Sadly lacking..

I work in an English Language School in Central London. I have heard that the equivalent of this for Spanish learners exist all over Latin America. Tonight, I found the list of courses available in Bogota:

Courses Intensive Spanish, Career Spanish, Executive Spanish for business, Spanish course with work placement or volunteer social work, Spanish for university, Spanish for Medicine, Spanish for the travel and tourism industry, Spanish and scuba diving, Spanish for families, teacher training.

So it is nearly the same- I like to think that Spanish for Families will teach you stuff like:

you treat this house like a hotel!

While you are under my roof you will obey my rules

and, it is my turn to choose the channel tonight

And I think that it is a shame that we don't offer an English and scuba diving course- how much of any language do you actually speak while under the water?? I though that the hand signals were pretty universal. But what do I know, I get scared at the deep end of a bath!

It is Friday today- and five weeks since we last got paid so it was a welcome relief to everyone when this day finally arrived, coupled with the chance to get out of class early because the students wanted to see the Argentina Germany game. Many of my Brazilian students were on the 'anyone but Argentina' bandwagon while me and Sarah were pretty much in a lose/lose situation.

On another note- I had a Spanish test in my last class last night and got a 'muy bien' which is enough to convince me that I would like to continue the course in July when it all starts again. In the meantime I will content myself with speaking Spanish to Brazilian barmen when I get the chance!

Feet and Ears

When I lived in Korea I spent a rather large amount of time over the years laughing at the girls' pointy shoes. I was horrified to arrive back in London to see that the pointy shoe craze was not confined to Asia. But at least the men won't fall for wearing those ridiculous clown shoes so favoured by the Young Kim about town, I thought...WRONG AGAIN!

I took this sneaky photo on the train the other night.



I took a night off football viewing on Friday night in order to go out socialising with some folk. We were joined by young Victor who has recently had holes punched though his ears. I was thrilled with this as I now have somewhere to hang my bracelets when I don't need them.

When I first got back to London I really thought that it would be a temporary thing. I got a job quite quickly and it wasn't long before I decided that it would take a lot to make me want to change it. So much so that when I got an interview for a PGCE course I didn't really put my heart into it and so didn't get it. Which was good for me as it meant that I could continue working at the school I enjoy.

I guess that one of the reasons I love it, apart from an unhealthy love of teaching, is the students. After three years of teaching kids in Korea, some reluctant to learn others all too eager but badly instructed (not by me!), it was great to be with adults. And there is a big difference in teaching kids that have been forced to do a course that they really don't see the relevance of and teaching adults who are surrounded by the language all day.

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been easy. It was hard to readjust to Western life after so long in Korea and I had kind of forgotten all about casual flirting as part of every day life. I was one of the 'invisible' women most of the time in Korea- one of the lads but certainly not one of the girls. Suddenly I was back home and being flirted with on a day to day basis- if only because I have a lot of Brazilian students to whom flirting is a natural as breathing.

The South Americans are a world away from the repressed atmosphere so common in Korea. Kissing hello and goodbye has replaced a quick bow for me and I had to get used to being touched sometimes- in Korea people stand close but these Latinos like to connect when they get close!

I love the enthusiasm that a majority of my students show- even if they are only interested in how to swear properly(!) I have had a couple recently that have caused me grief though and I am not looking forward to seeing how it all pans out with them. And while I am trying to deal with troublesome new students I have to say goodbye to my first student here. Camilo was in my first class in Malvern House and quickly became a friend- which was fortunate as I had to let him move class eventually. He gave me Spanish lessons for a couple of months which I enjoyed even if he did get rather short with my attempts to roll my r's.

And now he is going back to Colombia. Or rather Venezuala- which might be worse! Gutted though I am this constant stream of goodbyes has been part of my life since I first felt the weight of a rucksack on my back.

And maybe it is not goodbye, maybe it is just Hasta La Next Time!

