I'm FREE (lancing)!
Door: Yaisa
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Yaisa
12 Juli 2009 | Egypte, El Gouna
ABN AMRO needs more than EUR 2,5 billion to survive. Ex-ABN AMRO CFO committed suicide. Major traffic jams expected on European highways during the next four weeks due to holiday season. Madoff condemned to 150 years jail. 36% of the muslims in The Netherlands wants to emigrate elsewhere because some peroxide blond scares the hell out of them. Woman (Caucasian) confesses to her husband (Caucasian) having had an affair with another man minutes after giving birth to a baby (Negroid).
That’s the result of browsing nu.nl for 10 minutes. I have a big smile on my face, take a deep breath and inhale the smell of the tomato sauce simmering on the stove, made by Stefano for tomorrow’s dinner (chicken liver and stomachs). I was working for TGI today, conducting my first Advanced Open Water course, there was hardly any wind, the dives were great, my student was happy and of course, the sun was shining. So I close nu.nl and decide to ignore the rest of the world for the remainder of the evening.
*****
2 days later
Today I have a day “off”, in other words, no work for me at TGI. I haven’t yet spread the word to the other dive centres that I’m available for free lance work, but so far, it hasn’t been necessary. I worked for 8 days in a row with TGI and tomorrow I have a family of four people doing a Discover Scuba Diving course with me, in French! I knew my languages would come in handy some day! :-)
Moving on from Divemaster to Diving Instructor brings a whole new dimension to working in the dive business and so far, I love it. Feedback from my first students is that I am very patient (me, patient????), very thorough (hmmm, well, when I put my mind to it) and even though they knew I was just fresh out of “Instructor’s School”, they said they were very happy with me. Always nice to get compliments of course, but quite a relief too... Needless to say I would have been rather distraught if my new choice of career wouldn’t have worked out. Anyway, my first experiences point towards a positive direction, so it promises to be a beautiful summer!
So today I played housewife. A few days ago, Sebi & Chris left - two German brothers, ex-Gounies who worked with Stefano a few years ago and whom I met when we were all on holidays in Thailand. They stayed with us for two weeks and since our house is sort of a walk-in living room for all sorts of friends, it was really time to clean up. So I pulled up my sleeves (figuratively speaking of course, it’s probably 40 degrees outside, so sleeves are just a distant memory) and got started. While I was disinfecting the bathroom, sweeping & mopping the floor, washing the sheets, dusting the furniture and scrubbing the oven, I had a lot of time to think and I realized that the last time I cleaned my own house, it was still the previous century. I decided early in life that some things are just not worth doing yourself. Like things that give you a back ache, dry hands from all the chemicals and make you aware that your house is really much dirtier than you thought it was before you got started with the cleaning. Those are the things that you should outsource, whenever possible. However, when you earn EUR 35 a day and you have to choose between (trying to) save money for a next holiday or hire a housekeeper, the choice is easy. And you will not hear me complain.
*******
Several days later
My experience as an instructor is building up and my learning curve very steep. The job is great. For the past three days, I’ve been doing the Open Water Course with a 16 year old French girl and she is doing fabulously well. Quite a difference with the course before that, when I had two students: a 10 year old Dutch boy who really did not want to study the theory and cried as soon as he made one mistake in the water and a Latvian woman who spoke 10 words of English. Try to explain words like decompression sickness or air density to someone who doesn’t even understand the words ascend and descend... It was a challenge, but they made it!
The past week I’ve been working for dive centres in Hurghada, yes, my business network is expanding. However, driving to and from Hurghada is in itself an experience. You may think diving is risky... Try driving in Egypt. Especially at night, when you don’t see anything because there are no streetlights and oncoming traffic is driving without lights until they are 20 meters away from you which is when they proceed to blind you with the big lights, just to make sure you see them. I think I’ll try to stick to jobs in El Gouna as much as possible... I prefer to die under water then on the road.
Taking the bus from Hurghada to El Gouna, is not too bad though. Today, I took the bus home for the second time and the driver actually recognised me from the week before. He pulled out a chair so I could sit while waiting for departure, offered me a cigarette (no thank you, all cigarettes kill, but Cleopatra’s do it instantly), offered me a can of Sprite and then charged me the “local” price for the bus ticket (EGP 3,5) instead of the “tourist” price (EGP 5), friendly wink included.
