okay. I am a teacher. An english teacher to be more specific. I give private classes to people that want to learn English at their homes, work, companies, etc. I am 20 years old and live in fortaleza. and here I will tell you all about my experiences as a teacher...what I go through day to day, what I have to face, and the joys and fustrations of my unique profession.

I have exactly thirty three students...lucky little number there!

Ximena was one of my very first students when I arrived here in fortaleza only five short months ago... blonde beauty with clear green eyes and a smile hard to find the same; even after meeting her close up you'd never guess she is already 29 years old. She works administrating her father's business - she is my angel in darkness, my loneliness friend.

I feel stupid now...I just got off the phone with her brother-in-law: Emerson. He didn't phone cancelling today's class as he was real sick yesterday...so I phoned him and gave him a little piece of my mind plus a nice pep talk of what happens to students who don't cancel 24 hours before class: PAY!!!!!!! The worst part is that he is a real nice guy... gentle, calm, easygoing - but he unfortunately happened to be my tip of the iceberg in exploding and I just blew it all off on him - never happened before and now that it did I don't feel too great about it and wish I had said everything I just said to the students that called me before him also cancelling at last moment their class of today.

Who are these? none other than Larisse and Kelly!!! Honest, honest... I LOVE all of my 33 students but these two are the exception to the rule. What's with them? they just drive me mad in a maddening way. How? by being so perfect, so boring, so right and justful, always correct - not a single strand of hair out of place, not a single desire to risk it all away, to make a mistake, to laugh like a hiena, or to pronounce a word without the exact intonation Shakespeare himself would intone on one of his plays - they are so afraid...afraid of doing anything other than the norm. Their life: no kids, no boyfriend, never been married, don't party, don't make new friends, don't have sex...don't, don't, don't!!! after all my anger is gone I cant do much more than just pity them. *sighs deeply*

But God is good, to make up for it I have many, many other great students! Take Vi, for example: even though I have to go far off by bus, walk four blocks to her house and then do the same on the way back home I don't mind at all... there she is with her spunky little smile, her micro jean shorts, her boobs popping out sensuosly while she acts like its the most normal thing in the world...because it is, for her. During class she is always faithful to bring me my favorite strawberry yogurt and pack of integral social club crackers, plus a banana and glass of water. Her pronounciation lacks heavily and sometimes I wish I could be upfront enough to tell her that using a hot iron on your hair too frequently ruins anyones hair... but I don't. Why? because I like her the way she is...herself! Without trying to be any other thing than what she already is. 
Which reminds me of another great student I have: Gypsy. She is only 18 - my youngest student and still has the baby fat on her cheeks, the innocent smile and shinning eyes. One of her main goals in life: marry a virgin. I can't say that that has brought her much success until now but hey, who am I to say a thing? if she feels good about that then fine by me...and I think that deep, deep (like realllllllllll deep!!!) I admire her for such pureness and once in a while this little spot of envy gets at me and I can't help but justify myself...like hey, she has pig rich parents who pay and give her her every whim and want while at the same time being present in her life and giving her moral support and affection, plus she has this cute boyfriend that is all into her which only makes my envy grow...though not to an exagerated point!

Next in line come what I call my "Company Students" - they are nine in total: Mario, Albino, Carlos, Ree Se, Marianne, Paulo, José, Jon and Pedro. They all work in the same large company and their jobs range from Personal Relations department, Engineers, Staff Production Manager...and the list goes on...

Then there is also the other big group of students that I give classes to. They work in the largest, richest and most well known hotel here. They all have a basic notion of English so that helps quite a bit, though I must be honest and say that out of all of my classes they are the most challenging as I have to keep them all going - whew! what to do, no? here they go: Priscilla, Maria Claudia, Carla, Vera, Kerala, Renato and Renan.

Hard to describe soo many people at once...but that's fine, I will go describing them more throughly and slowly but surely...

here are the rest of my students: Gislene and Victor. They are quite the couple...they have been on and off for a total of six years already and yet they can keep the excitement and sizzle of their relationship for such a long time...the funniest thing is "the method" (though I think they never even realized that!) they use...they fight, argue and break up at least once a month - the very least! but they know that sooner or later they will make up and go back to being together, it's just a matter of time. so to say. Then who does class along with them is Andre. He is pretty slow on the head and I have to hold myself to not have a nerve attack while teaching him but I hey, I am a teacher and this is my job, no? so what the heck!!!

There is also another couple I teach which are quite unconventional. Basically, she is the owner of the relationship...she tells the guy what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it...and no, I am not thinking what you are thinking, hahahahha... little joke! but seriously, it can get pretty nerve wrecking at times seeing Kel boss around Zani all the time... I think she thinks she's the teacher because she corrects him the whole time - even when he is right! ahahhaa...but i dont mind, I just sit back and stare at his handsome face and think: "what does she do to him that makes him be the way he is with her???"

Talking about love and sex and couples makes me remember the guy that I have a complete crush on (or more like a sexual want over him) yet will never allow myself to have a thing with him because of a 1000 reasons. His name? Tarso. Funny thing...his classmate is Jones and Jones has this thing for me... well, sometimes I think that Tarso also is attracted to me but I still have to find out...or not!!!

My other young student that I give classes to is Alfred. I only gave him one class so I dont have much to say about him yet....or what I do have to say might be tinted so lets hold it a bit. rsrsrsrsrs

My last three students which are IBM Consultants: Daniel, Luiz and Julia. Respectively 24, 42 and 34. Tenho historia pra contar desses ai!!!

And that IS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now that I have introduced all of them, the story begins!!! 
WELCOME TO MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Disclaimer: ALL NAMES ARE FICTITIOUS - dates, places and events are FACTS!!!