Occasionally
I receive an email asking my opinion about relocating to Peru for a time and
earning a living while here teaching English. Usually the emails are from young
unattached people apparently looking for a bit of adventure. Upon returning recently
from an extended visit home I found two such emails. I normally don’t check
email while traveling…there is no compelling reason for me to do so. If memory
serves me right the last really important email sent to me was in about 1997,
and I have yet to respond to it. The emails I receive these days are pretty
much from soldiers in Iraq who have found 37 million dollars in some old ammo
crates and need my help in getting it out of country, or from young beautiful
girls who saw my profile; fell madly in love with me and want to “knowing us
much butter.” But back to the relocaters.
I
try not to be pessimistic in my reply but with regards to teaching English to
earn their daily bread my response is always… “You better have a plan B.” Chiclayanos
are not lined up hoping a native English speaker/teacher will be getting off
the next plane. Most younger people here want to learn a foreign language about
as much as young American students do, and the older folks couldn’t care less.
Studying a minimal amount of English is mandatory in secondary schools, and a
minimum proficiency is necessary to graduate from universities, but that’s only
because English is the universal language…not because anyone has a burning desire
to speak it.
So
the first problem is finding enough students to pay the bills. The second is
retaining them. Lots of luck with that. Peruvians have a very casual attitude
toward time and commitments. Just because a student showed up on time for the
first class doesn’t mean it will happen for the next session. It’s just as
likely that you will never see them again. And for people who are serious and committed
to learning English, there are a number of colleges, universities and private
institutions that do a very good job of teaching. Like I said, you better have
another plan. And it better not be plan “R”.
R
is for restaurant. Failed restaurants rank right behind failed teaching as a stimulus
for gringos to catch the next bus out of town. There seems to be a perception
that Peruvians are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to feast on European and
American food. Except for the popularity of KFC here in Chiclayo, that’s not
the case at all. Peruvians want the food they are accustomed to eating. You
know that inch-thick T-bone steak done medium rare most of us love so much?
Peruvians would send it back to the kitchen to be cooked more until it’s the
color of ‘burn’ inside and out. And they will cover it with six different types
of sauces. They don’t want an American hamburger or hot dog or chili. They want
lomo saltado and ceviche, but mostly they want rice.
And
forget about differentiating your restaurant with a clever décor and American ‘customer
focus.’ If you were to greet customers at the door with a big smile and a …”Hi
folks!....how are you today?, they would wonder what the hell you’re talking
about. And they don’t care if they wait thirty to forty five minutes to be
served, and if their dinner companion’s meals are served twenty minutes apart.
That is what they are accustomed to. Serving them fast, friendly and
efficiently isn’t going to get you anything. Peruvians want lots of the food
they are accustomed to at the lowest possible cost. Period. They couldn’t care
less about the service or ambiance.
So
is there no hope for a person who wants to experience Peru and needs to earn a
few bucks while doing it? I really can’t answer that question. I don’t
personally know, or know of, any gringo who is earning their living in
Chiclayo. All the gringos I know are retired and living on the fruits of their
past efforts.
But
let me throw this out as a teaser. Some time ago while in the USA I had an idea
for a business in Chiclayo that I think is as close to a ‘can’t miss’ as it is
possible to get. And Maribel completely agrees and is excited about it. I don’t
think it would take a whole lot of upfront cash to generate a prompt return on
investment and a substantial ongoing income. I’m not going to go any further
because I just might decide to do it myself some day. But the point is that
there are ways to earn a living in Chiclayo/Peru. I just don’t think they
include an English teaching restaurant.
As
I mentioned up top we’re just back from an extended stay in the USA. We had a
good visit and some really great highlights. I’ll be posting a few entries
about our visit soon.
Tom
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