Qing Dao trip number 2

Erhu, Qing Dao, China 2008

So I just woke up from a nap that was a bit too long and now I feel groggy and sick. This is one of the reason why I hate napping. When I take them I always oversleep and then feel bad for at least an hour or so. So, What's new? Well this past weekend I went to Qing Dao with my buddy Ali. It was a really good time. We at a ton of food that isn't Chinese,checked out the beach, and the local night scene. All in all we had a great time and met some really cool people along the way. I kinda wish I'd done this sort of weekend trip a bit more often, but I never had enough money to really do that all the time. Anyways expect more pictures like the one above to appear from Qing Dao.

Also, if I do have any readers on here (I should look into a counter or something) please vote for the above photo, and my other one at the JPG Magazine website. You can find both of my entries here:
Erhu
Fish

You do have to register to vote, but it takes 5 seconds to do that.

They have 3 themes every month or so I think, and you can submit photos for them and there is a chance they might pick you to appear in the magazine, I figure getting published and (and also the 100 bucks they give you) make it worth trying to enter. So, I'll probably try my luck with every topic. This month is Creatures, Favorite Hangouts, and Street Fashion. I didn't find out about this thing until late in the entry phase, so I didn't get to find a street fashion photo (there are only 18 more hours left to enter and its raining so I don't think I'll get one in), but next contest I should definitely get all 3. I think that Erhu photo is a great pic for favorite hang out, you have 3 very different people all standing/sitting along this board walk. The older beggar, a street worker, and a young woman. It was taken across from May 4th square. I asked the guy who was playing the Erhu if I could take his photo after I gave him some money and he said he didn't mind. He had a killer beard.

I recommend this site to any other amateur digital photogs out there, getting published always looks good on a resume.

Job!

I've got a job!!! woo.
I am the new Art Teacher at Vogel Intermediate (4th and 5th grade) in Conroe ISD. I am in charge of 2d education which is good since that is my forte. I will also be responsible for creating large scale murals that will be put on display in the cafeteria, should be fun. But! I'm trying to get back into doing more art. So, I am currently taking request. If someone wants me to draw something just post a comment here or e-mail me or something and if I like your idea I'll draw it for ya, if I really like it I may completely color it an such. It's nice knowing I wont be poor when I get home.

I am going to Qingdao this weekend, and planing a few other trips to be taken when over the next couple of weeks before I leave for home on July 2nd. Also packing...

Anyways, new photo up, not sure how much I like it. I like some of the shadows.

Goin home soon.

So, no new pics yet (probably tomorrow or later tonight depending on if I decide to watch a movie). But, I guess I'll talk a bit about current affairs in the life of Johnny.

I will be heading back to the great state of Texas on July 2nd. Currently I have two good job opportunities open to me. One is at Vogel Intermediate (5th and 6th) where I was a student teacher, and the other is at Buckalew Elementary (a k-4 school in the same district). I just found out about this new one yesterday via an e-mail from the principal wanting me to fax my resume, which I am doing on Monday. I'm not sure what exactly is going on with Vogel, I had a phone interview with them a while ago now, and it went very well and everything was pretty hopeful sounding, I was one of three strong candidates, one was a social studies teacher already at Vogel looking to switch over to art, another was an art teacher at a different school in the district looking to move to Vogel, and then Me. I had the full backing of the current art teacher who was retiring, which I think was the main reason I was in the running, and plus I'd taught there for student teaching. A week after the interview I got an e-mail from the principal saying she was waiting for a teacher to "r-sign" (not sure what exactly this means) before she offers me the job, and she was expecting it to happen that week, that was April 24th, and it is now May 11th,and still no new word. I e-mailed Mrs. McDonald just now asking if she has any new information and telling her about the opening at Buckalew. To be honest I think I'd prefer the Buckalew job. K-4 is such a fun age group, and I think my schedule wouldn't be quite as hectic as it would be at Vogel (I think there were about 8 30 min classes a day there, and it's like running a mini marathon every day.) So, hopefully I'll hear good things back from Buckalew.

So, if I have a teaching job when I get home what I'll probably do is take the first year pretty easy (or at least the first semester) and then maybe take a few extra photo classes at night at Sam Houston and then after a couple of years look into grad school. I'm not sure I'd be able to full time teach and get an MFA, so when I do that I'd either have to find a part time art teaching job, or sub while I get me degree. I think a couple years devoted to teaching elementary art would be fun as well. Also, after 2 years I might be able to get into international schools as well, which I might think about getting into, but maybe not until after I have my MFA.

If I don't have a teaching job next year I'm going to devote all of my time into getting started at grad school spring 2009, so taking as many photo classes at Sam as I can this year while putting together an application and portfolio.

Anyways thats all for now. Tomorrow I'll post a new photo... oh wait that reminds me I do have a photo up I haven't blogged about... I'm not sure how much I like it though... here it is:

Quick post before bed.

Two new photos on Flickr.


