Home! Hurrah! It's been really good so far. Not that I have done very much but then that has been what is so nice.
The last few weeks of school are normally quiet, followed by a mad rush in the last few days to mark exams, write reports and complete all the fucking paperwork. After exams students basically stop coming for the last two weeks which means you spend a lot of time sitting in an empty room or even worse if just one comes and you have an awkward conversation for twenty minutes before they make an excuse and leave. Then comes the form. At the start of the year we get giving all the textbooks we need and an mp3 player and speakers to do listening exercises in business classes and other delights. At the end of the year you have to give them back and get each item signed off before you get paid. Oh. I straggle around looking for myself I am able to give back my advanced text book minus its back cover, the speakers without mentioning that the left one doesn't work and CDs so scratched Molly from Dublin from exercise 2 sounds like a mouse. Then comes the lying on the register, putting those lies into the computer for the last month so it looks like its done for the entire year and when asked answering yes of course I have cleaned out my locker. Add 200 teachers doing the same and its a headache. You have to get it signed (some are much more willing to sign than others) so you can pick up your last pay cheque. You have to do it in person and take to the bank. My bank and I have a hate hate relationship. I managed to catch them in one of their five minute windows of actually being open. I took my cheque and my card, filled in their slip and strutted over beaming with pride to pay in my cheque. She took the cheque, pressed some buttons and then the computer said no. I don't have my official NIE document. I had it one ten other official government documents and three from the banks themselves, she can see it matches on her screen but no. She phoned a mysterious man known only as Jose Luis who apparently said yes, but I needed my passport. I had to run home to collect it, home was 15 minutes away and the bank closed in 35 minutes to it was going to be tight but we managed, she even gave me a sweet to celebrate. I need that money to, you know, live this summer so it was stressful.
All this was a few hours before my flight and the flight got a little exciting. A man was forcibly removed from the flight. He didn't want to get off but a camp steward known as 'Mike' (if that is in fact his real name) threw him off. People were a little shaken. He was in the row behind me and three rows in each direction were security searched. They wanted to know where my luggage was, they pulled up my seat, they apologized constantly, it wasn't very Die Hard. It turns out the guys passport got wet and the picture was unclear. As I said, not very Die Hard.
The biggest part of the last few weeks however is saying goodbye. I have been lucky to meet some truly wonderful people and at the end of the year we spread and scatter. I don't think anyone in Madrid reads this, mind you I'm not sure if anyone reads this, but I would like to wish them all the luck in the world and I look forward to seeing them again, somewhere, sometime.
Home has been good. Had a nice birthday with my family, even managed to see my sister, anything longer than 2o minutes is asking a lot. A group of us have dedicated this summer as "The Summer of Spanish". I've got the time and damn it I'm going to study. I'm typing and learning verb conjugations with the aid of pretty colours on the computer. I'm listening to a really patronising podcast and I'm looking up all those words I have meant to but never did. So far mixed results. Because I was thinking about it I said gracias to the guy in the newsagent who looked at me as if I was the most pretentious twat he had ever come across. The other thing is rejoining battle with my old nemesis, the verb llevar. Llevar depending on the context can mean:
- to carry
- to have something on one's person
- to take
- to move something somewhere
- to cope with or tolerate something
- to transport
- to wear
- to include an ingredient
- to lead to
- to drive
- to direct/run/lead a business or organisation
- to bear a name
- to keep account
- to last a certain amount of time
- to charge (money)
- to take away (food)
- to get along with someone
- to win or recieve something
Fuck.
Plans are being made which is great I even got rained on today which after the weeks of 40 degrees was incredible. Dad and my sisters boyfriend are passive aggressive with each other, my Mum is appalled by my choice of footwear and the tabloids are being unspeakable cunts. It's like I've never been away.
I hope to see you soon!
love love love x
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)
Spain is good. Let's make that clear from the start. I'm leaving on Friday next week and I thought I'd try to write down some of the differences between the nation of my birth and my new adopted nation. Being away from Britain has made me more fond of it. You realise what a good place it is once you move away and that everywhere has things that will drive you mad. Spain is no exception. There are wonderful things and there are things that will make you want to grab a gun and find the nearest clock tower. Here's an insultingly simple summary.
