Hola amigos. I must confess thats basically all the Spanish I have done since getting home but I'll get down to some serious work tomorrow or later in the week, you know sometime. Thoughts are beginning to turn back to Madrid as I will be returning in three weeks or so. The plan for this summer was to start looking for work at home and commencing the beginning of the end for this TEFL lark. However, that has basically been a non-starter. Camp took up all my time and it would be unrealistic to think I would find something in the few weeks and the last thing I want to do is sit around unemployed for doing menial work. The new masterplan (#58284) is to return to Madrid and start looking there while I'm working. Being away from Madrid has made me realise how much I miss it and it feels like after only a year there is some unfinished business.
I was lucky enough to see Sean, Amy and Kate in London this week. As usual all three were a lot of fun and they added some insight. It turns out I'm not the only one who spends a lot of summer thinking about what to do next, it does seem to be a part of TEFL life. My theory is that with such clear breaks it is a lot more difficult to drift through a few years in a job that is just on going. Amy reminded us that in our early twenties it's ok to not have everything plotted out, while Sean made the point that it is good to be thinking of these things. We all felt better!
However the day in London was not all about the future. Amy took us to the Wellcome centre. Henry Wellcome was a "pharmaceutical entrepreneur" who travelled the world collecting items that took his fancy. From medieval Japanese sex aids, torture devices and even Napoleon's toothbrush, it really was something. How they know it's Napoleon's toothbrush I will never know but I'm prepared to take their word for it. There was also an exibihiton on dirt which culminated in blocks of human faeces. It was arty, alright. It was all very London and I loved it.
Talking of London that was not the end of fun. At the end of the week I managed to catch up with Alex. I was allowed to sit in his swanky office drinking cucumber water, I was a natural. To Alex's disgust there was a Nando's but much more to his liking was the cider festival. The butterscotch cider being a low point as one of the natiest things I have ever drunk. The night ended with me failing to wake Alex has he slept on the sofa despite at one point holding his eyes lids open. The resoultion was for Anderew to forcibly drag Alex across the floor. Classy.
A little closer to home was John's leaving do. I had a little hitch when I went to the wrong house, it wasn't my fault, but Row came to rescue me. I had attemted to walk after directions from a real geezer who told me that it would "take alf owha to bowl dawn there" and "its pwopa far". I got to meet John's extended family, one rocking the most amazing orange tunic thing. There was a buffet, didn't quite disgrace myself, and there was even the Game of Life. I don't know if you have ever played the Game of Life, it takes a lifetime to play and I had previously thought it was impossible to do badly at but this afternoon proved otherwise. Sarah and me on the same time started slowly and it just got worse and worse. Sarah revealed her true colours by bailing on me to fight alone while Wainwright spent his time waving his paper money around like a rapper. It was cool. Normally in the Game of Life you end up with over a million and a list of achievements that no one in any life time could ever achieve; like climbing everest, writing a best seller, designing a new life changing invention and landing on the moon. All we ended up with was a sinking sense of shame. The main thing was to wish John well before he heads off to Peterborough to work with bulldozer engines. He seems enthusiastic which is more than most can say about Peterborough but then he will live in a house in the shape of a triangle, so who wouldn't be?
I'm currently watching the coverage from Reading and Leeds and as ever it makes me jealous that I didn't get to a festival this summer. This year I will get organised and get to a festival next summer, I mean it! Remind me nearer the time. You should come.
love love love x
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