Everything changes when you start working.The whole city looks different.You feel more a part of everything.More connected.I look around the bus as I head to work on my first day at my new job.There are no gringos on the bus,only me.The buses in Medellin are crazy.They are jam packed in the mornings.They don't have bus stops.You just stand at the side of the road and flag it down.As soon as you set foot on the bus the driver starts driving.And they drive fast.You have to give your money to the driver whilst he is driving.He then counts your change and hands it to you.All the time he is driving !! My new job is in the city centre, centro as they say, so the bus is packed with mainly office workers.I arrive at the school at 7;45 and I am handed a t-shirt with the school name on the front.Every teacher has to wear one.The school is busy with teachers and pupils milling about.The administration staff are busy taking payments from pupils and giving schedules to teachers.The majority of students are in the 18-24 age group but there is no age limit.If you pay your money they will teach you.The school teaches French and German also.I meet with the yank who gave me the job and he introduces me to the other teacher we will be working with.She is an Irish girl I met in Bogota.Small world.The job is basically taking the students to different places in Medellin and talking about the location in English and doing different activities.We have a group in the morning 8am till 12 then another group 2 till 6.All the students have been studying English for 6 months and this is there final two weeks of there current term.The good thing is that most of these students want to be there.There are a few who's parents are forcing them to go but the majority want to learn English and they know its going to help them in the future.This is a big help.They are all friendly and they always like to ask questions.The first day is basically walking round the botanic gardens and talking to the students about the wildlife.Its beautiful and the weather is hot.Everyone is relaxed and enjoying the day.This isn't work I am thinking.Lunch time comes and the yank boss takes me to a restaurant near the school.The food is good and cheap.This will become my regular.We have just under 2 hours for lunch everyday so I use this time to eat and revise some Spanish.The centre of Medellin is all hustle and bustle.Music blaring from shops,lots of traffic ,lots of people going about there business.Lots of people just hanging around doing nothing.A few people I know have been mugged here in broad daylight ,so I keep alert.I find it hard to see how they got mugged as its so busy.I get the bus home at the end of the day along with all the other commuters.It feels good to be working.This is what I had planned in my mind when I decided to come to Colombia.Now it was real.This is my routine for the next few weeks.The two weeks go quick and I have loved every day.I have visited every tourist attraction in Medellin and got paid well for it.A few afternoons I had to take proper lessons.When I say proper lessons I mean actual teaching, not just having a chat with the students.The students have been great aswell.I got on well with all of them and it was fun rather than work most days.I am only there to help them, I cant force them to learn.This isn't free education like school, where we are all just a number going thru the system,another brick in the wall as someone once said.They are paying for the privilege so its up to them how much effort they want to put in.I always try to get to know a bit about them and they are always asking questions about me,and where I am from and why I am here.I understand how they feel trying to talk in a new language, it feels unnatural.I always try to make it fun and relaxed ,and so far its gone down well.I still have to get used to being called Teacher though.They are allowed to call us by our name but they all call you Teacher when asking you a question.The owner of the school spoke to me and told me he would definitely give me a job full time when he has a vacancy.I am still doing work for the other guy but the pay is less and the hours are too. I have started to pick up some private classes aswell.A local girl I know told me her friend was after some English lessons and she had gave her my email.Sure enough she emailed me and we arrange to meet near her work.I turn up and her English is really good.Why do you need lessons I ask ? She explains that she lived in New York and that's why her English is good but she never gets the chance to use it.So she wants to have conversation classes every week to keep it good and improve some of her vocabulary.These are the best students to have.Easy work.She is nice looking and friendly, and shes paying me to talk to her !! I have another student who is an Architect ,he is going to London with his wife and children in a few months and wants to improve his English.His English is good as he studied there 20 years ago.Again he just wants to have conversation classes and talk about London.I always have some recent news articles printed off with me,that I get them to read and we discuss words or saying they don't understand.I get on well with both of them and they keep booking me.They have told me they will recommend me to any one else they know.This is the best way to get work.Word of mouth.Especially from the Architect.He lives in the super rich part of the city called Poblado.He is obviously very wealthy and I imagine his friends are too.I had doubts about my ability to teach but its gone well so far.My Spanish is improving but its a slow process.Its harder than I thought.I know a hundred times more than when I arrived but its still way short of what I need.I am staying with a Colombian family now and its helping me a lot with my Spanish.They are forcing me to speak Spanish and its what I need.I have been lazy in speaking it as a lot of people I know can speak English.Its one thing reading books and listening to your Ipod but the only way to learn is to speak it.I can get by in most situations but I want to have normal conversations.I cant imagine ever being able to do this as listening is so hard.My apartment is close to the football stadium.I can hear the roar of the crowd when I am lying in bed watching the game.A new season has started and I have been going to a few games with my Peruvian/manc mate and a Colombian he knows.The stadium is always full as Nacional have started the season well.I have been back in the nutters section behind the goal,as its a great atmosphere but there is still an edge to everything.The local derby is coming up soon.We are planning to go.I can only imagine its chaos.They hate each other.One team plays in green and white and the other in red and blue, and they are from the same city.Sounds familiar I think....
In the words of Benjamin Franklin " Tell me and I forget .Teach me and I remember.Involve me and I learn "
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