July 24, 2008
I'm back in Salem doing the usual summer things such as working on my online class, working around the house, spending time with my family, and training for Hood to Coast. This is probably my last blog entry. I joined Facebook which requires less work and is more interactive. Thanks for reading.

July 5, 2008
I spent a week in France with a student hiking expedition. The students worked incredibly hard, especially those with poor navigation skills. The terrain was rugged and the houses were made of stone, occasionally without mortar. The staff ate very well (brie, pate, bread) and managed to get lots of exercise. At the top of a hill, I organized an exercise session with some students. We did pushups with our packs, clap pushups with our packs, and log lifting. At the end of the expedition, we had a feast and a "sock off" tournament. It's like wrestling, but the object is to remove a sock from your opponent. We had a round robin tournament and a royal rumble where I placed third. I got called "legend" and a "lad" which I think are compliments.

I gave my leaving speech on the 4th of July, so I wished all the Brits a happy Independence Day as part of my collective roast. I gave my Millwall FC scarf to the Headmaster as he is the exact opposite of a Millwall supporter. He took it quite well as did the others.

I go home tomorrow. I look forward to some quiet time with family and friends.

June 27, 2008
I finally consumed a yard of ale. I don't foresee doing that again. 

I sneaked away from work for an afternoon as I didn't have any lessons. I rode my bike up to Wimbledon, stood in line for four hours, and got to see Lindsay Davenport, James Blake, and Chris Eaton win. Davenport looked uncomfortable and has withdrawn from her next match. Blake was impressive after a slow start. Eaton is a former student at Reed's and the crowd of a few hundred was going nuts during his victory. He was ranked 661st in the world and had won about $4000 in prize money this year. His single victory guarantees him $34000. Teachers say he was a nice kid.

I said goodbye to my classes. One of them sang a variation of this song for me. It about made me cry as we sensitive Jensen males are prone to doing. I sent out an email to the staff quoting Bilbo Baggins:

     "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

I leave for France tomorrow for a hiking expedition. When I return I will give a speech, pack my bags, and head home. I miss Megan and the kids, and I'm sure it hasn't been easy for her.

June 23, 2008
Today I chaperoned some students to Thorpe Park, which is like Six Flags. The students all behaved very well. Some tried to save me a place in line and others asked me how I liked it. American kids probably would not do that.

George Carlin is dead. Too bad. His comedy could make me think and laugh, unlike those that start their acts with "Don't you hate it when you run out of toilet paper?" or "Women are always blah, blah blah." Here is my favorite video of him.

Next on the agenda are Wimbledon for tennis and a pub in Guildford for a yard of ale.

June 17, 2008
News from England is that a truck drivers' strike caused a fuel shortage . This led to gas at 2 pounds a liter, or about $14 a gallon. I'm glad the weather is nice and I have a bike.

News from Oregon is that the Fords' vineyard made the paper in Dallas, Oregon . I like the part about Brad undergoing an unspecified "lifestyle change".

News from Reed's is that I finished the last of my reports. We write about 80 words for each student and they have to be perfect according to a style manual unique to Reed's. I can see the usefulness to students and parents, but I'm glad to be done.

News from the flat is that I got a couple roommates on Gumtree, the English equivalent of Craigslist. They are both teachers (math and shop) and good guys. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page to the picture of the flat, you can visualize the drawbridge we plan to build from our window to the lawn.

June 12, 2008
Megan will buy me a ticket and it looks like I will return on July 6, just in time for Emma's birthday. I've been especially thrifty, except for my visit with Todd. One way I've saved is by eating at work or only eating canned or frozen food Megan left for me. I now consider fresh fruit and vegetables a rip off because the frozen versions are cheaper and longer lasting. I plan to continue this lifestyle change when I return and I'm sure Megan will embrace my obviously sensible idea.

I started an inexpensive advertising campaign for my online physics course on Google Adwords. If someone in the US does a google search for "physics online" or a similar phrase, then they might see an ad for my course. You are welcome to try, but please don't click on the ad as it might cost me a nickel. I average about 200 impressions and 2 clicks per day. My summer course is full and I keep getting e-mails from people trying to get in, but I'll have to crunch the numbers to see if there is a real effect.

