The last thirty or so days have been quite a rollercoaster.
There has been a lot of work lately, unfortunately, not much of that handsomely remunerated. That and the tiredness and frustration of the daily Venezuelan routine amounts to little to no energy or motivation to employ in the blog.
In fact, at some point I was questioning whether or not I could continue blogging, giving the repetitive nature of the busy routine and the little energy left to explore imaginative fields.
Anyway, a lot has happened in the last weeks, including my son losing his phone (he is in Perú) and not having much contact for over a month now; starting to work at nights and having less time for anything, not even to contact her dad, and
’s getting involved in so many musical projects that she also has abandoned her blog. Hopefully she will retake it soon and will tell you about her future plans, especially her admission to the violin and classical singing programs at the Conservatorio Simon Bolivar in Caracas.
Last week, I spent some time in meetings at the language institute to plan the summer courses and other activities. I also accompanied a colleague to a radio interview to promote a full-immersion summer camp project. It was a very rewarding experience, but also nerve wrecking since it was my first time on a radio show.
Nusmary Marcano, a young radio personality at Big Party 88.9 FM, invited us to her program and was kind enough to guide us through the process so that the interview felt as natural as possible. She was a great help. The interview gave our institute more visibility, but at the same time put us all on fast gear mode to expand proposals and explore promotional venues.
Professor Marlon Gozalez and I talked a little bit about the IFIE institute, which has been open for just three years now and offers courses in three languages and other areas, such as photography, art, computer-related subjects, medical-related specializations, etc.
We also talked about the importance of learning a second or third language, especially now that remote jobs are thriving and offering different possibilities to people regarding of their location.
We promoted the full-immersion summer camp, which would take place in a beautiful mountainous area called Cocollar and that would offer participants the opportunity of spending five days interacting only in English, while they participate of numerous fun activities.
Busy as everyone in the family was, we barely had time to share during my wife’s birthday on Thursday and on Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day at a place where was going to be singing and playing the violin. It was the first time in a long time that the three of us went out to just have fun and enjoy a different environment.
Our dear artist made me cry in public with her rendition of Adele’s A Million Years Ago. We are all very proud of her and the way she manages to do so many things so well. Most of these night gigs come with short notices and she has to prepare themed repertoires in a rush.
All in all it has been a hectic, but productive month, even if some of the results are not still in sight.