Joy in the little things...

After a pretty chilled weekend I have found the first few days back at school reminding me of how the smallest things can bring the biggest smile to your face. Today one of my year 4 was singing LMFAO songs to me and doing the shuffle. So cute, afterwards when talking about favourite foods one girl made such a cute mistake, proudly declaring that she likes to eat PARROTS, she meant carrots, but it made me smile. After the gym today I taught my private lesson, where we started a powerpoint presentation about Nicki Minaj for my students music class, and she guessed my weight at 50 kilos, definite win :) hopefully the gym is paying off, but then again she is 10.....
So maybe not.
We're also starting filming some of my year 4 tomorrow, doing a little play about going to the restaurant in English, I'll link you guys to the school blog once it's up :)
Im heading to Figueres this weekend with Sam and Camila to the Dali museum, I'm looking forward to it, and then this weekend my friends from Lancaster come over!
And my mum and dad have booked tickets to come out and visit me at the beginning of April, yet another thing to look forward to.
My Catalan class is also getting really intense now, I need to read a novel within a week, and take enough notes to be able to write a summary and a review on it, as well as writing a 4 minute presentation and general other work, DELC310 is taking a backseat until that is all over (and the frenchies return my questionnaires.)
I also worked out I'm only here for another 4 months, hardly anytime at all when I consider how quickly these 5 have whizzed by.....
I'll update you on my life soon guys :)
Besitos!
x-x-x

Living in the 90's

Yes I am still living in the 90's, without the use of internet at home. This week I have been pretty lazy and catching up from a crazy weekend last week. I also feel unbelievably unhealthy so have hit the gym pretty hard this week, a trend I intend to continue. I've also bought lots of beautifully coloured fruit and veg, hopefully I can loose some weight (can't really call it puppy fat now I'm 21 hahaha) and can look good by the time I visit my brother for his 18th :)
I've not really been up to much apart from school this week, my tutors and I started writing up the an example of an activity I have done with the children. I have to send it to the Generalitat, it's not very interesting but it's something that I have to do, but that's about it really.
I watched the Barca match on Wednesday in a bar with Tabetha, what a game! I had such a good night, and then had to run unbelievably fast to make the last metro of the night. That part was less fun. 
I met up with Gavin last night before he boarded a bus to Bilbao for a weekend with his friend, we had a few drinks and it was lovely to see another familiar DELC face in Barcelona, I just want it to start getting lighter outside so it is warmer.
Today I had a lie in, went to the gym, did my washing, went food shopping, then had a nap, I'm hoping that I am pretty much caught up on sleep now.
Next Friday I'm off to figures to see Sam and visit the Dali museum, I'm excited, then my friends from Lancaster get here on the Saturday! I can't wait for next weekend, it's going to be so much more interesting than this one which looks to be filled with Catalan and DELC 310 work.
Adios for now guys
x

A crazy weeekend

Basically if you unite Danman, Cammy pants and E-mac you will have an absoultely amazing and fun filled weekend, worthy of making a film about. Culture, trips to the beach, partying so hard that a KFC breakfast is in order and Dan becoming a true legend afterwards.
This weekend for my 21st two of my bestest friends in the whole world came up to visit and it was spectacular, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present!
I can't wait to be living with such amazing people in final year, it's going to be absolutely amazing, I can already tell.
I won't bore you all with the detail, lets just say one of the highlights was definitely dan stripping to his boxers and running into the see whilst the spaniards were sat around in coats and hats!

I also ate at les quinze nits, the most fantastic restaurant EVER!
Last night and this afternoon I have spent alot of time sleeping to catch up on that I missed out on over the weekend.
lancaster invasion!

