Steven Sirski: tractor operator, writer, director, drummer, backpacker and English teacher.

I’m from Winnipeg, Canada, a city that isn’t well represented abroad. (It’s in central Canada, right in between Vancouver and Toronto!) I spent 26 years of my life there before deciding to head out into the world and try my hand at living on my own and in places I don’t know the language.

I’m a writer. I’ve completed university degrees more times than I care to admit (in some cases, just the requirements and did not receive the actual degree), stopping with a MA in Classics (the study of ancient Greece and Italy). There were a few reasons for studying Classics: a) I read a book called A Canticle for Leibowitz in high school and immediately thought that being able to incorporate Latin into my work would be cool. b) I also remember my sister saying that Latin was exceptionally challenging since it didn’t have any punctuation. I thought I’d try it. Damn punctuation c) And so, when it came time to declare my major in university, I found out that I’d actually studied more Latin than anything else, and 6 years later I acquired an master’s degree for writing The Musical Revolution in Fifth-Century Greece.  Carpe diem, baby.

Here are some of the articles I’ve written:
Go Teach Abroad: Teach English in Ukraine - www.goteachabroad.com
Teaching English in Ukraine - www.artofbackpacking.com
5 MORE things to do in Winnipeg - www.ouroyster.com
Steve: Teaching and Volunteering in Korea, Cambodia and Ukraine – www.teachingtravelling.com
Teaching English in South Korea – www.artofbackpacking.com
Tips to get you started Teaching English in South Korea – www.artofbackpacking.com

I’m a musician. I’ve played in several bands in Winnipeg, starting with a high school band called Radium, then a rock outfit named Ciaira’s tears (which no one could ever spell correctly: she cries from two i’s, get it?), then finding a modicum of success with the Ukrainian polka band, Taran Musical Ensemble, before joining the cultural revolution in a band called Zrada Cultural Academy. While in Korea I played drums for one of the cover bands there, sharing the stage with two amazingly talented Korean musicians. Sadly, as of late, I’ve not been an active musician, though I have been looking into some more exotic types of music, such as Barbatuques.

My music has been reviewed or featured in a few publications:
Taran – www.rjstours.shawbiz.ca
Zrada – www.uptownmag.com. Also reviewed in Stylus Magazine and the Winnipeg Free Press.
Zrada: One to Watch – www.uptownmag.com

I’m a film writer/director. For as long as I can remember, I’ve made movies. 2010 was particularly great since I finished 2 short movies (The Five Muses and Coffee and Milk) and continue to work on my own work. I used to trawl the underground caverns of the University of Manitoba’s Film Studies department and the Winnipeg Film Group. You can even find me on imdb.com as a Camera Assistant on Clive Barker’s The Plague. Very glamorous.

I’ve been featured on a couple of websites:
All About Teaching English Abroad - Webinar hosted by Art of Backpacking on www.spreecast.com
Teacher’s Challenge – Teach Away Telegram
Film Feature: Coffee and Milk – Teaching in South Korea – www.artofbackpacking.com

And my co-writer/director, Murat, was feature on a Korean website for our film, Coffee and Milk:
메이드인부산독립영화제 커피 그리고 우유 의 무라트 콥츄, 나의 남자 박서아 – www.moviejoy.com

Lastly, I’m a backpacker and, when necessary, an English teacher and a seasonal worker. I’ve learned how to drive a tractor. I’ve backpacked through parts of Europe (both Western and Eastern) and southeast Asia. You can see my photo essay of Europe here or begin reading about my travels through SE Asia here. I also lived in South Korea for a year. Teaching English is really my way of getting paid to travel. I’ve taught in South Korea, Cambodia and Ukraine. I’ve recently been called an “impulsive” teacher… not sure how to take that. I’ve worked on a farm for a couple of autumns and am now looking abroad for more seasonal work.

Thanks for stopping by. If you wish to get in contact with me or have any questions, please send me an email at:

stevensirski [at] gmail [dot] com

A note to make about this website. You’ll notice that I have quite a few links in my posts, most of them pointing to Amazon sites. These are affiliate links, meaning that if you click through my site and make a purchase on Amazon, I get a commission. These links help pay for site maintenance, etc. I have a nifty little widget that allows anybody to click on the link and get directed to the appropriate Amazon website, such as the American or Canadian site, UK, German, China, Japan, etc.

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