Busy!

I've been busy these last days. I sent out my resume to a bunch of language institutes, trying to pick up a bit of work as an English teacher. I've had a couple of interviews, and have a couple more at the end of this week.

My first interview was last Friday. I took the commuter train out into the suburbs to meet the director of a school.

Now, in Canada, suburb usually equals affluent, as compared to the more rundown centres of a lot of cities. But here, though there are well-off suburbs, many lower and middle class folk simply can't afford to live in the city, but that's where all the work is. So they live north of the city and take the train in each day. The particular train I had to take Friday has a bad reputation, as it goes through a bunch of neighbourhoods many would label unsavoury. As many did; I asked a few different Argentine friends about the train and they all warned me, don't take much money, keep an even closer eye on your bag than you usually do, don't talk to anyone, don't use your cell phone because someone will grab it out of your hand, don't sit in the cars at the ends of the train. One friend even offered to accompany me.

I took all the precautions, and in the end the ride was fine. And it was interesting for me to see the way that, like it or not, the vast majority of the citizens of Buenos Aires actually live. It's easy to forget, living on the edge of Barrio Norte/Recoleta, that it's really only a small minority of people that can afford to shop at the boutiques on Avenida Santa Fe a block from my place. And travelling by train, as opposed to road, in any country, is great. Roads are the main arteries of the modern city. But train tracks go through people's back yards and woods and through nooks and crannies and out of the way areas. Whether it's the seedy underbelly or an idyllic hidden green space, on the train you get to see more than simple storefronts and housing facades.

So, I get of the train, and go for the interview in...a Burger King! It was seriously, the best interview ever. The director of the institute, and American woman who's lived here for 10 years, met me in jeans...with her Argentine husband and her 9-month old baby. They were like, "If the baby likes you, then you've got the job." So I frigging summoned all my baby-pleasing skills and as soon as you know it, he's smiling at me and giggling and trying to hold my hand. and they're like, " Oh my god, he loves you! You'll be such a good mother someday! Oh my god!" Oh yeah, and then we talked about, like, my resume and experience for a sec. After they went on about how much they love everyone from Nova Scotia.

And then she gave me a bunch of classes. I had my first one this morning! I had actually forgotten I how much I liked teaching English. The student I had this morning works in this uber-chic, hip, expensive hotel in PuertoMadero that is in a converted factory. She's going to give me a tour next week!

Gotta go prepare tomorrow's class!