Ok, my week started very badly. I mean... very badly. Not worth going into that now. Let's just say my confidence was at an all-time low after the weekend's high. Yep... it's been like that.
Yesterday morning, on my way to work, I gave myself a talking to. It helped a lot! Weepiness abated and I was able to think clearly.
Thing is, I gave myself until September to get out of Brazil. I want to be settled in Lithuania or England by Christmas : )
Back to yesterday. I was listening to my Lithuanian course and feeling so grateful for this couple who are offering the course for free, when I got the idea that I'd like to do something (actually, that idea has been in my head for a while now, but I didn't know how to go about it). I watched someone getting their free Metro News newspaper and it occurred to me. I planned to offer to write a column teaching English. It wouldn't take too much of my time and it would be good for my CV and for possible new students. I just have to figure out how to get in touch with them and how to present the suggestion. I'll work on that this weekend.
Then this morning, I got an email from a head-hunter. Would I be interested in teaching at Berlitz? Berlitz is international. Last year, when I did the test with them, they offered to pay while I was being trained, not a large amount... not enough to keep the wolves from the door, but enough to make it almost worthwhile. If I get trained for Berlitz here, it will make getting a job in England or Lithuania that much easier. BUT they demand exclusivity. They won't appreciate me keeping my current students who do, in fact, keep the wolves from the door. I can claim my students as my second job, fibbing by telling them it's my photography/photo restoration business and do private in the morning and Berlitz in the afternoons and evenings, but Jurgis is worried I'll burn out. I'm worried that my scanty social life will grind to a total halt.
My horoscope today said:
Wednesday, Jul 21st, 2010 -- You may be dazzled by so many possibilities in your life that you don't know which way to turn today. You could be distracted by the lure of love which further confuses your current decision-making process. Thankfully, magic is working in your favor now; when you finally stop your expert analysis and simply begin to move, you will be heading in exactly the right direction.Ok, the lure of love was weird, but the rest... I live in hope and yes, I don't know which way to turn. I'm fidgety and jumpy and my mind was gone into overdrive. I need to find myself a mountaintop seer.... "Oh wise one, tell me the future" or something to that effect.
Any of you seers?
On an aside... the new Google Images search is sooooo nice!
I was surprised to see that you are planning to settle down here in Europe, Tint.
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, I'm no seer, at least not in this case. But I do believe in making a plan and working toward it, step by step. It works!
Sadly, I'm not a seer. It sounds like you are being offered many possibilties! Now the universe is waiting to see which door you'll open...
ReplyDeleteShoot! When it rains, it pours! But I've always believed that those who are successful get CRAZY busy before they settle into manageably busy. :) That said, you have to retain SOME sanity. You don't have much left! *smirk*
ReplyDeleteAmalie, I totally agree. We've been taking steps, but sometimes it gets confusing to know which direction to step in. As for Europe, Jurgis qualifies for Lithuanian citizenship and we've both been studying Lithuanian. I'd like to go to Britain because I want to live in an English country and Tatiana is there : )
ReplyDeleteKat, I feel like Alice in Wonderland facing a corridor of doors *laugh*
Kippy, you stole what little sanity I had! *grins* See? It's all your fault =Þ
Now I have to get to work... talk to everyone later!
Have you tried writing some things out? Pros and cons? Maybe try an informational interview with the folks at Berlitz to get a better idea of the exact thing you're going to be undertaking with training and teaching.
ReplyDeleteKnowledge is powah!!!
Personally, I've found that the less free time I have, the more disciplined, structured, and organized I become. I wind up having to take better care of myself too, in order to keep going.
Weird how that works sometimes.....
I hope you can find the way you need to go though!
I am a seer!
ReplyDeleteJaldi Jaldi!!
:D *smirk!!*
I have exactly the same problem presented to me today .... okay, not exactly, but a similar off my head busy proposition .... it kind of makes you wonder if, when you leap into the river full of munching killer pirhannas, if the wet suit will cope. How long with the Berlitz thing take? Until you leave? We can always pick up the pieces of you when you fall out the suitcase on the conveyor belt and sew you all back together again when you get here .... :D
Jaldi Jaldi!!
Wow quite a week this seems to be!
ReplyDeleteYour plans sound soo interesting! May I add you one more thing to think of? What are you going to do with Romany and the other one I can't remember his name? Are they flying to Europe as well? Ok, back to your blog, the job at Berlitz sounds really good, very good for your future job search "over there".. I'd give it a try, it won't be a lifetime thing and it will leave a very good imprint on your cv ; )
Ask questions... get answers. I did the asking and I can't go for Berlitz unless I sacrifice my current students (who are, incidentally, paying the bills). They want a teacher for mornings and evenings. My mornings are full.
ReplyDeleteJaime, writing to get my thoughts together is excellent advice! Like you, busy seems to galvanize me into action.
Katey, I'm running! Ok, I appear to be a hamster on a treadmill, but the effort is there lol Got a wetsuit? I'll send you the piranhas. The Berlitz course is 3 months, which would take me into October if I start immediately, though it seems they want a teacher, not a trainee, so I'd start work right away... I think. You won't need to pick up pieces. Sheer excitement will weld them together =D
Dani, trust me, the dog and cat are being carefully considered and have always been. Berlitz comes with issues. I'd need to give up my current income to take Berlitz on. They have an exclusivity contract. I'm not allowed to teach anywhere else while working for them. It would be good, but... There are so many things to consider, not least of which is the need to be able to pay the bills.
That is one tall order. Having done the resettlement thing I know how slowly the wheels grind - and that's without Brazilian bureaucracy.
ReplyDeleteEmmm, thankfully this time we'll be relying on British and Lithuanian bureaucracies. Brazil has had its pound of flesh out of us ; ) It takes a week to get a visa for the UK. It will take 6 months to get Jurgis' Lithuanian papers in order. He doesn't need a visa to enter Lithuania and I go on his shirt tails, as I always do.
ReplyDeleteWell, can I say from experience, that if you're not paying bills easily then the whole of life becomes a complete nightmare and totally stressful - and with everything you're going through already, that might just send you off your rocker .... So what about considering Berlitz once you actually get here? It's not like you don't already have amazing experience with what you do etc. Although it's an International company it's certainly not the only one. Does that help?
ReplyDeleteThat's good thinking, Katey.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Have your cake now and eat it later too.
ReplyDeleteHi five Katey.
I will most certainly consider Berlitz when I get there. Entry will be easier with prior training with them (they have an 'exclusive' method - they love that word), but not impossible, I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katey, Kippy and Emmm.... I value all your input and support.
What I do when faced with a "big important" choice is visualise the future... I imagine "me" in the future where I've done A and then in the future where I've chosen B (or whatever/however many choices I'm stuck between).
ReplyDeleteWhat I've found is some imaginary futures will be easy to imagine and others leave me feeling sad or hard to imagine. You drop the sad/difficult ones and pick those you can see yourself doing/being.
Personally... all I got was "Lithuania". So much for seeing! LOL My opinion? I feel Berlitz might be biting off more than you can chew, but only you can know that for sure.
I mean Berlitz now on top of your other "stuff", not in future better opportunities! I forgot that. LOL
ReplyDeleteOf course! I never doubted that! I was being only curious ;)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you can consider Berlitz once in Europe, cleverer maybe!
Double dipping is a good thing. However...are they making you sign some sort of contract? Just curious. Of course, you'll be gone in oh, two months so would it really matter? Go, girl, go. Miss you. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteWow. You're such a globe trotter, Tint. =P I always wish I could be one but with Julian...I really can't be. So, on that note, I'll just content myself with watching you. [hugs]
ReplyDelete