danlizbrasil (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} danlizbrasil) wrote,@ 2004-09-12 15:56:00 |
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Hairy Feijoada
So, Steven has pointed out that this LiveJournal has not been updated in a month. Oops! Well, part of that was due to the fact that the past month has generated some news which we wanted to share in person first. Anyone who reads this has probably heard by now—Daniel and I are engaged. The date and location are far from settled, but we’re thinking about next year, late spring or early summer.
Things are going well here. The weather is really gorgeous now, very little rain, unlike when we first arrived. One perk of having a job that starts at 7:30 in the morning is that I am always awake to see the sunrise, which is incredibly beautiful here. People talk about Greek light being amazing, but if it can beat this I’ll be surprised. The cat still has not had her kittens, even though she is enormous. She continues to be a wonderful friend during the day and a little hellion at night, swatting my nose at all hours so that I’ll wake up and play with her. Work life is good…. Okay, I should say teaching English is great, but both Daniel and I are being introduced to some uniquely Brazilian employment practices. Paydays are uncertain and rate of pay is often not clear. For instance, when I was interviewed at Cultura I was told the average full time teacher makes 1200 reais a month. After I was hired, I was told about the 6 month probation period in which I would only make 100 reais per class per month, which in my case means a little more than half that. Then, I found out about the mandatory 3 hours a week of training. First they told us it was paid, then they changed their mind and decided it wasn’t. Then, even worse, I found out about the mandatory 2 and a half hours of extra tutoring a week. Unpaid. This week, new teachers who are not native speakers of English were told that they would be required to take a class at Cultura to brush up their skills. Unpaid. And to top that off, we’ve also been informed that we, as trainees, will only receive our paychecks a week after everyone else. In Cultura’s defense, all this seems to be the product of their current (not usual) precarious financial situation. But still, it’s made life pretty frustrating for all of us newbies. And I’m counting my blessings that at least I like the work and am getting good experience.
Besides all that drama, life is starting to settle into an enjoyable routine. I teach in the mornings and at night, but I have the middle of the day to eat a leisurely lunch (usually tapioca) and write. Sunday is our only totally free day. It’s usually split between chores (going to the market for the week’s fruit and vegetables, laundry, housecleaning) and a trip to the beach or some part of town we haven’t visited yet. Last week we went to the first of a series of artesanal fairs outside of the historic theatre. There were people selling food, crafts, antiques, and even a travelling library. They had a small stage set up for musical acts and local dance troupes. One of the dance troupes really tested its capacity for staying upright—after a certain point, I’m not sure what I was paying more attention to: 15 teenagers doing an Indian dance or the sides of the stage rocking back and forth! Luckily, it held.
Oh yes, today we had our first restaurant prepared feijoada since arriving in Brazil. After spending most of the meal sifting through bones and v. suspicious looking pieces of meat, I think I’ll stick to the homemade variety from now on.
Hope all is well!
Liz ;)
So, Steven has pointed out that this LiveJournal has not been updated in a month. Oops! Well, part of that was due to the fact that the past month has generated some news which we wanted to share in person first. Anyone who reads this has probably heard by now—Daniel and I are engaged. The date and location are far from settled, but we’re thinking about next year, late spring or early summer.
Things are going well here. The weather is really gorgeous now, very little rain, unlike when we first arrived. One perk of having a job that starts at 7:30 in the morning is that I am always awake to see the sunrise, which is incredibly beautiful here. People talk about Greek light being amazing, but if it can beat this I’ll be surprised. The cat still has not had her kittens, even though she is enormous. She continues to be a wonderful friend during the day and a little hellion at night, swatting my nose at all hours so that I’ll wake up and play with her. Work life is good…. Okay, I should say teaching English is great, but both Daniel and I are being introduced to some uniquely Brazilian employment practices. Paydays are uncertain and rate of pay is often not clear. For instance, when I was interviewed at Cultura I was told the average full time teacher makes 1200 reais a month. After I was hired, I was told about the 6 month probation period in which I would only make 100 reais per class per month, which in my case means a little more than half that. Then, I found out about the mandatory 3 hours a week of training. First they told us it was paid, then they changed their mind and decided it wasn’t. Then, even worse, I found out about the mandatory 2 and a half hours of extra tutoring a week. Unpaid. This week, new teachers who are not native speakers of English were told that they would be required to take a class at Cultura to brush up their skills. Unpaid. And to top that off, we’ve also been informed that we, as trainees, will only receive our paychecks a week after everyone else. In Cultura’s defense, all this seems to be the product of their current (not usual) precarious financial situation. But still, it’s made life pretty frustrating for all of us newbies. And I’m counting my blessings that at least I like the work and am getting good experience.
Besides all that drama, life is starting to settle into an enjoyable routine. I teach in the mornings and at night, but I have the middle of the day to eat a leisurely lunch (usually tapioca) and write. Sunday is our only totally free day. It’s usually split between chores (going to the market for the week’s fruit and vegetables, laundry, housecleaning) and a trip to the beach or some part of town we haven’t visited yet. Last week we went to the first of a series of artesanal fairs outside of the historic theatre. There were people selling food, crafts, antiques, and even a travelling library. They had a small stage set up for musical acts and local dance troupes. One of the dance troupes really tested its capacity for staying upright—after a certain point, I’m not sure what I was paying more attention to: 15 teenagers doing an Indian dance or the sides of the stage rocking back and forth! Luckily, it held.
Oh yes, today we had our first restaurant prepared feijoada since arriving in Brazil. After spending most of the meal sifting through bones and v. suspicious looking pieces of meat, I think I’ll stick to the homemade variety from now on.
Hope all is well!
Liz ;)
