Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy Friggin' New Year

Another year disappears into the Vortex and we all get a bit closer to the Eternal.

At 45 years old, I feel that a bit more strongly than many of you.

But I can definitely say that 2014 was way the fuck better than 2013. 

Got to some really good destinations this year -- Maldives was spectacular and finally I got to South America (namely Peru and Ecuador and the Galopogas Islands) -- and fulfilled a lifelong ambition of getting altitude sickness and puking, then getting explosive diarrhea at the ancient city of Macchu Picchu. 


I vomited at the bottom of the terraces where the treeline starts; I actually felt so shitty I had to go lay down on the grass in the shade for like 30 minutes. The books accurately describe altitude sickness as feeling like a really bad hangover, and I concur.

(No, I hadn't drunk a lot the night before -- just a couple of beers with dinner.)


Next week I'm going to Prague and Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic with the Refuses-To-Be-Ex Girlfriend. 

As a New Year's gift, you can get REQUIEM FOR A VAGABOND free for the next five days; 


Get it here FREE on Amazon as an e-book. In addition to my various other middle-aged adventures since 2009, you can read about my 2014, or at least the January to the end of July part of it. 

I've also done the 2015 Edition of ENGLISH TEACHER X GUIDE TO TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD, with a couple new essays and a general editing and update: 


Get it HERE on Amazon for only $2.99.

Sales for that title have really plummeted in the last year or so, presumably as the young 'uns realize they can make more money doing practically ANYTHING living abroad. The crappiest jobs on Fiverr and Odesk probably pay twice as much as you'd make in the typical crappy English teaching gig.

I hope I had some hand in reducing the number of applicants for shitty English teaching positions. I've done my Cosmic Duty. 

Happy New Year!



3 comments:

go banana said...

happy new year x

just read 'requiem'. i say this as a compliment- you really have a flair for creating intrigue around your dissolute and mostly dreary life as an expat.

fwiw, your life story influenced my decision to become an english teacher while also discouraging me from doing it long term

English Teacher X said...

well, I myself never really thought I would do it long term ...

Anonymous said...

Just finished Requiem and very much enjoyed it, thanks for the freebie ... I've become a fanatical conspiracy theorist in the last few months (9/11, moon landings, you name it) so perhaps TEFL is in my future!