working vacation

Although some days I forget altogether, I'm in Brazil to work. Working to live here for a little while, working on my Portuguese, working on myself. One of the voices in my head says, "Shouldn't you be getting to work instead of hanging out in Brazil right now?" Then I remember I've got my entire life to work full-time in an office or a classroom or wherever, that right now there's other work to be done...I'm here and I'm going to make the most of it!

Slowly but surely I'm getting more interest in private English lessons. I posted an ad on Craigslist Rio de Janeiro (gotta love it) which has found me a couple of students, and otherwise I've met people and it's come up that way. I met my first student on the plane ride over and got my first paycheck two days after I arrived! So far I have four students and two more who want to start after the New Year. I'm teaching mostly conversation about six hours a week in cafes, bookstores, sometimes at the beach. It's rough. Teaching privately is the best way to skip the paperwork that small English schools require, and it pays better, too. I'm basically making the same hourly wage I make at home, just not working as many hours. Hopefully business will pick up in a couple months...

November and December are big holiday months in Brazil. Every time I turn around it's another four day holiday for Saint somebody. In the U.S. our holidays tend to fall on Mondays or Fridays. Here they're on Tuesdays or Thursdays, effectively blowing most of the week. I'm not saying Brazilians aren't hard workers, they are, it's just they know how to take strategic time off. And the calendar is on their side. Since I'm not one to argue with the calendar, I'm planning to hit the road for a few weeks in December. Kind of a vacation in a vacation. I'll probably check out some new places: Angra dos Reis, Florianopolis, Parati...and go back to a couple of my favorite spots, like the jungle and Buzios. We'll see where I end up. My sister, Jill, comes to visit Dec. 19th to spend Christmas in Rio...followed by our folks coming down for New Year's! I'm so excited to have my entire family here, to show them around this place that is quickly becoming part of me. After our vacationing I'll look for an apartment in Rio and get back to work.