June 8, 2008
Todd and I succeeded in visiting a couple times. The first night, I dragged a giant bag of stuff for him to give to Kirsten and bring to Salem this summer. I got thrown out of the National Gallery for having the bag, but St. Paul's Cathedral didn't seem to mind. The crypt had some amazing monuments, but it did strike me that it was at odds with the idea that we are all equal before god. For my insolent thoughts, I then got stuck in the London underground packed like sardines in a train that wasn't moving. I got to Todd's luxury hotel (rooms $600 to $4000 a night) and promptly ran up an $85 bar tab on his company. I took him to nearby Edgware road for a kebab stand and a pub.

On Saturday, we went to the National Gallery, a military parade, Westminster, a Thames river tour, Greenwich, and Brixton where we met Mette. Dad would be proud of the number of things we saw. Todd lost his blackberry, but a Brit found it and I went and retrieved it today. Maybe it was just luck, but it didn't surprise me that nobody stole it.

31 May, 2008
Megan and the kids made it home. It was easier than the trip here, apparently. She has a lot of work to do with unpacking and house projects. I'm sure she will get lots of support from the grandparents and friends. I'll get my ticket home once their miles get credited and maybe I fly for free. I'm sure there will be a little reverse culture shock going to Salem. I expect bad driving, ugly buildings, Puritans, panhandlers, and too many stoplights and stopsigns. On the plus side I expect friends and family, good and cheap food, cheap beer, straight roads, basketball, and customer service.

My brother-in-law, Todd, is coming to London for a week for his work. I have tickets to a British military parade. Maybe he wants to see Lady Diana's dresses at Kensington Palace or perhaps Tade Modern whose highlights are a crack in concrete and a knife slice in a blank canvas. The crack is about racism , as if I had to tell you.

25 May, 2008
It's half-term break, but we aren't going anywhere for the first time as we must get ready for Megan and the kids to leave. We're selling or giving away all the things we can't bring home. I don't think we'll get much for our car as everyone around here drives new ones.

I've been playing football with the staff at Reed's. We play on a small, well-manicured field which exposes my complete lack of skill. I also must begin training for Chemeketa's Hood to Coast relay.

Some students of mine were mistakenly repeating the myth that the Coriolis effect causes toilets and sinks to drain different ways in the northern and southern hemispheres. I wanted to be sure to put this to rest, so I sent out an e-mail to the entire staff threatening to cage fight anyone who disagreed with me. Given my previous experience with criticising the Bhopal relief effort as supporting bad science, I regretted it as soon as I sent it, yet I only received positive feedback. Go figure.

Megan and her cousin Laura spent five days in Ireland. Megan came back and announced that we were moving there.

A Brit has been playing "Born in the U.S.A." too loudly and got the UK equivalent of a restraining order .

4 May, 2008
Megan and the kids are returning to Salem at the end of the month as tickets are cheaper and the house would otherwise be vacant. I'll try to get home before my 20th high school reunion which starts on July 11. We're trying to get out of a lease which Reed's signed for some reason through the end of August.

Street basketball started as the weather finally allowed us to play. It attracted the youngest students who listened well and played enthusiastically. Physics teaching will get easier next month as the older students go on study leave. The teacher I replaced will also be returning to pick up a few lessons. I look forward to going camping in southern France with Reeds' Duke of Edinburgh club in early July. The club is like Boy Scouts without the homophobia. I also might join the staff field hockey and cricket teams. Nobody asked me to join a rugby squad which is probably a good thing.

13 April, 2008
Even More Vacation
We spent a week in Spain. We took a few road trips, but weren't too ambitious. Despite a bad exchange rate, it was quite inexpensive. The beach was free as were good places for running. Wine was about a euro a bottle and oranges were two euros a bag.

