Tuesday 17 November 2009

Laura - La profesora de ingles


I have arrived at the 26th floor of an office looking over Buenos Aires, it is very posh and reminds me of Hollywood film offices. 'Hola' I say 'soy tu profesora de ingles', they show me into a room with a huge meeting table, today i shall teach 6 businessmen english. Initially rather naievely perhaps, i thought this would be easy. No, no these people are fluent, they even say they don't want to work by the workbook. WHAT?! i proclaim. The workbook is my saviour? Anyway, as i have no business articles we continue to work with the workbook. The exercies are difficult and the grammar is beyond me. I don't know business lingo? After a 5 minute description of a particular word, i panic.....i have no clue.....i make it up..'pavementation' - that should be interesting when they next talk to their american clients. I even somehow got myself into a situation whereby i had to persuade people that in english you really can say 'more good', once you make a mistake, there is no going back. By the end of the class i am quite sure they have sussed me out, i say my 'chou's' and flee. However, i discover on the ground floor that i have managed to leave my visitors pass in the office. Nothing other than a rather humiliating experience having to return to the board meeting room to retrieve the pass with 10 argentine men having a meeting.
I got into a taxi for the next torture ordeal, the taximan makes boring small talk.........'erm ..am i bovered?' He then asks for my number - i could hardly lie and say that i didnt have a phone as i was texting someone so i gave him a fake one, he proceeds to ring me and asks why my phone wasnt ringing and why i gave a fake number. Cringe.