Took this one today at the Peoples Park Aquarium. It wasn't really much of an aquarium, most of the fish were either really ugly or goldfish (or a combination of the two) There were some wierd turtles and a scary gigantic fish that scared a small child, but the best part was the Sea Lion, he give Shelby, Amanda, and I each a kiss on the cheek. He was funny. I felt a little bad for him though, he has no friends and his cage is a bit too small. I have a few other photos from the aquarium, which will be popping up sooner or later.


This is from my second trip to Beijing with Lance and Tom, it is at the Secret Wall, well in route to it anyways. It was cold. I have work in the morning or I'd write more about it. Tell ya what I'll post more photos from the secret wall and tell ya all about it, including how Lance (the guy in the photo) got sick from wearing little more than a glorified windbreaker. (actually I just told you what happened with that so I probably won't mention that again!

Night!

Wow, a new post!

So, I've decided New Zealand is cool. The one person I've met from New Zealand is a cool guy, his name is Richard, he is a fellow teacher here at the University in Shandong. He is very well spoken, and one of the only foreigners to have ever told me that he likes Americans. I met him a while back,but I've only just recently been able to hang out with him.

Also, the more I listen to Flight of the Conchords, the more I like them. Unfortunately I don't know too much more about New Zealand, other than the fact that Lord of the Rings was filmed there, and that there are 10 sheep to every person. That's a lot of sheep.

Anyways I've decided that when I get home I'm putting most of my energy into getting into grad school. I've been wanting to get my masters pretty much since I left Edinboro, so now I figure it's time to actually do it. Anyways thats all for now...

New Photos soon, I promise this time.

Wow I'm bad....

...at keeping this thing up to date. Well I'm not goin to talk/type too long since I am goin to dinner with some friends in a bit, but I'll say a few things.

First, it seems as though China has lifted the block on both blogger and Wikipedia. I never thought I'd see the day. So, maybe my posting will be easier.

I'm trying to kick myself into getting a few things done. One of which is uploading more photos. The second is updating this thing regularly, and another is starting a webcomic or website... I've been kicking around webcomic ideas since Highschool,m a few of them ALMOST got made, but I'd like to actually do one. I figure it would give me a good reason to draw every day.

I had a Job Interview over the phone with Vogel Intermediate back in Texas, and it went well, hopefully I'll hear back from it soon. I have my flight booked. July 2nd I'm coming home. What will happen after that hinges on whether or not I get that job or some other job at a school back home. If I don't I'll probably sub or work some crap job while I start on a masters.

China News...
not too much interesting going on right now, I'm back in the flow of teaching every week, so working with the students and such occupies most of my time. I am indeed rather sick of Chinese food, but what can ya do eh? Chinese people are interesting. Thats about all I'll say about that right now. Maybe more on it later, right now I gotta go.
-Johnny

Been a few days...

So, I figure it's time for a post. Lets see, for the most part I've just been working and applying for jobs. So far, I have one interview with the school I student taught at, just waiting for the principal to give me a time frame. I also applied at a high school in the same district. If it comes down to it I'd take the high school because I prefer teaching to that level.

I purchased a 120 gig portable hard-drive recently, and I've been on a download kick recently. I've got a list of 50 some odd movies I'd like to put on the hard drive, and I've downloaded about a third of em already.

I started reading Gunslinger book 1 of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. So far it's ok, I'm only about two chapters in so I can't really pass judgment yet. Once I get used to the way it's written I think I'll enjoy it a lot.

Before I started reading that I was reading a Star Wars novel. I used to read a ton of Star Wars books when I was younger, but I stopped for a long time, and I just recently picked them up again with this start of this new Legacy of the Force series.
So far it's good, but I'm a bit behind in the continuity of the Universe, so I constantly have to look things up on Wookieepedia about characters I'd never heard of and such. I kind of wish they would let the core cast of characters from the movies (Luke, Leia, and Han) step aside and retire already. I understand that Luke and Leia are both Jedi and therefore can fight and live well beyond that of normal men and women. Han, however, is a normal guy and he is like 80 now, but he is still running around and getting in fights and rolling it off his shoulders like its nothing. I honestly don't think He'd be able to keep up with Leia at this point in his life.

Give us some new characters... characters that AREN'T directly related to the Skywalker family. Thier kids are cool, but surely there could be a powerful influential Jedi that isn't a descendant of Anakin. Most Jedi other than Luke, Leia, Mara, Jacen Solo, Jania Solo, and Ben Skywalker always end up being bit or supporting characters. Maybe if I had read the New Jedi Order books there would have been more exciting non-Skywalker characters, but somehow I doubt it. Oh well.

*SPOILER ALERT*



I do, however, like that Jacen Solo is being made into a Sith.



*END SPOILER*

What they should do is start making books set BEFORE the movies. They could never really do that before the prequels because Lucas didn't want em to possibly screw up the stories for the movies (apparently he wanted to do that himself lawl). But,the movies have been out for a while now, lets see some Old Republic books! Darth Bane was a good start, but I want more! I'm greedy that way.

Speaking of an elderly Harrison Ford (kinda), The new Indiana Jones looks Awesomely amazing.

Well I think that's about all for now.
Coming Soon: More Photos and a review of Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny.