24th November

Went to school like it was a normal Friday. In the staff meeting Toni pointed out that Paco (the headmaster) has insisted I don’t take any classes by myself. What they were trying to get at is that it’s not on that the teacher is using me to take the lesson while they have a “free period”, also it’s the fact that if something bad happens while I’m alone with the students the school can’t claim they were being responsible. I am, after all, untrained. This is what Marie Carmen is doing. The other teachers are leaving me alone in the room but only with half the class. They take out the trouble makers and leave me with the stronger students who are keener to learn. This means that everyone gets more attention and the troublesome kids don’t distract the better ones. This, however, has also been classes as me being left alone and must end. This means the naughty kids will be back in class disrupting the whole lesson. Amparo got really angry that Marie Carmen’s behaviour has meant that the classes which were working really well are now going to return to being disrupted.

After school today Angel and Heri and I headed off on our department meal out. Toni and Marie Carmen didn’t want to come, Rita is ill and Amparo has family stuff to do.

We drove out to Aguimes (southwards) and headed down into a ravine. I can’t explain how amazingly beautiful it was. There were just rocky sides up all around me. You could see caves and in them were little rustic front doors and people still live there, in houses dotted around the hillside. There are no cars and no driveways for them and nothing for miles. I don’t know how they do it. It’s just so beautiful. Even in America I didn’t see anything like it. We passed one little community that had a tiny chapel built into the mountain-side. It took my breath away. It was just so humble and tiny and perfect yet served it’s purpose perfectly.

Lunch was interesting!! Angel and Heri insisted on paying which was really sweet. It was very typically Canarian – I tried Gofio for the first time, and Mechillo (sweet black pudding) and Gofio mousse for pudding and a sweet pudding called “Bienmesabe”. It was a very cultural day. Heri dropped me back home in Las Palmas which was really sweet as she lives in Melenara.

I called up Sasha when I got in and we met in Parque Doramas. We went back to the flat to get Conny and then met Mike in San Telmo (which is apparently known locally as El Oyo) which means the underground pit or something. Anyway, we hot footed it over to Plaza Santo Domingo to watch Angel’s folk group do some dancing. He had told me they’d be in full costume and that it was something different, but also really traditional if I’d like to see it.

We got to the Plaza at 9pm but there was no sign of any dancing. There was a wedding starting in a church nearby which we peeked in on but no dancing. We know what the Spanish are like for punctuality though so hung around outside a bit. After a while, we realised something was happening inside a building. We could see the dancers inside in their costumes but were expecting them to come out and dance. There was a man inside giving a speech and after a while a whole load of people clapped so we realised it was happening inside!! We went in, found space and watched.

It was so good to see. The dancers and musicians were in full dress. There were about 8 dancers, 6 singers and about 8 guitar and Eukele players. The standard (although I’m no expert!) seemed very high. The women were wearing huge coloured skirts, highly starched with white blouses, the had pompoms on their shoes and coloured clothes on their head with a little black beret on top with pompoms too. The men had woolly legwarmers on, white pleated skirts, white shirts with huge starched sleeves and coloured waistcoats. They also had black hats hanging down their backs. Angel realised I was there watching and gave me a wink hello. Later on, he announced to the room who I was, what I was doing in Gran Canaria for the year, that he hoped I was enjoying myself this evening and that he hoped I would have a nice year. I thanked him and flushed a lovely shade of crimson while everyone in the room clapped. LOL. We watched the group dance for about an hour when suddenly they started inviting people in the room to dance. Naturally Angel felt the need to pick on me. I’m actually glad he did because now I can say I danced Canarian folkdance but it was a bit embarrassing at first. Conny, Sasha and Mike were pissing themselves laughing at me but it was quite similar to country dancing or barn dancing. There was lots of passing under other peoples’ arms and moving about in a circle.

