Someone slipped some stupid into the water

It's been a day and a half and it hasn't ended yet. My day started with our the shower popping... not just the shower, but according to Jurgis, the whole wiring system to the trip switch. That will need to be replaced soon. Luckily, we have two showers, so it isn't extremely urgent. On my way to work, I encountered a dead rat. Not a word of a lie, the thing was the size of my foot without its tail! Thoughts of poison, disease, rabies, etc fly through my mind as I rush off to the bus.

The bus ride into town was great, as was the metro ride that followed. I played my 'Feel good' playlist and people seemed 'smiley' : ) When I was done with the first lot, I met Tat and went off to the recording studio with her. We had a stint in there as an Aussie mom and daughter. I guess ours were the weirdest accents they could find to match ; ) They had no clue what an Australian accent sounds like, so we were 'it'. Tat did fabulously. She got some Aussie on Youtube last night and fitted in rather well. I think this was an adult book... we both tried a piece where we were married and having a... uh... 'fun' weekend with hubby on a houseboat in the middle of nowhere. She has the best voice and accent for it, while I had the more mature sound, so they wanted us both to do it, so the publishers would have a choice.

We rushed off to the bus. Tat had to go all the way home, get books, then go all the way back in to the same area (an hour's bus ride in clear traffic) to teach. I had to get home to a student and here's where the kicker is...

I had a class at home, via Skype, from 5:30-6:30pm. The next class was from 7-8pm at the school, three blocks from my home. At 8-9pm, I have another class, at home, via Skype. There would be a fair amount of rushing between the classes. I was late for the first one, as we finished recording too late and were caught in peak hour traffic. I called that student and scheduled her for another day, though she was willing to start later, but I couldn't because of the 7pm student. I got to the school just before 7pm, only to be told that the next student would be half an hour late, as she was stuck in traffic (yes, in São Paulo, it is the most used and most acceptable reason for lateness). I responded that I can't extend her class, as I have another one. I know my student well. I know she won't come in for just half an hour. I said that this is why I prefer the student to call me directly, as I could have told her there was no chance of extending the class. "Oh?" says the receptionist. The owner (the director's brother and the money behind the school) went off about how we can't have that because.... regulation... yada yada bla bla... same old same old. I just rolled my eyes and told the receptionist to please call the student and see if she'd be willing to come in for just half an hour. The expected answer was given. "No, let's reschedule." Gah! If she had called me in the first place, I could have had the first class, as that student was willing to move later. So now, I sit here blogging. Not that I don't want to blog, but it's downtime that shouldn't have happened. If they had just called me to inform me or if the student had called me. Stooopid!

Then, on my way to the school, in the dark, at peak hour, there's a young mother and her three toddlers trying to cross the road. There is only a stop street a block away. I felt sorry for her, except that she had taken the same dose of stupid. She was pushing the special triplets pram (baby carriage), but had the three tots linked to each other in a tail behind her. I'm sorry, but common sense says that at night, when crossing a high traffic road at no designated crossing, you put your three gorgeous tots into the pram. She managed to stop traffic. Yep... she crossed. Cars stopped for her (they were cute, after all). Did she thank them? Nope. I said to her as she arrived on the other side, "Don't you thank them?" "Who?" she said. "The cars, who didn't have to stop for you and your string of kids!" Ugh... bad manners get me fairly riled. Can you tell?

Ah... and the rat? It's still there, though the street cleaners have been past, except now it's missing a head =/

Oh and the photo? Just something I found highly amusing in a shop window here. Tat and I are always on the lookout for little English gems like these. So... need a milk? ; )

 

del.icio.us Tags: traffic,disorganisation,rat,sao paulo,work,manners