One big cultural difference I noticed was that Spaniards seemed to enjoy the outdoors and socializing without spending a bunch of money. You can't go anywhere in England without encountering a place with people lining up to overpay for unhealthy food. A few absurd examples are the cafeteria at our leisure centre (gym) which does a brisk business in sausage rolls, and Leith Hill tower whose management seems to think that the perfect complement to a long hike through the wilderness is a mayonaise sandwich.

After returning to England, we spent a few days on the coast of Devon which is rumoured to be the birthplace of King Arthur and a hotbed of inbreeding. I could not verify either rumour. The geography reminded us of the Oregon coast which made us all a bit homesick.

I spent today with the kids watching the London Marathon near the Tower of London. It was amazing to observe the incredible support of the fans here. The runners raise millions for charity and fans get to watch it for free. We also went to Green Street and got caught in some serious rain. Everyone was huddled under awnings or waiting in stores. A shopkeeper even beckoned us in and people were eyeing Jake with sympathy.

30 March, 2008
More Vacation
The Cotswolds looked like Thomas Kincaid prints. Stratford seemed to be working the whole Shakespeare angle. I'm not sure if England actually makes anything except sheep. I think that 99% of the economy is finance and tourism. Basically, they take turns ripping each other off for real estate, pints, mutton, and insurance.

I went into London today with Kristin and we saw the changing of the guard. I was trying to figure out who invented the whole ritual as it all seemed a bit impractical. At least some of them had firearms to keep Her Majesty safe. For some reason I was expecting halberds. We ditched each other and I head off to various neighborhoods: Hammersmith (Polish), Edge Row Road (Muslim), and Green Street (South Asian). Hammersmith was ok, but it didn't have a lot of ethnic character. I guess that the Poles haven't been here in strength long enough. Edge Row Road had some interesting shops, but it wasn't crawling with people. I went to the London Central Mosque and talked to an evangelist for about an hour. Some young women came in and demonstrated their modesty by tying sweatshirts around their heads. Green Street was an incredible mix of shops and people. It is by far the most interesting neighborhood I have seen in London.

In basketball, Kansas and Memphis seem to be fine, but my final four includes Duke and Louisville which is totally wrong. Bettery luck next year.

22 March, 2008
Vacation
There is nothing more boring than a weather report, but it's just weird to have snow for Easter. We're taking Kristin to London,  Dover, Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Cotswolds. When I return to work, I'll be coaching "Street Basketball". I'm not sure what that is, but I think I saw it on MTV where travelling is legal and defense is illegal. If I have my way it will be just lay-in drills and suicide sprints. Speaking of basketball, I'm in a giant March Madness pool. I have Kansas over Memphis in the final. I used the log5 method with statistics from Ken Pomeroy  since I haven't seen an actual game this year.

Sorry if you've been checking in and the page is all funky. I am switching away from Pagemaker which is needlessly complicated.

11 March, 2008
Mom, Dad, Brad, and Emily
Brad and Emily arrived in late February. I took them to Tate Modern, Westminster, and a Millwall game the first day. Brad wore a team scarf on the train. An old lady gave him the evil eye, then when we got off the train a guy came up to Brad and told him that he was going to get his head kicked in. I suppose the equivalent is wearing a red or blue bandana in LA. Millwall lost, but we made friends in low places which was the point. I took them on a road trip to Windsor, Stonehenge, and Portsmouth. They proceeded to go to Oxford, Cambridge, and Burgundy. Brad pretended to be a wine buyer instead of a winemaker , so they got into a big wine convention to toast and taste the competition.

Mom and Dad arrived a few days later. They have been to London most days. Dad has a large checklist that he has just about completed. Megan and I were able to spend the night alone in Poole on the south coast of England over the weekend. It was good for Megan's mental health to get away from the kids.

Our next trip is to Alicante, Spain for a week during Easter break. Megan's cousin, Kristin, will be here for a week.

News from Chemeketa is that the staff beat the students by a point in the annual basketball smackdown. The staff were beaten by 20 on rebounds, so I'd like to think that I was missed. I'm sure that the national anthem was much better without me and my accordion.

