Hey hey!!! Another entry and another week and a bit has just gone by...crazy baby.

Things have been chugging along as normal really, with a few new bits thrown in here and there. Lessons are going well, with the pre-intermediate guys getting through the stuff quickly (when the girls arent asking me about England and girlfriends and whatnot) and the beginners slooooooowly getting the hang of things (with 12 people, this is my biggest class). We've been told by Daniel that we can now start to use the Headway book for teaching, which means less racking my brains for ways to make the present continous tense in any way enjoyable....although I am going to continue using BBC reports for reading comps and songs for listening practise (Chasing Cars went down pretty well with those samba-mad students of mine). The only problem is my intermediate class, which Daniel says isnt worth me doing because a) it consists of 2 people and b) it is long for it to start at 8 30am on a Saturday. I hope the students are able to join the pre-int lot, especially as one of them, Rayssa, is one of my fave students (ie shes nice and smiley and she can speak English...and she likes the Dresdens....mental!). Trouble is she may be much too good for that class. We'll see!

Sao Pivete is still my favourite part of this placement, and it just gets better and better. The kids are always lively, but last week when Belle and I brought along our cameras, they went absolutely MENTAL. Never seen such a group of posers in my life!! When I find some other way to put the pics on here (lost my usb...yeah i know...), you will see scenes of complete chaos!! The kids have also got me going with Orkut, pretty much the Brazilian Myspace. Its actually pretty good cos I'm able to sort out nights out with my students etc without much hassle. Already amassing amigos and loving it!! I can see why every man and his (mangy) dog around here are on it 24/7.

Speaking of kids, Belle and I now help out with the play group before church on sunday evenings. Its starts out quietly enough, with us doing colouring in and stuff with the kids, but then everyone goes outside, the games begin and they all go ape. Theres an insanely typical chubby kid, Joao Lucas, whos an absolute joker...always really smiley, and even when hes disrupting things you cant help but laugh and just allow him to increase the (already high) insanity factor. Other faves from the play group are Samuel (Belles 'brother'...rinsed me at chess the other day), Bruno (reminds me of Wills little cousin in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Gabriella, a gorgeous little girl who just doesnt stop talking. But they all rock my mundo.

It looks like Belle will be changing house this saturday so thats all good. I feel kind of stupid for rinsing her current family (Anjelica and Edilton) in that other journal entry. They do have their own little lives and closed mentalities, but they are still really lovely people who have always made me feel welcome whenever I pop over. Will definitely find time to say goodbye to them before we head off. Daniel has told me that the new family are far more liberal with the late nights thing so heres hoping it all works out.

Turns out lots of stuff is coming up in the future. Daniel says we will be able to work with people in the favelas (pretty much ground zero in terms of crime, featured in news bulletins concerning shootings pretty much every day), and of course theres also the trip to Jericoacoara to look forward to (Daniel has told us loads of stories about it and it sounds KERAZY). Meanwhile last night Anderson and I took a bus to the North Shopping centre to get my ticket for Ceara Music, a three day festival from the 12th to the 14th October. Its featuring looooads of bands that I've been listening to out here (Capital Inicial, Os Paralamas do Sucesso and Marcelo D2 are just 3), and its got a dance tent and all. Literally cant wait...I will be representing for the Reading 2005 cru (trolley, trolley, trolley)!! Also got myself a FAT map of Brazil, which will be useful for the coastal trek (beginning 18th December, Psye).

But yikes I've gone and on and on!! Only got so much time in the cyber cafe as nowadays I'm living off 10 centavo coins whilst my card isnt letting me withdraw cash. Nationwide are scummers. However my mums just emailed me saying that theres nothing wrong with the card so will let you know what happens.

Tchau and beijos meus lindos,

J x