*It's the simple things that take up all your time. Spain is a modern, developed, European country but at times you will doubt that as you hold your head in your hands and weep. My bank card can only be used six times online and then you have to fill out forms. When I queried it the teller looked at me as if I was asking the most stupid, obvious question ever. Lee had his electricity switched off and when he rang them to ask why they said he hadn't paid his bills. It took him days to prove he had paid them despite having all the paper work.
*Stop touching my face
*They make us look bored and uninterested in the lives of celebrities
*The attitude to kids here is a millions time better. They don't just see them as criminals and lay abouts. It's almost as if they like them.
*Spanish pop music is unforgivable
For example www.youtube.com/watch?v=pID_kztZb9I
*Spanish food is no where near as famous as they would like to think
*They manage to go out for longer than we do without fighting, smashing stuff, being sick on the street and getting each other pregnant
*The large majority of people have no interest in bull fighting at all
*The sterotype of Spanish people being lazy is completely unfair though the one of them being passionate about small things is not
*Everything happens later
*They aren't arguing thats just how they talk
*Football may be even bigger here, at 10.00 tonight there is an under 8's football tournament being broadcast nationally. I'm watching
*Said it before and will continue to say it THE MULLET IS NOT BIG AND NOT CLEVER the same applies to white boy dreads
*They have no time for British indirectness. Mike had a swelling on his face and his whole class just pointed at and asked him what the fuck was going on with his face
*Pleases and thank yous are largely unneccessary though I still insist on using them and occasionally people on a till look really pleased and it makes my day
*Generally they have a really positive attitude about Britain with the exception of food, they really, really hate that. They are also baffled by cricket, cretins
Should be an anthropologist
love love love x
*It's the simple things that take up all your time. Spain is a modern, developed, European country but at times you will doubt that as you hold your head in your hands and weep. My bank card can only be used six times online and then you have to fill out forms. When I queried it the teller looked at me as if I was asking the most stupid, obvious question ever. Lee had his electricity switched off and when he rang them to ask why they said he hadn't paid his bills. It took him days to prove he had paid them despite having all the paper work.
*Stop touching my face
*They make us look bored and uninterested in the lives of celebrities
*The attitude to kids here is a millions time better. They don't just see them as criminals and lay abouts. It's almost as if they like them.
*Spanish pop music is unforgivable
For example www.youtube.com/watch?v=pID_kztZb9I
*Spanish food is no where near as famous as they would like to think
*They manage to go out for longer than we do without fighting, smashing stuff, being sick on the street and getting each other pregnant
*The large majority of people have no interest in bull fighting at all
*The sterotype of Spanish people being lazy is completely unfair though the one of them being passionate about small things is not
*Everything happens later
*They aren't arguing thats just how they talk
*Football may be even bigger here, at 10.00 tonight there is an under 8's football tournament being broadcast nationally. I'm watching
*Said it before and will continue to say it THE MULLET IS NOT BIG AND NOT CLEVER the same applies to white boy dreads
*They have no time for British indirectness. Mike had a swelling on his face and his whole class just pointed at and asked him what the fuck was going on with his face
*Pleases and thank yous are largely unneccessary though I still insist on using them and occasionally people on a till look really pleased and it makes my day
*Generally they have a really positive attitude about Britain with the exception of food, they really, really hate that. They are also baffled by cricket, cretins
Should be an anthropologist
love love love x
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Chaka Demus
The stag. Proud and noble creature. Regally roaming the countryside with the dignity of a prince. Or in the case of Saturday night a group of drunken idiots talking in mockney accents. It was my first stag night on Saturday and thus I can safely say it was the best stag night I have EVER been on. High praise indeed. We gathered in a pub and were first given wrestling cards. I was a little confused why I was holding a picture of Randy Orton but soon all became clear. When Ross told us to assume the position, not a phrase I want to be repeated too many times, you were to assume the position on the card. Fortunately mine was just Randy putting some chump in a headlock so that wasn't so bad. Mike unfortunately drew a card with a gentleman called "Jimmy Wang Yang" on it who was flying through the air like a graceful salmon, which was a lot more trying. The luckiest escape however was for Sean. Sean didn't make it but that was for the best. He may be the smallest and thus easiest to put on shoulders/lift/body slam. There were efforts at first to be laddy with drinking games and "waaaayyyyssssss" but within twenty to twenty five minutes the English teacher nature took over again. Congratulations and good luck to them both.
