About time

I suppose it's about time I wrote another blog entry, but I don't really have too much to say...

It's another bank holiday weekend which means general lazing about. I would have liked to have hit the beach but as it's chucking it down with rain I don't really think it's the best idea!

Last weekend Annalisa and I went to a house party. We went to Annalisa's housemates friends house, had a few drinks, chatted, hit the port as per usual and then headed back to the house. At 9am we decided to call it a night and Annalisa and I found a coffee shop open where we had some churros. We watched the barman make them with a big tool in a big fat vat of fat! It was quite interesting to see and I walked home at about 10am in the beaming sunshine along the seafront.

One of the teachers in my school that I work with told me that he works in the University in the afternoons. He mentioned that a few of the students could do with a bit of help with their English and invited me with him to meet the students. I sat with the five students that decided to turn up (there's normally 12) and gave them my number. They're going to call me if they want lessons. It was quite interesting talking to them about University education and the Spanish system. It seems that at 18 they still depend on their parents to help them financially - University consequently has a completely different meaning over here as it doesn't really encourage the students to grow up or become independent.

Once I'd obtained my Residency Certificate I tried to buy my tickets from Melilla to Malaga online. The site isn't equipped for foreigners and so I was forced to go into a travel agents to buy my tickets. It worked out that I saved a bit of money as online they add €7 of taxes and I ended up paying slightly less in the shop. I then bought my Easyjet tickets at home as the agency wanted to charge me an extra €10 for booking them in the shop. So I'll be home 16th Decemeber until 9th January. I'll be flying into and out of London but will be in Bristol from 27th - 31st.

I had a telephone interview last week for a translation placement at Atlas (London based) and I should be receiving my contracts for that soon which is exciting, although very unfortunate that it won't be paid! At least I'll be able to rank up some experience in a well-reputed translation company though...

I also received a certificate from Aston University last week stating that due to my good marks in one of my final year modules (the module that I won the Roevin Translation Prize for) that the Institute of Linguists Educational Trust has certified me. I'm not really a member but it's still another string to my bow and I've spent a fair amount of time updating my details online for companies and agencies to see.

There was a meal for all the teachers at my school scheduled for Friday but unfortunately the organiser had some family problems so it's been postponed until next Friday. I'm looking forward to speaking a bit more Spanish and hopefully meeting some more of the teachers.
My birthday is also next Friday so at least I won't be sitting at home, bored to death, with Gossip Girl as my only friend!



Not much more else to say. Beginning to feel quite lonely as I still don't know that many people and Alberto is back in Madrid until 10th as I said before. Finding myself watching episode, after episode of Gossip Girl and not really practicing my Spanish much. I'm convincing myself that it's only been a month and I can't expect everything to happen all at once.

Will touch base again next weekend.