Random things round our way: English language schools. We're just into the start of a new semester and the competition amongst the English language schools is fierce for the business of the local population. English schools are fat on the ground in Brazil as state education does not provide enough of a headstart for language learners, and top employers want English fluency. I took these pictures within the space of 10 minutes - all these schools, competitors of my employers Cultura Inglesa, are within a mile or so of our house. I know of at least one other private school run by an English guy, and I didn't get to photograph FISK school whose building is about 100 yards from Cultura. The language schools have creative names and logos - my favourite is the English and Spanish school "Watford": why has Watford suddenly been incorporated into the London underground? What does Watford have to do with learning Spanish? I'm sure there's a story there somewhere, but I don't quite get it...

To be fair to my Parents-in-law who run our school, Cultura Inglesa has a reputation for excellence and strives to be a market leader with respect to it's modern methods of teaching, use of technology (internet/DVD/e-boards etc.) and teacher training. Teachers at Cultura are expected to have Cambridge FCE (First Certificate in English) and now preferably CELTA (Cambridge English Language Teaching Award). Ironically, I have a young lady in my class who was an ex-Wizard* teacher. It seems that sometimes teachers from other schools come to Cultura to brush up...

* by ex-Wizard I mean, of course, that she was once teaching English at Wizard school, NOT that she was formerly herself a Wizard NOR that she used to be a teacher of Wizards, for example at a place like Hogwarts.

Things I miss about England #51: No dubbing on films. This evening I will be watching the new Simpsons movie at the cinema with my friend teacher Diego from Cultura. The word is that it will be dubbed into Portuguese for the benefit of any young ones who want to see the film and can't read. Homer just ain't Homer without his voice and, for me, "D'oh!" just doesn't have the same ring in Portuguese.

Things I love about Brazil #93: Clothes dry quickly. I've just hung out the washing. It's a nice sunny day and I know that within 10 minutes all my shirts, shorts and undies will be nice and dry, positively crispy in fact. Beats hanging soggy jumpers over radiators in York...