Being Joe

At first sight, she looks serious and inflexible. Nevertheless, this same woman is capable of dancing in front of all IELTS classes, just to entertain them during the final minutes before a test. Despite being Australian at heart, she likes to remember British songs and also to speak about her childhood. Spontaneous. Emotional. Friendly. Sincere. Happy. There are many adjectives to describe Joe Robertson, a thirty-six-year old teacher, who loves her profession as can be seen in her classes.

Joe can burst into tears if a student has his visa denied. Discovering that a girl is pregnant and is going to get married, she can smile enthusiastically. Returning from holiday, she can as for apologies for not having been there, even though she has had a lot of fun.

Although she is a teetotaller, with her childish ways, sometimes she can look drunk, speaking to herself, smiling, doodling and even singing. Bringing, however, happiness to her students and friends.

A strange virgo. She does not write on the whiteboard a list of the things she has to do, having lots of sheets of notes instead. Nevertheless, it is impossible to find anything on her desk.

With reference to math, she is a marvellous English teacher… Sometimes her class has 10 students, or 13… and independently of how the tries to divide the group, it never works…

Indirectly giving her students an example of how life is, when they make a mistake, she is always offering “one more try”. In addition, sometimes she asks “once more”. Marking the characteristic snappy speed of her class, she can also complain “too slow”. It does not matter how many attempts are made, because you will end up just doing it…

Joe seems to know when her students have not been paying attention in the class, or if they have not done their homework. As a result, she will certainly ask them something. Indeed, she can make them change their handwriting or the way they move their lips to speak. Anything to improve English and IELTS grades!

Gluttony is another curious aspect of Joe’s personality. If you want to attract her attention, you just need to offer any kind of food. Listening to the rustling sound of plastic or any other type of packet, she stops what she is doing, searching for the origin of the sound, with her eyes shining…

It is thought that diversion is one of the best ways of learning. Coincidence or not, naturally this woman teaches with jokes and funny comments. Have you heard about Television-God? Ask her. Additionally, as she says, God is inside ourselves all the time… For instance, whispering “ Joe, you should not eat one more chocolate”.

Yes, she is crazy, funny and friendly, yet competent and strict. If you have classes with mad Joe, be prepared, because you will do a lot of homework! With regard to it, repeating her words, “do not be sad about red-pen corrections, because this is the colour of love”. Moreover, you need to go shopping urgently, so as to buy color highlighter pens to make life pink, blue and green with her…

His name could be Ricard...

A short man with beautiful blue eyes. For his close friends, a special bloke, known as Jac boy, despite his 39 years old. Additionally, it is really difficult to see Jac without a sympathetic smile on his face.

This guy, with a nice French accent, is capable of ¨seducing¨ you in a 20 minute-conversation. Experienced, he already lived in America; therefore he speaks Spanish fluently. He can also talk about Europe, wine, cheese or some of his interesting trips.

A good nightlife-partner, he can keep his behaviour, even having drnk liters of beer or other kinds of alcoholic drinks. Gentle, he is always offering drinks to all his colleagues. In Brisbane, he was the single sober one on a memorable trip to Nimbin with his friends. As he loves cinema, he could be easily found at South Bank, or dancing salsa with Latin aptitude.

A good cook, he loves inviting his friends to have lunch or dinner. If you are going to have a meal with him, do not be surprised if he offers you the aniseed-flavoured aperitif; Ricard. As French like to joke, "a Ricard or nothing".

His apartment was like a hostel where his friends had free access all the time. Where you find Jac, you will find him surrounded by friends in a celebratory mood.

Inventive, he was capable of starting a relationship with a Venezuelan woman over the Internet, surprising all his friends when he decided suddenly to go to Venezuela. Some weeks there, in South America, with Jac Boy, and she came to Australia immediately afterwards.

When his Brazilian friend was sad because her grandfather was in hospital, away, in Brazil, he was worried about it, trying to help her with sweet words. In another moment, his Mexican friend got sick, and he was the first one to prepare special surprises, in order to make him happier.

Barbies, crazy nites in the Valley, dinners in Riverside, trips around Brisbane; many conversations, either in his apartment, or in the “famous” Story Bridge pub, traditional meeting point; certainly, a lot of cultural interchange and unforgettable memories that his mates have. With regards to his friends opinion, Mr Jacques Rouaud is that kind of person that is always close to you, even having all the oceans between each other.