Tag Archives: Teaching

Love me, love my dogs

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That’s how it goes.  Well, there’s only the one dog but in my case there are two.

However, it isn’t supposed to be the other way around! :-D

The picture a couple of posts below, taken last weekend, shows them with their ‘shaggy’ look.  It’s a good job that they don’t have smello-internet though.

The pictures below were taken at lunchtime today, just after they had been to the barber’s.  They are adorable.  F insisted that I take them to him after I had picked them up.  He’s suggesting that he might come and take them for a walk tonight ‘because I won’t see them otherwise’.  I shall be at the airport picking up Best Mate.

He did suggest that, maybe, he could take Dino to his house tonight but then realised that it would be a problem in the morning as he was going to London and the flight is early.  Still, there’s time.  I shall offer to pick him up in the morning if he would like.  We’ll see.

Of course, I’m not actually sure that I want him to take Dino to his house as that means I won’t be there.  Far better if I were to keep Dino with me and see how long he could keep up the ‘staying away’ bit.  But, of course, I won’t.  That’s my wicked streak only.

But he is talking about ‘we’ taking them to be washed and groomed every month.  I like the ‘we’.

Si, his friend from work (and probably my first customer in my new extra career as an English Teacher (again)) said that I was very lucky that F likes my dogs because ‘he doesn’t like all dogs, you know?’.  Yes, I know – and I know he loves mine – especially Dino.

Dino

Dino, looking good!

Rufus

and Rufus not looking over 14!!

And then he calls me to ask if we can meet their Press person as she loves dogs and wants to meet them.

And so, tonight, before going to pick up Best Mate I and my two crowd-pleasers will be going for an aperitivo where they will be admired and petted and loved and F will be there, showing them off to the world.  Perhaps I should have changed the title to ‘Love my dogs’ as I don’t seem to be getting a look-in!  Good job I’m not jealous of them :-D

I really should of apologised earlier

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Weird thoughts go through my head from time to time. Particularly just before I go to sleep or if I wake too early in the morning and try to get back to sleep.

Last night, at one of these times, I cannot remember which, I suddenly started thinking about “should of”. There, I told you they were weird thoughts!

I don’t even know why it started but I remember, early on, I was thinking about emails at work. Many that we receive (and are sent) are by non-mother-mother-tongue people, of course. But the worst are by people from the UK and one of these, received at work, had “should of” in the text. Sometimes I despair about the level of written English by English-speaking people

Then I started worrying. Yep, worrying. Since I type these entries, normally, quite quickly (they are supposed to be as if I was speaking the words to you) and since we pronounce “should have” as “shood uv”, I can imagine that, at some time, I have typed “should of” whereas I should of typed “should have”. And, of course, the Spelling and Grammar checker would not necessarily have picked up on it (as I have now proved by typing it several times). So my quick read through of the post before actually posting it may not have picked up on it either.

Damn! I really should of apologised earlier. However, if you have read any posts where I have written “should of”, I apologise now. And, if you ever notice it, please let me know as it is too embarrassing to leave it!

And there, I hope, I shall let it rest.

p.s. I deliberately typed “should of” several times here to make the point, so you don’t need to tell me about this post. Thank you.

What’s your job? Italian job status v English job titles

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When I was teaching English I had some problems with work and jobs in particular. And, by that, I mean the translation of the meaning. As with other things the exact translation doesn’t always work. But, when I asked people ‘What’s your job?’ (a standard question with beginners), the reply, in Italian, was, invariably, Impiegato or Impiegata (depending on whether the reply was from a man or a woman) and this means employee or clerk.

Now, I couldn’t (and still can’t to some extent) quite get my head round this. Most people, when you ask what they do, reply with one of those answers. This is generally so, even when I’m listing to the radio and someone phones in. Well, I think, finally, I’ve got it! Whereas in the UK and the USA, job titles are really important (and change often), here, the status of your employment is the key.

So, if you have full-time employment, with a contract, you are, of course an Employee (Impiegato/a). And this is the most important thing. What you actually do is less important. And, when people ask me what I do and I reply that I am a Project Manager, this causes some consternation because a) it is in English and b) it doesn’t tell you my employment status. It doesn’t say whether I am a consultant, temporary or full-time, with contract.

And I have learnt, recently that there are two other stages to go to reach the ‘top’. First there is Quadro (Manager). This gives one all the rights of the Impiegato plus a little extra. One example, here, is the right not to clock in (see this post and this one).

There must be others, apart from the salary, but I am learning, slowly. The next level is Dirigente (Executive). Again, this gives more benefits (someone mentioned health cover for the whole family but I’m not sure that would apply where I work) but also you lose the rights (not to be sacked easily) that the Impiegato and Quadro have.

I guess it’s much like the UK – except for this fact that the job title is not so important.

I really could do much better English lessons now that I’ve been living and working here for longer!

Segovia or bust!

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Well, here I am at another literary festival. This one is one run by the Hay Festival but in Segovia, near Madrid.

To get here I had, what I can only describe as the journey from hell which I would hope to post about later, when I have more time. However, there was a point (probably after we had been sitting on the tarmac for over an hour) when I really thought I wouldn’t get here this side of Christmas!

I arrived in Segovia at about 1.30 a.m. this morning. Had a few beers with S, got to bed about 3.30 a.m. and was up at 8 to be at the Box Office for 10.

So, we have the normal problems with the Box Office (people picking the wrong events, tickets not having arrived, leaving their tickets at home, etc.) plus the added joy of everything being in a foreign language – and I’m a little tired.

However, unlike Hay, we closed the Box Office for a whole hour for lunch; I was interviewed by some Spanish television company; the sun is shining; and we are likely to finish the Box Office before midnight.

Also I have met some lovely people already, including some Italians who are helping out here. It’s quite nice to talk to them and they are very sweet. They are ‘stage’ (like an unpaid apprentice) in Madrid for one of the Festival organiser’s husband.

I am, of course, stuck in the Tourist Information centre here, which is where we have our system set up.

I’ve just been interrupted by a lady trying to find out how to work her video camera. Obviously, being the TIC, they are supposed to be able to answer any sort of question. Aren’t people strange?

We have a firework display this evening to mark the opening of the Festival in Segovia and I will, hopefully, see some of it.

More later…

Teaching English as a Foreign Language – getting a bad name?

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So, I see that they have arrested someone in Thailand who is wanted for a dreadful crime over in the UK and, as he managed to escape to Thailand whilst on bail, has been doing what most people (including me) do when in a foreign country, not speaking the local language and needing money to live – i.e. teaching English.

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Lots of amazing news!

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Well, many things are happening!

First, we have been offered (and accepted) a beautiful house in Val Curone – halfway between Milano and Genoa, about one hours travel from Milano) – which is almost like Tuscany but without the Brits or the tourists!  Absolutely fantastic!  We have got it for the whole month of August and, originally, when we accepted it, I was going to do my last lesson on 31st July and my next lesson on 31st August – so it would be a whole month in the country!

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2005 Update

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Hi everyone.  Happy New Year, Buon Anno e Auguri!

OK, so I know it’s been a while since our last update, but we have had a very busy year and time just slipped away.

However, not having the ability to email for most of the last month or so – and particularly now (something up with the hosting company) means I have a chance to sit and write something.  And now (as you can see) I have the ability to blog – which is just fantastic.  Will that make me better in the future – we shall see!

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