I Have A New Blog.
http://musingbedlamite.blogspot.com.es/
Thursday 17 May 2012
Saturday 12 May 2012
Sun or Sol
What we consider a heatwave in England is just spring here. I got my first taste of 33°C+ weather this year yesterday..... Wow! It was a total shock to the system. Going fromcold rain and hail stones last week to this is hard on the body. I was walking between classes and had that feeling of searing burning on my skin, fortunatly this year i'm not making any rookie errors and doused myself in sun tan lotion before i left the house. Summer is going to be hard, no no, i mean Haaaaaarrrrrrdddd. . Mother nature? Please be gentle.
Saturday 11 February 2012
Getting fit for Summer.
Have you ever noticed that an idea in your head about an excursion or a physical experience is never the same in reality? You’re not alone; it’s the same with me.
I woke up last Saturday with a hangover from hell, I had been drinking copious amount of beer the night before and some strange blue gin in celebration of my birthday. The headache was like a heard of thunderous elephants stampeding through a very large hallway with fantastic acoustics and a sub woofer. However I had not ventured out of Vic for a long time so was determined to have a day out in Barcelona, not because I wanted to see any works of art or architecture you understand, there was a huge sale on at Decathlon and Primark at Diagonal Mar, a shopping centre in the suburbs of Barcelona.
I needed some clothes as I have left most of them in the UK and I needed some equipment for my bike and walks around my local area. I had only seen these shops and this suburb once last year when Jesus and I had visited a fair at the Forum, but I was sure I could find my way....... Yeah right!
Two hours later and a 12km walk I arrived. I can’t actually say I was disappointed, the walk along the seafront in the fresh February air was refreshing and the smell of the sea always takes me back to my childhood, where I can day dream about adventures I had with my friends. Needless to say, after I finished my shopping I took the bus back to the city centre.... What was my point in this story....? Oh yes! Getting fit.
It’s been a nice winter, but the warm weather will be on its way in the next couple of months and as soon as it is I plan to spend the majority of my weekends exploring the Pyrenees and the rest of Catalonia by foot but, to do this I want to be a little fitter. So my plan was to hit the training full on!
For the first few days it was a nightmare, so I pulled up off the gas for a couple of days then, last week I went to climb a hill close by called Creu de Gurb, it’s a small hill close by my town about twice the size of Roseberry Topping (for my English friends). It was a blisteringly cold Sunday afternoon but undeterred I mounted my bike and set off.
When I arrived at the top I was greeted by a huge Catalan flag and a nativity scene. No I don’t mean there was a woman giving birth to the second coming, I mean there was a nativity scene left up there from the Christmas day tradition of climbing the hill. At the top I was greeted by a great view of El Plana De Vic.
I was also greeted by the arrival of a snow storm, but luckily I spotted a footpath because that rock face decent would have been tricky in my trainers. So I set off for a run down the hill, something I have enjoyed since sprinting down from Nuria last summer to evade a rainstorm. Considerably shattered and with the arrival of the snowstorm, my sight distance was down to a couple of meters by the time I reached my bike, the ride back to Vic was freezing and with a few wrong turns (my arms were so cold snow was actually settling on them :D )
The reward when I arrived home??? I realised that I am at least 200% fitter than I was when I arrived, and I’m really looking forward to tackling those mountains in the summer.
I woke up last Saturday with a hangover from hell, I had been drinking copious amount of beer the night before and some strange blue gin in celebration of my birthday. The headache was like a heard of thunderous elephants stampeding through a very large hallway with fantastic acoustics and a sub woofer. However I had not ventured out of Vic for a long time so was determined to have a day out in Barcelona, not because I wanted to see any works of art or architecture you understand, there was a huge sale on at Decathlon and Primark at Diagonal Mar, a shopping centre in the suburbs of Barcelona.