The 3 Musketeers

It's nearly my Birthday

So this week has been pretty run of the mill, except the still having to use the internet at the library because it still isn't fixed in my flat. :( my landlady said Monday at the latest, so if it's not sorted I will have to look for somewhere else I guess, or not pay the full rent. Hopefully though it will get sorted, i've become acustomed to it, but it's a pain for trying to stay in touch with people when I have no access whatsoever.
School this week has been pretty laid back and easy going, as has been my catalan course, I need to prepare a speaking presentation for the 15th of February, but I feel it can wait until after my birthday. Today I went and did a bit of rebajas/rebaixes/sale shopping, and was pretty sucessful, I got some trousers, a couple of dresses, a top, some shorts, a new handbag as mine is dying and a pair of miss sixty jeans. The jeans were definitely the best buy, I need to dart them in on the waist but they were 5euros! Now that's what I call a sale, when something should cost you 120euros and it costs you a mere 5!!
I've also cleaned my flat ready for the arrival of Dan tomorrow and Camila on Saturday, I'm excited for my birthday night out now, although it will be wierd not seeing my family at any time around my birthday like usual. I don't know what me and Dan are planning on doing tomorrow, I know we need to give Cammy-pants a quick tour of Barcelona on Saturday seeing as she has never been we have to let her at least the main sites. :) As far as I know we are having an Absinthe party.... god knows how that one will end! 
I will update you all on what I hope to be an amazing weekend. 
Have a good one guys, I'm hoping I will!
xxxx

Last Monday as a 20 year old

Today was my last Monday as a 20 year old. :( Seeing as I will turn 21 on Saturday, it's actually a little saddening to think I'm getting really old, but I'm exited for my birthday party and for Dan and Camila to come up to Barcelona to visit.
Today I went to school and all the kids wee unbelievably chatty, I don't know what had gotten into them but they were awful! After a bad nights sleep last night, a bad morning at school and a server lack of food in my house I decided not to go to the gym this afternoon, like I do usually, but instead I went shopping to buy some essentials, such as pasta, rice, bread, meat. I then made myself a hearty risotto - yummy :)
I spent the afternoon in the library, surfing the net, then I did my homework for Catalan class tonight, then I wrote up some more pieces for my Catalan portfolio, I currently have a total of 10 pieces, it asks for 8, so I'm thinking if I do and write up 5 more over the next 2 months I can write the 500 word mini essay and leave it at that.
I also still need to write a resumen for my delc 310,I think I am going to do that this weekend, then I can say it is finally put to bed, until I go home in June, can do one last check and print it off/bind it/etc.
My French delc 310 had 1,103 words done, out of 4000, it's depressing me, it's so hard to try and write in french when I'm not in the country. I aim to have it finished by March so I think I might do a little work on it later tonight if I wake up again, if not then probably tomorrow or thursday afternoon after the gym, I can definitely get writing my bibliography out of the way tonight, it is a soul destroying task so I may as well get it over with now. If I could get another 700 words done this week I would be happy as I would be half way to the minimum word count, then I could properly enjoy my birthday weekend and would have another month or so to finish it before my aim of being free from work by March (minus final read throughs obviously) then I can truely enjoy my year abroad with only Catalan class work to do.
Sorry today's blog isn't very interesing and is mainly me moaning about trying to do work, but having this little vent will stop me having a break down later on this week. :)
I promise to have something more exciting to tell you guys soon. Hopefully my internet should be back by Monday at the latest so fingers crossed everyone!!
Fins ara
x-x-x

A cultural day

Today I went to the Joan Miro museum up on MontJuic, it was really cool, I got to see the progression of his art over such an exciting period in history. He lived through the Spanish civil war and dictatorship as well as the second world war so he spent alot of time in exile, either in France or within his homeland of Catalonia. It's no wonder he had so much emotion to express. I really liked the burnt canvases that he made, they were really impressive. I realise more and more how much of a surrealist I am, I love the art, how you can see almost anything you want, without it being too try hard or so post-modern that there is no effort and I don't understand it! Here's Katie with one of Miro's sculptures:

 On Friday night I went to a concert at the Harlem Jazz Club with Katie, Sarah and Adrian to watch Katie's friend's band. They were really good, I'm going to get their c.d. they sing in Spanish but were cracking jokes afterwards in Catalan. I felt really good that I understood it all, means my language is improving at least.
Yesterday me and Katie had a film night where we watched a film called Vicky and Christina in Barcelona, it was a really good chick flick night - and I got to eat marshmellow peanut brittle for the first time, it's soooo yummy! :)
I'm really looking forward to this week, I have Dan coming up on Friday and Camila on Saturday, for my Birthday, I just hope I have internet back by then so that I can skype my mum and dad on my birthday, as otherwise I will have gone 2 weeks without it in my flat.