The next day involved a trip to Segovia. The haters doubted that I would make it but I managed with a throbbing (giggle) headache and feeling sick to drag myself to the bus station. Segovia is beautiful. It is an ancient city with a two thousand year old Roman aqueduct. It looks like a strong gust of wind could blow it down but those Romans knew what they were doing. It is incredible to think and I wonder what was built in our lifetime will be standing in two thousand years. The Valley obviously. Speaking of Charlton, which I normally am, I found a text book that claimed we were the fourth richest club in England. No one told me. Other highlights of the trip included, a steak the size of a head, a chair that looked like balls and shameless photo posing. I think I'm going to have to give up the pretence of just being 'unphotogenic' and just accept thats how I look.
14 working days left and 17 until I touch down back in Blighty. As is traditional at this time of year I'm ruining students day by giving them exams. This the first year I've taught preperation courses for official exams set by Cambridge. They were last weekend so as far as my students are concerned the class is over. Unfortunately my school don't agree and I still have to to go. I was stood up today by four teens. Just sat in the empty room for an hour. People walked passed and wondered what on earth I was doing there. Some smiled at me in pity but I'll be back on Thursday and Tuesday next week. Least I'll get a lot of reading done. Once they are marked thats this year over. It's happy as I'm pleased to be coming home but also sad as a lot of people are moving on. Maybe me, I'm going to look for work over summer and if I can't find any I'll come back to Madrid. From what I've seen so far I'll be back! Thanks Dave.
It's busy but I've still managed to get myself a stalker. A young guy whose name I can't remember, he is saved in my phone as 'man', called wanting an intercambio I said yeah as I need the Spanish practice and told him to email me when he was free so we could meet and practice this language business. Since he has text me A LOT. This put me off the idea and I decided not to text back. So he has started calling. Fuck. That was two days ago and he is still calling I'm hoping he will take the hint soon. The worst of it all is his insistence on doing this !!!!!!! There is never a need for this !!!!!!!!!
Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to try and make this place look respectable enough to get my depoist back. I could be some time.
love love love x
The next day involved a trip to Segovia. The haters doubted that I would make it but I managed with a throbbing (giggle) headache and feeling sick to drag myself to the bus station. Segovia is beautiful. It is an ancient city with a two thousand year old Roman aqueduct. It looks like a strong gust of wind could blow it down but those Romans knew what they were doing. It is incredible to think and I wonder what was built in our lifetime will be standing in two thousand years. The Valley obviously. Speaking of Charlton, which I normally am, I found a text book that claimed we were the fourth richest club in England. No one told me. Other highlights of the trip included, a steak the size of a head, a chair that looked like balls and shameless photo posing. I think I'm going to have to give up the pretence of just being 'unphotogenic' and just accept thats how I look.
14 working days left and 17 until I touch down back in Blighty. As is traditional at this time of year I'm ruining students day by giving them exams. This the first year I've taught preperation courses for official exams set by Cambridge. They were last weekend so as far as my students are concerned the class is over. Unfortunately my school don't agree and I still have to to go. I was stood up today by four teens. Just sat in the empty room for an hour. People walked passed and wondered what on earth I was doing there. Some smiled at me in pity but I'll be back on Thursday and Tuesday next week. Least I'll get a lot of reading done. Once they are marked thats this year over. It's happy as I'm pleased to be coming home but also sad as a lot of people are moving on. Maybe me, I'm going to look for work over summer and if I can't find any I'll come back to Madrid. From what I've seen so far I'll be back! Thanks Dave.
