A pint of Brains SA and Christmas cheer

I've just got back from the pub with my brother and had a lovely pint of my favourite beer...Brains SA. It was all very Christmassy and I bumped into a few people from the past whilst there. It's lovely to be back in Wales for Christmas this year, although I am very excited to be starting my new job at Swavesey Village College in January. After a few weeks of being in the classroom at Cottenham, I know that I am doing the right thing by returning to teaching....I just love it. The picture below is of one of the Year 11 groups on the last day of term this week. I used to teach them when they were in Year 8 and 9 so it was lovely seeing them again. Some people are wondering why I am getting so excited to be teaching Biology again, but it's what I enjoy doing the most, and of course it is the best subject to teach.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New year. 2007 is going to be a great new start for me and I can't wait. If you haven't been in Ely Cathedral yet, then this is their wonderful tree. Even after seeing all the amazing colonial builidngs in Mexico and Central America recently, this Cathedral is still top of the list.

Below is me with 11 set 9 - one of my favourite classes

Home in Wales

I arrived home on Saturday after an intersting journey...delays taking off, super fast flight (only 8 hours 40 mins) but had to report a woman for smoking in the toilet.....not pleasant to have to wait for about 10 mins or more for the loo, to then walk in and it stinks of smoke. Complained and then had to queue for ages for the other one...typical. Then, after arriving in Heathrow, everyone was told that there was a problem with British Airways ground staff and to expect delays reclaiming baggage. These delays resulted in me missing my National Express bus home and waiting around for yet another 2 hours for the next one. Finally got back home nearer 10 pm at night, missing the family meal Mum had made for us all. However, it's lovely to be back to the country of rain.....never fails to disappoint in that department.
Was supposed to be going on a shopping trip to Cardiff with Mum today, but having had my purse stolen on the Metro on Wednesday, I have no cards to use. So I will spend today setting up my new laptop, filling in forms (need a new driver's license as it was in my purse, and a mountain of forms for my new job) and drinking Brains beer. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as soon as possible. Final pics will be added soon, then the blog will be put on hold.....no more trips for me for a while, just a new life to enjoy.

Finished TEFL teaching

I finished teaching English at the language school on Friday which was an excellent experience and sad to leave. I made loads of good friends which I will be able to practice my Spanish with in the future via email. This will be particularly useful as I intend to study for an A level in Spanish once I return to the UK.
So, this weekend has been a relaxing one with visits to the cinema, shopping in Zara for cheap clothes ready for my return to teaching, all night partying with friends and now recovering in the sun from last night (another 4.30 am night). The days are lovely and warm here but the nights are still very cold (below zero). I fly back to the UK on Friday and will be in Wales for a week before heading over to Cambridgeshire the week after. I would love to catch up with everyone so drop me an email if you want to meet up somewhere.

Job

I have a job!!! Hooray!! I will be teaching at Swavesey Village College in their Science department as from January. It's part time (Mon to Wed) which is perfect for me to reacclimatise back into the teaching world and visit people for long weekends. I will probably try and do supply work to earn a bit of extra cash when I can.

So, this means I will be definitely be back in the Cambs area until at least the summer. Thinking about basing myself in the Cambourne area to be closer to Cambridge and friends in the south. Will keep you posted on when the house warming will be!!! Off to celebrate tonight now.

Pacific coast

Had a busy few weeks teaching (new classes started, so extra lessons) and travelling the 2 hours back and forth to work...but all enjoyable and I feel my students are actually learning, which is the main objective for any teacher.
In Acapulco at the moment, typing this from the balcony overlooking the bay. Unfortunately there is yet another storm hanging over the Pacific coast and so still no sunshine on the beach for me. However, I'm here until Tuesday and sunshine has been promised. Only two weeks until I will be back in Wales and catching up with friends and family yet again. But this time I will be back for a longer spell and I am currently busy applying for teaching jobs for January.

Anyway, here are a few pics taken last night and at sunrise this morning.

Crazy city!

Just one of the many bizarre things you see whilst driving through Mexico city.........

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

No bonfire night here in Mexico, but there have been a fair share of fireworks following the day of the dead celebrations this week. We did however build a little fire at the apartment.......

There's yet another great thunder storm going on outside as I write this, even though the rainy season is supposed to be over here in Mexico!!

Spent today recovering from a fun evening partying at the landlord's 40th birthday party until sunrise. A very interesting evening as the guests (100 of them) were mainly male but certainly weren't interested in chatting any females up! The music was great though...lots of Kylie, Erasure and Village People. Free drinks and entertainment all through the night. They certainly love to party in this city!

Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

Some of the sugar skulls on sale to celebrate Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead can be traced to the festivities held during the Aztec summer month of Miccailhuitontli, though Spanish priests moved the celebration to coincide with Halloween in a moderately successful effort to 'Christianise' it. The day's activities begin with visits by families to the graves of their close kin.

Families clean the graves then settle down for a picnic and a round of stories about the dearly departed. The meals at these picnics are sumptuous: spicy meat dishes, egg-batter bread, chocolate and sugary confections in a variety of animal or skull shapes.

Traditionally, the day begins with a feast during the early hours of 2 November - the Day of the Dead proper - though urban families usually celebrate with a special family supper featuring pan de muerto (Bread of the Dead). It is good luck to be the one who bites into the plastic toy skeleton hidden by the baker in each rounded loaf. Friends and family members give one another gifts such as sugar skeletons or other items with a death motif. These have been on sale in the shops for the past month.

