Well, after a calm, relaxing week in Hamilton, with a visit to Rotorua to see Nan, though not going too far due to the injections that i needed for my back (now its much better). The hot air balloons were ... non existant, though i did try to see them! Even the dawn raid didn´t happen which i got up for especially for. But anyway, bad weather at the end of the week prevented them from flying.
I left the 14th for Tokyo, for a one night stop over, which was way too quick. With so much to see, it was a shame to have to miss the main stuff. In the end i was only there from 5pm (arrived at the hostel at 7pm), until the next morning when i left the Ueno train station at 8am. I slept, though not much.
Arrived, armed with my little page of Japanese phrases (to remind me, which i was surprised at how much i remembered) i set out to discover Tokyo. My hostel was really cool, it had traditional japanese tatami mats (take your shoes off etc), and a japanese feel to it. Even a futon mattress! Tho in bunkbed style. Left there but only had time before the metro closed to grab a bite to eat, a sanwich, and look around one district a little bit. I chose the big lights of Ginza, Tokyo´s most expensive street full of electronics. Not that many people about, it was a saturday night, tho early in the night and i suppose there weren´t any clubs or anything around. Went back to the hostel and grabbed some noodle pasta stuff (japanese food) and ate it happily before falling asleep rapidly.
Woke up super early, not wanting to waste time sleeping (plenty of time in the plane later on), and went to Ueno park, next to the train station i needed. It was a really beautiful park, apart from the homeless people wandering around, really rich with nature and religion. I liked it a lot. Ate my breakfast happy with japans infamous cherry blossoms in view. Really surreal to think after having studied japanese for almost 10 years, that there i was!!!! I wasn´t able to absorb it all, it was sooooo different to what i´m used to, and differente to what i expected also. Actually, i´m not quite sure what i expected.
Had a good flight, watched 5 movies in 10.5 hours (from Auckland to Tokyo i watched 4), and only had 45 mins in Amsterdam airport (Schiphol).... ah, which was delayed for another hour (thereby making me miss my bus from Madrid to Bilbao that night...). Arrived home at 7am, monday the 16th, straight to bed (for 3 hours...... then i had to get up to go to work and prepare my classes for that afternoon!!!
Now things are back to normal. I´m settled back in. I like my life here, i also adore my life in hamilton. We´ll see how i adjust to the permanent move in july.... until then, i´m gonna enjoy myself here!!!!
adiossssssssss
lots of kisses in the direction of NZ --- for everyone there. I had a fantastic time and i thankyou very much for welcoming me again ... what a surprise!!!
Janine
Tokyo
Afterthought
Just a quote I found...
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
.~.
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
.~.
Beaches
Lots of beaches recently, i've been to Raglan with family and Waihi with friends. It couldn't be better really!!
We've had some brilliant weather, i bought a new dress and here i am showing it off. i didn't get cold during the whole day, though i didn't get int o the water.
Here we are in a little bay next to Waihi, got there after a 30 minute walk with Hamish, Renelle and Ellie. My back held up so I'm thankful for that!
Raglan the other day with Mum Willoughby and Erica was also a great treat, followed by fish 'n' chips which brought back memories!!!
I'm going through at least 1 V (an energy drink) a day. its good stuff, i'm gonna load it up in my suitcase!!!!
There has been lots of lazing around. Read Whitehorn by Bryce Courtenay, good book, though a very disappointing ending. I expected better, i wanted The Power Of One type stuff, but never eventuated.
Off to bed now, going shopping tomorrow :-)
buenas noches mi amor, eres mi cielo
We've had some brilliant weather, i bought a new dress and here i am showing it off. i didn't get cold during the whole day, though i didn't get int o the water.
Here we are in a little bay next to Waihi, got there after a 30 minute walk with Hamish, Renelle and Ellie. My back held up so I'm thankful for that!
Raglan the other day with Mum Willoughby and Erica was also a great treat, followed by fish 'n' chips which brought back memories!!!
I'm going through at least 1 V (an energy drink) a day. its good stuff, i'm gonna load it up in my suitcase!!!!
There has been lots of lazing around. Read Whitehorn by Bryce Courtenay, good book, though a very disappointing ending. I expected better, i wanted The Power Of One type stuff, but never eventuated.