18 February, 2008
Kirsten
Kirsten had a short visit before her trip to Ireland with coworkers. We took her to London, Hampton Court Palace, and a few pubs. We had a discussion of random hypothetical questions which I always enjoy.

Ireland
I flew into Shannon airport and spent the night in Limerick. It was a bit rough and only a few pubs had traditional music. What surprised me was the number of young Polish people. I rented a bicycle and rode up the coast to the Cliffs of Moher and spent the night in the town of Doolin. The cliffs were spectacular, but I was almost too tired to enjoy them. Doolin had more pubs that seemed necessary for a town of a few hundred. One was playing traditional music and it was packed with tourists.  I rode through the Burren (rock walls, rocks, and grass) and spent two nights in Galway so I could rest my legs. Galway had a great downtown that was packed with pubs and musicians. I slept about 12 hours a night, so I wasn't able to take full advantage. The sessions seem to start late and stop often as the players took breaks for drinks. What's refreshing is the informal nature of the business as players come and go, taking turns leading the music. I made a bunch of black pudding (beef blood, beef fat, and oats) which I did not succeed in sharing with others at the hostel. I made my way back to the airport by way of Ennis and the lake country.

27 January, 2008
We took a trip to Winchester and Portsmouth yesterday. Winchester is perhaps the most beautiful and historic town nearby and is worth the trip for those who visit us. Portsmouth has a big naval base and museum which was especially interesting for the male half of the family.

The senior basketball team at Reed's won its first game of the year. I thought they were also good sports which is something Americans could learn from people here. Some students read my blog and some ask me interesting questions, so here is my FAQ section:
Q: Have you ever wrestled/eaten/been raised by a bear/wolf/mountain lion?
A: No, but they are in Oregon.
Q: Do you have loads of machine guns?
A: No, I don't own guns of any type, but a few people in Oregon have machine guns.
Q: Do you play/like American football?
A: I like to watch it and my favorite team is the Minnesota Vikings.
Q: Are there loads of drug-dealing gun-wielding gangs where you live?
A: No, but there is a serious problem with methamphetamines.
Q: What is the weather like in Oregon?
A: We have a climate similar to Burgundy, France, so it is similar, but a bit warmer than here.
Q: Why do you ride your bike to school?
A: Because I'm cheap and I like to exercise.
Q: Are there any cowboys where you live?
A: There are cowboys in the central and eastern parts of Oregon.
Q: Do you know any famous people?
A: My sister went to prom with Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) whom I've met.
Q: Have you even been in a fight?
A: I haven't fought anyone since I was about 11.
Q: What type of sports do people like in America?
A: Basketball and American football are the most popular. Baseball is next, but declining. Football, hockey, running, and swimming are also popular. Some people think car racing and golf are sports.
Q: Is it true that Americans can drive and have guns at an early age, but can't legally drink until they're 21?
A: Yes
Q: Are there loads of fat people in America?
A: Yes

14 January, 2008
English women don't like Jake to go outside with lots of clothes. He likes to run around, he always gets sweaty, and I figure he is in no danger of dying, so I let him wear what he wants in most cases. Neither the leisure center (gym) nor his pre-school will let him go outside without a heavy coat.

Several members of staff at Reed's have mentioned to me that they agree with my criticism of the charity we support which uses magic instead of medicine. Though I am confident that my criticisms were both reasonable and carefully articulated, this has meant a great deal to me.

11 January, 2008
My replacement for the lecture portion of the physics courses at Chemeketa quit. I think that the two new people will do quite well and I look forward to hearing about their contributions.

Reed's is back in session, but it has been an easy transition as many students are taking national exams. I gave a talk at the Open University and you can see my PowerPoint presentation. I think it was well received and that some sort of collaboration will arise from this. At minimum, I have found a place for students to study all levels of physics at a distance. The Open University is like an enormous Chemeketa that goes up to graduate school. They even write their own texts.

