Tag Archives: embassy

“Over here we live like kings, but back home we are like everyone else!” – The South African diplomat said to me as we toured their palatial dwelling in Seoul, South Korea

Somewhere on Lake Annecy, France – You never know where your travels for outreach may take you! 🙂 CPO, From the Far Side of the Planet 🙂

 South African Embassy Friends – Over here we live like kings! …

We were based among the rolling lush green hills and mountains of South Korea. My friend from church  was from South Africa and taught at a local village Hogwon English school while I was teaching at the local university in a nearby city. She said, “Well let’s get on with it … how about skip down with us to Seoul for a visit. We can stay at my friend’s house from the South African Embassy. So my wife and I said sure and off we went. Seoul is a large metropolis of 10 or so million folks. It is an ultra modern city covered with towering glassy apartments that are quite expensive. But our embassy friend, one of zillions we would meet overseas, lived in a sprawling small mansion with a zillion rooms to spare. It was a fun visit. And she said to us, “Over here we live like kings, but back home we live just like everyone else!” I marvelled at the remark, but it pretty much sums up my life over here overseas.

Everyone has a maid, nanny or chef?

Continue reading “Over here we live like kings, but back home we are like everyone else!” – The South African diplomat said to me as we toured their palatial dwelling in Seoul, South Korea

Yo ho, ho! A CPO Diplomat’s life for me?  Life as a diplomat ….? By CPO, From the Far Side of the Planet

Around Lake Geneva, Switzerland  – You never know where your travels may take you and what opportunities there are for outreach … :), By CPO

A CPO Diplomat’s life for me?  Life as a diplomat ….?

Yo ho, ho  – and a bottle of orange juice?  …. Oops I mean, a CPO Diplomat’s life for me? Hmmm maybe or maybe not? But there are different options… but before we go exploring plan B options let’s also look at how difficult it is to get into the diplomatic core.

I remember my first awakening to this world. We were at a university bible study meeting for the Navigators and a fellow named Scott started chatting with me … I come from a fairly small town along the beaches of the Great Lakes … which I mentioned to him and he said,  “Oh I will be swimming in the Indian Ocean for Christmas.”  I said what? In confusion … looking out at the snow ( … and dreaming of tropical beaches far away) … seeing my small town mind had never come against such a being …. India???? I said??? Ocean??? I said. And he said, “Yes my parents work for the embassy as diplomats and we have lived all over the world” … He said matter of factly, “We were in Russia on our last posting!”  Well it was a world I didn’t even know existed except distantly as the background of some adventure movie.

My imagination was piqued.

Continue reading Yo ho, ho! A CPO Diplomat’s life for me?  Life as a diplomat ….? By CPO, From the Far Side of the Planet

Targeted International School Job Searches – A Job Affair? – Your 2 Best Job Finder Friends – Series # 2

Black Forest, Germany – Apples Free to Pick – You never know where your travels may take you and what opportunities there are for outreach … :), By CPO

(What if I said you could get a ticket to virtually ANY OF THE 195 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD by becoming a CPO … – … And it  is relatively easy … ??? Well that is what this website endeavors to help you to do.)

***  Clueless in Asia???

By CPO, From the Far Side of the Planet! 🙂

Yes that was me when I first arrived on the international scene so many moons ago… I found a job via this new fangled thing called the Internet in the 90’s and have never looked back…. but did wonder how to go forward.

I Remember it Well!!!!?! 🙂

I remember it well …. getting off the plane in a run-down airport, masses of bicycles swarming the streets, meandering dark ally-ed village like ancient streets and housing, maze like labyrinths of convoluted byways with wafting smells and odours from refuse, cooking or outhouses, coal burning heaters and cookers with smokey haze rising … scenting and coating everything with coal dust … strange foods that surprised with delight and street food with food poisoning … it was a different world for me …

The Dark Side????! 🙂

Continue reading Targeted International School Job Searches – A Job Affair? – Your 2 Best Job Finder Friends – Series # 2