Off to bed now, going shopping tomorrow :-)
buenas noches mi amor, eres mi cielo
Surprise......
Yup, I'm in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand.
Just on holiday, just for Easter!
My ticket got into a use or loose it situation, and so here I am in tshirt weather enjoying being with friends, family, and familiar haunts. Really weird to be here....... hard to explain.
Its not reverse culture shock, because even though its my hometown, i feel like a tourist discovering things again.... like the Hilly tavern being ripped down, The Base, a whole load of new buses, mums completely new house, renovations on dads house, renelles new house, not as many people here, no boyfriend, no bike, mums new boyfriend, uni modifications........... so many things. I guess adjusting in July when i start B semester will be trickier.
I had a lovely afternoon in London on my way here (also went via South Korea) with my cousin Eduard from Holland and Irene from NZ, and London put on fantastic weather. Perfect for cruising in a convertible past Buckingham Palace, and walking around Big Ben, the Thames, The London Eye (tho unfortunately no time to go on it), and getting a really rushed but interesting tour of inner London. I enjoyed it inmensly, I can't wait to go there again in June for 5 days for a proper look.
So I'm chilling at home now, have already bumped into quite a few people, and looking to take it easy.
I miss Spain.
Y te echo de menos mucho tambien mi cielo, ya nos vemos, te quiero muchisimo. mil besos y mas.
Janine
Just on holiday, just for Easter!
My ticket got into a use or loose it situation, and so here I am in tshirt weather enjoying being with friends, family, and familiar haunts. Really weird to be here....... hard to explain.
Its not reverse culture shock, because even though its my hometown, i feel like a tourist discovering things again.... like the Hilly tavern being ripped down, The Base, a whole load of new buses, mums completely new house, renovations on dads house, renelles new house, not as many people here, no boyfriend, no bike, mums new boyfriend, uni modifications........... so many things. I guess adjusting in July when i start B semester will be trickier.
I had a lovely afternoon in London on my way here (also went via South Korea) with my cousin Eduard from Holland and Irene from NZ, and London put on fantastic weather. Perfect for cruising in a convertible past Buckingham Palace, and walking around Big Ben, the Thames, The London Eye (tho unfortunately no time to go on it), and getting a really rushed but interesting tour of inner London. I enjoyed it inmensly, I can't wait to go there again in June for 5 days for a proper look.
So I'm chilling at home now, have already bumped into quite a few people, and looking to take it easy.
I miss Spain.
Y te echo de menos mucho tambien mi cielo, ya nos vemos, te quiero muchisimo. mil besos y mas.
Janine
Petra, The Rose Red City
Yes, I spent last Sunday in Petra, Jordan.
*clears throat*
Not quite, but I like the photo, I took it in Oviedo, Asturias, where I went for the day with Gema, Juan (her bf), and Susi. (Ok, I admit I played with it in photoshop...)
Apart from that excursion, I haven´t been doing much. Just finished today photocopying 96 exams...... they will be fun to mark on Monday/Tuesday!!! Sigh.... and then the reports........ nooooooooooooooo!!!!! At least the 2nd term is coming to an end. And thankgoodness there is only 1 more term to go!! Yupiiii!!!
Spring is starting, tho we´ve just had a dumping of snow on the hills around the area, nothing here in Getxo though!!! q putada! Can´t wait for the warmer weather that Easter should bring.
I´ve been throwing myself into a lot of photography lately, and digital retouching also. I love it. It helps also that its Susi´s field of speciality. Although I´ve done everything on my own its nice to have an eye over my shoulder. If only I was able to save up for a digital SLR, but living here is so expensive!!!!
Life as usual around here.....
Whats up over there???????????
xxooxx
*clears throat*
Not quite, but I like the photo, I took it in Oviedo, Asturias, where I went for the day with Gema, Juan (her bf), and Susi. (Ok, I admit I played with it in photoshop...)
Apart from that excursion, I haven´t been doing much. Just finished today photocopying 96 exams...... they will be fun to mark on Monday/Tuesday!!! Sigh.... and then the reports........ nooooooooooooooo!!!!! At least the 2nd term is coming to an end. And thankgoodness there is only 1 more term to go!! Yupiiii!!!
