Need email address for Onder Dil! Hello Ms Serban,
Thank you for the photos and accompanying text on Onder Dil. I worked there in 1996 - 1997 and have fond memories of Mr Koksal and my old friend Ahmed who, I believe, is in the photo speaking to you in the staff room.
I have recently been trying to find the email address for the school as the web page is in Turkish and I was not able to navigate my way through it.
Would you be so kind as to pass it along to me? It would be wonderful to be in contact with my old friends there. I would also like to recommend a friend of mine who is interested in working in Turkey. For that, I would be very grateful if you could also include Mr Koksal's personal email. I am sure that he will not hesitate to provide it. (You can tell him that I will not accept a commission for this service!)
Who knows? Perhaps one day I will return for a visit with my family.
All the best,
Leslie Ryan
Prague, Czech Republic
Sad, but true :( Really sorry to hear that , I've heard stories like yours before, but I never imagined it would be that bad. Indeed it is sad, but I for one am not giving up. I still believe in Romania and in a beter tomorrow and I think it is up to us to make a change. Slowly, but surely. See you around, best of luck with your new job, have faith and fingers crossed and hope to see you around soon! xx
SHOCK Mona I am really happy to read all your ideas and experiences during this volunteer work. But I have to share with you my ”BIG SHOCK... Read more” about how things work in our STATE schools and in Romanian system. It wasnt a great feeling when I was in front of my ”students”, so-called students, aged 17 or 18, some of them even younger, and see that The Respect for their teacher is absent, that the interest for learning is non-existent, that whatever you try to do to awake that curiosity again-that was present before in teenagers minds-you just deal with a huge WALL of IGNORANCE...all of these things make you feel so disarmed, so hopeless that maybe one day the country that you so much love, that made you the adult you are now, will never change, will never flourish, will never offer a better life for your children.
I am so disappointed...feeling so useless in this system. I cant see any use of my presence in their lives, I can see no use of my efforts, everything being for nothing.
Wow... it's Nice to see you with red roses and in Green Area, I love Green, Realy good to know about beautiful green area, nothing to copare with natural buty
DOPER SCHOOL! SERIOUS TEACHERS BEWARE! THIS IS A DOPER OWNED AND PARAMILITARY CONTROLLED SCHOOL! THE STUDENTS ARE MOSTLY SPOILED CORRUPT BRATS. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO STUDY BECAUSE THEY GET THE FINAL EXAM ANSWERS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ANYWAY. TWO OF THE DAVILA CLAN OWNERS(FORMER BLACK TUNA GANG) ARE NOW IN PRISON AS WELL AS THE EX-MAYOR AND A SENATOR.THEIR KIDS ALL GO TO THIS SCHOOL. THE KIDS ARE ALL RELATED BY BLOOD AND MARRIAGE, SO NO FORCE ON EARTH MAKES A DENT IN THEIR WAYS. THE STAFF LIES TO YOUR FACE ON CONTRACTUAL MATTERS IF YOU TEACH THERE. IT HAS MANY OUTSTANDING JUDGMENTS AND PENDING LAW SUITS AGAINST IT IN COLOMBIA FROM FORMER LOCAL WORKERS AND TEACHERS. HAVE FUN, BUT BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!
i would like to move to santa marta, and to be engaged like teacher , into tour prestigeous school greetings, my name is jorge alberto molina infante, i was graduated from the javeriana university, in sciences education and after i had the oprtunity to quit colombia , and i went to canada, i was living there , i settled down in montreal , during almost 4 years , i was admited to the montreal university , for following a kind of education seminars, into one master program called, enseignement secondaire et collegial, i am a bilingual teacher, french , english, and i would like to move to santa marta, i love to teach, i love the kids , i have a kid called samuel , he is 10 years old, we were passing vacations during past december, i have relatives there , living in los cocos , near to mañe cayon , building san fernando , okey the thing is that , i have to comeback to santa marta, and i would like to kown , if it could be posible , to have an interview with you, in order to check my curriculum , and know me, i am going to send you a few photos with my son , my motivations are not economics primarily, it is not a salary primarily , is quality of life , i am exhauted from bogota , i would like to move to santa marta, could you please , help me? thanks for your atention, and it could be posible, that you could give me , answer to this e-mail? , God bless you, jorge alberto molina infante
:) :( Enjoy Thailand, thx for the comment, I know, it hurts because I genuinely wanted to do some good here. The feeling is not entirely gone, you know, it's just that I realise it's not gonna happen, nobody would give me a chance to show my potential here . As you said, Sad, but true :((.
