Lakshmi

India
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
I am Indian, living in France.

I am a language teacher. I teach English and French to students from the age of 5 to 15. So, I have had a lot of experience teaching and working with children. Earlier in my career, I have also had many years of experience teaching adults. Teaching is my main job.

The second thing I love is art, drawing and painting. I have a great love for all things paper. I have had people ask me to reproduce an image they have in mind onto paper, a signboard or even a wall and I do it with ease and get a lot of joy from it.

I am quiet, sincere and introverted. I love nature, simplicity and health.
Interests
Self development
Writing
Yoga / Wellness
Mountain
Nature
Languages
Cooking & food
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Books
Art & design
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Art Projects
Babysitting and creative play
Able to teach about:
Languages
Teaching
More details about your skills
- I am a teacher by profession. I teach English and French to students in primary and middle school.
- I am an artist. I can reproduce a drawing on paper, on a canvas and even on a wall.
- I have spent a lot of time with children and can work on art projects with them.
- I sing.
Age
40
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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Feedback

16 Apr 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Creating a village art ...)

Normally, on workaway, when someone leaves a less than perfect feedback, the other person counters with a retaliation. I’m not going to do that. Instead I’m going to start with the wonderful positives that were a part of my experience in Voditsa.
1. Rhonda is a fun, energetic, dynamic person. It’s clear she has traveled a lot. And she truly cares… read more about the state of the world and the environment. She will go to extents to make a person feel comfortable, and conversation flows with her, because she has a lot to share.
2. It was a dream for me to paint the spaces of her home. I loved seeing her reaction to my work. I love little villages and old houses and my intention, that I had shared with her in the beginning, was for her to find a better space within the walls of her home and without. With this in mind I painted Bulgarian flowers on an old wooden cupboard inside, a stork on the kitchen door, and the gesture of goodwill to the village by offering a piece of art to the village school. Not to mention a piece of art on her gate so the villagers would have something to look at.
3. Her friends are wonderful and are ever so gentle and appreciative. Some of my best moments were the moments I spent with her friends. I especially adored how her friends made space for me in conversation.
4. Yes, to live in her home is like camping but I love that. Very little water is wasted when one has to brush their teeth outside. You end up being more conscious about your act and the environment. Yes showers weren’t the easiest but it was a part of the adventure, isn’t travel all about seeing how other people live and being a part of it!

Now for the part that wasn’t easy.
1. Yes, Rhonda was going through a difficult week. And I will never criticize her for it. We can’t schedule life’s blows. They come when they come and we ride its waves. But as the days passed her sensitivities got bigger. I found it was the hardest whenever I spoke. She wouldn’t be able to conceal her irritation and she would often cut me off mid sentence. She would criticize my use of words like ‘should’. And it particularly shocked me when a simple sentence that I would say, like for instance « I’m going to have a shower when I get home and sit down to paint » would lead to her getting irritated saying that it was too much information for her and that I wasn’t respecting her boundaries when I said such things. I found at the end that I honestly didn’t have the space to speak freely.
2. The constant making of stories for Instagram were difficult for me. I prefer authentic and real face to face interactions. Not ones that happen behind the screen of a phone. And yes I highly value my privacy and wouldn’t want to be filmed for Instagram stories. But this is a big part of who Rhonda is, and that’s totally fine. I respect that people are different. But it would be a good idea that future workaway-ers be informed of this, so that they be prepared.
That’s my only negative point from the week. And it only got hard on the last two days. So all in all I enjoyed painting in Voditsa and the simple Bulgarian village life.