The sports hall (gym) at Reed's is in use because of exams, so the basketball team must find something to do outside. I posted a message to the players that we will do physical training to the pain as a substitute. I also mentioned "pain is weakness leaving the body" and it was nice to have an audience that hadn't heard me say that 100 times. I must be feeling ornery because I ruffled some feathers by asserting that perhaps Reed's school's fundraising for victims of the Bhopal disaster was misdirected because the charity in question provides Ayurvedic medicine and bloodletting.

On another medical note, I haven't yet mentioned how pleased I am that my dad appears to have escaped from a cancer scare that developed just as we were leaving for England. I'm confident and thankful that he has received the best possible care from his good friend, Dr. Elmgren. I'm sure my mom called her brother and sister-in-law (Les and Patty) regularly for advice so I thank them for their support.

My next trip is to Ireland in early February. Megan will take a trip without me and the kids this summer, so this is my chance to do something they wouldn't like. I will ride my bike from Limerick to Galway and subsist on a sack of oats.

2 January, 2008
Christmas and New Year
We just got back from our trip. We were a bit lazy in Denmark as we mostly ate, drank, and slept. I think this is a traditional Danish winter. Our hosts were wonderful. We got to meet my infant third-cousin Johann for the first time and we are already talking about exchanging kids with David and Lene when he gets older. We took a day trip up to Skagen, at the northern tip of Denmark. It reminded us of the Oregon coast and I was homesick for the first time. For Christmas, we danced around the Christmas tree, ate an enormous meal, and exchanged a few gifts. We ate on Danish plates which go for a couple dollars in the second-hand stores. I guess our family heirlooms aren't as valuable as we thought.

Schwerin was better than I expected and it was fun to use some German. The town has both natural (forests and lakes) and architectural beauty. The palace is perhaps the most beautiful building I have ever seen. There is still some evidence of the communist times in concrete apartments, run-down buildings, and low prices. The Christmas market was still going when we arrived, so we got a taste of that German custom. We also took trips to a rebuilt dark age village, Gustrow, Wismar, and Berlin. Wismar is a well-preserved old port city. There was a big wooden sailboat in port that sold Gluhwein for a euro. I made sure to watch the captain pour the wine and I kept my back to the wall in case they were planning on drugging me or hitting me over the head with a sack of rocks. Jake continued his tradition of buying a toy weapon in every country while Emma had less success finding dolls.

Old German women also don't like kids running around without jackets in the winter. They seem to think it is unhealthy. I refrained from pointing out to one of them that she was overweight and smoked.

16 December, 2007
Our travel plans for Christmas break are to visit Randers, Denmark for a week, then spend five nights at a resort in Schwerin, Germany. We'll probably rent a car as the town is fairly small and we will want to explore the area. Noddy and Amy (my cousins) will be in England over Christmas, so we hope to see them before they return.

It looks like a lot of people will be visiting starting in February. Kirsten (my sister) will be here 16-18 February, Brad (my friend) might visit in late February, John and Gretchen (my parents) will be here 3-13 March, Kristin (Megan's cousin) will be here 23-30 March, and Mary Anne (Megan's mom) might visit in early April for our Easter break. After that, there is a large window until Megan's friends possibly visit in July. Maybe the Miller clan or the Nelsons can fill the void.

I'm not keeping score, but people do ask about what I like and dislike about being here, so I'll make a rambling attempt to answer. Prices are probably the most obvious difficulty. Gas is $7 a gallon and groceries (beer) are easily 50% to 100% higher than America. Traditional English beer ("bitter") is warm, flat, mildly hopped, and amber coloured. I do like it, but I honestly have a difficult time telling brands apart. Germany makes much better beer and it is unfortunately hard to find. People do have the idea that things should be done correctly in England; buildings are made to last and food is of a higher quality. One drawback to this is that adults tend to micromanage kids. All activies must be scheduled well in advance with official organizations, uniforms, and rules. People here are polite, not just with meaningless honorifics like "sir", but by actually helping you. I've been asked if I needed directions. I suspect that if you dropped a pile of boxes that a British person would be much more likely to help you than an American. What's weird is that this helpfulness does not always extend to the service industries. People such as cashiers and waiters do not move quickly at all. A nice thing about England is that I have yet to meet someone dogmatic regarding their religion. Teachers can actually teach evolution, cosmology, and reproduction without fear of offending people. The history here is amazing, but 5000 years of farming, mining, and logging means that there isn't much left of the wilderness. Brits love to complain, but the difference is that it is often the hardest working people who complain the most.