Cheers!! xx
Sad, but true Yeap, fortunately or unfortunately I haven't even tried to come back, but I can definitely sympathise with you as my cousin Oana is in the same situation after an Erasmus scholarship, Master degree at Sorbonne and work experience at Societe Generale. Jobs in Romania are just not for us and if Romania doesn't want us, why would we want to waste our most beautiful years trying to change something that is so corrupt and wrong, it will take hundreds of years to even see some sort of improvement. Selfish? No, we're the generous ones, like you say,we're trying to help this country. It doesn't want to be helped though, so instead of being horribly unhappy in Romania, I choose to be very happy in UK. Sure, the weather is not great and Manchester is pretty rainy, but hey, I smile, I work to live and I am a healthy optimistic person!
Anyways, off to Thailand tomorrow! :) I wish you could come! :) hugs!
I have to print and frame this... :) This is a serious change since we last seen each other...Well, i guess you are having your reverse culture shock later...Try to forget about all these problems, i remember that when i started realizing how things work in Romania I kind of lost it, same problems as yours, "you just got back to RO, we know you have high expectations", "you are not connected with the reality" , "400 Euros is more than we can pay", and so on.... I guess you started seeing all this when you moved back in Pitesti?
I have to print and frame this... :) This is a serious change since we last seen each other...Well, i guess you are having your reverse culture shock later...Try to forget about all these problems, i remember that when i started realizing how things work in Romania I kind of lost it, same problems as yours, "you just got back to RO, we know you have high expectations", "you are not connected with the reality" , "400 Euros is more than we can pay", and so on.... I guess you started seeing all this when you moved back in Pitesti?
Wow. Shocking, disappointing, frustrating. You have so much potential, girl, I know that you are going to find a way to give back to your country, have an impact on tons of people, and be successful. Hang in there!! big hugs xx
Thanx for making me smile...actually...what if i would actually ask some ex GFs for some references??? just for fun....i wander...
PS: I am really happy cuz you are writing again....it means you are happy :)
Thanks Arnab!! Good to be back!! Met with a few snags along the way, but am ok now and very eager to post new entries and thought on things I encounter on this bumpy, but beautiful way we call Life :)
Hugs xxx
I`m not a dreamer What I wanted to point out is that ok yeah those things happen and is outrageous and painful to see them happen...but we, the ones that have seen the other side of how things are done, in my oppinion, shouldnt go back home and just JUMP IN THE CIRCUS!!
I have had both my grandparents extremely ill and both of them were sent to amazing doctors at ... Read morethe MILITARY HOSPITAL in Bucharest where they have been treated without bribery (I have been with them most of the time as i was living there at the time..talking about last year when i was living in Romania)..My grand dad had a open heart surgery and a by pass was put in...by one of the finest surgeons in our country and what he gave was a hand shake when he recovered...so yeah is sad sad when those things happen to us..i am aware of what Romania has turned into and also disgusted about many things..but there are also ppl that r trying to make things work, and those ppl deserve to be called professionals,moreover as there r so few of them!!