I needed some clothes as I have left most of them in the UK and I needed some equipment for my bike and walks around my local area. I had only seen these shops and this suburb once last year when Jesus and I had visited a fair at the Forum, but I was sure I could find my way....... Yeah right!
Two hours later and a 12km walk I arrived. I can’t actually say I was disappointed, the walk along the seafront in the fresh February air was refreshing and the smell of the sea always takes me back to my childhood, where I can day dream about adventures I had with my friends. Needless to say, after I finished my shopping I took the bus back to the city centre.... What was my point in this story....? Oh yes! Getting fit.
It’s been a nice winter, but the warm weather will be on its way in the next couple of months and as soon as it is I plan to spend the majority of my weekends exploring the Pyrenees and the rest of Catalonia by foot but, to do this I want to be a little fitter. So my plan was to hit the training full on!
For the first few days it was a nightmare, so I pulled up off the gas for a couple of days then, last week I went to climb a hill close by called Creu de Gurb, it’s a small hill close by my town about twice the size of Roseberry Topping (for my English friends). It was a blisteringly cold Sunday afternoon but undeterred I mounted my bike and set off.
So I took my mountain bike across town and through various footpaths (to give myself a challenge) and up to the hill, tied my bike to the gate of a farm and off I went scampering up the rock face (not thinking about the decent).
When I arrived at the top I was greeted by a huge Catalan flag and a nativity scene. No I don’t mean there was a woman giving birth to the second coming, I mean there was a nativity scene left up there from the Christmas day tradition of climbing the hill. At the top I was greeted by a great view of El Plana De Vic.
I was also greeted by the arrival of a snow storm, but luckily I spotted a footpath because that rock face decent would have been tricky in my trainers. So I set off for a run down the hill, something I have enjoyed since sprinting down from Nuria last summer to evade a rainstorm. Considerably shattered and with the arrival of the snowstorm, my sight distance was down to a couple of meters by the time I reached my bike, the ride back to Vic was freezing and with a few wrong turns (my arms were so cold snow was actually settling on them :D )
The reward when I arrived home??? I realised that I am at least 200% fitter than I was when I arrived, and I’m really looking forward to tackling those mountains in the summer.
Its like Mordor here.
Yes I'm alive, No I'm not dead, I woke up this morning with a voice in my head.
That voice reminded me of this blog and to write something. Life here is getting better every month, for the first few months money was tight and I was unsure if I would make it to the end of the month, but now I'm in a much better position.
Being a teacher seems to get better every week, yes I have a couple of classes with children from the Village of the Dammed but, that’s to be expected. What really makes me beam with pride is seeing my students smile in class. At first I didn’t see too much of it, I guess they were just concentrating on my voice and the weird accent it was producing. Now they understand me better, it seems like some of them are just flying and really enjoying their classes, they always seem motivated at the start, which can only be a good sign.
That voice reminded me of this blog and to write something. Life here is getting better every month, for the first few months money was tight and I was unsure if I would make it to the end of the month, but now I'm in a much better position.
Being a teacher seems to get better every week, yes I have a couple of classes with children from the Village of the Dammed but, that’s to be expected. What really makes me beam with pride is seeing my students smile in class. At first I didn’t see too much of it, I guess they were just concentrating on my voice and the weird accent it was producing. Now they understand me better, it seems like some of them are just flying and really enjoying their classes, they always seem motivated at the start, which can only be a good sign.
Thursday 1 December 2011
Mandarin the best buffet around Vic.
So after weeks and weeks of promises and failure to deliver, I finally managed to corner my friend Viki and forced her to take me to "Mandarin" the Chinese buffet place in Vic.
My only past experience of buffest place was one in Nottingham which was spectacular, and one in Middlesbrough called the "Banana Leaf" which basically serves what tastes like fried rat fried in batter.
My expectation here was built up so much, I only expected the best! And this is what I received.
