ESL

It's incredibly fulfilling teaching ESL on the street corners to immigrants as they as they wait for work. Initially, they're shy and hesitant, as if fearful of your motives. Which i guess is fair, i have rarely engaged a day laborer in conversation before now and they're pretty frequently harassed. There are pretty thick wall between immigrants and the rest of society. Yet, after a day or two of building a rapport you can see their eyes change, you can tell how important what you're doing is to them. In their eyes there comes a exasperating "help" and their mood become eager. Some people break it down for you in ten minute long rants that end up being lectures on the politics of latin america.

Last time, this one young guy came up to me and asked how to say in english, "are you cold?", "I will dream of you" and "I want you take a spanish class". Very gentlemanly. He left and five minutes later he came back asking how to say "I don't want anymore lies". Bummer.

This is picture of me translating his gf's text messages.

Kovit is my partner on these trips, always thinking deeper than yoda, popping into conversation with a profound question followed by a quick giggle at something else he noticed. The other day he disappeared and then showed up waltzing out of the forest. When i asked what he was up to he offered an explanation, smiling, "Ying gah dthai, I was catching bunnies". I was confused. Turns out "ying gah dthai" is thai slang for peeing in the bushes. I'm learning so much.