I went to the main Zocolo area where there were loads of artistic altars set up and many people dressed up in scary costumes. There was a great atmosphere but rather a lot of people. The cathedral was packed out with people remembering their loved ones and I lit a candle for my grandma who passed away exactly a year ago, but is always in my thoughts.

Here are some of the wierd things I saw in the city.

Day of the dead photo's

.....continued

Taxco - the silver capital of Mexico!

Visited Taxco this weekend which is a beautiful colonial town about 130 km south of the city, set on the mountain side. The area is well known for it's silver mines and with over 300 quaint silver shops, you can imagine how I passed the time!! The weather was superb and the rooftop restaurants are excellent for watching the stars at night. Stayed in a converted monastry called Los Arcos which is a beautiful building with an amaing tree growing up the central courtyard. If you are coming to Mexcico at any time then you must visit Taxco.....defintely my favourite place so far.
The English teaching is going really well at the language school and I now know all the correct grammatical terms and how to explain how we use the 13 different tenses in English. I even managed to squeeze a few Spanish lessons in last week so have also brushed up on my Spanish grammal. The temperatures are set to drop to zero degrees at night here this week in the city so time to get out the wooly jumpers!!!

Views during the journey to Taxco which had the most amazing blue flowers along the way

Typical cobbled streets

The dome (above) of the main church (below)

One of the lovely quaint houses in amongst the silver shops

Typical handcrafted pottery for sale

One of the many silver shops...couldnt' work

out what the connection with Ely was though

The converted monastry with the tree growing up the central courtyard

Robbie, Robbie, Robbie

The concert was absolutely fabulous and one of the highlights of my year. Even though he may be a bit crazy in the head, Robbie Williams is a great showman. I have wanted to see him in concert for years now so am very happy that I have finally achieved another dream of mine. Unfortunately, my massive Welsh flag didn't make it onto TV but at least it got a lot of interest from the Mexicans!! (Thanks Mum for sending it out to me).
I will try and write more when I have the time, but I have lessons to plan and English grammar to figure out!!! Hope those of you on half term are having a well deserved break.

1 day to go!!!

Only 2 days to go until I see Robbie in concert. And, of course, the final grand prix on Sunday. I've had a fantastic week at the language school and have been inspired to get back in the classroom as soon as possible when I return to the UK. Then, to top the week off, when I got back to the apartment tonight I found the Ospreys rugby match on the sports channel and saw them beat Sale Sharks 17 - 16.
Will update again once I've recovered from seeing Robbie live!

Weekend at the Pacific Coast

The beach at Pie de la Cuesta...the only reason it's so empty is because it's raining........

............ but at least I was still able to laugh about it!

Pie de la Cuesta is on the Pacific Coast, 10 km west of Acapulco. A beautiful looking stretch of beach and a fantastic place to stay but unfortunately the sun did not make an appearance all weekend. However, the pool at the Hotel Nirvana was used regularly as the temperature was still in the 30's. Hopefully I will get to return here before I leave Mexico and at least I got to read some more of Wild Swans (I have been looking at this book on my bookshelf for about 10 years now and am finally reading it).

Just so that you don't think that I'm only here visiting places in Mexico, I am currently completing an internship at a local (well 2 hour commute) language school here in the city. It's great to meet new people and get more training in teaching English as a second language. Will I ever return to Science teaching?? Hoping to do some more high altitude hiking Saturday and then, of course, see the God (RW) on Sunday (the tickets arrived today so I am very excited).

Marilyn and Roger sent me these pics of their sunnier experience of Pie de la Cuesta........worth returning for.

Templo Mayor

The view across the Templo Mayor site to a magnificent colonial building nearby. Many buildings were pulled down when excavation started in the 1970's.



Tenochtitlan, the Aztec site rediscovered in 1978, was demolished by the Spaniards in 1520s. It lies right in the heart of the city next to the cathedral and the restoration continues today (last week a large important artefact was found here). Again, as it was a Sunday, entrance was free but with that brings hords of mexicans of all ages with their notebooks copying down every piece of information from the boards that they can. It's great to see that they are studying their own history and sharing this knowledge with their children who are with them. The museum has an excellent collection including full size terracotta eagle warriers and a great wheel like stone of the goddess, Coyolxauhqui.

Wall of carved skulls

Stone wariiers above and a terracotta warrier below

The symbolic Aztec eagle

4690m high crater

Mexico City is surrounded by big volcanoes, some of which you can reach quite easily and climb to the top of. One of these is Volcan Nevado de Toluca, which I climbed into the crater of on Saturday. Mexico City is as 2200m and the highest point of the volcano is 4690m...a big difference in altitude so I got noticably out of breath during the two hours or so hiking up there. The views would be great on a clear day, but unfortunately the sun disaapeared behind the clouds and left a more atmospheric misty view than looking across the plains to Toluca. It was still beautifully peaceful up there, if very cold!
Hoping to climb a few more in the vicinity before I leave.

At the start of the hike whilst the sun was still just about out!
One of the four beuatiful crater lakes

Looking across the crater

At the top of the ridge - very cold and misty which explains all the layers of clothing making me feel like a Michelin man!