And bribery yeah hell yeah it exists...I am not doubting that 80% of teh ppl have t use it to get their things done...at all levels..but what strikes me is that we, the ppl that are not limited by that environemnt and that have experienced lots of things and opened our mind go back there and join the crowds!!How could a person change their ... Read morementality is they r limited by a society that showed them nothing better??This is one thing..but to see this coming from ppl that have see THE BETTER...thats sad Mona, in my humble oppinion...I am not a dreamer and I know the Romanian society wont be changed with my refusal of paying bribery..I got even laughed at and mocked about it..and called as u called me a dreamer that thinks of teh ideal society...but I have taken their mocks and said to myself...well if its me and then there is another that comes and does the same...and probably another...maybe we all change the views of one doctor or adm.clerk..and there goes the change...
Things wont happen overnight..they might not even change a lot..they might get worse..but at least I know I have tried..I have not gave in and I havent had to feel ashamed and disrespected when I needed a paper..I have always said that ppl are taught bad habbits..like little children..they can as well get rid of them..is all based on imitation..ppl... Read more pay hush money cause the neighbour did it and it worked for him..why should I do it the right way and get laughed at??!!some of our conationals think..and yeah there r doctors/nurses/clerks etc that shamelessly ask you to pay otherwise they dont see you??How many of you actually wasted your time to go to the police and report that..is a criminal offence did u know it??If he doesnt get prosecuted at least u mess with his image..and maybe ppl will follow u and do the same..
When I had to stand for my Bacalaureate exam,all my colleagues have paid the so called "protocol"..I havent, i refused...did sth happen to me??
Did I pass my exam without repercutions???What do u think??Hell I did ...and I didnt feel not even for a second that anybody has treated me differently..Ppl hope that if they pay for the services they will be better attended...but try to keep in mind that also the ppl you are paying hope....they hope and feed on ur fears and they play on this card... Read more: nobody will spend their precious time to report me,so as long as it works why shouldnt they take bribery??!!
I PERFERCTLY KNOW which kind of society I grew up in and what it turned into..trust me I have had to see all that around me on a constant basis..and thats why I have chosen to leave..Maybe is the easiest way out...maybe I am a dreamer looking for that idilic society..but at least as u mentioned MONA, I am in a place where I am treated humanly and respectfully..and each time I go back home I try to preserve my dignity and show my friends that things can be different..they just have to stop following the flock!!
Kisses!!
te pup! DUlceata, imi pare rau ca ai trecut prin asa neplaceri. Sper ca esti bine si ma bucur enorm ca ai avut sansa sa mergi in Londra sai sa te tratezi acolo. te pup si te admir enorm, u are so strong!
Comment for Gabbs Thanks Gabs, read your note, indeed, I know exactly what you`re talking about. I did try to keep my calm and deal with the situation, but unfortunately I got back here and saw how it is for doctors and nurses to genuinely care- not for me, as a patient, but for their jobs. It`s about being professional and being genuinely interested in the well-being of the patients, without expecting any sort of financial compensation from them....Romania is a sad, sad country...
This blog is an account of my travels, my experience living abroad, starting with Turkey in 2004, straight after graduating from university, my teaching internship in Colombia for a whole year and my 2 years spent in London where I signed up for several Teacher Training Development Courses and even tried a little bit of Marketing.
I'm back in Romania where I set up a small language center which is now (2014) a Cambridge Exams Authorised Preparation Centre. I literally invested every penny I had in this project, putting all of my energy, dedication, passion for languages and know-how into pr... full info
Leslie Ryan
non-member comment
Need email address for Onder Dil!
Hello Ms Serban, Thank you for the photos and accompanying text on Onder Dil. I worked there in 1996 - 1997 and have fond memories of Mr Koksal and my old friend Ahmed who, I believe, is in the photo speaking to you in the staff room. I have recently been trying to find the email address for the school as the web page is in Turkish and I was not able to navigate my way through it. Would you be so kind as to pass it along to me? It would be wonderful to be in contact with my old friends there. I would also like to recommend a friend of mine who is interested in working in Turkey. For that, I would be very grateful if you could also include Mr Koksal's personal email. I am sure that he will not hesitate to provide it. (You can tell him that I will not accept a commission for this service!) Who knows? Perhaps one day I will return for a visit with my family. All the best, Leslie Ryan Prague, Czech Republic