It's busy but I've still managed to get myself a stalker. A young guy whose name I can't remember, he is saved in my phone as 'man', called wanting an intercambio I said yeah as I need the Spanish practice and told him to email me when he was free so we could meet and practice this language business. Since he has text me A LOT. This put me off the idea and I decided not to text back. So he has started calling. Fuck. That was two days ago and he is still calling I'm hoping he will take the hint soon. The worst of it all is his insistence on doing this !!!!!!! There is never a need for this !!!!!!!!!
Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to try and make this place look respectable enough to get my depoist back. I could be some time.
love love love x
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Executive Salmon
This is what a feminist looks like. Oh yeah thats right I've spent the weekend getting to grips with feminism. I now consider myself a militant feminist. Why I hear you ask. Well other than the patriarchial slavery that still grips our society, I have a new intercambio partner. It has been declared the summer of Spanish and the biggest part of this is finding someone to speak some of the damn language to. My new language buddy found me on the school list I signed up and in the week we organised to meet today. On the phone she said she was an academic who needs to improve her English for delivering papers to important people. Gulp. She said on the phone she was working on a project that was "the intersection of History, Sociology and Gender Studies". She is also an ardent feminist. That is a is difficult in English but in a language in which I struggle to do simple tasks it was always going to be a lot of me smiling politely and nodding. I was nervous going to meet her but it went really well. I was really happy, and more than a little smug, with how much I managed to understand. I thought I'm doing it, I'm really doing it, I'm speaking some Spanish almost like an adult! Then it happened. I needed to leave to pay my rent, in trying to explain I got myself confused and ended up weaving a web of lies. She understood that I had a problem with the flat and I needed to see my landlord. I tried to explain. Confused her more, tried again, confused her more. We were in too deep at this point and I just surrended and went with it, saying there was some problem with the water pipes. She can never know!
This was not my only dallience in feminism this weekend. At the first leaving party of the season, sob, my spiritual Finnish sister Silja acquired herself some feminist stickers. They said things like "You are beautiful the way you are, do not pursue impossible images." or "Anorexia is real, the images in magazines are not". You get the idea. She and Amy took great joy going down the streets sticking them on posters and even at one point Mike and me for some less than feminist comments. We were joking! It was a lot of fun and the two of them don't have mullets and even have a sense of humour. I know, go figure. That's the sort of talk that got me a sticker of shame. Silja stuck one on a poster in front of a police man and he just smiled, I have a little go on a swing set and I get a talking to. Pigs.
All that good work was undone by a trip to the football. Football will do that to you. The season may be over but the veteran teams of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played in order to raise money for charity. I have seen a few veteran Charlton games, the last one was behind a pub in Eynsford as Charlton took on a village team. This was slightly different. The Bernabeu was full, all 80,000 of it and there were a few familiar faces. Luis Figo, Fernando Morientes, Paul Brietner, Elber and most importantly Zinedine Zidane. To be able to see one of the greatest players ever play in the flesh even if it was a friendly was a true privilege. He is still operating on a higher plain. His touch was unbelievable, he saw things I couldn't see from the stand and he didn't misplace a pass. It was wonderful. The other highlight was Davor Suker. He seems to have spent his time since retirement eating. He is MASSIVE. Didn't stop him chipping in a penalty though. The game was fun, Real won 8-3. Bayern didn't help themselves giving away three penalties (Real did miss one), scoring two own goals and a completely farcical moment of the goalkeeper kicking the ball straight into Fernando Moriente's face from a goal kick and helplessly watching it trickle over the line. There was also a torriential rain storm which made the whole a lot more atmospheric.
Spain remains politically agiatated. The protest camp remains there and I'm more impressed by the day of their devotion to the cause. There was also fury when a breakout of e-coli in Germany was blamed on Spanish cucumbers. The people of Spain rallied heroically to defend their beseiged cucumber farmers. They have since been proved right and have enjoyed every last minute of it; ignoring the deaths and the fact that the strain is resistant to medicine. It's been a strange week.
love love love x
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Revolution Rock
Opps. It's been a while, I'm blaming it on the aftermath of my near death experience.
