Substitute teaching

I graduated last December with a degree in Spanish for Education. Now I'm an unemployed professional. I've got no money but I'm very well dressed. (It's almost like being a comedian.)

I've been a French teacher, a Chemistry teacher, an English teacher a few times, a Spanish teacher a few times, a P.E. teacher twice (so far)... I get paid to watch movies, sometimes teach, mostly sit and chat. But when I'm a P.E. teacher; oh man!

I've got my capoeira uniform... I've got my berimbau; if it's a class day not at the gymnastics place, I've got my pandeiro... I've got a CD to play, and I try to talk them into learning what I do. I had 30 girls doing capoeira (a few stopped after gingando um poquinho but the rest kept it up) and I may have gotten a few girls to choose WMU because of capoeira. It was awesome - two girls skipped lunch to learn more capo. (It was a large class of girls because it was a class called 'dance fitness'.)

Today was not as impressive. I had two students that were for capoeira, but one only for a short little bit, and the second was pretty much a natural (which was cool). Quite a few people were interested in the berimbau... It's hard not to ask about it; but it's a step towards because a lot of people don't even ask - just walk by and think "What a f-in' weird-o."

But at the end of my day today, I'm headed back to my office, and I hear a girl say, "I took a picture of you last week." And all I could answer was "?" - no words of question, just a question mark. Then I have to find out about it, "How? Where? When? What day? Why?" Turns out, her counselor headed the Progression: The Evolution of Dance program put on at WMU last Thursday. She took fotos of my teachers, a few of the games... As soon as she uploads them, she'll send them to me, and I'll add them here.

This kind of ends abruptly, but I've got nothing else to say right now.

One week delay

So this happened last week and with my sometimer's disease, I might not recall everything.

Last week, Saturday afternoon, my capo classmates pick me up from the Craft to drive down to Champaign, IL, for a fundraiser / workshop. We left around 4:30pm EST and arrived there around 8:30pm CHI-time. That's a long drive. We pull into the academy, not quite limber, and we're given a little bit of time to stretch before joining the class. We got there just in time to do some back-intensive partner work. We finish the class with a roda, which was really cool, especially getting to see CM Denis's capoeira.

Afterwards, we pack everything up, get some Los Amigos Mexican food, and head over to Denis's house for the night. I am, pretty much, exhausted (I even slept on the way there) and was nodding out of conciousness during conversation. Denis kept us up until 3 or 4am. I woke up around 8am or so, and I put myself on breakfast duty, making pancakes and eggs for everyone. The workshops started at 1pm, starting with a samba class with CM Marisa (note:I am now in love with the samba). There, I learned my first song in samba. Now I just need to get in contact with other people who know the words to the other songs that we sung...

At about 2pm, us young'ns went upstairs for a cordless capoeira workshop - all the "advanced" capoeiras were downstairs. That's okay by me - there's a lot more I need to learn before working with them. And I learned some new things that are totally sweet.

The last workshop was African drumming / school of samba. I got to play the a-go-go, which is amazing when Mr. Dunn solo'd on it. When we switched, I got to play on the shaker, which is harder than I thought it was. But I'm also observant and learned how to play the pandeiro correctly for samba. (Note: I really want to learn to play the tambourine like a professional.)

Then we had a huge roda to end everything. I was dead tired, so I filmed everything. Then Forte took the cam, and I was tossed into the roda and I surprised myself and played. (Four hours of sleep + major dehydration = ...) After everything, I met Quiobo, whose speed is apparently legendary. We stayed at his place Saturday night, chilling with Melissa and Explicasão (both are capoeiras).

Sunday morning, I got a call about a job in BC as a Spanish teacher for elementary school... I got to chill with "Uncle" Manhoso (and he and I are basically from the same page of the same book, so to speak; we both talk and talk and talk and talk), and Soneco, and Forte, and Caçula, and Melissa and Explicasão... Good times, good people...

I can't wait for March, because I'll be headed back to become even poorer, but I should have my green cord in CDO at that point!

Last night...

I like that song by The Strokes... The video is hilarious.

Anyway.

This has been an amazing weekend. Turns out, I think I need to get some scratch together and get a deep tissue massage.

So Friday night, I have capoeira class. And a classmate shows up after not being around for nearly two months and we get a new student! Class ends and I'm ready to stay in Kalamazoo for, at least, the night. Caçula had some birthday parties to go to; I get invited along. We get cleaned up and arrive to the first party approximately 11pm, more or less. I'm introduced to everyone as Leão from Brazil. So I speak with my weird little accent that I normally talk with, trying very hard not to speak like Boomhauer. Caçula finds a girl, and we head to the second party.

The second party is definitely smaller, still pretty cool, and I even got out on the dance floor. As a Brasileiro, I can dance. Samba.. Salsa.. Most definitely capoeira.. Tango.. Now, there was one person there who claimed that I wasn't from Brazil, and he was teaching a girl the tango. But, uh... It wasn't. So I said I could tango (and faked it better than he did). At the end of the night, everyone but one person was certain I was from Brazil.