Although Viki knew about the place already she was telling me how much we could eat in one sitting, however being an expert on food myself, I decided to give her some "Tips" for buffet survival. "Ok Viki!" I said, "Before we start let me give you some sound advice....” She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Don’t be a rookie, stay away from your chips, dips, fried stuff and breads; these are your "Fillers". Places like this relay on you hitting the fillers early. Go for your seafood and meats first and maybe a little sushi and anything that looks expensive, but don’t be a hero!” Again Viki rolled her eyes, something which leads me to believe that she might not be taking my advice seriously.
First plate she heads for the battered calamari.... "Nooooooooooooooooooo" I shouted as I flew through the air Matrix style to head her off at the pass. In bullet time slow motion I flew past her by accident misjudging my distance. Too late, she forked the calamari ninja style; she had fallen at the first hurdle, a rookie error.
I headed for the prawn crackers and non cream based dips, along with the sushi and sashimi, devouring a plate full and I had only just started, Viki however was showing signs of batter sweat on her forehead from over indulgence in the fillers. We both headed for our second serving we hit the fish products, where a very nice guy cooked them Tepanyaki style albeit a little too much salt (this forces you to drink more water *filler)
But the fish was pretty fresh and wholesome.
After this plate, Viki was giving up however unperturbed she headed back to the fried section whilst I started on a nice steak from the grill. Once we had finished this plate Viki headed for the desserts..... "Dessert?? Are you crazy?" I said,”I have only just started". Viki was done, finished, final, finito!
I however was back to the fish, followed by some sushi, and finally the dessert after two hours of enjoyment.
I am defiantly going again. Click on the web link to see them in action on the Tepanyaki Grill.
http://mandarinvic.com/index.php
My only past experience of buffest place was one in Nottingham which was spectacular, and one in Middlesbrough called the "Banana Leaf" which basically serves what tastes like fried rat fried in batter.
My expectation here was built up so much, I only expected the best! And this is what I received.
Although Viki knew about the place already she was telling me how much we could eat in one sitting, however being an expert on food myself, I decided to give her some "Tips" for buffet survival. "Ok Viki!" I said, "Before we start let me give you some sound advice....” She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Don’t be a rookie, stay away from your chips, dips, fried stuff and breads; these are your "Fillers". Places like this relay on you hitting the fillers early. Go for your seafood and meats first and maybe a little sushi and anything that looks expensive, but don’t be a hero!” Again Viki rolled her eyes, something which leads me to believe that she might not be taking my advice seriously.
First plate she heads for the battered calamari.... "Nooooooooooooooooooo" I shouted as I flew through the air Matrix style to head her off at the pass. In bullet time slow motion I flew past her by accident misjudging my distance. Too late, she forked the calamari ninja style; she had fallen at the first hurdle, a rookie error.
I headed for the prawn crackers and non cream based dips, along with the sushi and sashimi, devouring a plate full and I had only just started, Viki however was showing signs of batter sweat on her forehead from over indulgence in the fillers. We both headed for our second serving we hit the fish products, where a very nice guy cooked them Tepanyaki style albeit a little too much salt (this forces you to drink more water *filler)
But the fish was pretty fresh and wholesome.
After this plate, Viki was giving up however unperturbed she headed back to the fried section whilst I started on a nice steak from the grill. Once we had finished this plate Viki headed for the desserts..... "Dessert?? Are you crazy?" I said,”I have only just started". Viki was done, finished, final, finito!
I however was back to the fish, followed by some sushi, and finally the dessert after two hours of enjoyment.
I am defiantly going again. Click on the web link to see them in action on the Tepanyaki Grill.
http://mandarinvic.com/index.php
Sunday 27 November 2011
Back in the Bloggersphere
Yes I certainly am. After a month or so of craziness with the loss of internet at the start coupled with work coming in and then the sudden death of my computer I have got out of touch with the blog space and I’m not pleased at myself for it. However I’m back and will try to blog at least one a week. Promise.
Saturday 1 October 2011
Im not dead!!!
