Turn the music on top left!
Very simple online slideshow, not great but does the job!
Enjoy!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Last day in school and last full day
So this chapter in my life has almost come to a close. Recently been exchanging many goodbyes to friends, family, foes, kids, teachers and brothers, and its all been merry and sentimental at the same time. Some think I´m mad for going now when the roaring summer is beginning in earnest, and some even madder for missing this coming weekend which is the celebration of St. Juan (John in English). I suppose it would have been nice to have this last weekend and a few days off where I didn´t have to work, but such is life and I am looking forward to my return to old blighty.
Its so hot now in barca its been impossible to sleep some nights. My window has a latch that I can use to keep it open but the latch doesn´t open wide, so I constructed an ingenious invention to allow it to open wider; that is I tied my scarf around the handle of the window and the other end to a strap on the wall meaning the window can open much wider and as long as I keep my head underneath the frame, I´m safe to sleep in the cool breeze. I am always slightly worried that I´ll awake in a panic, sit up and bang my head on the underneath of the window frame, but thus far it hasn´t happened.
So I suppose last weekend was something of an adios pissup, I went out with Mike & Andrea and a bunch of her metal friends, who were really cool and nice, and we went to Marina - the site for all the losers, outcasts, metallers, hipsters and whoever to hang out with. Its an industrial area which has been turned into a haven for metal bars. We started into a bar with huge Jim Morrison murals on the wall, drinking buckets of wine mixed with coca-cola & then onto a club called Senor Lobo (Mr. Wolf), where we headbanged to sum 41, got sambucas and all the rest of it. I was having one of those nights where I was finding it hard to drink and it was a job of sipping the beer as to drink it fast was to surely puke. Luckily one of the rockers forced us into doing shots and that speed up the process. I was finding it hard to drink because I´d been out the night before to see Izzy and a couple of the other caps assistants. We went out down the ramblas, got some beer and wine etc. Suppose it´ll be the last time I see Izzy, she´s a nice jeordie girl who dresses like something akin to an aztec warrior/princess in Narnia, if there was such a thing. She´s off to South America after BCN so her travels have only started. She´s a harcore on the travelling scene though, been doing it for many years. You wouldn´t believe it from meeting her but she is 29 or so. Anyway, the metro closed at 2 so I left the girls and toted home.
The next day I didn´t feel hungover but was feeling lazy, so I just lied about watching Mad Men and drinking whiskey. I got pissed in bed and fell asleep. Woke up late, took the metro to meet my friend from the school Esther who had invited me to the beach to meet some friends. I get on well with her and her boyfriend. We had a beer and chat. Then onto meet mike and we had that mad night out with the metallers. Decent night. Only trouble was at the end of the night, outside the metro, me and mike were chatting drunken nonsense as one does, and these three girls came over to us - well two - and one was crying, they spoke little english, but their friend was ridiculously intoxicated it seemed and was just lying spread eagled on the pavement. We tried to help, stayed with the girls, tried to lift up the drunk one. We got her water. She made herself sick. Turns out it was somewhat of an act though, which pissed us off when the ambulance came and she stood up happy as larry and bounded into it. Attention seeking at its worst folks. Me and mike were in disbelief, and it did make me think this a nightly occurence on the streets of London and that we don´t feel the need to ring an ambulance and make a huge scene about it all. Its only booze. We sober up and get on with it. Keep calm and be English. Stiff upper lip. It felt the english had more steel that night I must say. And one more thing about this drunken twat girl. When I went to pick her up so we could take her on the metro, she bite my arm! She sunk her teeth into me! It wasn´t hard, it was only a warning, but still its disgusting. I felt like Ivanovic.
Well yesterday the brother at the school made paella for all the teachers, so we had a merry time. I was given a huge cake which said THANKS TOM - dw pics to follow - and they even bought me a huge timnberland raincoat. They must think I live in the Highlands of Scotland, this thing would keep me warm in the arctic. It´s beautiful though and a lovely gift. They are a great school. I´ll miss them. So just the packing to do now. If I get time I´ll have a final wonder around Parc Guell. I´ve got some gifts to give to the family, an english basket full of english things, and I´m seeing Mike for a goodbye drink later. I´ll post the photos as soon as I can, but I´m currently at school and can´t do it till I´m home. Also I´ll be putting up another post which will exercise your brainboxes. A little bit of prose, which I´ve subjected some of the kids too! Adeu for now!
