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things i've learned from commuting on weekends: the only people going to work are nurses and illegal male immigrants. most people taking the train are tourists, or going to big events, like the pr day parade. at 8am it should be illegal to be loud and obnoxious. people film commercials at grand central at 8am on saturdays. things i've learned from being in the city again: i love new york unconditionally despite it being dirty, chaotic, and having a horrible subway system. gelato from ciao bella in grand central is the best thing ever. pedicures and 10 minute massages are the best way to pass time after class. and shopping in the village. after going out with julia last night, i realized i still really have no idea what i want to do with my life. i want to teach, i want to work with poor kids in poor countries, i want to do public health and social development, i want to work with ngos. i have no idea. but i do know what i DONT want to do: be stuck in a boring job that i get used to bc the pay is ok and i get too comfortable. or be stuck in an office, period. hm. i have to go tutor richie soon, and then fall asleep.
so i've emailed my resume to maybe 7 english schools in rio (no response yet). i get the impression i'm going to just have to show UP in person. at least i have one interview set up, with a british-owned school. love those efficient brits. i've started studying for the GREs, despite the fact I am taking them a week from today, but given my time constraints I'm not sure i'll ever be able to pour any more time than this into it. and i cant relearn math in a week so whatever. between me and eliseu, we have found two great apartments, one in copa, the other in botafogo. i haven't seen pictures of the one in bota but he insists its better, despite having some slight furniture issues. but hopefully we'll work everything out soon so i have a place to stay when i get there (and space for all my stuff). today i'm off to the dentist and i have two immunizations next week. i'm tutoring richie so extra cash= shopping! soon. here's another picture from the DR for good measure, since I wish I was still there.
good thing i forgot to even take any pictures at carolina's graduation party or our lunch party at luz's...go me.
so it's been a few days since i've been back but i haven't had the energy to write. i've been: job hunting, studying for the GREs, started my TESOL class, and was generally lazy. so let me work backwards. punta cana was amazing but aside from the occasional bartender or waiter who i chatted with in dominican spanish, we could have been anywhere, drinking and eating all day and hanging out on the beach. i'm not complaining; it was just what i needed. but it wasn't the dr. our first two days in santo domingo were wonderful but also equally painful, at least for me. it was amazing to see my host family and some of my friends and FLACSO staff but knowing i was there for so little time and that i didn't live there anymore (and wouldn't be back til god knows when) was hard. still, it felt like i had never left. after missing a place so much, going back was a catharsis (sp?) but also sad.
i got to see carolina and luz, anny and gloria (and tito and pitu), all the flacso staff, david, some of the atarazana crew and i think that's it. i was sad about not visiting escuela primaveral (i didn't work it out in time) but i also think it would have been too hard; too hard to leave and giv ethem something or leave something...or just awkward. well. i'll be back sometime.
while i was there, i was inspired to change my idea for my fulbright application to do a multi-country project, half in the DR, half in Brazil, doing public health. but my advisor hasn't responded to my idea yet, which is making me nervous, and i have so much other shit to do i haven't even looked at this stuff.
days til i leave for rio: 14
# of doctors/dentist appointments: 1 down, 3 to go
important things to do:
finish TESOL course
study for GREs, and then actually take them
apply for jobs
do fulbright stuff?
buy stuff for abroad, and pack it
see friends and actually go out
it's going to be a very busy two weeks.