Anyway, since I became a free lance instructor, just over two weeks ago, I’ve had 2 days off. Business is going well so far, let’s see what the future brings! The day after tomorrow however, I’m taking a day off to spend some time with Stefano. It will be his birthday and part of my present is a massage at a fancy Spa, which I don’t have to pay anything for because it’s the payment in kind from the modeling job I did with Ivan as a photographer. After working for eight days in a row, I could use a day off. And I’m very much looking forward to spending a day with my man, who will be off to Italy next week for at least three weeks, maybe much longer... :-( I’m worried. Who’s going to cook for me, clean the house, water the garden and make my espresso in the morning when he’s gone?
I’ll let you know next blog... :-)
Kisses from the Red Sea,
xxx
Yaisa
That’s the result of browsing nu.nl for 10 minutes. I have a big smile on my face, take a deep breath and inhale the smell of the tomato sauce simmering on the stove, made by Stefano for tomorrow’s dinner (chicken liver and stomachs). I was working for TGI today, conducting my first Advanced Open Water course, there was hardly any wind, the dives were great, my student was happy and of course, the sun was shining. So I close nu.nl and decide to ignore the rest of the world for the remainder of the evening.
*****
2 days later
Today I have a day “off”, in other words, no work for me at TGI. I haven’t yet spread the word to the other dive centres that I’m available for free lance work, but so far, it hasn’t been necessary. I worked for 8 days in a row with TGI and tomorrow I have a family of four people doing a Discover Scuba Diving course with me, in French! I knew my languages would come in handy some day! :-)
Moving on from Divemaster to Diving Instructor brings a whole new dimension to working in the dive business and so far, I love it. Feedback from my first students is that I am very patient (me, patient????), very thorough (hmmm, well, when I put my mind to it) and even though they knew I was just fresh out of “Instructor’s School”, they said they were very happy with me. Always nice to get compliments of course, but quite a relief too... Needless to say I would have been rather distraught if my new choice of career wouldn’t have worked out. Anyway, my first experiences point towards a positive direction, so it promises to be a beautiful summer!
So today I played housewife. A few days ago, Sebi & Chris left - two German brothers, ex-Gounies who worked with Stefano a few years ago and whom I met when we were all on holidays in Thailand. They stayed with us for two weeks and since our house is sort of a walk-in living room for all sorts of friends, it was really time to clean up. So I pulled up my sleeves (figuratively speaking of course, it’s probably 40 degrees outside, so sleeves are just a distant memory) and got started. While I was disinfecting the bathroom, sweeping & mopping the floor, washing the sheets, dusting the furniture and scrubbing the oven, I had a lot of time to think and I realized that the last time I cleaned my own house, it was still the previous century. I decided early in life that some things are just not worth doing yourself. Like things that give you a back ache, dry hands from all the chemicals and make you aware that your house is really much dirtier than you thought it was before you got started with the cleaning. Those are the things that you should outsource, whenever possible. However, when you earn EUR 35 a day and you have to choose between (trying to) save money for a next holiday or hire a housekeeper, the choice is easy. And you will not hear me complain.
*******
Several days later
My experience as an instructor is building up and my learning curve very steep. The job is great. For the past three days, I’ve been doing the Open Water Course with a 16 year old French girl and she is doing fabulously well. Quite a difference with the course before that, when I had two students: a 10 year old Dutch boy who really did not want to study the theory and cried as soon as he made one mistake in the water and a Latvian woman who spoke 10 words of English. Try to explain words like decompression sickness or air density to someone who doesn’t even understand the words ascend and descend... It was a challenge, but they made it!
The past week I’ve been working for dive centres in Hurghada, yes, my business network is expanding. However, driving to and from Hurghada is in itself an experience. You may think diving is risky... Try driving in Egypt. Especially at night, when you don’t see anything because there are no streetlights and oncoming traffic is driving without lights until they are 20 meters away from you which is when they proceed to blind you with the big lights, just to make sure you see them. I think I’ll try to stick to jobs in El Gouna as much as possible... I prefer to die under water then on the road.