I introduced Angel to the others at the end of the evening then we said goodbyes. Sasha, Conny, Mike and I went off into El Puerto to look for food. It was Mike’s last night so he treated us all to our favourite Japanese - they know us by name in there now and we didn't end up leaving until about 1am! They cook the food right in front of you and flambé the meat. They also do the egg catching game, which we managed to video this time!! All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day with lots of new experiences.

Most of all I was just gob-smacked by the beauty of the island. Parts of it are so green and lush and the volcanicity (little word made up by well known water vendor!) of it is astounding. Photos just didn’t do it justice!!

The only downside to today was not talking to Rob. I miss him so much and I'm literally counting down the days until I get to see him!! I worried him as well because I had my phone on silent during the dancing and when I checked them later on I saw a few texts from him and by the time I replied he had gone to bed. He had been worried because he hadn't heard from me since 2pm and I'd been travelling about all over the island. Sorry for making you worry baby. xxxx

WOMAD – 10th-12th November

We went to WOMAD with some students of Sasha’s. She teaches at a Language Institute so all her pupils are of mixed ages but are generally much older. We went with 3 guys and 2 girls. Everyone was really nice and but we didn’t stay late. Conny got separated from us pretty early on because she met up with a younger teacher from her school and then we lost her. We went and looked around all the stalls. Lizzie bought about 6 pairs of earrings and I bought a little present for Rob and a few bits for myself. It was amazing. Loads of English people saying they sell in London and double their prices. Haggling was ok to do and Lizzie started it off by getting a pair of 10 Euro earrings for 6 euros. I got a wooden carving down from 8 to 4.50 and got a necklace down from 10 to 7. Felt quite chuffed with that but reckon they still made a profit from me.

Saturday – Went back to WOMAD. Didn’t get there ‘til about midnight but hadn’t missed anything. We arrived at Santa Catalina and saw a massive percussion band coming towards us. Loads of them had drums strapped to them and others had shaky things and the leader had a whistle. They played a variety of rhythms and some guys came and danced in the middle of their circle and after that a fire juggler came and did some juggling. It was pretty cool. After that we headed to the main stage but not a lot was on. We went and got a drink then sat down and chatted for a bit before heading to the main stage at 2am – Mr Scruff was on!! He looks so so much like Ciaran I couldn’t believe it. Anyway, we boogied to him ‘til 4am then made our way home. There were loads of English there tonight it seemed – more than last night anyway. All the Spanish boys stood in their groups of friends and shouted bad English at us as soon as they realised we were English. I hate that people have to make a thing of it.

Alex and Conny got a bit drunk on the old rum and coke tonight – they weren’t the only ones. Loads of Spanish were pushing through the crowd and after the camera-men abandoned their podium posts in the middle of the audience, a zillion drunk Spaniards struggled to climb up onto it in order to shake their bits at the crowd. Once nice fat man got up, fell on in doing so then made it up properly and shook his belly at all the crowd. He was so, so wasted. (pics on facebook!) Later he got back on again and took his trousers down…it was not a pretty sight, though thankfully he had the decency to keep his undercrackers on. Sasha and I weren’t drinking. Had some lovely texts from Rob but despite replying he didn’t seem to be getting them. Maybe he’ll get them all in one go in the morning when he turns his phone back on.

At one point towards the end of the evening a man tried to pass Alex by and she tickled his armpit. That turned out to be a (drunken) mistake as he made her dance with him for ages (and quite closely!) and then proceeded to eye her up from a distance and follow her around until we left. He was kinda creepy…reminded me of Ricardo. Eugh.

It’s now 5am and my ears are still ringing from the concert.

The week with Lizzie

Tuesday – took Lizzie to school and just wandering around the corridors we heard whispers of “la hermana, la hermana” – she’s as famous as me in just one day!! After school we went to Las Arenas to show my sister around and do a bit of shopping.