Spring is starting, tho we´ve just had a dumping of snow on the hills around the area, nothing here in Getxo though!!! q putada! Can´t wait for the warmer weather that Easter should bring.
I´ve been throwing myself into a lot of photography lately, and digital retouching also. I love it. It helps also that its Susi´s field of speciality. Although I´ve done everything on my own its nice to have an eye over my shoulder. If only I was able to save up for a digital SLR, but living here is so expensive!!!!
Life as usual around here.....
Whats up over there???????????
xxooxx
This Is Bilbao
Well, not much of a month really, just drifting by. Looking forward to my holidays in a months time! Don´t know what I´m going to do yet, but it doesn´t matter - Holidays!! Yay!!!
Had the anniversary in mid February which was nice, the photo here is from where we stayed in a cute hotel above Bilbao.
Don´t know what more to say.......... life goes by.
I wouldn´t say my life at the moment is boring, but its not the most thrilling thing in the world.... reports, exams to come.....
Getting up at 7am to go to therapy with my legs isn´t pleasant, but at least they´re getting a bit better. Not as much pain, but still poor on the range i can move.
And, well, nothing more. Its Las Fallas these days in Valencia, and i wish i was there again with all the Fallas and the fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!!!!!
Ciao
S, t q y sé q m q tb. Vale la pena.
Had the anniversary in mid February which was nice, the photo here is from where we stayed in a cute hotel above Bilbao.
Don´t know what more to say.......... life goes by.
I wouldn´t say my life at the moment is boring, but its not the most thrilling thing in the world.... reports, exams to come.....
Getting up at 7am to go to therapy with my legs isn´t pleasant, but at least they´re getting a bit better. Not as much pain, but still poor on the range i can move.
And, well, nothing more. Its Las Fallas these days in Valencia, and i wish i was there again with all the Fallas and the fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!!!!!
Ciao
S, t q y sé q m q tb. Vale la pena.
2 + 2 = 22!
Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeee!
According to some spaniards, this is the birthday of the two swans, seeing as the number 2 looks like a swan. Anyway.....
I don´t feel that old..... and i can´t believe that i came here to Spain when I was 20........ I have grown in so many ways thats its impossible to share them with you here, which is what i had intended to share now. but i sit here infront of the computer and the page is still empty, its something very surreal, to realise that i´ve grown so much yet not be able to say how.
Has been the coldest days of the year recently, hitting the minuses. No snow in Getxo which i´m disappointed about, but i can see it on the foothills around me.
well, time to cut the cake now...!!
love from your favourite girl overseas
Janine
According to some spaniards, this is the birthday of the two swans, seeing as the number 2 looks like a swan. Anyway.....
I don´t feel that old..... and i can´t believe that i came here to Spain when I was 20........ I have grown in so many ways thats its impossible to share them with you here, which is what i had intended to share now. but i sit here infront of the computer and the page is still empty, its something very surreal, to realise that i´ve grown so much yet not be able to say how.
Has been the coldest days of the year recently, hitting the minuses. No snow in Getxo which i´m disappointed about, but i can see it on the foothills around me.
well, time to cut the cake now...!!
love from your favourite girl overseas
Janine
High Cuisine
The other week I had a 38,5º fever which was horrible, and then the flu after effects, and thankfully now i´m just left with a bad cough. That was how i spent my last week of the holidays - sick!
The 6th of January was the day that the 3 Kings (3 Wise men) give their gifts to the Spanish children, its like Sinterklaas in Holland on the 6th of December, and this is when we interchanged presents here in our flat and it was really special. I got some gorgeous heart shaped silver earings with a triskel on it (the celtic symbol of asturias) from susi.
Just had the 1st week back at work, and it was pretty good, though by Friday i was pretty tired. Saturday came around and it was a big piss-up with my saturday morning teachers during the night! We went to a very very expensive restaurant and had the chef cooking right infront of us! very nice japanese/chinese food, and for the first time in a while i went out with english speakers!!!
Our new flatmate arrived today, she is from Bolivia (so speaks spanish) and has been studying in Arkansas. She seems really cool so we´ll have a good time the 4 of us in our apartment.
Sigh, Monday tomorrow!