I don't know if you have noticed but there has been a REVOLUTION in Spain. It's like Doctor Zhivago out there. Spain has serious problems, the main one being 22% unemployment and among young people its more like 50%. There were local elections on Sunday and around the election a huge sit down protest has been arranged. Since Monday thousands of people have been gathered in the main square and are still there today. It was about unemployment but they have attracted people protesting about just about everything. Everyone is talking about it, some think its wonderful, others a waste of time. I wish them well. Just like at home in Spain people say the young are apathetic and don't care about anything and its great to see them proving people wrong. Spain does ahve serious problems and I hope it can be a start to getting more organised and influencing things. However I am getting a little frustrated by a lot of the bullshit around it. For example calling it a revolution annoys me, elections just went off without a hitch and the Conservatives swept the country taking all but one of the regions. Does it sound like we are living in revolutionary times? There lots of people with dreadlocks, playing bongos and speaking about non violent resistance. You're not Gandhi. Expressing these annoyances I think has given people that I'm against the whole thing and when I say the whole thing I mean peaceful protest. I'll get myself a reputation.
I have a job! A new one. It's a summer camp in Canterbury. The general scheduele of a TEFL teacher is that you spend the year wherever and then return home for a summer camp. I have managed to avoid this so far but now its time. Fortunatley I will be living at home so I won't have to go on the forementioned "sex patrol". However I will be involved on full day excursions to London and Brighton, ghost walks and most alarmingly "crazy game" night. What does that involve? I dread to think. There will be time to cram in some teaching. I'm sure it will be fun once I get there and get it into but I am concerned how this will dent my cricket watching. Welcome to the adult world.
It's just getting hotter and hotter. We all spend a lot of time sitting in Retiro park. The entertainment involves putting the word 'poon' into film titles, (my favourite being My Big, Fat, Greek Poon) and watching a girl who works at school who sits in the same place but with a different man each time. Other highlights have been watching a Scottish band who were possibly the dreaiest band that have ever lived. So, so, crushingly dull, I wanted to shout at the guitarist MOVE! NOD YOUR HEAD! BREATHE!!! In fairness to them by being that brain crushingly tedious they will live long in the memory, sly. Other highlights have been my personal goal drought ending with a swivelled finish (I will be giving you a blow by blow account of all my goals when I see you next), meeting someone who works for babe station and bottling going swimmimg in a lake. That shit was green.
Live in general is quiet but good. Classes are already winding down, student numbers are gradully decreasing. I know what you're thinking, I did check its not just my classes. Peoples' heads are more involved in what they are going to do next year and just like last year it's a little sad to hear of some good friends leaving. Home in early July, let's have tea.
love love love x
I don't know if you have noticed but there has been a REVOLUTION in Spain. It's like Doctor Zhivago out there. Spain has serious problems, the main one being 22% unemployment and among young people its more like 50%. There were local elections on Sunday and around the election a huge sit down protest has been arranged. Since Monday thousands of people have been gathered in the main square and are still there today. It was about unemployment but they have attracted people protesting about just about everything. Everyone is talking about it, some think its wonderful, others a waste of time. I wish them well. Just like at home in Spain people say the young are apathetic and don't care about anything and its great to see them proving people wrong. Spain does ahve serious problems and I hope it can be a start to getting more organised and influencing things. However I am getting a little frustrated by a lot of the bullshit around it. For example calling it a revolution annoys me, elections just went off without a hitch and the Conservatives swept the country taking all but one of the regions. Does it sound like we are living in revolutionary times? There lots of people with dreadlocks, playing bongos and speaking about non violent resistance. You're not Gandhi. Expressing these annoyances I think has given people that I'm against the whole thing and when I say the whole thing I mean peaceful protest. I'll get myself a reputation.
I have a job! A new one. It's a summer camp in Canterbury. The general scheduele of a TEFL teacher is that you spend the year wherever and then return home for a summer camp. I have managed to avoid this so far but now its time. Fortunatley I will be living at home so I won't have to go on the forementioned "sex patrol". However I will be involved on full day excursions to London and Brighton, ghost walks and most alarmingly "crazy game" night. What does that involve? I dread to think. There will be time to cram in some teaching. I'm sure it will be fun once I get there and get it into but I am concerned how this will dent my cricket watching. Welcome to the adult world.
