(How do you say exploited in Spanish?)
Sorry kids for the delay, I’m a bit busy these days.
It’s summer time here south of the equator, you would think because its summer things would be slow around the old English factory.
It’s not.
I’m teaching 10 hours a day, plus another 8 on Saturday. Two of my classes are new, so I spend a lot of time planning them. Once you factor in assignments and grades I sometimes feel like my head is on another planet. All this leaves me with precious little e-mail and blog time. Sorry.
Now, I know “real” teachers spend a lot more time working. But they get three months off and they are salaried. We are paid by the hour (and in case you are wondering) no overtime. In fact the idea of time and a half doesn’t exist here. Do you think we’d be putting in 58 hour work weeks if there was OT?
If I sound like I’m complaining, I am. But I’m just echoing the feelings around the teachers room. We are all tired and getting borderline burnt out and we’re barely half-way though the month. We’re so busy this month that we’re short substitutes forcing some people to teach 12-14 hours in one day.
My hope is things will slow down a bit next month, because I need a day off. Not a mental health day. I have some important business to attend to, an appointment at the embassy. A visa is in our future.
You may remember, its been a year since our last visit, so this is really good news. We’ve been printing out TONS of paperwork for our interview. So much so, we ran out of ink.
Of course, this is a real good sign for us. If a visa is granted, we would have six months to leave the country. I only say “if” because there is a paragraph in our invitation letter with the standard legal mumbo jumbo not to make travel plans before your appointment and that getting a visa is not guaranteed. Although, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t get a visa.
When are we coming home? First, we need the visa. Nobody knows when it will exactly happen. We’ve been told anywhere from two weeks to three months. Then we have six months to leave.
We will be back in the U.S.A. sometime in 2010. When, I don’t know. I’m staying out of the prediction game. Everytime I make one, it turns out wrong. All I know is our time in Peru is dwindling.
Your Surly Darkness awaits your return!
At least you have something to look forward to in your 58 hour work weeks. And perhaps you’ll be able to enjoy the last few classes you teach at the English factory, knowing you won’t have to do it too much longer.