Kisses to all
The 6th of January was the day that the 3 Kings (3 Wise men) give their gifts to the Spanish children, its like Sinterklaas in Holland on the 6th of December, and this is when we interchanged presents here in our flat and it was really special. I got some gorgeous heart shaped silver earings with a triskel on it (the celtic symbol of asturias) from susi.
Just had the 1st week back at work, and it was pretty good, though by Friday i was pretty tired. Saturday came around and it was a big piss-up with my saturday morning teachers during the night! We went to a very very expensive restaurant and had the chef cooking right infront of us! very nice japanese/chinese food, and for the first time in a while i went out with english speakers!!!
Our new flatmate arrived today, she is from Bolivia (so speaks spanish) and has been studying in Arkansas. She seems really cool so we´ll have a good time the 4 of us in our apartment.
Sigh, Monday tomorrow!
Kisses to all
Welcome To 2007
Passing by in the New Year, the Old Port of Algorta, with roaring waves and a beautiful sunset.A few days before New Years I went to a concert in Madrid of a group called Fito & Fitipaldis. Great music, though the 4 hour drive down, then 5 hours back up at 3am in the morning was a killer! And we went knowing that the concert was sold out (15,000+ people) without tickets. We bought some off people for thier face value (tho had people offering us double), and went inside. The 4 of us that went (Mari & Mari José & José (yeah, the real names)) all had different seating arrangements on the tickets, but José who worked there managed to get us onto the floor (you needed floor tickets (which we didn´t have) to get there). Very cool concert (but you can´t beat Coldplay.....).
Spent New Years in the bars but before that, at 00:00, the fireworks went off. And wow, that was loud. I´m not talking about spectacular fireworks like you´d see in London or Sydney or Hamilton even, but i´m talking about homemade fireworks designed for one purpose only - NOISE. <<-- (my phone camera video!) It was like a war zone!! And it went on for 25 minutes, then sporadically through the night until 8am which was when I went to bed. A good night!
So now i´m enjoying the last week of my holidays, I start again with my students on monday. Not looking forward to it really.............
Until then, I hope you have all recovered from your hangovers :-)
Xmas In Xedré
My christmas was spent here.... in paradise. Click on the photo to see more.......The photos speak for me, it was great to meet everyones family, and to see a small village (45 houses) with such a tight knit community.
I enjoyed.....
>> drinking cider champagne
<< telling jokes until 3am with 3 generations of people
>> taking long walks
<< breathing pure air
>> eating lots of chocolate and sweeties and biscuits
<< eating FRESH pig, cow, and trout
>> making people happy
Felices fiestas
Me
El mejor de los viajes es el próximo
A new day has begun, and today I sent out all my Christmas greetings, so if you didn´t recieve them, email me, or maybe this will be enough for you.My 2 weeks holidays have begun, classes are over. Writing 96 reports in Spanish was a drag, but its all over - of the 76 exams I dished out, 55 passed, so it wasn´t too bad. On the last day yesterday we all sang christmas carols which was sore on the ears, but really fun.
I have a new laptop, partly thanks to the generosity of someone in particular (thankyou). I love my laptop. Its really pretty. Next on my list is a camera like my brothers, a Cannon 400D that takes photos like this, this and this. Nice work.
I am going to spend christmas in a small village in Asturias called Xedré (Gedrez in Spanish), where I have been told its snowing!!! My first white christmas!!! I´m really really excited. We´re leaving tonight and the christmas eve dinner is going to be a blast.
Merry Christmas!
Feliz Navidad!
Zorionak!
Be safe
Janine ::::: Nina ::::: Kiwi Guapa
Medievil Market Magic
Well its been a great long weekend, going out quite a bit, but also relaxing a whole lot all the same. This time last year I went to Santo Domingo de la Calzada with Markel Beth and Cameronbut we missed the medieval market, though this time with Mari Yani and Sonia (a friend, Susi´s flatmate, Susi´s sister), it was more planned, and it was fantastic.... a delight for each sense...*
Sight: the medievil village in medievil attire, completely decked out
Sounds: the clomping of hooves from the horses performing
Taste: cinnamon liquor
Touch: the squish of the jostling crowd and the silkyness of animal pelts
Smell: the aroma of herbs and spices
*
I hope you are enjoying my new and improved blogsite
Lots of love
ME
Local Travelling
Well as you can see from my new photos, I haven´t exactly been travelling much, only locally around Getxo and Bilbao. The photo you see here is a joint photo that I did with my mobile, the port/beach area where I live, 15 minutes from my house. If you click on the photo you´ll get a new set of photos.
