Hola otra vez!
So, one more week down! The TEFL program has gotten even more demanding! Most days it's 10am-7pm, the last 2 hours observing classes and this week we actually start teaching! Very exciting... they have 5 different levels for their English courses and I think I'm most nervous about having to teach the basic beginners!
We're making good friends with the other TEFL students... most are other Americans and there's 1 Argentine, 1 Brit, 1 Brazilian, and 1 Finnish.
Wade is watching American football today so I decided to go to the pool with some friends... it was quite an adventure. I've wanted to go swimming since I got here so the 30 min bus ride and the 35 pesos sounded reasonable.. what I found unreasonable was having to go thru a physical before getting into the obscenely overcrowded pool! First they separated men and women into very long lines, told to strip to our suits and shower, then got into another line where they sent us to a doctor who checked our hair, armpits, then feet before giving us a pass to get to the pool area. It felt slightly Germany WW2. Then once in, there was hardly room to walk with all the ppl! But the water was cold and very refreshing.. but next time I think i'll just go to the ocean and deal with the silt.
In general the tap water is fine but sometimes smells funny... grocery shopping has to be often because everything goes bad so quickly! and they have everything in a bag... what do you do with a giant milk or yogurt bag once it's been opened? It's not like you can just close-pin it shut!
We've been going out to eat a lot... it still feels like vacation mode! Especially when the exchange rate is so good we feel like kings! We went out to a really nice steak house and it cost us US$39... not too bad! But as I understand, once we start getting a teacher's pay we'll feel it more. As of now on average my salary will equal my rent... so I'll probably be looking into a new place. And we won't just have 1 job either so no regular schedule which is a huge bummer to me.
But as February is a slower month for jobs, Wade and I have decided to enroll in a Spanish course- hopefully we'll be able to understand the Argentine accent then! We got a discount for being TEFL students- $320 for 4 weeks. Not bad considering I saw one that was $360 for 1 week!
Well, what else have I noticed?
If you order a tomato, potato, egg salad then that is exactly what you get- no dressing, no lettuce, just one of each.
There are hardly any Black or Asian people here!
Mullets and MC Hammer pants are common.
There's no peanut butter!
And here is a video of our Tigre boat ride!
Well, I love and miss you all! xoxo
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Glad to know the Argentinians checked you for lice! We miss you!!!
ReplyDeleteJill,
ReplyDeleteIn Brazil, you will find:
- imported peanut butter! - yes, we have!
- small box for every single product!
So, see....Brazil is more developed than Argentine, and brazilians are always in a 'word-war' with our neighbors!! ;)
Good to have some interesting text to read in English...Indirectelly, I learn a little bit of English with you ;) See, you are already experiencing teaching life on line (you could correct my messages, I am so 'untrained' in written english!! ;)
besitos