. ah, and,"--emphasizing the word with a nod--"excited."

then she said she thought i would be a good teacher. i think i may have blushed.

she continued to tell me about her children, and how they needed help with their english. in korea, they never spoke english. then when they came to the school, that was the only language. it was very hard for them, and after two years, they were still struggling some. she was looking for someone to tutor them, help them learn english better, but not an adult.. someone who would be more fun.

"what do you think? how do you say... part-time job? (insert smile)"

honored? shocked? thrilled? disappointed? yes.

i had to explain that i would absolutely love to have the job, but i would be leaving in a few weeks to go to america, and i might not be coming back for at least four years. she was looking a little confused and disappointed, but then i shared the possibility of not staying in america this year, but coming back to albania for one more year in the fall. her face brightened. "so, maybe, ah.. august?" i laughed, and told her i might be back closer to september than august, but she was fine with that. we exchanged phone numbers (up until then i hadn't known her name!), and i assured her that i would definitely call her if i came back in september.

the whole thing took about 30, maybe 45 minutes. tops.

so yeah... i have a job waiting for me if i come back! there's another "pro" for the "albania for one more year" option. we'll see how things go...