Thursday, 5 November 2009

Day 2 part 2, Beach and disco 3000

Hello loyal blog followers, here is the second part of our first full day in Sunny Spain.
when we left you we were nidway through Spanish school. So to bring you up to speed here is how the day ended!

We rejoin the action as Adele Louth competes in the ´fit a sandwich as big as your head, in your mouth competition´.

Holly Johnson looks on in amazement as Adele attempts to dislocate her own jaw for a snake like monster munch.



As the school day comes to a close the fallen are carried out of the classroom by friends. If this student doesnt get her work done again tomorrow they promise to take the other knee cap. Spanish school is harsh but by gum they get the results.



Schools out and students and staff head back to the hotel, on the way we have time to touch local wildlife here a rabbit is seen getting stroked to within and inch of his life.




Here we see Adele and members of the staff laughing like old friends. what you dont know is that they were actually laughing at another member of staff who had tripped and nearly severed their leg while taking out a child poolside.



After general poolside frolics students hit the beach to give them a chance to recover from a hard days graft and also to try and bury each other alive.



Of course it wouldnt be a spanish trip without me messing around with the functions on my camera to do trick photography, so if you wouldnt mind humming the music from the gallery section on Take Hart, sit back and enjoy some cheesy photographs.













Here we see students celebrating after the ill advised who can survive buried underground the longest contest, some students thought that Mrs Kattach´s ´must be able to still breath´ rule took the edge off this years competition.



Oh look its a mermaid!





Despite the hectic pace of life in Spain, students are never too busy to strike a pose.












Here we see famous Spanish catalogue model Fernando Zapanista, relaxing, he enjoys hanging by the beach and reading trashy romance fiction, he hopes to one day write a best selling novel about a Spanish catalogue model who hangs by the beach.






The photograph below was taken just as Miss Wallis returned with a new handbag, like psychic meerkats the girls sense new fashion items a mile away.



Here we see the elusive Stacey Bean captured on film for the first time.



Students decide to play a bizarre game that involves running around and falling over alot, then occasionally kicking the ball out to sea so I have to go and get it. Oh joy.



the game without rules continues.





We returned to the hotel for a hearty dinner and then we where treated to Hernando the dancing pirates Fantastico entertainment Spectacularo Historico show.
With grace and skill Hernando and his lovely assistants kept us all entertained while he recreated famous moments from history using the medium of dancing pirates. Here we see his take on the end of women´s Suffrage in the UK . Hernando plays the part of a pirate version of George the 5th while his Beautiful dancing partners recreate a a pirate version of Emily Davison and the entire field of pirate horses running the 1913 Epsom derby.
Entertainment doesnt get better than this folks



After the show comes Disco dancing, and a chance to get slightly embarrasing pictures of students dancing like loons.










Even the DJ lady gets involved. Once again the medium of dance unites people of different nations.




















As the Disco drew to a close, students headed off to bed with heads filled with dancing pirates and cheesy europop. could life get any better?
Mr R.

Day 2 part 1

Today was our first full day in Spain. It was also the students first day of Spanish language school, which meant only one thing...
we could ditch the kids and play ping pong all morning!


The day began with a blustery start as we made are way through the mean streets of benalmadena towards the school and a morning of student free table tennis and lemon fanta related bliss

In this first picture students try to dodge the slightly manic Miss Wallis as she fires off her trademark photo grin.

Happy students embrace at the thought of a morning of education, doesnt it make you glad to live in such enlightened times?


It soon became clear to us all that this would not be an easy journey as despite it being sunny, the wind was blowing with the wrath of mighty Thor, undaunted we continued forth.





The closer we got to the school the windier it seemed to get, as demonstrated here by the tree tops. In the end we where forced to tether the smaller students to the slightly heavier weazy kids.

Here we see our happy band walking through the park.



Towards the center of Benalmadena is the statue of the towns famous twins Alfonso and Conchita Sansjus who famously hid in a tea chest for 35 years in what was at the time the worlds longest game of hide and seek.

Spurred on by the story of the Sanjus twins we finally managed to make it to the language school.


Here are a few of the delights of the language school, I could name them for you, but we all know your just looking at the ping pong table and wishing that you had one just like it arent you? why not treat yourself to one for christmas? can you put a price on hours of family fun?





Classic pong action, drink it up.





















Its not all ping pong and joviality at language school as there is hard work to be done.





This student learns first hand the results of breaking rules at language school. the harsh but fair regime ensures that homework gets done.







here we are in the classroom where knowledge flows like the tears of a full grown media teacher who has hit the table tennis ball into the private car park next door for the second time that day.






To be continued......

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

The long trip to Spain and how to mend a spanish wireless network

Hello from sunny Spain...

well to be honest that's not quite true as its night time.
The reason I'm up in at half 2 in the morning (English time) is because the hotel wireless internet has been on the blink.

After about half an hour of begging with Rodrigo the chainsmoking night porter, he agreed to let me try and mend it. After about another 10 minutes Rod (we bonded fast) came back with the most dangerous set of step ladders in the world and lead me to a dark room where high on one wall in a gloomy corner was the wireless box. Pointing at it with his nicotine stained finger Rod informed me that he wasn't to blame when it killed me.
On first glance I thought there was no way I could work in the dark, but ingeniously Rod improvised and held his cigarette up next to my face to allow me to work in its golden glow.
You'll no doubt have worked out that me and Rod succeeded in our quest and so after thanking Rod for his help and for knocking several months off my life with his second hand smoke, I can now bring you up to speed with what we have been upto.

If you click on any of the images below you will get a larger higher quality image.

After setting off from Birmingham airport we arrived safe and sound in Malaga about 2 and a half hours later where the coach was waiting for us.



Here we see two students mucking in and helping get bags onto the coach, what helpful sorts they are.




On arriving at the hotel it was decided that we should immerse ourselves in Spanish culture as soon as possible....



So we headed straight to McDonalds, its a traditional Andalusian fast food burger joint run by husband and wife team Sergio and Silvia Alverez. Sergio is a gemini and enjoys walking on the beach at night, and making things from found objects on the beach. Silvia is a hotheaded leo and enjoys whittling and has a custom built shed out back specially for whittling, she is currently half way through whittling all the characters from classic childrens tv show Trumpton.


Upon getting to McDonalds the students spirit's were lifted by a well needed sugar rush.

here is our first daily arty shot. this image is dedicated to Mr Fletcher in Media.



Ok so here is the review of the day by Jordan!


As this trip is meant for educational purposes I have decided to teach my self Spanish while over here with the help of the students. Why not join in at home with my range of easy to use situational spanish vocab lessons.





And finally we have multi talented Jordan to sing us out with one of his favourite Spanish tunes.


If you would like to leave a message to any student or member of staff, just click on the leave comment button below and I will pass it along.

Also if you would like to nominate your own children to appear on the blog i will do my best to stitch them up :)

Mr R