My kids have thier exams on Monday and Tuesday, all 85 of them. And then I have to mark them and do thier reports. Not to mention my extra classes on Saturdays (which are much less stressfull because as you can see, we play a lot of games). Then Christmas here at home with Susi and Yani, and 2 weeks paid holidays! Yihoo.
The weather is deteriorating, heaps and heaps of wind. I thought my bike was going to be blown off the balcony!! This weekend its a long weekend, so I´m enjoying lazing around, saving up energy for the nights..........
Had the blood tests and xrays (hips knees and ankles), and according to the traumatologist, everything is fine. In short, he doesn´t know. So i´m being bundled off to rehabilitation, but its going to be crap again. At least I have noticed vast improvement since i stopped going to the physio, weird that. I start the rehab in January, but i have low hopes for it. Oh well.
I have to pay 1900€/$3600nz in backrent and bills. Great. Yipee. My paychecks gone!! After December i´ll be able to save properly tho. Looking forward to that. I may even get a laptop. We´ll see!!
Ok. Lots of hugs and kissesssssssssssss
Janine/Nina/Kiwi/Miss Ruys/Pitufina/Guapa
xxooxx
Quickie
ok, i don´t look the most awake in this photo, but there it is, haircut done. not much has happened lately, i have to prepare exams for 6 classes this week, so that´ll be "fun".
Haven´t had any travels, so unfortunately its a bit boring on that front. The weather is real northern spain weather, tho thankfully it hasn´t rained as much as it should have in november. the autumn so far has been splendid, tho really variable.
oh dear, i´m talking about the weather. time for that to stop.
having xrays & more blood tests in the beginning of december with my legs, that is, ankles, knees and hips; the whole package. i don´t konw what to expect, i just want my life to return back to normal. in 5 days marks the anniversary of screwing up my legs, that is to say, 1 year without running or doing exercise which i love to do, 1 year without physical freedom. its a pain. (in 2 senses).
anyway, enough moaning, and off to bed now!!!
c you
Haven´t had any travels, so unfortunately its a bit boring on that front. The weather is real northern spain weather, tho thankfully it hasn´t rained as much as it should have in november. the autumn so far has been splendid, tho really variable.
oh dear, i´m talking about the weather. time for that to stop.
having xrays & more blood tests in the beginning of december with my legs, that is, ankles, knees and hips; the whole package. i don´t konw what to expect, i just want my life to return back to normal. in 5 days marks the anniversary of screwing up my legs, that is to say, 1 year without running or doing exercise which i love to do, 1 year without physical freedom. its a pain. (in 2 senses).
anyway, enough moaning, and off to bed now!!!
c you
Nighttime Appearances
Well, life here has fallen into a good routine.
I work 30 hours a week - classes from 4 ish until 10 at night, then on saturdays 3 hours not doing much with a bunch of kids - mostly its colouring in and playing sports, in english of course.
My classes are going really well, i only have 1 class that is absolute hell. 3 hours a week of them lot is harder and more exhausting than the other 27 hours. The buggers have exams soon (which i get to set hahahahahaha) so i´ll make them work hard to be quiet.
the weekends i have, well, only 1 entire day free, and aaah it is good to relax. its a shame that the weather has gotten colder now, the central heating on, and i take a coat and scarf out, its not entirely necessary, but it gets cold waiting for the subway at 10 at night!!
recently went for a drive 2 hours away to Haro in the province below the Basque Country, called La Rioja, just to accompany a friend who wanted concert tickets for a concert there, and to have a coffee. Good evening, nice to drive around (well, be driven). Beatiful old village in the heart of the wine making province.
