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Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in
Portugal.  She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the
sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese
children and adults.  So, if you are interested in a
career in teaching English as a foreign language, here is an
account of some of her work.

My children are still the same except one has now gone up a
class so I am left with three – to be honest if I could shed
this class I would, as it is not as enjoyable as teaching
grown ups due to the fact that Portuguese children are not
taught to read or write before the age of six – so, in a way
I baby sit them twice a week.  We are making slow
progress as Jorge (the four year old) tends to be disruptive
when he is with one of the girls but fine with the other
one!  I had to send him out of class to sit with the
receptionist one week because he was so naughty.

Nuno, my other student, is still great fun.  His English
has come on in leaps and bounds and he now proudly displays a
sign in the front of the taxi he drives on Sundays in Lisbon,
to say he speaks English.  He loves it when he gets an
English passenger – he had one from Birmingham last Sunday so
he had great fun chatting to him.  He is a Sporting
Lisbon fan and very knowledgeable about them.  He is
also very interesting and told me all about his upbringing in
Cacem.  Cacem is not a very pretty place – mainly high
rise flats and a lot of black people (I am not being
politically incorrect – this is what they are called
here).  He remembers it before all of this and is quite
upset about the way it has become.  He lives in what was
his parents’ flat (they died a few years ago) with his
wife.  He went to university in Lisbon and did what all
students did, i.e. drink and behave badly but still managed
to pass his exams.  He is a strong family man and found
Christmas quite trying and he still misses his parents and
says although Christmas was at his aunts, it was not the
same.  He is also very interesting about his childhood,
playing in the cul-de-sac with his friends but says that he
has lost quite a few to drink or drugs which has made him
sad.  He is about 29/30 and still out of work although
he has had loads of interviews – very like the UK, half the
time he never gets a reply to either application or a reason
for not getting a position.

I have also got two/three other students.  One, Senor
Manuel, is a Graphic Designer who is going on a cruise on 21
March so needs some English to get by on it.  He has
French and reckons he had no English but as usual he
understands quite a bit.  We are getting on quite well
and I think he will manage OK.  The other one/two is the
husband of the Ambassador for a Caribbean country, and his
daughter.  Both are lovely.  He has decided that he
has to get his English sorted because his best friends over
here are the UK Ambassador and the US Ambassador.  He is
making swift progress.  His daughter just needs help
with the reading and writing.  I teach the pair of them
for two hours on a Saturday morning.

My Portuguese is coming along and I find that watching the TV
helps.  Television is still dire but I am now slowly
watching bits and pieces of Portuguese TV.  I got hooked
on their version of Who wants to be a Millionaire – very
entertaining as the presenter often gives them a clue! 
I have been trying one of their telenovelas (soap operas) but
it was so atrocious (think the UK’s Crossroads but worse
acting and wobbly scenery) that I had to turn it off.  I
am also getting much better at understanding the news. 
Last week there was a wonderful piece on at lunchtime about a
group of OAPS who had raided a disco in Abrantes (Pego Power
Station) dressed up in glitter wigs, men dressed in drag etc
etc to protest that dancing was for all ages and not just the
young!  Some of the old men had grabbed very young,
nubile young ladies and were swinging them round the dance
floor much to their horror.  Good on ’em I say. 
Great footage too of all the snow that has hit the north of
the country and brought parts of it to a standstill. 
Lorries trapped at the Spanish border, people stuck in cars
for seven hours etc etc.

If you would like to ask Sally any questions about living in
Portugal or teaching English as a foreign language, Sally can
be contacted on: pethybs@hotmail.com

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Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious
that travellers (from all backgrounds, ages and levels of
intelligence) come under two main divisions, those who are
organised and those who are not.

The former group are well versed in what they need to take
with them to keep alert, safe and healthy, whilst the latter
group always leave you feeling rather edgy, concerned, and
often uttering those immortal words: 'I don’t believe it
!'

The teenager who is about to depart for several weeks to the
Amazon with her partner and has just run out of her
Contraceptive Pill, the man who is leaving the next day for
Kenya who had no idea he would need antimalarials for that
destination, or even worse the person who 'never'
gets bitten by bugs so wont waste money on pills that will
only put him off his beer!

The list of the great unprepared is too vast to attempt.
UNPREPARED is described in the dictionary as: Having made few
or no preparations; Not equipped to meet a contingency; Not
steeled as to face a shock and there will be plenty of shocks
for those who do not seek out the wealth of advice available.

The Governments FCO site (www.fco.gov.uk)
will give you superb guidance on those who can supply Travel
Insurance, Embassies to contact if in difficulty, doctors
surgeries for those with medical problems, and security
information such as places to avoid and measures to take to
protect your belongings and cash.

There are lists of FCO partners who supply information on
vaccinations and antimalarials if appropriate to your
destination, local disease problems, equipment such as
medical packs, mosquito nets, useful travel medicines, and
very often a voice on the end of the phone should you wish to
discuss anything.