Its so hot now in barca its been impossible to sleep some nights. My window has a latch that I can use to keep it open but the latch doesn´t open wide, so I constructed an ingenious invention to allow it to open wider; that is I tied my scarf around the handle of the window and the other end to a strap on the wall meaning the window can open much wider and as long as I keep my head underneath the frame, I´m safe to sleep in the cool breeze. I am always slightly worried that I´ll awake in a panic, sit up and bang my head on the underneath of the window frame, but thus far it hasn´t happened.
So I suppose last weekend was something of an adios pissup, I went out with Mike & Andrea and a bunch of her metal friends, who were really cool and nice, and we went to Marina - the site for all the losers, outcasts, metallers, hipsters and whoever to hang out with. Its an industrial area which has been turned into a haven for metal bars. We started into a bar with huge Jim Morrison murals on the wall, drinking buckets of wine mixed with coca-cola & then onto a club called Senor Lobo (Mr. Wolf), where we headbanged to sum 41, got sambucas and all the rest of it. I was having one of those nights where I was finding it hard to drink and it was a job of sipping the beer as to drink it fast was to surely puke. Luckily one of the rockers forced us into doing shots and that speed up the process. I was finding it hard to drink because I´d been out the night before to see Izzy and a couple of the other caps assistants. We went out down the ramblas, got some beer and wine etc. Suppose it´ll be the last time I see Izzy, she´s a nice jeordie girl who dresses like something akin to an aztec warrior/princess in Narnia, if there was such a thing. She´s off to South America after BCN so her travels have only started. She´s a harcore on the travelling scene though, been doing it for many years. You wouldn´t believe it from meeting her but she is 29 or so. Anyway, the metro closed at 2 so I left the girls and toted home.
The next day I didn´t feel hungover but was feeling lazy, so I just lied about watching Mad Men and drinking whiskey. I got pissed in bed and fell asleep. Woke up late, took the metro to meet my friend from the school Esther who had invited me to the beach to meet some friends. I get on well with her and her boyfriend. We had a beer and chat. Then onto meet mike and we had that mad night out with the metallers. Decent night. Only trouble was at the end of the night, outside the metro, me and mike were chatting drunken nonsense as one does, and these three girls came over to us - well two - and one was crying, they spoke little english, but their friend was ridiculously intoxicated it seemed and was just lying spread eagled on the pavement. We tried to help, stayed with the girls, tried to lift up the drunk one. We got her water. She made herself sick. Turns out it was somewhat of an act though, which pissed us off when the ambulance came and she stood up happy as larry and bounded into it. Attention seeking at its worst folks. Me and mike were in disbelief, and it did make me think this a nightly occurence on the streets of London and that we don´t feel the need to ring an ambulance and make a huge scene about it all. Its only booze. We sober up and get on with it. Keep calm and be English. Stiff upper lip. It felt the english had more steel that night I must say. And one more thing about this drunken twat girl. When I went to pick her up so we could take her on the metro, she bite my arm! She sunk her teeth into me! It wasn´t hard, it was only a warning, but still its disgusting. I felt like Ivanovic.
Well yesterday the brother at the school made paella for all the teachers, so we had a merry time. I was given a huge cake which said THANKS TOM - dw pics to follow - and they even bought me a huge timnberland raincoat. They must think I live in the Highlands of Scotland, this thing would keep me warm in the arctic. It´s beautiful though and a lovely gift. They are a great school. I´ll miss them. So just the packing to do now. If I get time I´ll have a final wonder around Parc Guell. I´ve got some gifts to give to the family, an english basket full of english things, and I´m seeing Mike for a goodbye drink later. I´ll post the photos as soon as I can, but I´m currently at school and can´t do it till I´m home. Also I´ll be putting up another post which will exercise your brainboxes. A little bit of prose, which I´ve subjected some of the kids too! Adeu for now!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Montserrat, The english language and other things...