Wednesday – Didn’t play Padel as it was raining pretty full on in Telde by the time I finished class and Angel didn’t think they would play so Lizzie and I headed back to Las Palmas where it was sunnier and went to the beach. We swam in the sea despite the sun being behind a cloud. Later in the evening we went to Alex and Sasha’s for Fajitas. Yummy!

Thursday – Had 2 classes in school, year 2 with Angel, the lower level and 1^st year Bach (all on my own!) Afterwards we sat and had lunch in San Telmo before heading to Tafira to teach the kids. That went really well although I didn’t get paid because Mercedes and Andreas went out before I was finished, so I’ll just get paid double on Monday. When we got back we wandered around Vergueta and did a bit of shopping. After we got back we had dinner, put a film on and vegged out.

Friday – Had 3 classes at school today and was just so tired by 2pm I was so pleased it was the weekend. Got a lift back with Amparo and headed straight to the beach. WOMAD began.

6th November 2006 – My 22nd Birthday

I had the best weekend, talking to Rob loads on the phone and stuff and then he sent me a text as I dropped off to sleep on 5th wishing me a Happy Birthday on 6th. It was a good day. Ana was the first to text me Happy Birthday, only she’s on Spanish time so it was actually still 23.45 on 5th here, but it’s the thought that counts! Then Granny rang me bright and early (not sure what time she thinks I’m on!) at 6.45!!! But it was a lovely brief phone call and really good to hear her voice and her best wishes. I opened up the 2 cards I had, one from Tom and one from Mum and Dad, and then set to work on Rob’s present. It had been tempting me all week!! Sitting on my desk just waiting to be opened. I’m glad I waited though, it made it all the more exciting. I got 2 dvds I’ve been dying to own (which play in English, German and Spanish), a CD I asked him to copy for me YAY! and an original Rob painting. I’m the luckiest girl in the world :D Love you Rob. Xxx

Alex, Vicci and Bekah, Regina, all sent me birthday texts. I’m seeing the girls tonight for a meal which will be lovely J

Went and sat in Parque Doramas for a while this morning before heading to the airport to get Lizzie. I arrived at about 1.45 thanks to a late bus which meant I didn’t have to wait as long for her to arrive as I would have done. Lizzie was due to get in at 2.10 but ended up arriving at 3.30 ish. Lucky us. Anyway, all arrived safely. We headed home and started baking a cake. It was all going well (we even went out and especially bought non-salted butter) until I mis-remembered the recipe and told her to add a glass of milk when it should have been 2 tablespoons. We tried to thicken the mixture back up but it still looked strangely liquid. We’ve put it in the oven anyway to see how it turns out but I’m sensing failure. The cake was a disaster. LOL. It looked like a huge rubber slug and tasted of omelette so we abandoned that one and tried again. Unfortunately – for no known reason – it was another disaster. Really sunken, dense and rubbery. Incredible.

Anyway, Lizzie and I gave up on that and went for a walk before we headed to Alex’s house to meet the others for dinner. We went to Parque Doramas and Lizzie took about a million photos in true tourist style. Then we ambled down to the others’ to head to the Japonese restaurant. When I arrived the others were all already there and there was a little pile of presents on the table. The walls had banners up and balloons had been stuck up all around. We sat down and had a glass of Cava each – chatted about the day, then Conny disappeared and Alex turned off the lights and I knew what was coming! My birthday cake! It was yummy and we all had a modest slice then headed to the restaurant.

Everyone was really amazed by the Japonese restaurant. We explained Sasha’s allergy to them and they were amazing. Apparently loads of restaurants in England just tell Sasha “sorry you can’t eat here” but they kept bringing ingredients out of the kitchen to check that Sasha wasn’t allergic! Everyone was really impressed by the way they cook right in front of you and when it came to the “tossing the egg in the mouth bit” I was the only one that caught it!!! YAY for me and my big gob!

After we ate we headed back to Alex’s, ate a bit more cake then wandered home to bed. It was a nice day.