As part of Travelpharm we will offer our help and support
whenever possible as well as a range of the items just
listed.  If we cannot answer your question we will find
a man or woman who can.  Please don’t become one of the
great unprepared, there is simply no excuse ………..!

Paul, a pharmacist can be contacted on: info@travelpharm.com or
alternatively, take a look at their website: http://www.travelpharm.com

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Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Where is it likely to happen:   scorpions can be
found in the wild in South, West and North Africa; North,
Central and South America; India; and the Caribbean. 
Among the scorpions in North America, the 'nasty’ ones
can typically be found in Arizona, New Mexico and on the
Californian side of the Colorado River, whereas the other
North American species are fairly harmless.   In
Mexico each year  between 1000-2000 deaths arise as a
result of scorpion bites.  Because of their size
scorpions can easily travel anywhere in the world as
stowaways with cargo and they have been found in many large
ports. Scorpions sting with a poisoned hook on their tail,
which is typically raised prior to an attack.

What happens if I get bitten: the majority of
scorpions are harmless to humans, although the sting can be
extremely painful and will require painkilling
treatment.  The following symptoms can be observed in
cases of moderate to more serious poisoning:

• Malaise, sweating, heart palpitations, rise in blood
  pressure, salivation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
  These symptoms should be treated in a similar way to snake
  bites, and a doctor should be consulted as quickly as
  possible.
• Hyperacute (typically allergic) reactions in the form of
  blurring of consciousness, unconsciousness, convulsions,
  fall in blood pressure, shock and consequently the threat
  of death may occur.

What should I do if I get stung: pain at the site of
the sting can sometimes be limited with an ice
cube.   Painkilling injections (morphine-based
painkiller) may be required and a doctor should therefore be
consulted. In the case of more marked symptoms, treatment
must be given as for snake bites, and the patient must
receive medical treatment as quickly as possible.  
There is antiserum for scorpion venom. Treatment must be
overseen by a doctor.

How can I avoid being stung by a scorpion: scorpions
are nocturnal animals and often hide in dark cracks and
vegetation.  Ideally, accommodation should have a ledge
that is at least 20cm high to prevent entry of
scorpions.  Places to look out for scorpions include
cupboards, under the duvet and bed, or in shoes (look under
the duvet/bed and shake your shoes thoroughly before putting
them on). 

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Our first speaker was Simon Casson, who took
us on a journey in the footsteps of his hero Butch Cassidy,
riding the Outlaw Trail. Simon’s pictures portrayed the
barren deserts through which the outlaws managed to stay one
step ahead of the law. It was not an easy journey, made more
challenging when Simon managed to buy a horse that was blind!
Over the course of his trip Simon and his two companions got
through a number of horses and also lost a couple. Simon
finally managed to reach Canada some months later than
planned.

Our second speaker was Calum Macleod, who
took us Uzbekistan. The country only gained its independence
from the USSR in 1991. We saw the beautiful cities of Khiva
and Samarkand with their minarets and spires and wonderful
blue tiles. Simon explained that the country is allegedly
becoming easier to visit, so hopefully more of us will get
the opportunity to visit these cities.

Mark your diary for forthcoming meetings:

Sat. 6th November

• Christian Tyler – Into the TaklamakanDesert – “Wild
  West China”
• Janet Street-Porter – Walking in Australia The
  Larapinta Trail [Alice Springs] and the Bay of Fire Walk
  [Tassie]

Sat. 4 December

• Amar Grover – North Pakistan – Kailash Valleys of
  Chitral to Gilgit via ShandurPass
• Matthew Leeming -Afghanistan OR Iraqi Marsh Arabs

Sat. 8th January 2005 (the second Saturday)

• Four Mini-talks and New Year Party

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown
Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden
at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month.
There is no London meeting in August, but we
will be back in September. For more information, you can
contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229,
or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk
Admission: Members £2.00 Non-members £4.00.

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Interesting country facts.

1. The United States has the most money, power, airports,
   cell phones, radios and ISP's.
2. The United States consumes more energy than India, the
   Middle East, South America, Africa, South East Asia and
   Oceania combined – which means more than 3.1 billion
   people.
3. The top 5 energy consumers are all cold countries. The
   next 6 are mostly oil producers.
4. Guatemalan women work 11.5 hours a day, while South
   African men work only 4.5.
5. Guinea has the wettest capital on Earth with 3.7 metres of
   rain a year. You’re 66 times more likely to be prosecuted
   in the USA as in France.
6. Nearly 1% of Montserrations are police.
7. Most Zambians don't live to see their 40th birthday.
8. Want your kids to stay in school? Send them to Norway.
9. Mexico has the most Jehovah's Witnesses per capita in
   the OECD.
10. Indonesia has the most known mammal species – and the most
    mammal species under threat.

Source:

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