So I'm trying to make the most of my last few days, sob. It's been abit frantic to be honest, cramming as many spanish lessons in, signing up to couchsurfers which have various groups to meet, greet and dine with along with one entry of a woman looking for someone to do 4 hours of yoga with.....
I've been playing football with esther's boyfriend on tuesdays, as well as the teachers on thurs. I wouldda played today but it was cancelled because they've brought in a stage for tomorrow's festivities. Tomorrow most of the kids from primary are doing a range of different dances infront of the parents. The infantile lot have been jumping and squirming about to that carly rae jepson song which is so popular everywhere - anything's better than gangham style so its music to my ears. Although saying that, one of the classes in primary is doing gangham style, but... well, its to be expected. I thought it'd be the whole school doing dances, but there's only one from ESO, so its more for the young'uns.
Well its been a sentimental week, saying all these goodbyes to the secondary school, as I won't have any of them next week cos they're examining. One girl said I was a good teacher. That was nice. Always nice to hear.
So today I went for a walk round El Ravel. Its basically a historic area of the city that was pushed left of the more affluent la rambla area, taking the poorer people with it. Now its half bohemian, half seedy; with a few prostitutes on street corners; and has that melting-pot feel of different cultures, ubiquitous in areas of dense immigration, places where at the end of one street you'll find a mosque and at the end of the next a church. Not too long ago the city put money into renovating it, so now at the top end, which is more affluent, there is many a boutique, quirky bar and hipster hangout. It also has its fair share of unemployed weed-smoker's and skater kids, who are basically the youth of the area - with many of these types being the kids I teach. I took a walk and found it has its own rambla, Rambla El Raval, a nice tree-lined promenade with many bar's and restaurant's decking it. After a beer, some falafel and salad, I wondered on into the heart. Lots of liquor shops, thin avenues, windy dust-paths, slanting sunlight, people everywhere - chatting, walking, dog-walking, baby-caring - and I managed to navigate them all until I reached a nice sun-dappled church. Old men hung outside the front entrance, all shuffling about in their white silk clothes. I took a rest and a few photos, sheltering in the church's shade - furiously hot it was that day. The I continued exploring, and somehow ended up where I started. I don't no how, but it was cool and convenient. Back at the university area I was.
There was a building just outside of the ravel which looked just like the moulin rouge, here's a pic of it as well as many others:
Park Guell
Silvia in the house of laura's grandma. I was there last sunday celebrating her birthday. She is 96!
This is me and jose, my personal tutor. Last friday all the teachers went for a meal and several of us went out afterwards. The picture above is some of the teachers and secretary. It was a good night. I was out until about 7. Those teachers still got it.
Drunk, stumbling back from the teachers party. Felt all poetic and started getting early morn snaps. Felt I was on the cusp of seomthing greater than life. Was o course, the alcohol.
That's one of the conv assistants, Mike. We've gone out a few times. The girl is his colombian friend. We was messing around on the lions at Chistropher Columbus's statue (their version of Nelson's Column). Was funny. Weren't even drunk.
That church I aforementioned in El Ravel.
And their rip-off of the Moulin Rouge.
I've been showing the ESO this prezi I made atmo. It talks about the evolution of language and how the dictionary can be a force of evil as well as good. Well the light-hearted bit that I show everyone is the scene from the Pink Panther, "I would like to buy a hamburger". It is good, and the kids loved it. For the best ones I show them the video on the last slide. Its called the english language in 10minutes and is very entertaining. But only worth it for the best ones.
Anyway check it out:
And here's some more pics:
That's noa from the school
A St. Jordi's Pig
Me and Dan
Girona con Dan, Me amigo
It was here the guy threatened us with a knife....
Some of the kids from 3rd ESO.
Laura and Silvia on her birthday.
All these ones are trekking up Montserrat. The great ordeal.
It was really beautiful around there, some stunning scenery.
That's jose ahead.
They had lots of placques like this on the last push, each one was a virgin of a different catalan town.
