Meet the LoveTEFL Travellers: Kevin, Thailand

Welcome back to Meet the LoveTEFL Travellers, where we interview past interns to find out what inspired them to teach English overseas and – most importantly – what they got out of it! This week, we’re talking to Kevin Cuminskey, who joined our June Thailand Internship and had the time of his life.

Thanks for your time! First up, tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Kevin and I’m 24 years old. I grew up in Dublin but moved to Dundalk after school to study music. I got my degree in 2013 and started writing music for short films, radio ads, documentaries and anything else I could get my hands on. But well-paid music jobs seldom came, and I had to get a “9 to 5” selling travel insurance to pay the bills.

 What do you do in your spare time usually?

If I’ve a music project on the go, I’m all in on that. I remember one week in particular, I had to write 30 mins of motivational music for some gym workout DVDs. I got home from the office-y insurance job at 6pm and had to stay up until 4am on my laptop writing heavy techno tunes. 3 hours sleep and dishevelled, go again! Haha!

When there’s no music job, my girlfriend and I are looking up flights, binge-watching some TV show or going out to bars for live music. We’ve a lovely group of friends who all studied music together in Dundalk. As they’re all in different bands, one or two of them is usually playing at the weekend.

What’s your education history up to this point?

After my Leaving Cert, I went to the Dundalk Institute of Technology which is about 80km from Dublin. The music degree was a four year course. I wrote my dissertation on the modern approaches to film music composition.

It was essentially talking about how equipment nowadays is so accessible and affordable, that someone like me (working for free) is using the same software as an award-winning, Hollywood giant like Hans Zimmer. Rather than spending time and money in a studio with an orchestra to record something, I can draft up really specific samples on my laptop at home – a great option to have when you’re only starting your career.

And now, I’ve got my TEFL qualification too of course. Which I think was a deal-breaker in a recent interview I had. All the experiences and stories I had just flowed naturally and the interviewer kept asking more and more about it and I got accepted to do a masters in Trinity College Dublin.

What drew you to TEFL? What was your ultimate goal (if there was one)?

My girlfriend and I just started talking about it one day. She was working in a shop and I was working in insurance. Neither of us wanted to be working in those jobs. We looked up a few details about TEFL; where we could go; what we would be doing, and the more I learned about it, the more I liked the idea.

We ultimately went with the 2-month Thailand Internship because it was our first time teaching. If it wasn’t for us, at least we weren’t signed up for 5 months or longer. In hindsight, I would’ve loved to have been there longer. I was really hitting my stride with the teaching in the 4th and 5th weeks and before I knew it, it was over.

The ultimate goal was to travel as much as I could. I loved moving city to city every few days around southeast Asia. I travelled for 6 weeks and then taught for 6 weeks, travelling at the weekends too. Everyone says TEFL and travelling go hand-in-hand. It really works.

How do you feel about the overall experience provided by LoveTEFL?

Southeast Asia is such an amazing part of the world and it’s such a fulfilling and enjoyable way to spend your time. It was obvious that the LoveTEFL staff were all in our shoes at one point. So they knew exactly how to settle nerves, muster funny stories and integrate all the interns.

Luckily, I didn’t have any issues with the online course or on the internship at all but I did recognise that lines of communication were always open to those who needed it. It was the best chapter of my life so far, without a doubt.

What was your favourite aspect of the internship?

This is why I made the video! Haha. I could write a big block paragraph here listing things I’d done, places I’d seen, people I’d met, etc. But just watch the video.

I was terrible at writing up my travel journal so I just started taking videos on my phone. And you know what? The pictures of waterfalls, national parks and beaches don’t tell half the story. Obviously you can’t have your phone out every second. There are so many amazing things that aren’t in the video. You have to be there in person making your own story.

Just one thing in particular, the kids are so enthusiastic and grateful. You get out of the taxi on the first day and you’re getting hugs and high-fives! And it continues the whole time you’re there. Anytime I’m showing someone the video, I always like to point out “Look, I’m not an actor! Look how stress-free all these teaching clips are! That’s what it’s really like!”

Did you face any challenges when you were abroad? What advice would you give to someone considering an internship?
I was abroad for over 3 months. Everyday, I was doing new things I’d never done before. Of course I faced challenges. But that’s why everybody comes home and says that that they’ve got the “new perspective”. That’s why people say they’ve changed and that they’ve learned so much – They’ve met challenges and moved forward with them.
In terms of practical advice I’d give… the humidity – the struggle is real. You can’t drink enough water. One thing I wish I’d done more is walk around the school when I wasn’t teaching. Played more football with the kids and things like that. Then I remember the humidity and I say, “Oh yeah! That’s why you sat in front of a fan for all those hours!” So yeah, water and shade!

What’s next for you?
I really don’t have any sort of 5-year plan. All I can think about is the summer I’ve just had. Myself and 3 friends bought a cheap guitar in Vietnam and wrote 7 songs while we were on our trip, so I’m trying to record them when we get a chance to get together.
I’m really lucky to be doing a Masters in Education that will qualify me to teach music as a school subject as well. I have to thank LoveTEFL for helping me realise how much I loved teaching and to go for that.
Lastly, I have to get travelling again. As I said before, it was the best chapter of my life so far. Not only is Ireland so small, but even Europe seems like a blip on the global scale now. Southeast Asia isn’t just a place to go for a holiday. You have to go live out there. And you won’t know until you go there.
I absolutely loved the people I met in hostels along the way and I’ve some great stories from that, but teaching and living in the schools is an amazing way to learn the true culture and get to know the local way of life. Being stuck in that office job feels like a lifetime ago. I still don’t know what’s next for me – music, film, teaching, travelling – but my experience with TEFL has given me a plethora of opportunities to choose from.

Thanks so much for your time, Kevin! It’s great to hear about your amazing experiences over in Thailand and it sounds like a really life-changing adventure. The video you and the group made is awesome too, we really enjoyed watching it! All the best for the future, and stay in touch!

Source link