At 3:30am, we arrived (our group of three) to IHOP for breakfast. Our waitress was pretty kickass, and it was at IHOP that I had to tell this girl (because our conversation was lending itself to the belief that I was either very very educated about America, or not from Brazil) that I was not from Brazil. I held her hands, and looked in her eyes, and told her. Honestly? I was holding her hands down, away from silverware and anything that could be thrown. Caçula was laughing his ass off at this point, because he apparently had come clean about it but she didn't remember. About twenty minutes later, though, we were friends again. That's a nice thing about being me.

We dropped her off at her car, and got to beds at 5am. My alarm went off at 8:30, because I had planned on driving to Schoolcraft to get my white pants, needle and thread, and my CDO shirt. My alarm sounded, and I rolled over and kept on sleeping. My teacher called me at 9:41 asking where I was; I was all ready for sleeping a few more hours. He needed his berimbau, though. So I sighed, packed my things, tried to wake Caçula, went to my car and drove to his in Battle Creek.

Met up with him and Cobra (who thought more people were coming and so drove a van) at 10:30am, hit the road to Ann Arbor by very short time after that, and arrived to the class/demo at 1pm or so. Class was at 11am (which the UofM reps were attending), so we had a roda for our arrival. Played there until 2:48pm, packed up, went out to eat at Ashley's restaurant and bar (ate a pretty good burger, which helped quell the liter of NOS energy drink that I had on the way to AA). Traveled to Manhoso's house to hang out until the birthday parties at 7pm.

Got to the birthday party at 8pm, and were two of the first people to arrive. Had some food, relaxed for awhile, the djs showed up and got things going... Learned to samba in the kitchen with Beijinho, Manhoso, Cobra, and a few others. But we were kicked out of the kitchen to the dance floor. Beijinho started dancing and looked at me to join her... and I started samba-ing like I was born on the dance floor. I'm like a natural! Whee! Danced from around 10 to midnight, at which time we all went downstairs for the birthday rodas.

We had about 15 or so capoeiras for this roda, solid walls and a low ceiling, so the music stuck in the air and the energy we created had nowhere to go but into the dance. Everyone was joining in... It was beautiful. When we finished with the capoeira, we called everyone back and with Manhoso on the djembe, Buscapé on the pandeiro, someone else on the berimbau, we formed a roda de samba. And I must say... After one lesson of samba... And one roda de samba... I am in love with the samba. We had to end around 2am, but with the music from the dj boards, I could probably have gone on a second 23 hour day without regrets.

By 2:40, sleeping arrangements were figured out, and I was cashed out. Until 8:38. One of the cats decided to sleep with me, curling up behind my legs. It is a very affectionate little kitty. Got things arranged to leave by 9am, back to Kalamazoo by 11:30, writing this by 1:50, unemployed until 5:30am tomorrow.

I am so very pumped for our upcoming events... Especially in March - for which people are flying from around the world to be here. And we'll have African Dance, Samba, Capoeira, and more...

Let me tell you another story about a guy named Jeff.

I did my Good Christian Deed for at least the month on Monday.

I even had trouble sleeping last night because of this story...

So I'm not so much the physically well... Slight sinus infection or whatnot. But I'm driving back to Kalamazoo on Monday and it's horrible outside. Snowy, and rainy, and cold... And I see some guy trying desperately to flag down a ride on the highway. I'm not sure why I pulled over, but I pulled over. I think I was thinking, "Man, that sucks to be outside like that. I should help a fellow human." I clear out the seat and move the car back to him. His first words were, "Move that seat back so's I can fit in there." Nothing like, 'Thanks for the ride, I'm broke as hell, and my car's in the shop. If we could move the chair back so my fat ass could get in, that'd be great."

His next words were, "Do I have the pleasure of speaking with a Christian fellow?" I nodded assent, but I should have asked, "Is that your way of gauging how much you're able to get away with?" But he needed to go to Grand Rapids, which was okay, because it's on the way. He kept talking about how tiny the car was, and how he was "big Bruce Lee, from Hawaii, undefeated kung-fu champion." I should have brought him to my class to meet -my- teacher, the Big Show - Show Grande. I lost an hour of my life, nine dollars of Tylenol (which I'm most upset about), and $5.50 because that fat ass didn't have enough money (or he did) to buy a goddamn jacket or a goddamn bus fare.

He also wanted $99 now to pay back $130 to buy a bus ticket from GR to Wisconsin. (Apparently this is a BS line; but I'm poor as hell. That is to say, "I'm so broke, I couldn't give you the time. I'm so poor, I couldn't even pay attention." Why is it that no one believes me when I say I've got no money?) Big goddamn Kevin McKinney (or McKenney), traveled with Bruce Lee, undefeated Kung Fu master from Hawaii! Couldn't even get his fat ass into or out of a goddamn car. Showed me the Hooke & Crane technique. He say, "Yeah.. Capoeira's a good style." Bastard asked to see a hand technique from capoeira before he left. I should have gotten out and demonstrated on him. Galoponte! Deaf in one ear!

So I did a good deed - I helped out a fellow human. Ain't I supposed to feel all good and fuzzy when I do this? Instead of feeling like shit?

My faith in humanity shattered for now... I need to learn how to say, "No." Let people freeze on the side of the road. Only thing that has me feeling better is that one day, perhaps, Karma will catch up with me and help me out when I'm down.