I've now arrived.
The school. This was on a festival day, I went to with Case.
So some of these I've probably put up before, but I can't be arsed to check them all, so just enjoy again!
Adeu xxxx
I've been playing football with esther's boyfriend on tuesdays, as well as the teachers on thurs. I wouldda played today but it was cancelled because they've brought in a stage for tomorrow's festivities. Tomorrow most of the kids from primary are doing a range of different dances infront of the parents. The infantile lot have been jumping and squirming about to that carly rae jepson song which is so popular everywhere - anything's better than gangham style so its music to my ears. Although saying that, one of the classes in primary is doing gangham style, but... well, its to be expected. I thought it'd be the whole school doing dances, but there's only one from ESO, so its more for the young'uns.
Well its been a sentimental week, saying all these goodbyes to the secondary school, as I won't have any of them next week cos they're examining. One girl said I was a good teacher. That was nice. Always nice to hear.
So today I went for a walk round El Ravel. Its basically a historic area of the city that was pushed left of the more affluent la rambla area, taking the poorer people with it. Now its half bohemian, half seedy; with a few prostitutes on street corners; and has that melting-pot feel of different cultures, ubiquitous in areas of dense immigration, places where at the end of one street you'll find a mosque and at the end of the next a church. Not too long ago the city put money into renovating it, so now at the top end, which is more affluent, there is many a boutique, quirky bar and hipster hangout. It also has its fair share of unemployed weed-smoker's and skater kids, who are basically the youth of the area - with many of these types being the kids I teach. I took a walk and found it has its own rambla, Rambla El Raval, a nice tree-lined promenade with many bar's and restaurant's decking it. After a beer, some falafel and salad, I wondered on into the heart. Lots of liquor shops, thin avenues, windy dust-paths, slanting sunlight, people everywhere - chatting, walking, dog-walking, baby-caring - and I managed to navigate them all until I reached a nice sun-dappled church. Old men hung outside the front entrance, all shuffling about in their white silk clothes. I took a rest and a few photos, sheltering in the church's shade - furiously hot it was that day. The I continued exploring, and somehow ended up where I started. I don't no how, but it was cool and convenient. Back at the university area I was.
There was a building just outside of the ravel which looked just like the moulin rouge, here's a pic of it as well as many others:
Park Guell
Silvia in the house of laura's grandma. I was there last sunday celebrating her birthday. She is 96!
This is me and jose, my personal tutor. Last friday all the teachers went for a meal and several of us went out afterwards. The picture above is some of the teachers and secretary. It was a good night. I was out until about 7. Those teachers still got it.
Drunk, stumbling back from the teachers party. Felt all poetic and started getting early morn snaps. Felt I was on the cusp of seomthing greater than life. Was o course, the alcohol.
That's one of the conv assistants, Mike. We've gone out a few times. The girl is his colombian friend. We was messing around on the lions at Chistropher Columbus's statue (their version of Nelson's Column). Was funny. Weren't even drunk.
That church I aforementioned in El Ravel.
And their rip-off of the Moulin Rouge.
I've been showing the ESO this prezi I made atmo. It talks about the evolution of language and how the dictionary can be a force of evil as well as good. Well the light-hearted bit that I show everyone is the scene from the Pink Panther, "I would like to buy a hamburger". It is good, and the kids loved it. For the best ones I show them the video on the last slide. Its called the english language in 10minutes and is very entertaining. But only worth it for the best ones.
Anyway check it out:
And here's some more pics:
That's noa from the school
A St. Jordi's Pig
Me and Dan
Girona con Dan, Me amigo
It was here the guy threatened us with a knife....
Some of the kids from 3rd ESO.
Laura and Silvia on her birthday.
All these ones are trekking up Montserrat. The great ordeal.
It was really beautiful around there, some stunning scenery.
That's jose ahead.
They had lots of placques like this on the last push, each one was a virgin of a different catalan town.
I've now arrived.
The school. This was on a festival day, I went to with Case.
So some of these I've probably put up before, but I can't be arsed to check them all, so just enjoy again!
Adeu xxxx
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