Feliz Cumpleaños

My students surprise me with a birthday cake 🙂

Original published July 6, 2011, on tumblr

New Job, New Challenges

Hello Señora! I’m so excited about teaching English for the University. I’ve been looking for a job like this since I’ve been here. Thank you, I hope so too. You want me to meet you on Friday to pickup the materials? Of course, I can do that. At 11? Wonderful, see you then…

Hello, I have an appointment with the Director of the Language Department. Yes right now. What do you mean she’s not here? I have to teach a class on Monday, I don’t even know what level the students are! It’s a conversational class? Ok, that’s a start, but I need the text book and I don’t know what room the class is in. Hmmm, well, that’s an interesting suggestion, but I’d rather not just wander around asking people, if that could be at all avoided.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

The little changes, the ones that creep up slowly on you, are so fun when you finally notice that they’ve been taking place. A house slowly taking shape, over 4 months after watching 2 men working with the most basic tools and materials imaginable. It has a roof now! The puppy Cory used to be able to sit on my shoulder and now he’s enormous and still growing. Mi español tambien!

Present Perfect, Past Simple, and Empanadas

The girl has taught English:
She has taught the present perfect, she has taught the past simple, she has been patient, she has been proud, she has been impressed, she has been frustrated, she has felt like she has accomplished something good.

Guayaquil: The Roommate

The city is getting more interesting everyday. Ciudad Guayaquil is that new roommate you are forced to live with your first semester at college. We didn’t seem to have much in common, and he was noisy and messy and standoffish. Living with him was a necessary evil until I could find something better next semester. One that I could choose myself.

And Then… Guayaquil

Showing up in a strange city with my entire life in two backpacks, and no real plan, no job lined up, and a dwindling bank account balance was not the safest bet I’ve ever made, but I never like to do things the safe way. I had no work visa, no way to prove I had a BA (they only accept original or notarized copies of a diploma at most places), and even my official CELTA certificate wouldn’t be available for 3 months. Then there are all the challenges particular to Ecuador.