Can I tell you a secret?

For what it is worth, today I made a formal note for myself to start searching for my own replacement here.

I do not think I can find an English housewife with nothing else to do - one without kid commitments but with teaching experience, free time for this much work but not needing more, a visa, already here in town, and willing to put up with eg Sports Day bollocks & no hard & fast curriculum, let alone schedule.

For the world of me, no way to dig up one of the above. I cannot use Facebook or my school would be a laughing stock - and we'd be gazumped. I cannot advertise a part-time job with these parameters, and I will not hand-off this precious job (yes, the money counts too) to any old unemployed Pom hanging around.

This job needs youthful vigour & enthusiasm, eagerness to join in - including learning the language like I don't - and have a go. This means someone relatively 'new', keen to please and not to concerned about their 'image'. Obviously someone who has not got the 'been there, done that' t-shirt which any ex-teaching mum would have. Doubt they'd ever listen to me, come to the school in their free-time to prepare or do anything without the meter running.

Also doubt the staff here, and certainly the peripheries, parents etc have any idea I actually leave here to go to my full-time job? Nor any comprehension what I do most weekends?

Just sharing - lest anyone think I can continue to do this for very much longer? I'm burning out, and podging-out with stress/inactivity/stress. Not about to make a hasty move...and while I'm sharing, Y totally disagrees as we are making a profit. Kind of kills off her other complaints about me never being finished early, never looking too cheerful, hard to wake up in the mornings, not doing housework.

Watch this space.