Saturday, May 23, 2009

Humor in English

arbitrator: n. A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds.
avoidable: v. What a bullfighter tried to do.
balderdash: n. A rapidly receding hairline.
burglarize: n. What a crook sees with.
coffee: n. The person upon whom one coughs.
counterfeiters: npl. Workers who install kitchen cabinets.
eclipse: v. What a Cockney barber does for a living.
esplanade: v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.
eyedropper: n. A clumsy ophthamologist.
gargoyle: n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.
lymph: v. To walk with a lisp.
paradox: npl. Two physicians.
parasites: npl. What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
relief: v. What trees do in the spring.
rubberneck: vp. What you should do to relax your wife.

New Schedule=More Time?

The good news is that my job will be preserved while I am in South America this summer. This is a drama that took a few weeks to figure out, but my boss has told me that he doesn't want to lose me (that's a good thing, right?) and that he will keep my job for me.

The other good news is that my schedule might return to "normal" at the start of June. Part of the reason I didn't blog for so long is that I started a crazy schedule that took off at break-neck speed and has continued till present. Basically, it is this: classes 8.30-1, private lessons 1.30-3.30, 3.30-5.50 prep/lunch/break, 5.50-9.30 classes, go home by 10, sleep and repeat. For several months, this has been my schedule. To top it off, my boss gave me a new course to teach: telephone English. Never heard of it? Well, it doesn't exist, and, to my knowledge, has never been taught as a 12+ week course. So, weekends have been consumed with writing new curriculum for this and my other 5 classes.

Now, my boss has offered me the afternoon classes he just created: speaking and writing (again, no curriculum or textbook..."you can do whatever you want," he says, ...as if it's a good thing!). Anyway, now, my working day should conclude somewhere between 6 and 7 each night. Much better!

Still waiting for the bad news? There really isn't any. Life is looking a lot easier and more enjoyable! I booked a flight to MPLS for the 20th of June, leave for Buenos Aires on the 23rd, and get back to California by the 25th of July to pick up where I left off.

Some news to note:

**Congratulations to my brother and his family: baby Zachary was born on Monday! I've seen some pics--he's pretty cute!

**Also, congrats to my friends Dana and Randy in KS who had a baby a few weeks ago! I can't wait to meet Wyatt! :)

Friday, May 15, 2009

Hello again!

I know it's been awhile. I have sort of fallen off the face of the earth, I guess. I have been working pretty hard since February and don't get home until 10ish every night. This is the reason for the lack of mid-week posts. The fact that I have been catching up with lesson plans on weekends and trying to search for jobs in MN is the reason that I haven't been posting on weekends either. I am pretty sure my 3 month hiatus has caused my readership to drop down to below zero, but I will try to resurrect this dusty cyberspace and make it a little more presentable if people want to come back and check in once in awhile.