I would like to reply to her remarks about me.
1. Painting is a messy affair. I was often in a tiny corner of the room with ten pots of paint about me, not to mention paintbrushes and palettes and reference drawings. And once we wrap up for the evening, i would place them in a corner as they would have to be reused again the next day. I assume these are what Rhonda calls ‘messes’. If I knew that it bothered her I wouldn’t leave them in a corner to be reused the next day, I would clear them up completely. I would have appreciated if she could have said something about this.
2. Yes absolutely, I appreciate and need minimal conversation and silence while working because painting intricately sometimes requires me to go within and concentrate. Rhonda would however during those times talk at great length and I was happy to let her. I knew she was having a hard time and I was hoping that speaking aloud would help her and leave her feeling lighter.
3. I sense that me being quiet and introverted was an issue for her. I mention that I am so in my profile. Next time reading a workawayer’s profile completely would help give her an idea of whom she’s welcoming into her space.
4. She said that I’m a bit high maintenance. I had a little laugh when I read this. I have been called many things but ‘high maintenance’ had never been one of them.

I lived some wonderful moments in Voditsa, painting of course, morning walks with some beautiful people there and singing with the choir group. I will not let a little difficulties in interactions with her ruin what was a few days in a country that I’m growing to love!

(Good )

16 Apr 2025

Left by host (Creating a village art ...) for Workawayer ()

Lakshmi left tonight on the train after a week with me in a small rural village in Bulgaria. She found my profile when looking for an opportunity as a muralist. It was her first workaway and she jumped right in the moment she got here with tremendous enthusiasm, bringing to life, stunning paintings that I now have sprinkled about on my property,… read more giving me great joy. They are truly superb, and she really understood the assignment as they say, recognizing the value of reflecting the local culture and its nature. I could not be more pleased. She was very flexible about food. I provided a lot, but I didn’t have a very put together kitchen so she and I both ate picnic style while she was here with no complaints which I super appreciated. She was also very tolerant of my less than ideal situation at the moment like a slow draining shower that leaves you with cold water around your feet. Her first night here I had overlap with a small party. I thought she would enjoy and everyone that met her was delighted by her spirit and conversation. She adores the arts of all kinds, so really gotta kick out of it when I took her to experience the local elderly ladies practicing their singing group as well as another day when we went to watch the local dancers. She expressed a desire to do a service project for the local school, which I was able to quickly coordinate. The artwork she presented to the school again, reflected local culture, and watching her interact with the children in the classroom, gave me a glimpse into her as an English teaching professional. Very calm and sweet. I have invited her back. But the week was not entirely smooth because as a new workaway, she had a bit of a misconception of the nature of the relationship. Myself, I’m a pioneer and have been helping hands for over a decade all around the world. She was much more in tune with her own needs and boundaries than she was able to recognize mine. Her sharing that she found my energy heavy (which is true at this moment because I have considerable anxiety about my family in the states), but what she failed to do was use her intuition to provide me more space. I asked her early on to try to be self directive, but she was a bit high maintenance. I fielded many questions on a daily basis, that didn’t need to be asked because I had already clarified where she could be and what she could do and what she could eat, and all those types of things. It was like constantly needing permission, which was tiring for me. But I think in the right setting, isolation and quiet she could be left to do beautiful, beautiful artwork. She also struggles with unwittingly leaving little messes behind which gave me more work to do as I’m in the process of getting organized to make the best use of my time while I’m here. I accommodated her to the best of my ability. A few things that as a host I wish I had known ahead. She is camera shy, which is fine but was difficult for me because I’m a content creator and it’s a big part of my life and very important. Documenting this first artist was a top priority for me, but it had to take a bit of a backseat because of her requirements. I also wish I had known of her expectations of minimal conversation and near silence while working. Unlike most work ways, I let her manage her own time and did not give her any type of a schedule to work within. She kept herself very busy creating. I could never have expected to end up with so many beautiful pieces of art around my place and for that I’m deeply grateful Had I better understood the work environment she expected and needed, I would’ve modified my offerings of where she could paint. I hope she will come back. I think a second time could go much better for both of us , but after a week of attempting near silence, I’m ready to crank some tunes. :) I wish you the best Lakshmi and I hope some of those contacts I helped you make lead you to the opportunities of your dreams.

(Very good )