The French trip: I love Barca, I love the beach, I love everything I do here. However, if there's another thing I love then it's going to France and so I did exactly that on the weekend. Left on Friday, back late on Sunday / early on Monday in the event, plenty of fun packed in between.
Outward bound: The flight is a stupidly short affair but they don't seem to have realised that. After all the preamble, it takes off and gets up to altitude, at which point the stewardspeople (you're welcome PC brigade) go around taking people's food and drink orders. Once they've managed about five rows, you start coming in to land and they have to sit back down, apologetically mumbling about how there will be no refreshments.
The arrival: Anyway, I made it. The full family reunion in the airport and the car was cut a bit short by a football session before I even went home but we had a great game in the rain so it was worthwhile. Enjoyed parental cooking for the first time in a while, saw various people, played various sports and games, swam, lounged in the sun, went to a classic car event and so on. It was much as I remember it and, as always, a pleasure to be there.
The return: On Sunday night things took a bit of a downward turn because the late hour of my flight meant that there were no trains from the airport to town, the taxi fares are high and the line for the one bus was around 43 miles long. I still joined it, and on Monday morning I eventually made it as far as the bus. The bus then took a route going nowhere near my flat, so I had a 25 minute walk with a bag to make it home. A drink and shower later I was in bed and quickly asleep, but that was not the end of my night. Quite mysteriously, at an estimated 3.30, a then unknown man opened my room door, paused, said (in Spanish): "Noooo, my bed! and then left again. I found him on the sofa in the morning, looking worse than worse for wear. I was too asleep to care and found it funny afterwards.
The Year Abroad Written Tasks: The week before all this was the so-called "Week of the YAWT". Now that all is well, I can admit that I did extremely badly getting those done. They are 1200 words, they are the only pieces of work I have for Durham all year and yet, somehow, one was a poor but modest two days late and the other was a more substantial 8 months late. Still, feedback was ok and no harm done. It did take up my entire week though, and the words "electronic cigarette" and "homelessness" have started to lose meaning.
Job work: convinced them the two Russian girls who were translating into English should probably do the Russian stuff and that the English guy translating into Russian should probably do the English stuff and that has improved things somewhat. Well, it's a lot easier. Also convinced them to use the automatic software to do a large chunk of my most boring work so that's an improvement. It means I rattle through things fairly quickly, although some of it gets a bit repetitive. Also they haven't paid me. I hope they do, or else issues.
Sportivity: France was good for that. The gym here is proving a success and with Year Abroad Written Tasks done, I think I'll start using the swimming pool there as well. Football has become a weekly activity with (mainly) French people from Ed's office. That's it. And beach volleyball. I'm not a natural at that. Wholehearted though.
The flat: just massively upgraded my bedding and basking in the comfort as we speak. Flatmates fine, fairly scarce since my return but good company when they're about. Not too hot despite inclement conditions.
The future: friend coming this weekend, family coming next weekend for my birthday, hitch-hiking with them back to France for the next weekend, another friend coming a fortnight after that, plenty of other fun and games.
The extra: trying to find a bit of extra work, maybe of the teaching kind, maybe not, so I actually have some money during my stay.
I think that's it. This is entirely a "keep up to date" blog / check-in / diary for future ref but I'm always pleased when I can pipe up again and report that things are going well. Actually off to do some work, strangely enough, so signing off.
Hasta pronto
No comments:
Post a Comment