Sunny Prague and a bit of football

For those of you who were asking if I would be sporting face paint this World Cup I just have this to say

I have spent the last few days in beautiful Prague. I have seen sights, I have been shopping and I have watched an awful lot of football. There is a big screen in the Old Town Square showing most of the games- but not the Aussie one- I watched that one in an English pub, sitting on a table with Koreans, chatting to some Polish guys and surrounded by Aussies trying to work out what the first 80 minutes of the game were for

Then it was back out into the sunshine to see the first Czech game. The face paint being used never dried so I ended up with red, white and blue all over my beer, bag and anything else that came anywhere near me.

I finished the night with some beer and the Portugal game



I did a lot of sightseeing too- up and under and over the Charles Bridge a mulititude of times and it never got dull.

I went to Prague Castle on Sunday and spent a good few hours there, sunning myself and taking photos

Apparantely the largest continuous castle complex in the world, there is a lot to see. I fell in love with the cottages down Golden Lane- not least because they were shops!

Then I wandered out on the hill

and round and about for some traditional Czech goulash and dumplings



It tasted good and probably best not to think of what it was doing to my heart.

There were some great views of the city from the hill next to the castle

I make no apology for the gorgeous chocolate box nature of these photos- it is not my fault, it is Prague's.

Near the river I came across the John Lennon wall- a protest wall which has seen its share of action over the years- even the Koreans have got there now

It may look a mess now but at one time this was an ongoing work in progress- created then painted over by the police, painted again etc. Now it is home to all kinds of graffiti

On Tuesday I realised that I had never been to a synagogue so I made up for it by visiting two- the Pinkus Synagogue which has an overcrowded graveyard and the Spanish Synagogue- a beautifully Moorish construction.



Prague was home to a large Jewish population in the past. The Nazis put an end to that but kept the area apparantely there was an intention to turn it all into a museum to the 'extinct' Jewish race. Scary stuff!

Rounded off the day with some football.

Tuesday I went on the Communist Walk with a guy who had lived through it all- being born during the Nazi occupation, having his photo taken sitting on a Soviet tank just after liberation, working through the Communist years and finally being in Wencelas Square in 1989. Interesting guy.

Then there was more football and shopping



To be honest, I didn't want to come home. And the lack of sun here today just made it worse- but at least this time I was able to go on holiday and not get sunburnt- result!

I am not back at work until next week- we are moving house tomorrow so I have no idea when the internet will be connected in the new house- we hope soon!

Just leave you with this sign I saw in Prague- and the question- so exactly what can you do there?

Jealousy, actual real jealousy

The World Cup started today- something that hasn't passed unnoticed even in the world of confectionary



I took my students to the pub to watch the start of the first match. And was amazed to feel a stab of jealousy. You see, four years ago, at the last World Cup I was there- in the stadium, feeling that buzz of excitment. It was a mad month and no mistake! We made lots of silly promises about meeting up at this World Cup, which seemed so distant then, but nothing ever came of any of them.

A lot of the people that I was in Korea with that first year are still there. Weird! And I am not there with them anymore and who knows when I will next get a chance to take part in a Mexican wave in a World Cup stadium.

Ah well, introduced the students to cider and the joys, or not, of warm beer- they seemed pretty put out at that

But they liked the cider and I felt that I had done a little something to make them more English.

The day before I took another lot of students to the pub for some traditional English food and it doesn't get any more traditional than this toad in the hole

Though the fish and chips behind it give it a pretty good run for its money. That is until the Colombian put mayonnaise on them- I handed him the vinegar and explained.

Anyway, off to Prague tomorrow for five days which I am really looking forward to- if only for the lie-in and the chance to sleep in a bed for four nights. Mind you, my sister is moving house on Thursday and I am going with her so as of next week there will be no more airbed in the living room for me. Unfortunately, this also means no more lying in bed to watch CSI on my hungover Tuesday evenings.

Swings and roundabouts, folks!

A Korean sort of a night

Obviously it is Saturday and the one day of the week when I acually have time to update this thing. But I went out last night and didn't make it to bed until nearly eight thirty this morning. It was a bit like a normal night in Korea only with a few more South Americans and salsa dancing and a little less norae bang.

Needless to say I am tired.