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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