Cha-ching!

I decided between my blocked teaching schedule and the depletion of my savings, I should get a side job this semester. I posted fliers looking for tutoring gigs and got no response. I interviewed at Santiago´s most prestigious language institute. After the psychological test, I didn´t hear anything back (ummm ...). Then, out of the blue, a Chilean guy I met back in February but have only seen a few times since called me to ask if I taught private lessons. His dad is going to the US for a business conference in October and wants to learn as much as possible before then. We set up an appointment to meet his dad that same afternoon.

Fortunately, my Chilean host sister, who happens to be an English teacher, was home for lunch (she lives elsewhere) so I could ask her advice. She gave me a list of questions to ask him, especially about logisitics (where will we meet, for how long, etc.) and told me to charge 15,000 Chilean pesos per hour (this is about $30 US). After a bit more discussion, she told me I should ask for 20,000 per hour because I´m a native speaker and the time period is so tight. My eyes literally bugged out of my head. $40 per hour, you´ve got to be kidding me!

I met the guy and he drove me to his dad´s factory. Yep, his dad owns a factory (okay, definitely asking for 20,000!!). After talking for a while, the dad seemed satisfied with me and the schedule I proposed. Then, he asked about the price. I said 20,000 (not with as much confidence as I should have, but whatever) and he leaned back in his chair. He said, "Is expensive," and pulled open a file on his computer with the price list of the aforementioned prestigious institute. It was going to charge him 18,000 an hour. And it´s very well respected, established, etc. So we agreed on 16,000 -- about $32 per hour.

Crazy, huh?! And he´s REALLY eager to learn, so we´ll be meeting 8 hours per week. That´s over $250 per week of extra cash. I´m thrilled!! And that prestigious institute can stick my psychological test where the sun don´t shine (like in its basement Archive of Rejected Gringos).