It's just getting hotter and hotter. We all spend a lot of time sitting in Retiro park. The entertainment involves putting the word 'poon' into film titles, (my favourite being My Big, Fat, Greek Poon) and watching a girl who works at school who sits in the same place but with a different man each time. Other highlights have been watching a Scottish band who were possibly the dreaiest band that have ever lived. So, so, crushingly dull, I wanted to shout at the guitarist MOVE! NOD YOUR HEAD! BREATHE!!! In fairness to them by being that brain crushingly tedious they will live long in the memory, sly. Other highlights have been my personal goal drought ending with a swivelled finish (I will be giving you a blow by blow account of all my goals when I see you next), meeting someone who works for babe station and bottling going swimmimg in a lake. That shit was green.
Live in general is quiet but good. Classes are already winding down, student numbers are gradully decreasing. I know what you're thinking, I did check its not just my classes. Peoples' heads are more involved in what they are going to do next year and just like last year it's a little sad to hear of some good friends leaving. Home in early July, let's have tea.
love love love x
Friday, 13 May 2011
Tonight We are Going to Give it 35%
The reason for a delayed post is that I am lucky to be alive! Thats right! I could have DIED! I survived a pile up. Pile up may be a tad overstating it. What I mean is that the driver of the bus I was on chose an unfortunate moment to look at his shoes and we went into the back of a car. Buses are big and hitting one was enough to push that one into the two ahead of it and for one to go into the back of us. As previously mentioned buses are big so the bus was fine apart from a bent bumper and some broken tail lights. The car we went into however was not so lucky. That was in bits. No one was hurt though at one point I thought the woman who got hit was going to kill the bus driver, he would have deserved it. We caused a huge delay made all the more satisfying knowing that Kevyn and Julio were caught in it.
Home was good. Brief, but good. I was down for only 24 hours and in that time I managed to to catch up with Hannah, Catherine and John who were in great form and saved me from having to spend too much time dealing with my sister's friends which is always gratefull received. Its got me really looking forward to the summer.
On landing I got a phone call from Felicity and rather strangely went straight to meet them for an afternoon at the zoo. Tired, dishevelled and still carrying my bag I wandered around in a strange daze. I like zoos. I don't see them as prisons as a persistent graffitti artist is calling them all over Madrid. Someone should tell him a lot of these animals would be extinct without them. Saying that at points I could see what he was getting at in Madrid zoo. Most of it was good, large enclosures with lots of things in but there were exceptions, such as the poor buffalo just standing in mud. It was the bears who were the worst though. People were throwing crisps and bits of bread at them and they were doing a little dance, it was sad to see them reduced to that. Also I know dolphins are usually a lot of peoples favourites but come on! They'll do anything for a fish, sluts.
The other main event of the week was finally getting around to seeing a Real Madrid game. Jeff (the only nice p****e fan) is a season ticket holder, possibly the first man ever to have both held a p****e season ticket and a Real Madrid season ticket. He couldn't go so he gave it to me and I took his seat to see the local derby Real vs Getafe. It was an exhibition match, Real cruised it 4-0 and at no point was a football match in danger of breaking out. Ronaldo scored three and say what you like about his character he is really, really, good at football. My man crush on Xabi Alonso grows and grows. The game served as a good example of Spanish football generally. It was a real privilege to be able to watch such talented players in the flesh. Real are a very very good side and in my opinion probably would have won the Premier League fairly comfortably this season, its just unfortunate for them that Barcelona are even better. It was great to see some of the best players on the planet show off their talent. Some people say that is what you want, you want to see incredible footballers play incredible football. Like the Harlem Globe Trotters, you don't go to see a game, you go to see the ability on show. While others say the Premiership is better as you will see a more equal and competitive game of football. I have to agree. Charlton (who I know are very far away from Real) have won by 4 goals only a handful of times in my lifetime, but thats the point. When it happens we go crazy, its truly special. The Real fans just clapped and then all went home, it was routine for them and where's the fun in that? As a one off it was brilliant but game after game after game? A good example is Osasuna. Who on Wednesday won a massive game to more or less secure their position in the division next year. 2 nil down at half time to Sevilla, who are a really good side. However they turned it round to win 3-2 with two very late goals. Camunas set up the winner despite being punched in the build up and bleeding. The Guardian described it as
It could just be the best assist ever. Camuñas chased a long ball up the left wing, cut inside, got punched full in the face, wobbled momentarily, lifted his hand towards his head, carried on into the area, blood streaming from just below the eye, provided a wonderful assist and turned to celebrate with the fans, pointing at his face. "See this?" Camuñas said after the game, pointing at his face as everyone went bonkers, "this represents this club". "Look, look, look!" he said, pointing at the fans, "this is what Osasuna are all about." And that is why Osasuna will survive.