29 November, 2007
Basketball
We have now played three games. The first and third games were not close, but we did have a good showing in the second game. A major problem for us is outside shooting. Another problem is that the coaches have to referee which can cause biased officiating, except in my case. Another problem is that most of the players play other sports, so they can be tired, miss games, or miss practices. We did start a second practice per week, so we should finish strong next term.

We've toned down the travel as the family has been sick. The only recent trip of note was to Kensington Palace which I thought was a bit absurd with about half the place devoted to Diana. It's sad when anyone dies that young, but I just don't get the national (world) obsession. I chose to forgo the opportunity to leave a note of my favorite memory of her.

We will spend Christmas in Denmark with the Sondergaards. We will fly back on New Year's Eve from Lubeck, Germany, so we will spend a few days in northern Germany as well. My parents will visit 3-13 March and Kristin will visit late March. Brad is making noises about visiting in February. I may take a trip by myself February 9-18 to somewhere Megan and the kids wouldn't like, such as Transnistria. In early April, we all plan to go to Italy, France, and possibly Spain with Mary Anne.

In January I will give a lecture and meet with the physics faculty at the Open University regarding online physics teaching. The Open University has some similarities to community colleges such as an easy admissions policy, low tuition, and non-traditional delivery methods.

4 November, 2007
One weird thing I forgot to mention about Poland is that everyone was bundled in coats and scarves even though it wasn't cold. Jake felt like taking his shirt off in Krakow and I wasn't one to stop him from something harmless, but every other old lady who walked by scolded me or Jake. I had forgotten how to ask for "evidence of harm in peer-reviewed medical journals" in Polish (alas, now I remember it is "Swiadectwo krzywdy w czlowieku rwnym przegladal medyczne dzienniki?"), so I just gave in to the weakness or prudery of the Poles and made Jake put on his shirt.

31 October, 2007
Poland
We just returned from Poland. We went to Krakow, Pulawy, Jaslo, and Zakopane.

Our first night in Krakow we showed up at midnight at a ?hostel? that turned out to be an apartment rented to someone else. Megan and Emma were not impressed with me as a travel agent, but we did eventually find something. Krakow has a bunch of nice old buildings that avoided destruction during various invasions. There are lots of skinny people in nice, black clothes who look very busy, just like any other European city. The main differences are that people are friendly and things are inexpensive. The milk bars are a real treat. One night there were a bunch of drunken guys with shaved heads and racy, blue shawls singing and doing push-ups in the town square. It turns out that they had just finished their mandatory military service.

Our friends in Pulawy were wonderful hosts. Ania fed us a lot, Andrzej kept the drinks coming, and Hania entertained Emma. The town of Pulawy revolves around a gigantic fertilizer factory. Most of the town was built under communist direction during the 60s and 70s, so the architecture is quite drab. Nearby was Kazimierz Dolny, a beautiful, old town. There was a fat guy on the top of the hill who collected 1 zloty (40 cents) from each person. He probably made $10 that day.

I put us on a wrong train on our journey to Jaslo, but we recovered and did eventually meet Megan's relatives. They are an extended family, all of whom live under one roof. None of them speak English (or German or Russian), so communication was quite a challenge. They are incredibly nice.

Zakopane was a real treat. As we approached the town, the buildings switched from boxy, cement structures to distinctive wooden ones. We were met at the bus station by a Polish woman who rented us a suite in a great location for a great price. We went for a hike in the mountains and wandered around town. The town seemed like a Polish version of Bend or Aspen.

10 October, 2007
Family
Megan has a better blog.

Jake and Emma are both in school here. Emma is in "special ed" for handwriting, but is fine in everything else including her social life. Jake plays with cars at school and his sword at home.

