Let me repeat that back, just to be sure...

"What would be your reaction if a child painted his whole arm and his face whilst exploring finger paint?"

well, commend him for his outside-the-box-thinking, of course!

...to which the program director replied,"you might respond differently if this happened in a group of ten...," while not completely disagreeing with me, and siting the sensory delight of such "exploration.";)

this was my actual answer to my favorite question during the college admission interview that almost didn't happen yesterday. if not for my very assertive decision to investigate, i might have been stuck with a grueling rescheduling battle, and quite possibly a crippling delay in my pursuit of employment security, aka License to Practice, in addition to possibly losing my "new immigrant credential updating/validating" funding(there's a time limit).

my admission interview adventure began at an information session, where i signed up for my interview time. after clearing the appointment with my employer, the program director called to request that i reschedule. my employer approved the new time, 2:45 on 6/23, yesterday. the next day, my employer, with a sense of urgency, graciously requested that i reschedule again, since she'd forgotten all about a commitment she'd made during that time, and had no available care for the girls. after several calls that day, and a few the next day, i was able to reschedule for 11am on 6/23, which i thought i had carefully confirmed...

at 11:05, sitting in a very quiet, empty corridor, surrounded by printed signs with arrows pointing to the dark, deserted room in front of me, reading "early childhood education interviews," i was fairly certain that something was up, even ay about 10:42, since receiving very clear instructions at the information session to arrive 15 minutes early to review questions that would be asked. it seemed very clear that i was in the right place, what with the extensive, explicit signage that began at the entrance to the college, but perhaps missed some rescheduling memo.

i set out with Waltson, who had so awesomely driven me, since i don't much care for downtown driving, to attempt to locate the program director's office. after a phone call and a directory search, we arrived, and i explained my situation to a very helpful receptionist, who dashed away to see if the director was available. to my delight and surprise, the director came out to the lobby where i waited. she checked her schedule, and had penned me for 11am on 6/21, instead of 6/23. despite the mix up, she offered to interview me alone, although the original plan was to interview in a group in front of a panel. she asked if i would mind this deviation. ha! the introvert in me cheered, since this scenario was exactly what i had sort of hoped for! :D provided, of course, that it wouldn't negatively impact my admission chances, which i was informed would not.

the director was absolutely lovely, and exemplified the ideal Early Childhood Educator. Although, looking back(as this never fails), i imagined several better answers to my interview questions(like, in addition to commending the boy, i might gently redirect him to use paper instead of his body, lest he give himself a new paint job every time), i am almost certain that i will be accepted. i should know by mid July...

Nearly a Year Later...

Time for another blog, which will probably be more of a warm-up than anything super entertaining, but hopefully still enjoyable:)

Its completely cloudy now, and I kind of regret not making more of an effort to spend time outside earlier today when the weather was sunny and relatively clear. The usual Pacific Northwest rain looks to dominate the weekend, but it will still be warm enough for outdoor adventures. Doing my best on the second day of my usual 4-day weekend to catch up on neglected chores, and waiting to see if my second attempt at Paneer will be more successful than the first, which is edible, but not firm enough to bbq or fry. I am determined to master that light, fluffy cheese, one of my favorite elements of Indian cuisine, which I have only been able to find frozen in tiny cubes at local stores (better than nothing, but not nearly restaurant-quality).

Formulating my next line to the swish-swish of our tiny, overstuffed washer(preparing wintry blankies for storage) and passing traffic below our mid-rise tower, my relatively new nanny position seems to be a good subject choice, since its one aspect of BC life that I haven't been able to capture in photos(and now I must close the balcony door, since someone's cigarette smoke is spoiling the cool breeze. they can have their toxic addictions, but don't impose them on me!*sigh*). Anyhow, I obtained the position as a nanny for two brilliant, adorable girls, aged 1 and nearly 4 at the beginning of March, and have loved it since! Their parents are wonderful, and both girls seem very content and happy. Its a part time position, and I usually work Mon, Wed, and Thurs from about 8:30-5, which is perfect, because I plan to go back to school to fulfill educational requirements for BC's License to Practice. Requirements for Early Childhood Education are more stringent in BC than in most of the states, even California, as far as I know, which is actually awesome, and definitely worth the extra effort. The kids deserve well-trained teachers. In addition, the pay is generally much better than what I remember being offered in the states.

As much as I enjoyed my year-long sabbatical, waiting for permanent residency, it feels great to be working again. I hadn't expected to find employment so quickly. As soon as I received all documentation necessary to work, and after thorough research, I discovered several resources for new immigrants, including a program that provides assistance to skilled workers(updating international credentials, workshops, job market info, etc.). My appointed counselor just happened to have a close childhood friend that was looking for a nanny, so she referred me, and I got the job! I will also be receiving tuition assistance:)

Dinner time! More updates in the near future:)