Things here go pretty much the same... increasing problems with my legs.... its in my hips now and today when i had to walk 30 mins i had to almost crawl into bed to rest for 30 mins after. having xrays in 2 weeks & more blood tests, and seeing a traumatologist.
thats pretty much all for me at the moment, i´ll tell you if soething exciting happens........
janiiiiiiiiiiiine
I work 30 hours a week - classes from 4 ish until 10 at night, then on saturdays 3 hours not doing much with a bunch of kids - mostly its colouring in and playing sports, in english of course.
My classes are going really well, i only have 1 class that is absolute hell. 3 hours a week of them lot is harder and more exhausting than the other 27 hours. The buggers have exams soon (which i get to set hahahahahaha) so i´ll make them work hard to be quiet.
the weekends i have, well, only 1 entire day free, and aaah it is good to relax. its a shame that the weather has gotten colder now, the central heating on, and i take a coat and scarf out, its not entirely necessary, but it gets cold waiting for the subway at 10 at night!!
recently went for a drive 2 hours away to Haro in the province below the Basque Country, called La Rioja, just to accompany a friend who wanted concert tickets for a concert there, and to have a coffee. Good evening, nice to drive around (well, be driven). Beatiful old village in the heart of the wine making province.
Things here go pretty much the same... increasing problems with my legs.... its in my hips now and today when i had to walk 30 mins i had to almost crawl into bed to rest for 30 mins after. having xrays in 2 weeks & more blood tests, and seeing a traumatologist.
thats pretty much all for me at the moment, i´ll tell you if soething exciting happens........
janiiiiiiiiiiiine
June, I Double Promise
Well. Sorry for the delay. It has been a long delay..... Sorry.
Ok, I have a job, well, 2 actually, 1 teaching 27 hours/week of English to 90 students (distributed in 9 classes, ages from 6 to 40ish), basically 5 hours a day from 4/5ish until 10. This is in Sopelana, 4 metro stops away. Its a really nice modern building, and cool teachers (3 from spain, one from scotland). i have a good time there! And a second small job on saturday mornings where i basically play and entertain 7/8 year olds... painting, playing sports etc, "creating a fun environment" to learn English. Both jobs pay well, and both jobs have a contract until June..... therefore I come home in June. I´m extatic about staying, tho i realise there were many awaiting my return around xmas. I´m really sorry, but while i´m here i´d love to take advantage of this opportunity.
I come home in June, and finish my degree july-februrary at waikato. After that, who knows.... maybe i return here.
In other news.......... the tendontitis has spread to my knees, my legs are a mess. This is severely dissappointing, and tomorrow i´m phoning a new doctor. I´m sick of not being able to do stuff.... i haven´t run, danced, hiked, etc in 11 months. And most of you all know me as an outdoor person, so this totally sucks, i get very very frustrated.
In more news....... i smell lunch cooking and i have to go and prepare my classes today.
i hope all goes well, and that all is going well.
Happy Birthday Erica!!!!!
&
Farewell Markel!!!!! (he´s off to the USA, buena suerte amigo)
Ok, I have a job, well, 2 actually, 1 teaching 27 hours/week of English to 90 students (distributed in 9 classes, ages from 6 to 40ish), basically 5 hours a day from 4/5ish until 10. This is in Sopelana, 4 metro stops away. Its a really nice modern building, and cool teachers (3 from spain, one from scotland). i have a good time there! And a second small job on saturday mornings where i basically play and entertain 7/8 year olds... painting, playing sports etc, "creating a fun environment" to learn English. Both jobs pay well, and both jobs have a contract until June..... therefore I come home in June. I´m extatic about staying, tho i realise there were many awaiting my return around xmas. I´m really sorry, but while i´m here i´d love to take advantage of this opportunity.
I come home in June, and finish my degree july-februrary at waikato. After that, who knows.... maybe i return here.
In other news.......... the tendontitis has spread to my knees, my legs are a mess. This is severely dissappointing, and tomorrow i´m phoning a new doctor. I´m sick of not being able to do stuff.... i haven´t run, danced, hiked, etc in 11 months. And most of you all know me as an outdoor person, so this totally sucks, i get very very frustrated.
In more news....... i smell lunch cooking and i have to go and prepare my classes today.
i hope all goes well, and that all is going well.
Happy Birthday Erica!!!!!
