BuddySchool

In one of my desperate online searches for work, I came across this site called BuddySchool and on a whim I went ahead and registered for it. The site allows you to create a profile where you can basically offer to teach anything you want. The most popular service offered seems to be languages. I registered myself as an English and Spanish teacher, and just thought what the hell!

Almost immediately, I received a message from a man from Cyprus named Antigone (or at least with the username of Antigone). His message read as follows:

hello beautiful teacher. how are you? i want to be your students. i think you are the most beautiful teacher in this world. i want to improve me with you. take care

Guess I had chosen a fairly flattering picture of myself as the profile picture! This was not the most encouraging message for this website. It was most definitely not instilling confidence in me that this was a legitimate way to make some money. His next message oh so subtly said that he was single. Oh bother. I oh so subtly replied that I was NOT single, NOT looking and NOT interested in using BuddySchool as a dating site. I was, however, interested in teaching English. Haven't heard much from him since.

The next couple hits were a lot more successful however. I have been in touch with two or three South Americans (Peruvians and Colombians) who are interested in doing a English\Spanish intercambio (and these are serious people--professors etc.). And, most excitingly, I will begin teaching English to an 18 year old guy from Poland next week! AND, he has already pre-paid! I made 10 bucks!

Since the Norwegian kroner is so strong and the Polish zloty is so weak, I am only charging him the equivalent of around $6 USD an hour and with the time we are putting in I'll be making $10 a week. I know it is pathetically under minimum wage, but hey, at this point--money's money!

Wow! As I was writing this, I just got another request for a lesson from a guy who I think is named Khaled. (Interesting how only guys are asking me...hmm...maybe I need to rethink that profile picture). . . I looked his email up on Facebook and it seems like he is from Saudi Arabia! Cool! I hope something positive comes of this one as well! :)