Making some extra money

Many people who teach English as a foreign language in a school, also do private English on side and this can become a lucrative activity in itself. Working in a language school for a few months is a good way to meet students and advertise fact that you do private English lessons, on a one-to-one basis. It can be difficult to get first few, but then through word of mouth, you’ll get more if you do a good job – that great social network of mums and dads on school run can work wonders! The University of Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exam system seems to be most widely known and respected in Greece, many people who want to be taught privately are preparing to sit a Cambridge exam or some other type of test. It is therefore worth familiarising yourself with system – there is an enormous amount of free information on Internet, including lesson plans, tips, exam practice etc. The exams which are most commonly sat by students are "First Certificate in English" (which many people still refer to by its old name: "Lower"), "Certificate of Proficiency in English" (known as “Proficiency”), and “Certificate in Advanced English” (commonly referred to as “Advanced”). More information is available from Cambridge ESOL web site (www.cambridgeesol.org).

What private students will want from you varies a great deal. Some may just want a conversation class, others may just be starting on Cambridge examinations path and there will be some who are already at a very high level and may need detailed coaching on specific grammar points or on vocabulary for a particular purpose e.g. business English. And given these differences, amount of preparation required on your part and fee per hour you are able to charge will probably vary too. I will finish with a word on advertising. My experience has been that I have paid out money for two newspaper ads, which got back zero replies! What has worked well for me is local advertising - you need to use your imagination. I put a card in local shops and a small notice in back window of my car and you can see people reading it at every traffic light! Just beware of getting calls on your mobile phone while you're driving - not good! As I said before, word of mouth should kick in too once you have your first couple of lessons.

I tried deep-fried grasshoppers at a carnival in Kanchanaburi during a sound and light show of "The Bridge On The River Kwai" that ended with a fabulous fireworks display recreating Allied bombing campaign that destroyed bridges of Death Railway in 1945. I tried a few tiny roasted wood worms offered by a very thin host in a northern hill-tribe village near Myanmar border, and feared that I was eating his family out of house and home. I discovered countless traditional dishes I had never tasted and savoured authentic versions of some I had had in Toronto's newly arrived Thai restaurants. As often as I could, I watched their creation so that I could try to replicate them when I got home and got a kitchen again.

Many people are alarmed at how daring I was with my stomach. In six months of traveling through Southeast Asia, I only had one tiny bout of queasiness over a couple of days on Sumatra in Indonesia. I must have found perfect balance of common sense and adventure, or, some might argue, I was just lucky.

I don't recommend trying everything, and I do recommend a few common sense tips for sampling full range of food on offer throughout your travels: * at street and market stalls, do watch cooking for awhile to ensure that ingredients are fresh and food is being cooked thoroughly; if you have any doubts, move on to next vendor * choose vendors that have a good steady flow of customers - not only is food probably very good, but turnover means fresher food * ask your guesthouse host and any other residents you meet for their favourite places to eat, and for recommendations on dishes to order * follow other safe eating tips you find in travel guides, like recommendations about water, ice cubes, and peeling fruit and vegetables

Of course, you will find an endless selection of sit-down restaurants where you can savour some of more familiar Thai dishes now found in restaurants around world: green curry with chicken, red curry with beef, pad Thai and other noodle dishes, and wonderfully aromatic sweet basil dishes.

Whether you plan to sample fabulous foods from street vendors and markets or stick to what you know, learn a few tips on deciphering a menu or asking for a type of dish with a few Thai Food Terms.

Many supermarkets are now carrying a range of prepared sauces, curries and other Asian products, but if you enjoy adventure and creativity in your own kitchen, many Thai recipes are fairly easy to create once you've mastered a few essentials. Gai Yang, after all, is really just barbequed chicken with a Thai twist! A good food reference guide or cookbook with a glossary of Asian ingredients will help you gain that perfect balance of sour, sweet, salt and heat that is unique to Thai cuisine.

© 2005 recipe-for-travel.com