&
Farewell Markel!!!!! (he´s off to the USA, buena suerte amigo)
It´s Back
Oh yeah, you know what time it is
Oh yeah, you know what is occupying all my bandwidth
Oh yeah, you know what just kicked off its 3rd season
Oh yeah, you know I´m obsessed
Oh yeah, you know I´m more obsessed with this programme more than I was with Button Moon
Oh yeah........ it´s back
Oh yeah, I´m in heaven.........................
Oh yeah, you know what is occupying all my bandwidth
Oh yeah, you know what just kicked off its 3rd season
Oh yeah, you know I´m obsessed
Oh yeah, you know I´m more obsessed with this programme more than I was with Button Moon
Oh yeah........ it´s back
Oh yeah, I´m in heaven.........................
English Village
Well, my week long adventure is over. And it was very cool.
You´ll have to excuse the jumpy aroundness of this email, its due to the fact i just ate an entire mango. and lots of chocolate. my stomach is doing some interesting somersaults.
I did a Pueblo Inglés, which in english is English Village. I went to a 4 star hotel near a beautiful town called La Alberca near Salamanca. The climate was amazing, as here i am seen jumping (no i´m no kneeling) into our pristine pool during siesta (nap) time. I stayed in an awesome place, buffet breakfast, lunch & dinner 3 courses, exquisite food (& free wine) it was too. I shared my little house with Irene from Burgos who works in DVD sales for Warner Bros in Spain. I had my own room with bathroom and we shared a lounge. The photos i have up show more about the place.... but it was the people that really made the experience.
So my "job" was to speak English to the Spaniards who had paid nz$4000 to come here for 1 week. It wasn´t really a job at all.... i just made more effort to converse than i normally would speak. And it was fantastic, there were only a few "cobweb moments" as we came to call moments of silence (you find yourself staring up at the cobwebs in the ceiling). (but there were no cobwebs). The 22 spaniards came from many works of life, tho all professionals (lots of lawyers and sales reps), and were all really easy to talk to. And the other Anglos (english speakers) on the programme were really funky people also, a mix of aussies, poms, americans, canadian, irish, and even a south african from israel.
The week flew by and then i was in madrid meeting up with Vanesa who used to live in Bilbao, and i spent the night and day with her and her sister Mari José. I had a really fun time, unfortunately i was so tiredddddddddddd. So i caught the night bus from madrid to bilbao (5 hours) and crawled into my bed at 7am surprising a shocked spaniard hehehehehehehehehehe.
Such is life.
Life is beautiful.
I´m living a wonderful life.
(Um, unfortunately i´m still jobless, so i´m living a wonderful poor life at the moment hehehehe) (thanks mim)
JaNina
You´ll have to excuse the jumpy aroundness of this email, its due to the fact i just ate an entire mango. and lots of chocolate. my stomach is doing some interesting somersaults.
I did a Pueblo Inglés, which in english is English Village. I went to a 4 star hotel near a beautiful town called La Alberca near Salamanca. The climate was amazing, as here i am seen jumping (no i´m no kneeling) into our pristine pool during siesta (nap) time. I stayed in an awesome place, buffet breakfast, lunch & dinner 3 courses, exquisite food (& free wine) it was too. I shared my little house with Irene from Burgos who works in DVD sales for Warner Bros in Spain. I had my own room with bathroom and we shared a lounge. The photos i have up show more about the place.... but it was the people that really made the experience.
So my "job" was to speak English to the Spaniards who had paid nz$4000 to come here for 1 week. It wasn´t really a job at all.... i just made more effort to converse than i normally would speak. And it was fantastic, there were only a few "cobweb moments" as we came to call moments of silence (you find yourself staring up at the cobwebs in the ceiling). (but there were no cobwebs). The 22 spaniards came from many works of life, tho all professionals (lots of lawyers and sales reps), and were all really easy to talk to. And the other Anglos (english speakers) on the programme were really funky people also, a mix of aussies, poms, americans, canadian, irish, and even a south african from israel.
The week flew by and then i was in madrid meeting up with Vanesa who used to live in Bilbao, and i spent the night and day with her and her sister Mari José. I had a really fun time, unfortunately i was so tiredddddddddddd. So i caught the night bus from madrid to bilbao (5 hours) and crawled into my bed at 7am surprising a shocked spaniard hehehehehehehehehehe.
