Thursday: Yet another day of improvement at work, and even better, a very good review from my supervisor, who observed my class. Then drinks with great friends I hadn't seen since moving back to the city. And there are many more I still have yet to see because I've been concentrating on things like getting a job, working the job, remembering what it's like to walk around different parts of the city, and still focus on writing too.
Friday: A student from Yemen asked me during the break about other cities in America, since most of my students haven't been anywhere else, and many haven't even visited the other boroughs of NYC outside the Bronx. I am happy to tell him the merits and drawbacks of San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, Seattle, Portland and so on, because I've been fortunate to be all of those places. We're building a rapport, and I'm realizing I will only teach these individuals for four more weeks before the class changes again. Next week I begin my 8 am class, which is also advanced, but supposedly full of very tired people. I'm also teaching a one hour writing class (just next week), and subbing for a class from 8-10 pm (just next week), which will mean my first night time excursions in the Bronx. It also means more money. I am very lucky to be living rent free with my friend (he owes me for living on our couch a few years ago for a few weeks when he made his transition) for a few weeks until I've saved up some money for a place to live, so extra hours are welcomed. I'm supposed to interview at a tutoring company the week after this one, and the other night I met someone who does much more lucrative tutoring for wealthy people who want their kids to be superhuman, so that's a future possibility if I take the right steps too. As long as I have time to continue writing my book. After all of that I went back to Queens, ate lunch, packed and got in the car just in time to catch rush hour traffic over the Whitestone Bridge. My friend has other friends visiting this weekend, so I cannot stay there. They want me to teach on Sunday's starting next weekend, so it seemed like a good time to make use of my car and drive home to visit my friends and parents for two nights. I had a great dinner with a friend in Saratoga and then drove to hang out and catch up with two other friends in Greenwich. Even better, I got to sleep in my enormous bed for many hours of much needed restoration of energies.
Today: I woke up at 1 pm, showered, and greeted my dad from behind with a headlock as he called me really mushy nicknames that make me suspect he was the one who just returned from softy northern California. After telling them about this India-Utah/Vegas-Japan book I've been talking about forever, they finally asked for a sample reading. So I read them the first three chapters that I wrote on a whim one day at the beginning of December last year when I first got the idea, and they were very impressed. I know that the literary audience of the world is a little more judgmental than my parents, but it's always good to give them an update on my path and let them know I'm serious about it and I truly have talent. Then I took a walk with my dad around his property to take in the cool autumn evening and spot ducks on the ponds. I'm currently waiting for another good friend to show up. Tomorrow I'll go to Long Island to visit some relatives, which will be great, but the commute to the Bronx to get to work by 8 am Monday will require leaving by 5 am. Monday I will have my couch again, and more time to write and share.
Friday: A student from Yemen asked me during the break about other cities in America, since most of my students haven't been anywhere else, and many haven't even visited the other boroughs of NYC outside the Bronx. I am happy to tell him the merits and drawbacks of San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, Seattle, Portland and so on, because I've been fortunate to be all of those places. We're building a rapport, and I'm realizing I will only teach these individuals for four more weeks before the class changes again. Next week I begin my 8 am class, which is also advanced, but supposedly full of very tired people. I'm also teaching a one hour writing class (just next week), and subbing for a class from 8-10 pm (just next week), which will mean my first night time excursions in the Bronx. It also means more money. I am very lucky to be living rent free with my friend (he owes me for living on our couch a few years ago for a few weeks when he made his transition) for a few weeks until I've saved up some money for a place to live, so extra hours are welcomed. I'm supposed to interview at a tutoring company the week after this one, and the other night I met someone who does much more lucrative tutoring for wealthy people who want their kids to be superhuman, so that's a future possibility if I take the right steps too. As long as I have time to continue writing my book. After all of that I went back to Queens, ate lunch, packed and got in the car just in time to catch rush hour traffic over the Whitestone Bridge. My friend has other friends visiting this weekend, so I cannot stay there. They want me to teach on Sunday's starting next weekend, so it seemed like a good time to make use of my car and drive home to visit my friends and parents for two nights. I had a great dinner with a friend in Saratoga and then drove to hang out and catch up with two other friends in Greenwich. Even better, I got to sleep in my enormous bed for many hours of much needed restoration of energies.
Today: I woke up at 1 pm, showered, and greeted my dad from behind with a headlock as he called me really mushy nicknames that make me suspect he was the one who just returned from softy northern California. After telling them about this India-Utah/Vegas-Japan book I've been talking about forever, they finally asked for a sample reading. So I read them the first three chapters that I wrote on a whim one day at the beginning of December last year when I first got the idea, and they were very impressed. I know that the literary audience of the world is a little more judgmental than my parents, but it's always good to give them an update on my path and let them know I'm serious about it and I truly have talent. Then I took a walk with my dad around his property to take in the cool autumn evening and spot ducks on the ponds. I'm currently waiting for another good friend to show up. Tomorrow I'll go to Long Island to visit some relatives, which will be great, but the commute to the Bronx to get to work by 8 am Monday will require leaving by 5 am. Monday I will have my couch again, and more time to write and share.
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