So I've been neglecting this big-time, and have a lot to say, but I thought I'd post quickly about the job I got here a couple of weeks ago.
I wanted to make some extra money on the side, so I talked to Christine, one of the directors of my program... the mother of this family (my employer, basically) is a friend of hers.
My "job" is to play with these kids, three times a week, entirely in English. I'm still unsure about their ages, because the kids and parents told me different numbers and I don't remember them well, but they are: Gabriel (5 or 6), Cecilia (3), and Isabel (2). And they're all ADORABLE. The older two go to school and wear cute uniforms and the little one always has on cute dress-sweater sets and they all have matching shoes and accessories... I can't even handle it.
I divide my time between playing with just Gabriel, who knows more English and actually speaks it with me, and with the girls, who understand most of what I say to them (I think) but still respond in Spanish. Gabriel has been on an astronaut-aliens kick lately, so we've been role-playing nonstop. The girls like play-acting as well (wolf-and-little-girls is a favorite), generally anything that's very noisy.
Gabriel is one of the most creative kids I've ever seen (though, to be fair, I don't know that many little kids). We started this space project last week, just drawing with markers and crayons, and now it's a full set of cardboard action figures and all kinds of props improvised from paper, toys and wardrobe items. We have a space station, two rockets, headsets, remote controls, computers, a microscope, a believable space suit, and a large crew. Gabriel is Gabriel, principal astronaut, and I supply the voices of Houston (headquarters), as well as Jean-Jacques (from the French station), and Tony (Italian), whom we need to call sometimes for advice and urgent help.
Sometimes I forget we're not actually in space.
It's not really babysitting, because two Brazilian women (one live-in nanny, and one who I think cooks and irons), who are both super-nice, are always there to take care of the child(ren) I'm not watching, and that's just one of the things that makes it easy. The kids have tons of toys and art supplies and books and costumes, it's crazy. The girls are somewhat spoiled and sometimes unruly, but overall they are incredibly sweet and it's a great well-paying job. Knock on wood.