Such is life.
Life is beautiful.
I´m living a wonderful life.
(Um, unfortunately i´m still jobless, so i´m living a wonderful poor life at the moment hehehehe) (thanks mim)
JaNina
Missing Home
These past few weeks i´ve been missing home. Which is a little weird because i haven´t missed it that much during the past year. Ah, which reminds me, in Granada I celebrated 1 year away from NZ, which probably sparked this want for NZ. Which reminds me that yes i have finally bought my ticket home. Unfortunately due to sky rocketing prices it had to be after xmas, but luckily before new years eve. So we will meet again!!!! Fear not!!!!
So i´m sitting here in my lounge watching NZ getting its arse kicked by the Spanish basketball team in the world cup in Japan, quite possibly increasing my homelyness. I´m not calling it homesickness because its not that, but its something there.
Recently there were the festivals in a part of Algorta where i live, and there was a mini parade with about 20 groups - 2 of which were performing the maori haka!!! one group was more specialised with the "flax" skirts etc, and they did
a face off with the new haka and the old haka. It was the first time i´ve seen the new haka and i don´t like it! I like the old one a million times over the new one, plus i was the only one singing along in 
the crowd. The photo on the left is of Tibu, one of my friends, more friends with Markel than me. His group did awesome!Listening to Evermores new album Real Life and i´m loving it. So talented those 3 boys are.
My flatmate Gema, the journalist who is doing an internship in El Correo, the 4th biggest newspaper in Spain, is going to write a report on New Zealand!!! Yihooooooooooo! If you guys have any fantastic photos that you have taken yourself please send them to me and lets see if they´re good enought to make it into the saturday edition..... I have a few family photos, but seeing as Willoughby my (idiot) brother formatted our family computer without saving any of my stuff (documents, uni stuff, videos, photos...) i now am left with nothing. :-(
Well, I have a mini job in Salamanca, 8 hours away, teaching english for 1 week to business executives. Well, teaching kind of, i am there to talk english to them in an English Village. Looks to be very interesting, with lodgings and meals and bus all paid for. So here´s to getting a bit of experience!!!!!!
Wintery weather here, storms and low temperatures and miserable Hamilton weather. Just like you´re having now i imagine? Well at least we get soaring temeratures next week... hehehe.
Fantastic Granada
Well, I was blown away by Granada.
Stunned.
Incredibled. Wait thats not a word.
Thats because words fail to describe Granada.
Hence i took LOTS of photos. You can see them here.
Lets just say i did lots of walking around La Alhambra, a mix of christian and moorish (from north africa) palaces and fortresses and castles and gardens that were built between the 12th and 15th century. Its fantastic. I loved it.
The photos explain it all.
I love the bee one. perfect timing!!
well, i´m back home in Getxo now, and i really really have to find a job. i blew the budget on my trip........... i´m in debt for the first time in my life (excluding my debt to the government... oh jeez don´t remind me about that....)...... thank goodness i don´t have to pay rent every month, instead it gets lumped into one giant sum in december. oh crap, december.
sigh.
my holiday now just a memory!!! i want more holidays!!!!!!
hehehe, the cat just twitched next to me.
ok guys, enjoy the photos. i know there are lots. be patient. i enjoyed taking them, i hope you enjoy watching them.
Stunned.
Incredibled. Wait thats not a word.
Thats because words fail to describe Granada.
Hence i took LOTS of photos. You can see them here.
Lets just say i did lots of walking around La Alhambra, a mix of christian and moorish (from north africa) palaces and fortresses and castles and gardens that were built between the 12th and 15th century. Its fantastic. I loved it.
The photos explain it all.
I love the bee one. perfect timing!!
well, i´m back home in Getxo now, and i really really have to find a job. i blew the budget on my trip........... i´m in debt for the first time in my life (excluding my debt to the government... oh jeez don´t remind me about that....)...... thank goodness i don´t have to pay rent every month, instead it gets lumped into one giant sum in december. oh crap, december.
sigh.
my holiday now just a memory!!! i want more holidays!!!!!!
hehehe, the cat just twitched next to me.
ok guys, enjoy the photos. i know there are lots. be patient. i enjoyed taking them, i hope you enjoy watching them.
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