Proper football.
love love love x
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-9D4MkNlzw
Home was good. Brief, but good. I was down for only 24 hours and in that time I managed to to catch up with Hannah, Catherine and John who were in great form and saved me from having to spend too much time dealing with my sister's friends which is always gratefull received. Its got me really looking forward to the summer.
On landing I got a phone call from Felicity and rather strangely went straight to meet them for an afternoon at the zoo. Tired, dishevelled and still carrying my bag I wandered around in a strange daze. I like zoos. I don't see them as prisons as a persistent graffitti artist is calling them all over Madrid. Someone should tell him a lot of these animals would be extinct without them. Saying that at points I could see what he was getting at in Madrid zoo. Most of it was good, large enclosures with lots of things in but there were exceptions, such as the poor buffalo just standing in mud. It was the bears who were the worst though. People were throwing crisps and bits of bread at them and they were doing a little dance, it was sad to see them reduced to that. Also I know dolphins are usually a lot of peoples favourites but come on! They'll do anything for a fish, sluts.
The other main event of the week was finally getting around to seeing a Real Madrid game. Jeff (the only nice p****e fan) is a season ticket holder, possibly the first man ever to have both held a p****e season ticket and a Real Madrid season ticket. He couldn't go so he gave it to me and I took his seat to see the local derby Real vs Getafe. It was an exhibition match, Real cruised it 4-0 and at no point was a football match in danger of breaking out. Ronaldo scored three and say what you like about his character he is really, really, good at football. My man crush on Xabi Alonso grows and grows. The game served as a good example of Spanish football generally. It was a real privilege to be able to watch such talented players in the flesh. Real are a very very good side and in my opinion probably would have won the Premier League fairly comfortably this season, its just unfortunate for them that Barcelona are even better. It was great to see some of the best players on the planet show off their talent. Some people say that is what you want, you want to see incredible footballers play incredible football. Like the Harlem Globe Trotters, you don't go to see a game, you go to see the ability on show. While others say the Premiership is better as you will see a more equal and competitive game of football. I have to agree. Charlton (who I know are very far away from Real) have won by 4 goals only a handful of times in my lifetime, but thats the point. When it happens we go crazy, its truly special. The Real fans just clapped and then all went home, it was routine for them and where's the fun in that? As a one off it was brilliant but game after game after game? A good example is Osasuna. Who on Wednesday won a massive game to more or less secure their position in the division next year. 2 nil down at half time to Sevilla, who are a really good side. However they turned it round to win 3-2 with two very late goals. Camunas set up the winner despite being punched in the build up and bleeding. The Guardian described it as
It could just be the best assist ever. Camuñas chased a long ball up the left wing, cut inside, got punched full in the face, wobbled momentarily, lifted his hand towards his head, carried on into the area, blood streaming from just below the eye, provided a wonderful assist and turned to celebrate with the fans, pointing at his face. "See this?" Camuñas said after the game, pointing at his face as everyone went bonkers, "this represents this club". "Look, look, look!" he said, pointing at the fans, "this is what Osasuna are all about." And that is why Osasuna will survive.
Proper football.
love love love x
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-9D4MkNlzw
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
What the Fuck is the Internet?