Sorry for the lack of updates to my blog. These past few days have been a little busier than usual and im trying to expand my classes into various areas.
I do have stories to tell of the last few weeks like my suprise meeting with Spongebob in Pineda De Mar and how i found out that Mickey mouse has boobs.
Keep watching this space.......
I do have stories to tell of the last few weeks like my suprise meeting with Spongebob in Pineda De Mar and how i found out that Mickey mouse has boobs.
Keep watching this space.......
Tuesday 20 September 2011
What a beautiful day and happyness ensues.
I woke up too early this morning, fidgeting around at 6am getting angry with myself for not being able to drop back off to sleep. At seven I decided to rise believing a short sharp coffee would blow away the cobwebs, it didn’t! I just kept on getting angry with myself for no apparent reason, and then I remembered that I had a Catalan class at ten, so at half past nine I packed up my bag and off I went. Walking through the cold morning air of Osona reminded me a little of England just minus the rain and smackheads asking for a faaaaag. I arrived at my Catalan class only to find it was Catalan for Spanish speakers....... Jooooooodeeeeeer. All was not lost, I actually worked faster than most of my classmates anyway and I got everything right! As you can imagine I left on a high note.
Walking back into the main square of the town I had forgotten it was market day and my eyes lit up as I saw row after row of market stalls selling everything from cheese, vegetables and bread to Snails and wild mushrooms picked fresh from the forest. It really is a sight to behold and if I remember next week I’m going to take my camera and get some quality pictures. I walked towards my favourite coffee shop in order to have a little early lunch break before starting to prepare my classes for the day. As I sat outside under an umbrella protecting me from the sun and looking out over the amazing scenes of the market it suddenly dawned on me how lucky I am to be here, everything I have seen and experienced in the last two weeks has been heaven. Yes I realise when the winter arrives next month it will be just as cold as England but the sun here in winter is still warm on the skin and you can still sit outside a cafe or a bar with a jacket. I still have more mountains than days of my life to discover. I still have many places to visit and experience the local food. It might not actually be, but I really feel like the luckiest person alive.
Walking back into the main square of the town I had forgotten it was market day and my eyes lit up as I saw row after row of market stalls selling everything from cheese, vegetables and bread to Snails and wild mushrooms picked fresh from the forest. It really is a sight to behold and if I remember next week I’m going to take my camera and get some quality pictures. I walked towards my favourite coffee shop in order to have a little early lunch break before starting to prepare my classes for the day. As I sat outside under an umbrella protecting me from the sun and looking out over the amazing scenes of the market it suddenly dawned on me how lucky I am to be here, everything I have seen and experienced in the last two weeks has been heaven. Yes I realise when the winter arrives next month it will be just as cold as England but the sun here in winter is still warm on the skin and you can still sit outside a cafe or a bar with a jacket. I still have more mountains than days of my life to discover. I still have many places to visit and experience the local food. It might not actually be, but I really feel like the luckiest person alive.
Sunday 18 September 2011
Taking a walk with Josh to Nuria.
"Im thinking of going walking" said Josh, "Count me in" Said me, "Ok we can go at 6:00am or 7:00am" said Josh, "eeeeerrrr ok.............7??" i sat back in a cold sweat looking at the computer, i was supposed to be going to musica viva on the evening and i wasnt meeting my friends untill 11pm. I caluculated that if I met them for a few drinks and watched a couple of bands I might get to bed at 5am leaving me a good two hours sleep...... Becoming a 'Yes Man' may have been a bad idea.
I woke up feeling like death and waiting in my shorts in a cold foggy usual morning in Vic I was wondering if Ihad made the correct choice. However after climbing for a few hours in the morning sun, I realised why i made the move here.
I woke up feeling like death and waiting in my shorts in a cold foggy usual morning in Vic I was wondering if Ihad made the correct choice. However after climbing for a few hours in the morning sun, I realised why i made the move here.
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