Lydia no longer works at S.C. however as Maria Elena & John (my boss) found that the one day a week she was cleaning at their house instead of the centre, she had been slowly stealing little things - nothing of great value, more pairs of knickers or a hair brush which seemed odd choices but nevermind. Anyway, once they realised - and she's been working for them without problems for about 5 years - she decided it was best if she left. Why knickers!?
Guayaquil
It averages at about 30ºC a day here at the moment - this is their winter. That being said, I've clearly been here to long as it as 24ºC this morning on my way into work & I had goosebumps. It's nice though as I go swimming about 3 times a week in a pool across my road and at night there is no need for the air-con anymore - it's actually very pleasant. Think I'll struggle with the British summer temperatures when I get home though!
I get the bus everywhere here as obviously I don't have a car. It's only 25c to go anywhere per trip and you basically just stand at the side of the road at wave your arm at a bus driving in the direction you want to go. Generally, I've had no problems - touch wood - though it can be rather cramped & if you end up too far down the bus you can't see out of the windows to know when to get off, let alone make your way to the door intime to actually get off. Most of the Ecuadorians here are shocked that I get buses, claiming they are horribly unsafe and that a young girl on her own especially shouldn't be getting the buses around the city.
Graham, my colleague, however, also gets the buses everywhere & - touch wood - has never had any problems or seen any problems & he's been here 2 years. Obviously, don't get an iPod out on the bus or travel with your passport in your bag but that's purely common sense if you ask me.
Blanchy claimed that the buses didn't work past 8pm in an attempt to make sure that I didn't use them. This is a lie. I have seen, & used them after 10pm. She also told me never to get in a taxi alone after dark. This I do understand a bit more as they can drive off more easily with you inside. However, as I don't finish work until after dark, I'm intrigued how she thinks I'll get home if I can't use a taxi & there's no buses (which of course there are). Her advice seemed a little unhelpful in a way!
Home is a bit of a mad house. Blanchy, Wilson & I live on the ground floor & Graham & Maria-Fernanda live upstairs in their apartment with their 9 month old son, Santino. He has learned to crawl since I've been here (yes, I was crawling around the living room with him) and grown his first to teeth much to Blanchy's delight. I find it all a bit much at times, however as I come from a nice quiet, two person house to a 5 person house, a baby & the rest of the the family constantly popping in & out for lunch or a chat, friends rapping on the door looking for people who I've never heard of, etc.
My Spanish is improving slowly. I can hold a basic conversation now, though I lack confidence with anyone outside of my host family.I also have 4 hours of Spanish lesson a week with a girl not much older than myself. So that helps a bit too. I find it strange how everyone just assumes I'm Ecuadorian! I'm a total milk bottle & yet they still seem to think that because I have brown hair & eyes, I must be South American.
Hola y Ciao
We've finally got another teacher working at Southern Cross. This would lighten the load a bit more if Bethan hadn't moved back to English this week. She's been here 3 years & her & her husband decided it was time to try life in the UK again which was a bit disappointing really as I'd only just gotten to known her/them.
It was her leaving doo last week, however, which was a good night out. Her friends were teaching me to Salsa - something I am still yet to master though they said there was hope for me, which was comforting... assuming they weren't just being polite. HmmAnyway, so we've lost Bethan who was the only full-timer working here. Laurence & I are both by the hour & the new guy, John, who has lived in Gquil for 15 years, doesn't yet have the CELTA (the qualification we all have & that you need to work at S.C.) so he can only have a limited amount of classes. And so the slog continues.
Late Nights & Early Mornings
My timetable is slowly killing me I'm sure. Each course is 4 weeks long and last week we started the second course. My Elementary class is now full and has a waiting list which is great but my Pre-Int still only has 4 people, though one of the difficult students appears to have dropped out & was 'replaced' by a very nice younger woman who doesn't question my linguistic background or whether I really am a qualified teacher. (That was a bad week.) Since all these problems with my Pre-Int group, I've gained a degree in English from Nottingham University & I'm now in my early 20's. Funny how life can age you!