Taking the bus from Hurghada to El Gouna, is not too bad though. Today, I took the bus home for the second time and the driver actually recognised me from the week before. He pulled out a chair so I could sit while waiting for departure, offered me a cigarette (no thank you, all cigarettes kill, but Cleopatra’s do it instantly), offered me a can of Sprite and then charged me the “local” price for the bus ticket (EGP 3,5) instead of the “tourist” price (EGP 5), friendly wink included.
Anyway, since I became a free lance instructor, just over two weeks ago, I’ve had 2 days off. Business is going well so far, let’s see what the future brings! The day after tomorrow however, I’m taking a day off to spend some time with Stefano. It will be his birthday and part of my present is a massage at a fancy Spa, which I don’t have to pay anything for because it’s the payment in kind from the modeling job I did with Ivan as a photographer. After working for eight days in a row, I could use a day off. And I’m very much looking forward to spending a day with my man, who will be off to Italy next week for at least three weeks, maybe much longer... :-( I’m worried. Who’s going to cook for me, clean the house, water the garden and make my espresso in the morning when he’s gone?
I’ll let you know next blog... :-)
Kisses from the Red Sea,
xxx
Yaisa
-
12 Juli 2009 - 17:32
Jose (Mozambique):
Te prometo que seras mi instructora si me decido a haceros caso y mirar alla abajo. Muchos besos y mucho animo desde España! -
12 Juli 2009 - 22:17
BB:
It seems you truly have found a beautiful place on earth free of materialism, violence and intolerance. Anyone claiming not to be jealous is either lying or fooling himself. Life your free life to the max, sis! Who knows, in time, I'll have the courage to follow you! -
13 Juli 2009 - 02:47
Nicole:
I am so happy for you and yes you are an inspiration! -
13 Juli 2009 - 09:03
Hajo:
What the heck I'm doing in the UK, I still don't know! I soooooooo miss Gouna! And reading your blog make things worse! Keep the stories coming though, as they keep me afloat in the colds of the UK (last week 10 degrees). So you can say that I'm "Home" sick! not the least because my folks and bro life there now (that is just a bonus. or a curse, I dont know :) ) well keep them coming its a nice read with a cup of instant Nescafe and just before I scoot of into the Lab. Just had Jill and Khaled round and they are on there merry way to Gatwick so fingers crossed they make it in one piece (more worried about them getting lost then having a crash :)
Say hi to all in Gouna!
Hajo -
13 Juli 2009 - 10:46
Melissa:
Hi Yaisa! Wat goed dat het allemaal zo lekker loopt!
Feliciteer Stefano van mij en geniet nog even samen.
En uitkijken met die CESA's ! :-)
Gr Melissa -
13 Juli 2009 - 16:12
Mir:
Wat een mooi leven!!!
XM -
14 Juli 2009 - 11:36
TT:
Yais, ik hoop dat jouw leven van nu af aan een al al liefde en vrede mag zijn. YW is ook hard op weg, hij is een schat !
Leef.......ik geniet met je mee ! -
14 Juli 2009 - 20:25
Khay Nio:
Hallo Yaisa,
Weet niet meer of het emailadres wat ik van je heb recent is. Wil eigenlijk mijn dochter aan je voorstellen: Jolie Xi Lin Nio.
Als je me jouw adres geeft, kan ik je wat foto's sturen.
Liefs uit Warnsveld -
16 Juli 2009 - 12:33
Lady SKO:
Your life as a housewife in the the desert & under the seas sounds well - less traumatic than a roadtrip to see running of the bulls that has near resulted in liver failure and bigger bags under my eyes than my suitcase (and i took the big one).
Benefit one of living in europe
1) roadtrips involve changing countries - languages and speed limits ;)
2) white wine is in abundance at all budgets (read booze)
3) have a house for yaisa to stay at when she is bumming around europe ;)
4) variety in weather - sunny one day perfect the next - don't you miss rain ?
5) getting desperate here - ok your life sounds excellent - you can hire me as your professional coffee maker - ther other roles i can't fill ;)
Hugs
SKO
-
16 Juli 2009 - 12:35
Lady SKO:
PS seriouly we need to work on the white wine situ in Egypt ... or maybe gin and tonic is the drink of the gods. ;)
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