TEFL certified

---

It was a difficult 6 weeks, but today I was rewarded with my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate from Text & Talk Academy here in Bangkok. As I mentioned in my last update, this course requires a lot of work. My blogging (and many other things!) came to a temporary halt in the midst of studying for exams, preparing lesson plans, and completing my evening teaching practices.

Thankfully, everyone in my class passed the course. A passing grade of 70% is within reach for almost anyone who puts a reasonable effort into it. The harder part is reaching beyond the C range into the B's & A's. I wanted an A. Umm, not easy with Text & Talk. I settled for a B+.

For our final day of class, we celebrated with pizza (paid by Text & Talk) and were presented with our certificates by the founder of the company and our instructor. It's good to be finished, and yet a tad bit sad realizing I won't be seeing my classmates on a regular basis.

What's ahead? Well, I've got 3 weeks to find a job before I leave the country for my visa run (I have to leave the country every 3 months on my 1 year visa). I could have opted to leave Thailand at any border crossing, and returned immediately. However, I chose to fly to the Philippines for a two week vacation. This will be my first visit to the Philippines.

Therefore, I'm looking to find a teaching job that starts after I return in mid-October (generally when 2nd semester starts at most schools). My focus is initially on nearby high schools and universities, but I'm open to other options as well (primary schools, language schools, businesses). Hopefully I'll have some good news to report in the next few weeks!

Meanwhile, I'll also add a couple of photos from restaurants Saai and I have visited recently. We really enjoyed Tamarind Cafe. It's on Soi 20 of Sukhumvit.

More updates to follow soon as my schedule opens up.

---