Day 212: Serendipity & Summer Jobs

Despite really looking like crap today (all of my clothes are in the wash after bringing them all on my trip!) and still being pretty wiped out from all the traveling, today was a pretty good day. :)

I began my (possibly epic) blog portfolio project with my Bachi boys and girls today. It was a brain child I'd had on the train between Faro and Lisbon - one of those random ideas full of creativity and possibility that I never have any idea how I thought them up, but that I get ridiculously enthusiastic about. ;) I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm wondering if something like this couldn't begin to revolutionize the way English is learned at a more advanced level. I'm taking all of the information I've learned in my Master's classes and putting it all into this experiment of a project. What's more is, I'm also planning writing my thesis on it... So let's hope it is as successful as I'm hoping it'll be! ;)

Basically, each student will create their own blog that they will post in every week which, ultimately, can be used to showcase their English skills to potential universities and employers. Every week in class I will give them something to read or listen to and we will have a class discussion about it. And I don't mean dry, pedantic articles on global warming or grammar points. I found an article that is about a human mermaid. I am going to try to find a clean Jenna Marbles vlog. I am going to read them "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." They will be entertained - oh, so entertained. And then, they will have to write or make a video each week about the topic and post it to their blog. But they won't be your average response, either... They'll be creating their own infographic resumes in English, they'll be doing interviews as each other dressed up as characters, they'll be opening a bank account to go on a fictitious shopping spree, making slang dicionaries, etc.

I'm thrilled by the prospect of it. I hope these kids like creativity as much as I do... otherwise they are in for a rough three months with me! But, based on their outstanding Spring Break assignment, I think they'll be just fine. ;)

If you want to follow along with the project, the website is: www.cupcakenglish.wordpress.com

^_^

In other exciting news, last night I decided I needed to tentatively begin putting my energies out into the universe for a summer job. I am open to any job in any country, really... And when your options are that broad, it's overwhelming and exciting at the same time!

I looked at international summer camps, but they all seem to start in June. So I started to think about being an au pair for the summer. Why not, right?! Basically, my goal is to have unique experiences, good stories, make at least a little saving money and to continue living abroad. So, I signed up for an au pair site and made my profile. It's been 24 hours and I've already received three inquiries from Spanish families wanting me to live with them to teach their kids English while hanging out at their summer homes on the beach for a month.

Um, not bad. Not bad at all. ;)

Each semi-offer is only for a month at a time, and they overlap... So I'll have to figure out how to arrange things no matter what kind of job I get this summer. Bring on the balancing act! ;)

Before the au pair website idea, I'd decided over the trip that I would simply start putting the word out that I was looking for a summer job. People at CISTA certainly adore me for the most part, and I figure some kid's parent might be interested, right? Anyway, while I was at lunch, I told Cristina how I was planning on maybe staying in Spain for the summer if I could find a job. She pondered quietly for a while then told me to ask our school's director if I might be able to be one of their summer camp English teachers! ^_^ The camp is just for July, but holy awesome that would be cool! I definitely need to mention it to him this week...

After school I went to the lesson with Picasso (and rocked it, thank you very much... He even wrote something and immediately realized it was a mistake and made the melodramatic dying skit I do when I notice a big error... He then proceeded to giggle and erase it rapidly and write it correctly... Um, wow!?), and then to my class with Patty. She and I were just finishing up when she said that her sister wanted to know if I would be interesting in being an au pair for her two children in July.

Holy muffin of God!

There is this part in "The Secret" in which the reverend explains that the Law of Attraction is like a catalogue, where you can place your order and then wait for it to manifest at your door. Of course, things aren't quite that easy - lots of work goes on behind the scenes... I mean, you don't just pick up a magazine of the street and order something and wait for it. You have to pay for whatever you purchase. The currency in Law of Attraction isn't money but rather energy.

Anyway, it definitely felt like one of those moments... And a very unexpected one, at that. :) Sometimes I second guess this LOA stuff and wonder if I don't just go through streaks of luck...?

XOXO