Laura has come and gone. She was definitely helpful watching the kids and navigating for Megan. She got to see quite a bit here. Who's next? Megan's cousin Kristin will be here in late March, but no other dates are taken and we have plenty of room.

Reed's

Reed's is certainly not Chemeketa. The students pay about $50000 per year (unless on scholarship) and wear suits. They have to call me "sir" or "Mr. Jensen." I am not allowed to allow them to call me "Erik." If you watch Monty Python's Meaning of Life, it reminds me of that sometimes. The following dialog keeps popping into my head whenever I go to assembly or chapel:

Humphrey: Now, two boys have been found rubbing linseed oil into the school cormorant. Now, some of you may feel that the cormorant does not play an important part in the life of the school, but I would remind you that it was presented to us by the Corporation of the town of Sudbury to commemorate Empire Day, when we try to remember the names of all those from the Sudbury area who so gallantly gave their lives to keep China British. So, from now on, the cormorant is strictly out of bounds! Oh, and Jenkins, apparently your mother died this morning. Chaplain?

[The Chaplain leads the congregation in a hymn.]

Chaplain, Congregation: [singing]
Oh, Lord, please don't burn us,
Don't grill or toast your flock ..

Teachers know almost all of the 500 or so students. If they misbehave or perform poorly, then many people know. They get graded on everything including some after school activities. I am still learning how to properly discipline my physics students according to UK standards. I can give them bad marks in their exercise book, give them detention, or yell at them. So far, I only use the first two, though I started giving students grief for having their shirts untucked or their ties too short.

I started coaching the basketball teams. The students are hard working and physically fit. The offense needs some work. They can't set screens or post up.

I must say that they treat me very well. People are generally helpful and the job benefits are numerous. They have BEER in the staff room.

Getting Around
I recently bought a bicycle on eBay in Bromley, which looks reasonably close to Esher on the map, but I spent the whole evening driving there and back. The seat was a giant mop of sweat when I returned. Most drivers are polite maniacs. I think I will leave most of the driving to Megan, though she did already pop a tire. I walk or ride my bike to work on a dog and horse poop trail over the freeway and through the woods.

A couple great things about England are that many museums are free and most everything worth seeing is free for members of the National Trust, English Heritage, and Historic Royal Palaces. Hampton Court Palace is just a few miles away from our flat. We will definitely get our money's worth. We've already been to London, Stonehenge, Bath, and Brighton. Megan and Laura went to Dover Castle and the white cliffs last weekend.

In a couple weeks, we will fly to Poland. We will visit Krakow, our Polish friends in Pulawy who lived in Salem for a year, and maybe Megan's relatives near Jaslo. We will probably spend Christmas in Denmark.

August 23, 2007
The house is ours. Megan and the kids received their passports and I received my work visa. I will leave on the 30th while they and Megan's cousin Laura will leave on 10 September. We will be homeless as of the 25th.

Mette, my Danish cousin, was admitted to the Royal College of Art in London and will start in late September. We should have many opportunities to visit.

August 8, 2007
My work permit and criminal background check are done. The only remaining hurdles are my work visa and the family's passports. We found a place we like in Esher (just north of Cobham). We are negotiating terms. Below is a picture of the place (main floor would be ours).

Chemeketa basketball coach Dave Abderhalden gave me some books and tips for coaching basketball.

July 19, 2007
Megan and the kids are waiting on their passports. I am working on obtaining a work permit, criminal background check, and a visa. We haven't found a place to live yet. We are looking in Cobham, Esher, Epsom, Leatherhead, and Guildford. We plan to arrive in England around August 28, though we don't have our tickets yet. Megan and the kids might be forced to arrive later. We are looking for a state school for Emma. There are a lot of hassles associated with this adventure.

I met with Jason Fletcher who is in town visiting family. He is a friend from high school who lives in Cambridge and had given me a few tips on the successful job search.

July 9, 2007
Got a Job
I got the job! The students, staff, and facilities are all excellent. There are a few outstanding issues. I need to obtain a visa, housing, and a school for Emma. Housing is incredibly expensive, perhaps three times the price of here, but they are assisting me with this expense.