Un dia en la biblioteca

As you can probably guess from the title of today's blog I have spent the day in the library doing DELC310 work. I bashed out a good 1,033 words and a questionnaire, so I'm officially 1/4 of a way through the essay but not all the other rubbish stuff we have to so for it, such as an appendix, resumen, bibliography (ok that ones necessary) and binding.
But I aim to be free for March, and get it printed and bound when I go home for my brother's french, along with my Spanish, then I can enjoy my last 3 months out here with no work to do.
Off to a jazz club tonight to watch my friend's friend's band, I'm excited, and I want a mojito.
I leave you with a photo of the traditional reyes tart which I was eating this time last week. Sorry to be such a bore guys.

Mañana es el fin de la semana.

So yesterday was a random day, after the creation of the epic video in the training session and the discovery of yet another article for my French DELC310 I wandered around most of Barcelona for a good 5 hours, stopping for a late lunch part way through. It was really good to have a catch up with everyone, and to reaquaint myself with my home for this academic year. Every time I walk around here I find something new, a street, a sculpture, something of cultural interest, that´s why I love it so much here. Plus the fact there is almost constant sunshine makes missing England very difficult. I ordered a book for my Catalan course yesterday and hopefully am going to go and pick up a certificat from my last course this afternoon. This time my course is moving much faster,I´ll hopefully be a certified B1 in the european languages rackings on the 14th of March, only 10 weeks to complete a text book, read a novel and write a report and summary, do a speaking presentation and then the oral and written exams too - phew! lots of work!
I´m also going to try and get some DELC 310 done this weekend, I really want to try and finish it before I go home mid-march so I can print it all off and get it binded. If not then definitely by the end so that I have 2 and a half months of pure fun in España. :)
Also yesterday the man who worked in the bookshop told me that I speak good Catalan :) that made me feel very good about myself. 
Anyway, should probably go and plan my lessons for next week, seeing as that is what I am meant to be doing with this time.....
I´ll leave you with a quote I found when I was in Frankfurt.

  

A very important training day.

Today I had a very important training day on the use of digital resources in the classroom.
Which means I produced this:

In other news..... I still have no internet in my house :( and I don´t know when I will have either, so I am stealing free internet from wherever possible at the moment. But I´m back at school and in Catalan class, and the government paid me. Also Dan and Camila are coming up for my birthday next weekend which is exciting and people from lancaster are coming in a couple of weeks. :) If only my internet were fixed everthing would be perfect.
Going to have to plan some more trips soon too.
Adios chicos!
x-x-x

Back in Barcelona

I write to you today from my local library, as I have no functioning internet in my house :( I am going to bring this up with my landlady later but didn't really want to bring it up yesterday as it was Reyes, the equivalent of Christmas day and seeing as how I was invited to the family meal I decided it would have been improper to have dropped this bombshell. I also haven't been paid by the ministry, god only knows why, so have had to do a transfer of funds from England in order to pay said rent and to generally live.
But apart from those little hurdles I am haing to jump life is great. My flight out here was late due to the winds :( but then I got to see the arrival of the reyes in Barcelona, they even brought me a little gift, a lovely necklace. :) I also saw Lucy yesterday on her birthday which was lovely, we had a starbucks and a nice little catch up. I then had an enormous late lunch at my flat with my landlady, her family and family friends, lots of food, lots of wine, lots of cava and I even got a piece of the traditional tart too. I didn't get the stone, so I didn't have to pay... phew but I also wasn't lucky enough to get the little king either, but oh well :)

Here you can see the reyes and their helpers getting off the ship in Barcelona.
I plan to chill, maybe go for a swim tomorrow before going back to work on Monday :( need to get some more travels planned too. Not long left until I am 21 now!