I Can See Clearly Now [that] the Rain is Gone...

Since my entries as of late have been far too ranty, whiny, and self-absorbed, I'll fill you in on the work drama so we can move on to more interesting things:

1. Crazy Boss sits me down at work on Monday to continue the phone convo about why I'm unhappy at work.

2. I tell Crazy Boss that it's the same stuff I've already talked to him about. I tell him that I just don't think that his school and I are a good fit, and that I plan to accept an offer from another school.

3. Crazy Boss begs and pleads for me not to leave. He is almost in tears. He goes on about how he knows he's made mistakes at the school and his staff isn't happy, but that the school is just growing so fast that he's overwhelmed. He tells me he wants me to be his coordinator. He offers me a blank check, telling me to quit my other jobs, write up a schedule and salary for myself, and he'd approve it-- give him one more chance, please don't leave, etc.

4. I talk to Alexandre about the idea. He slams it and tells me Crazy Boss can't be trusted.

5. I talk to a teacher friend at work who has been at Crazy Boss's school since it opened. She tells me an important story: 6 months after the school opened, the staff was in the same state of discontent. The school was already a mess. They used to have a good teacher, a young guy who had a lot of good ideas and was leaving for another school. Crazy Boss made a the EXACT same promises to him. He took Crazy Boss up on his offer and quit his other job to be a coordinator. After 2 weeks, Crazy Boss's receptionist/wife complained to Crazy Boss that this guy just "read books and played on the computer all day" (he was planning activities and making the school's website; the wife is totally ditzy and uneducated to boot). She complained and whined until Crazy Boss fired his coordinator, and the guy was totally screwed and had to go beg for his other school to hire him back on.

6. I realize that, while I'd love to have a higher position at a school and make an English school a better place, it isn't gonna happen here with Crazy Boss. He did not suddenly realize that he has a problem with organization. The school did not suddenly grow beyond his control. He's just a selfish, lying douche.

7. I tell Crazy Boss thanks but no thanks, and give him a letter of resignation.

8. Crazy Boss tries asshole guilt trips and attempts at mind control, saying things like, "don't you think you can trust me?" and "I knew you were going to quit. I KNOW you." and "This is the second time you're letting your Monday/Wednesday students down. You already quit on them ONCE. Are you sure you want to do that again?" I insist that this is not the same (fucking douche). I say that I've already made up my mind, and that I don't want to spend my last 2 weeks arguing.

9. The next day, Crazy Boss comes into my room between classes to tell me not to tell my students that I'm quitting. Although the real reason is because he doesn't want students to leave with me, he says it's because he wants "to tell the students how their teacher is quitting the team and leaving them and causing problems." I scoff and say "sure, it's your school" and then promptly tell my students that I'm leaving because the school is unorganized (as they well know) and give them my number. I tell them to act surprised when Crazy Boss tells them that I quit suddenly and I was so unreliable.

I have 5 more days there and then we (the schools, not Alexandre) have the week off for Carnaval and then I start off with my new schedule at the 2 calm relatively stress-free schools.

blech blech Enough
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Carnaval is coming up, and I can't get much out of Alexandre about it except "we're not doing anything for Carnaval because you won't like it. Remember Barretos? Trust me."

"But what IS it? What is it for?" I ask.

"Haven't you seen the clips on the news? It's Brazilians dancing to bad music and getting drunk and taking off their clothes and having sex with strangers and filling up the hospital after getting into stupid fights and accidents." My boyfriend sounds like.... me. "I am a result of Carnaval shenanigans," he continues. "Why do you think so many Brazilians have November birthdays?"

I've given up on getting anything blog-worthy out of the boyfriend. I press my sometimes less-cynical students for more information.
"It's a big party before lent," they tell me.
"Each city / region has their own type of party," they tell me.

Most people go on vacation during the week, but I'm not sure if everyone is actually like, on the streets celebrating, or just using the week off work as a chance to go visit their family and friends.

So all I really know for sure is that I'll have a week off work to deep clean the apartment and put off getting a maid for another month. I'd like to go to some kind of celebration to get a feel for the enigmatic holiday, but Alexandre's right that I probably won't like it, if it is like he says it is. I have a very low tolerance for big groups of debauchery.
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It's been raining here... and raining, and raining... and raining. I like it though. It's not like the awful rains of my Berkeley days. The sky always looks awesome. It's summer rain so it's not cold, and plus, we have a car, so there's no waiting at bus stops in the 40-degree rain:


Yes, I took these pictures. While driving...a stick shift. In Brazil. In the rain. (Sorry, Nanny!)

With the rain comes a host of crawly things trying to escape the water. This very, very strange bug made its home on our car window. The picture's not great because of the reflection, but maybe someone has an idea of what it is? I can't even begin to describe it, because I've never seen anything like it in my life. Hopefully the pictures will suffice:

Isn't it WEIRD?! Notice that Alexandre took these pictures... I wouldn't get close to the thing.

This guy, an urubu, was trying to dry himself off outside of our apartment after a short downpour:

Notice how he can turn his head all the way around! He stood like that for about 10 minutes.

So yes. February has been kind of stormy, in more ways than one, but March is like a new year in Brazil, time for sunshine and better jobs and a time when things can only get better. :)