What an eventful week! Obivously the weekedn started with the greatest event that HAS EVER HAPPENED. Aww didn't she look nice? Wasn't it lovely? I'm glad it didn't rain. These were the insightful comments that we were discussing on Friday afternoon during that whole Royal Wedding business. I was booking a football pitch during the ceremony (take THAT monarchy!) but watched them on the balcony, there was even a cheer when they kissed. Strangely two French people were probably the most excited, should have thought about that at the time. There were British flags and even a little champagne. Let's just hope it doesn't end like the last one.
We had a little problem over the weekend. We were supposed to go to Segovia but we had an issue with train stations. We were at Menendez Pelayo and really inconviently you can't go to Segeovia from there. Rude. Rather than just go to the right station we thought it a better plan to change destination to Avila. On the bus Amy did remember that a friend Raquel had gone to Segovia the day before. Rushed phone calls, apologies and guilt (oh the guilt!) took up the rest of the journey. Fortunately she has family there so it wasn't completely terrible, but still. Poor Amy had to listen to Sean give long tearful descriptions of Raquel sitting in Segovia weeping.
Avila was very nice. It's main attraction are the Medieval walls. They built these walls and then that was about that for two thousand years. Thats not strictly true, Saint Teresa was from Avila. She is a reformer so not to exciting, they do keep her finger in the cathedral but it was closed so we missed that strange token of affection. We did see the walls though, boy did we see those walls. Work started on the walls in 1090. The fenced area is of 31 hectares with a perimeter of approximately 2,516 meters, 88 blocks or semicircular towers, paintings by 3 m. thick, an average height of 12 m. and 9 gates. It is the largest fully illuminated monument in the world. They really were some damn fine walls. Silja acted as our mother for the trip and ensured we all learnt something. The rest of day was mainly spent eating and drinking. Classy.
At the end of the last post I said the Champions League match would be huge. It wasn't, it was humilating. The two best teams in the world, and in Barcelona quite possibly the best ever, rolled, dived, cheated and whinged for the entire time. You expect it from a Jose Mourinho team but Barcelona were even worse. Alves, Pedro, Mascherano, SERGIO FUCKING BUSQUETS. It is even more annoying when combined with their "more than a club" moral superiority. I was was a little disillusioned with football but then Leo Messi just did what Leo Messi does and then everything was back to normal. He was the exception, he's just too good. Our own football has doubled to two hours, my legs are just so painful.
love love love x
We had a little problem over the weekend. We were supposed to go to Segovia but we had an issue with train stations. We were at Menendez Pelayo and really inconviently you can't go to Segeovia from there. Rude. Rather than just go to the right station we thought it a better plan to change destination to Avila. On the bus Amy did remember that a friend Raquel had gone to Segovia the day before. Rushed phone calls, apologies and guilt (oh the guilt!) took up the rest of the journey. Fortunately she has family there so it wasn't completely terrible, but still. Poor Amy had to listen to Sean give long tearful descriptions of Raquel sitting in Segovia weeping.
Avila was very nice. It's main attraction are the Medieval walls. They built these walls and then that was about that for two thousand years. Thats not strictly true, Saint Teresa was from Avila. She is a reformer so not to exciting, they do keep her finger in the cathedral but it was closed so we missed that strange token of affection. We did see the walls though, boy did we see those walls. Work started on the walls in 1090. The fenced area is of 31 hectares with a perimeter of approximately 2,516 meters, 88 blocks or semicircular towers, paintings by 3 m. thick, an average height of 12 m. and 9 gates. It is the largest fully illuminated monument in the world. They really were some damn fine walls. Silja acted as our mother for the trip and ensured we all learnt something. The rest of day was mainly spent eating and drinking. Classy.
At the end of the last post I said the Champions League match would be huge. It wasn't, it was humilating. The two best teams in the world, and in Barcelona quite possibly the best ever, rolled, dived, cheated and whinged for the entire time. You expect it from a Jose Mourinho team but Barcelona were even worse. Alves, Pedro, Mascherano, SERGIO FUCKING BUSQUETS. It is even more annoying when combined with their "more than a club" moral superiority. I was was a little disillusioned with football but then Leo Messi just did what Leo Messi does and then everything was back to normal. He was the exception, he's just too good. Our own football has doubled to two hours, my legs are just so painful.
love love love x
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