Unemployment and filling the time

Have started my Masters of Education. I am going to be a Teacher-Librarian (or just a plain librarian it will qualify me for either).

So far:

LIKES
Learning about lots of whizzy fandangled cyberspace gadgets (finally getting an excuse to try out Second Life...as if the First One isn't busy enough)
Having an excuse to loiter in a school library
...and on the internet!
Getting in touch with others who are interested in the same things.
Hope: that I am finally on the right path and anticipation at the lovely library jobs I might one day have!

DISLIKES
Stupid, bloody irritating annoyingly offputting virus that latched onto my computer during a recent sojourn at my cousins. Perfect bloody timing! Everytime I logon to the net I get a Microsoft Error message which promptly shuts down the web. And I keep getting redirected to junk advertisements! I've never had a proper virus before so this is a whole new world of PAIN!
Having to READ so much guff. Some of the academic language they use in the articles we have to read is so POINTLESS and irritating!
Computer headache :(

I am happy to be on the course. It lasts for 12 months and at the end I will be a qualified librarian. The Masters will give me a few more points for the visa to get back into the UK but I still have to head back there before my 30th birthday. Which means teaching in Asia (or somewhere) is still on the cards.

The job I was looking at over the Summer did not work out so now I have to wait until the Aug/Sept round. Good thing is I can study this course from anywhere in the world, so I can still apply for jobs o/seas. Bad news is that apparently the economic downturn has caused many schools to put a freeze on recruitment. As my recruiters already consider me 'difficult to employ' this is going to make things interesting...although one recruiter did tell me that it may mean international schools will now be more open to one year contracts, which is FANTASTIC for me!

I've also read that in the UK school system, Miss M will be eligible to start proper school after her 4th birthday, which, unfathomably, is this September!

I went to the Library...

and actually took out a book on travel. Our netball coach gave us (my sister and I) LARGE Lonely Planet guides to Europe before we went overseas last time. Although most appreciated (as they are never cheap, despite being aimed at an impoverished target market), those bloody things lugged us down and caused all manner of catfights for probably a year before we ditched them at the hostel we managed, where they were likely stolen by somebody who I am satisfied to say will have regretted it before too long. They must've weighed about 5 kilos each.

Anyway...the problem with guidebooks is, although they are fascinating reading if you are dreaming of a life somewhere else, they date too quickly. And these days, when you can pretty much carry the internet round in your pocket, they are almost obsolete.

After I'd lived on Skye for a little while, I remember flicking through the "Isle of Skye" section in Lonely Planet and being infuriated by the inaccuracies and lame observations of the locals. I wrote to Lonely Planet and told them to sort it out. They brought out a new edition of Scotland and some of my changes were there but they didn't mention my name, which was a let down.

But I digress...

My daughter likes to go to the local Library a lot, which is great for me. They have toys and books there to occupy her while I read the paper, or drift through the aisles (usually the travel section), dreaming of our Escape. Never mind that the books never change (very small library, mostly stocked with Mills & Boon and audio copies of newspapers for the elderly), I have read Lonely Planet's "Scotland" about a million times.

The other day I decided what the heck, why not take the books out of the Library and actually read them? I picked up the Rough Guide to Travel Online, despite knowing that it would be hopelessly outdated and only serve to mislead me.

However, I was wrong. It has been quite useful. It has a whole page devoted to websites devoted to bird-watching holidays. It also has some info on single parent travel and destination guides.

I have been to them all and deleted those that are now in disfunction (so I am not always wrong!):

http://www.smallfamilies.co.uk/ (I like this one)

http://www.cyberparent.com/trips (bit old fashioned looking)

http://www.family-travel.co.uk/homepage.php

http://www.familytravelforum.com/ (looks good)

http://www.tinytravelers.net/ (part of the Family Travel Forum network; specialises in issues travelling with kids younger than 4. A great concept as it's true a lot of the other sites seem to have holidays and articles geared towards travelling with older kids)

http://www.gonomad.com/family/familyTravel.html (they even have an article on Ancestral travel in Scotland...points to them!)

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/ (not really my cup of tea)

I also found some more sites:

http://www.globalfamilyadventures.com/ (run tours to Costa Rica but possibly expanding)

http://www.sptc.org.uk/ (The Single Parent Travel Club - UK based)

At last! Some based in Australia:

http://www.holidayswithkids.com.au/single_parent_travel

http://www.byokids.com.au/

And this one is just plain weird:

http://www.parentswithoutpartners.org/ (this site must be US based - creepy pic!)

Still nowt on actually living abroad as a single parent, but the search continues...