The position is entirely physics for ages approximately 13-18. Most classes are 35 minutes which actually makes sense given the typical attention span. The curriculum is driven by national exams (GCSE and A level). In addition to teaching physics, I will be the "tutor" for 10-12 students, which is the equivalent of a homeroom teacher here. I will also coach basketball once a week.

I was able to get to London for a day and see the outsides of famous buildings. London hosted the prologue of the Tour de France which isn't the best spectator event.

July 3, 2007
I purchased my ticket to London and will leave on the 4th, arrive on the 5th, and return on the 8th. Jason Fletcher will not be in town as he will be visiting the US, so we hope to meet here. Dad bought me an interview suit.

July 2, 2007
Mr. Jarrett from Reed's School offered to fly me to London for a meeting and sample lecture later this week. I will brush up on British etiquette and buy an "interview suit". I will likely spend the weekend scouting the area.

June 26, 2007
I finally heard from JFK School and they did not offer me a position because they preferred a permanent person. I did apply for some temporary positions at Worksop College and St. Gabriel's School in the UK.

June 25, 2007
I spoke to David Jarrett, the headmaster at Reed's School. They will check references and the availability of subsidized accommodations and get back to me in two weeks. I may apply for some other temporary positions in the UK.

June 21, 2007
HEM School offered me a position as a math teacher, but I declined as I do not want to teach just math. I have not heard from JFK School, so I am assuming that did not work.

I received a phone interview from Des Thompson, the head of science at Reed's School in the London area, and I am optimistic about my prospects. Perhaps the South American tour will have to wait.

June 13, 2007
I indicated my willingness to take a position at JFK School should it be offered. The principal wants to hire me, but said that the board is not likely to approve the hire because I am only available for a year. I also don't speak Spanish, so that is probably working against me. I haven't heard from the school in Honduras. If the JFK School position doesn't work, then we may go to South America without jobs.

June 11, 2007
I had a phone interview with the principal of JFK School this morning. The school serves mostly wealthy Mexicans. The position is entirely physics for 8th graders. Emma could attend this school, but we would have to pay for part of the tuition. Queretaro is a very beautiful, historic city.

The other option Megan and I discussed is spending about three months (the limit for most tourist visas) in three different places. Right now, our plan for this is to go to Chile (Valparaiso), Argentina, and Brazil. Chile and Argentina are relatively inexpensive and would provide Emma the opportunity to improve her Spanish. We would probably home school her. Our friends Stacy and Carlos own a share of a beach apartment in Brazil that we might be able to use.

June 6, 2007
I had a phone interview with the principal of HEM School last night. I will hear from them later in the week. The school sounds good, at least by Honduran standards. They do have concerns about having a teacher with a student for some reason. I would teach physics to the upper secondary students and supplement that with some math. It would certainly be an interesting place to live. There are lots of old, Spanish buildings. There are Mayan ruins about 20 miles away. They do have cable internet, though the power goes out once in a while. The weather is moderate since it is at a fairly high elevation.

June 4, 2007
I am taking a sabbatical for the academic year 2007-2008. The purpose of my sabbatical is to research online recruitment, retention, and success. My ulterior motive is to do this work somewhere else. Rather than sending out e-mails with pictures and stories, I will post information here for friends and family to keep updated.

Tomorrow, I have a phone interview with Hector Emilio Medina Bilingual School, a bilingual school in the Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras. I also expect to soon hear from the John F. Kennedy School, The American School of Queretaro (Mexico). It turns out that I lived in a dorm at U of O with a guy from this town (Ricardo Del Llano) and I will try to track him down if I get this job.

Many thanks to Jason Fletcher, Noddy, and the Skwarek family for their assistance with looking for work abroad. I am having some trouble finding the right position for next year. Most schools have requirements for teaching certification and want commitments of more than a year. Even though we could afford to spend the whole year somewhere without additional income, that prospect does not appeal to me. I would like to find a place where the entire family can be engaged with the local community. Megan and I are considering obtaining English language teaching certification, but that is not our first choice.