At the end of the last course, my Pre-Int group wanted to take me for a traditional Ecuadorian breakfast to celebrate completing the course. I ate bolon - made from plantain and cheese, mushed into a ball. It was actually very nice & I've had it a few times since from the cafe next door to work. It's very filling & just complete carbohydrate but it tastes good!
In the photo, is (from left) Christian - probably the shyest & weakest student but he is always very kean - myself, Juan Carlos - one of the know-it-alls who actually doesn't know very much at all - Rossana who is so enthusiatistic she makes me look like a wallflower and Monica who can be a stoppy madam & thinks her English is amazing when in reality, she speaks real Spanglish.
Similarly, my evening Elementary class were very excited about finishing the first course and they wanted to take me out to dinner. Sadly, however, due to many having families, and it was one man's birthday that night, only three were able to come. They took me for a somewhat less traditional meal in the Sports Bar where we had margaritas & fajitas. It was goood!In the photo is Karen - who took me to Montañita - Tania, Ruth, myself, Fabricio - probably the strongest student in the class though he does like to show off which annoys me - Gustavo who has dropped out as he found it all too difficult & Carlos who is probably the weakest student but so smiley & cheerful that no one really minds if it takes him twice as long to understand everything!
Also, with the new course, I'm now teaching an extra 4 hours a week with a private student for what's called the CPE - English Proficiency. It's the highest form of Cambridge English as a Second Language exams and therefore is very difficult - not only for the students either! Although I'm only teaching 4 hours a week, the amount of planning this course takes is a lot as you really have to challenge the students & make them into 'native speakers'. So we're doing speed speaking & fluency exercises every lesson, exam skills & preparation - how to write an essay, etc - & detailed language analysis. I've had to be honest with her & say, "your grammar is quite possibly better than mine in terms of technical knowledge, though I can probably use it better so together, we'll find out what to do." She's only 20 herself so she seemed cool with it - thank god.
Working at S.C. is certainly a CV booster. I've now taught most levels at some point over the last 
year & also, they're a Cambridge certified English Centre which means we teach for the Cambridge English exams, etc using their levels & methodology which will look great on my CV should I ever teach English again. So I may be lacking in a life or sleep but at least once I leave in 3 weeks I will have had 2 months of good experience.
year & also, they're a Cambridge certified English Centre which means we teach for the Cambridge English exams, etc using their levels & methodology which will look great on my CV should I ever teach English again. So I may be lacking in a life or sleep but at least once I leave in 3 weeks I will have had 2 months of good experience.(Right) the outside to my classroom, just off reception.
What next?
Speaking of leaving in three weeks...
I've finally got some concrete plans for what I'm doing after teaching in Guayaquil. I am heading off to Peru around July 15th and taking a bus from G'quil to the boarder where I'll spend a few days at a little beach resort called Mancora. I have it on good authority that there is good surfing - not that I surf... yet - cerviche - a seafood soup with almost raw shrimp, onions and ketchup which is surprisingly good though it can be a bit overpowering a taste for breakfast as they often eat it here! - and generally just a cool place. From there, I'm taking another bus to Lima where I'll be for a day or so & then meet with my Trek Group.
We spend 8 days touring from Lima, to Cuzco, the Sacred Valley where we also spend a night with an Indiginous Quichuan family which will be cool & finally, the Macchu Piccu. We finish up back in Cuzco where I'm staying for a bit more of a look around for 4 days. There's loads of Inca ruins around the area & also things to do in the city.
On August 2nd, I fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I'm meeting mom for 2 weeks though we don't really know what we'll be doing there yet. I fly home at midnight on August 16th & arrive at Gatwick on the morning on the 18th. So see you then!!
To see more photos of where I'm living & what I'm doing go to:
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