Thanks Karen - and indeed everyone. I am not a qualified teacher, although my Creative Arts Degree (Writing and Drama) does put me pretty close. I have been teaching EFL part time - and at times very nearly full time - for some years now. Yes, after performing it does come easily and I do understand the grammar well enough to teach it properly. However I lost the small contract which I had (which also paid my health insurance). I am now officially unemployed and I am taking advantage of a programme to learn to use a computer properly. I do the occasional translating job and I could tout around my writing/editing skills to pick up other bibs and bobs of work. In the near future, I shall be doing a couple more lessons (freelancing). It looks likely that my old language school will also continue to offer me more translating work. The EFL market is right down at the moment though. It is essentially a consequence of the depression in the world economy which followed two brutal, unnecessary wars and the resulting sky rocketing US budget deficit which has had a knock on effect on the rest of the world. I guess that on that scale my own problems are small.
   Busking isn't the only door open to me, but it does have many advantages. Above all, you can just go out and do it straight away without booking anything. It is hard, but I really like it and I believe that when I am on a roll I am good at it. That is part of the problem. I can't bear to do it badly. When I try to one man band with a drum on my back these days, the body simply says "NO". It actually hurts and my voice collapses. It has become futile. The alternative is to go over to pure comedy again (which I used to do years ago). However, that means new routines, a new concept with which I can reliably pull crowds and the mentality to make it work. It also poses the problem which I had when I changed over to one man banding years ago. Do I only want to make people laugh?