a hectic week

This week I finally found a new apartment I could afford to rent! Things were getting difficult, lots of new teachers, all moving around, a few personality clashes going on, lots of people taking what they could, I got fed up and decided to look for a place unconnected with the school.  This wasn´t too easy though as I didn`t have much money and had to dig into the savings I wanted to have when I get back to the UK. Eventually I found a place: 3 bedrooms, $160 a month, no deposit, nice and cheap! No luxury but I don´t care about that at the moment.  I am with the two people I usually get on best with but unfortunately I had a row with one of them last night... sharing can really be  a strain sometimes, I bet lots of others have felt that since they started TEFLing? A one room place is too expensive though, and I`ve got to get a fridge and all the kitchen stuff too.

On Friday we had to take the day off and go to Cuenca for the inauguration of CHC`s new school.  I didnt want to go, but was having an ok time on the minibus, having a sneaky beer and a laugh with a couple of freinds until we passed an accident on the road. Couldnt figure it out to start with but then a bus pulled away and we could clearly see a man lying dead in the road.  His friend was still wrapped around their motorbike, dead also.  It was so horrible, we soon sobered up and then it was hard to face a formal occaision with posh guests and salsa dancing. I`ve only ever seen dead people in the coffin not just there in the road, it really was awful and so sad.

My new classes are good though, especially the 2 level one classes.  I was dreading it to start with as I´ve never taught level 1 before, but the students (adults) are so nice, some of them invite me to dinner and parties and some of them live in my block and we have dinner together. They´re all really nice and friendly and work is cheering me up at the moment.  They have their 1st test on Wednesday and I`m fairly confident for most of them.. the biggest class is actually the best as I can make 4 groups for games etc and they interact in a much more lively way than the small classes.  My level 3 teens (15-16 yrs) were a nightmare to start with but I`m slowly getting through with them and in fact they now all want to go to El Sendero, a youth cafe, with me next Friday afternoon.

I`m teaching 6 hours a day at the moment but 1 more would be nice as I need the $$s! I hear they pay much better in Asia but I still love Ecuador, just ahd a hard 2 weeks... next post more positive, promise!