Just a thought....
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

And the daily quandaries start again


Really bad cell phone photo, but there was a security guy lurking
and they get twitchy when they see photos being taken.

I'm sitting here, doing nothing. I don't want to start on the mountain of work I have here at home and getting ready only to be told not to bother irks me.

It's like this... The student hasn't actually started for the new year. She's my student who notoriously cancels at the last minute, often as I'm walking in at her offices. I've been trying to contact her all morning. She's left home, hasn't arrived at work and her cell phone is on voicemail and, if I'm to go, I have to leave now.

Ok, the fact that I'm still here typing tells you what my decision was. There's been no word from my student. I love that I'm #1 priority in her life *laughing*

Yesterday, I got to my student's apartment and was about to go in when I got the text. She was sick and her son (the other student) was taking her to hospital. This student takes me 2 hours to get to her. So, I tootled off home and did some shopping on the way - bare pantry syndrome. The supermarket was empty. What is it about vacant parking lots that make them so creepy? The photo I took was in the well-lit part. I did well and got a week's groceries for very little output. There were flies around the potatoes though *shudder* This is inside a shopping centre, inside the supermarket. This does not bode well for my potato mania. No wonder they serve rice with everything.

There were massive roadblocks around the corner here. Apparently, our nearby favela has started selling drugs. Yay. The break-ins and assaults have escalated lately. The people directly across the road from us were assaulted twice in as many months. They've now moved.

14 people have died in our latest flood. São Paulo is again under water. No surprises there. I'm not even bothering with photos and videos this time. You've seen it all before. I feel for the Aussies though. They're not used to flooding and their waters look rough.

I chuckled at this video Jurgis sent me this morning. I have always avoided parallel parking at all costs. This makes it so easy! It seems my choice of mode of transport was the problem ;)
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12 comments:

  1. Do you charge a fee if your student does not call within a reasonable amount of time to cancel? That is really a big shame when you put in that much time (like the two hours) to get to someone, and they've cancelled just as you walk in the door. Emergencies I can understand.

    Vacant parking lots, like your photo, are creepy because someone could be lurking around and get you, because you can't see them coming, and there aren't any friendly faces to save you! :)

    Can I just transport you out of the area and away from all that trouble?!

    Great parallel parking!

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  2. Faye, normally I do, but I'd feel terrible charging her when it was a real emergency (that is assumed, of course). It's awkward at this time of the year. With today's student, her classes were meant to start last week, but because they haven't, I feel funny about charging, as I feel she hasn't officially started yet, but strictly speaking, this time is chargeable. It's a catch 22. I don't want to be too hard because I could lose the student, but I can't let them take advantage either.

    I'd love to be transported out of here!!

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  3. I understand your thoughts on the charging. Tough calls to make sometimes.

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  4. Hehe, cute video. :) You know already how I feel about those students. Grrr. Seems you and Australia are fighting for the title in deadliest floods. :(

    I love that you can take pictures when you're out and about now. :D

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  5. That parking lot looks like the start of a thriller just before the shooting starts or they find the body. Creepy. There has to be something you can do to get a better balance with the canceling-at-the-last-minute stuff! It does seem to happen way too often! Please remember that other people will not value your time unless you do.

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  6. Next time take some chalk and draw body outlines on the floor of the parking place.
    Sounds like your students need a smack. How very rude!
    Fly potatoes! Grotty!

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  7. Katey, the body outline idea is funny! My brothers would totally do that!

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  8. I would charge at LEAST quarter fee, if not HALF for less than 24 hour cancels, Tint. Send a notice and mention that there are no exceptions. And I would be very forceful, it id your living, I had a student cancel, call to tell me they were home sick when I was in their lobby and could HEAR them speaking to me on my cell from their phone at their desk. I finally said that. They backpedaled of course, saying that they were going home sick, yada yada. But you have every right to not be treated disrespectfully, your time is money and you could book other paying people in that time. Point that out in the notice.
    I love the picture :-)

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  9. we all need that form of transportation! haha. cute vid. sorry to hear your students are doing that to you! sheesh, at the very least you might/should charge them for the fee it took you to get there when they didn't have the common courtesy to call before you had to leave your house to get there. :((

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  10. Yeah, it's true! empty parking lots are creepy, especially if they're already creepy like this one! A total thriller movie-scene pic, Tint!
    How thoughtless of students (adult students) to do that! I wish I could go there and tell them that they have no idea of the opportunity they're wasting.. They should be taking advantage of a native (like you) teaching them! C'mon! open your eyes, silly students! I like the idea of charging them on cancels, though there are always exceptions, eh :S

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  11. Reading about the behaviour of your student my first thought was , "Do you charge them?" My second one was, "I hope at least half!" Marty beat me on it but you will understand that I totally agree with her.
    Don't make yourself cheap, but make them realize your are very worthy and your time is money!
    Apparently that's another lesson they need to learn!

    Empty parking lots are creepy wherever you are! I try to avoid them as much as possible!

    Yikes on the drugs and yikes on the floods.

    I guess you will go by horse and cart from now on?

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  12. Oops! I just see I didn't finish my last thought properly! The idea was, I like the idea of charging them on cancels, though there are always exceptions ..but I hate it all the same!

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Tint~