Mike & Liz In Andalucia

It’s hard to imagine it’s the countdown down to Christmas already. It’s been a real difference here, not only because of the weather but because all the shops aren’t full of annoying tunes and covered in decorations. I think it was last week I stumbled on some christmas decorations down a supermarket aisle that I thought I’d better start thinking about presents….
Also it became more of a reality last week when we were both asked to take part in the church’s christmas play!! Seems like we are now fully accepted!! Mikes a sheperd and I’m a TV news journalist called “Corrie Spondant”. It seems like all churches share a similar sense of humour wherever you are.
Church has been really good. We had our evening of worship which was really blessed with people wanting it more often and it’s been nice starting homegroups again and getting to know people better.
And if anyone is struggling to know what to buy Mike for christmas, the new playstation and X box are coming out and he also likes the PSP!!! You can only imagine the excitement……..

About two weeks ago I had my second experience of a spanish “Feria”. Nearly every town has one and they last for a week. Each town has a saint representing them and it is a celebration in their honour. We went to the one in San Pedro (in honour of Saint Peter). Mike had arranged to meet his friend charlie and some of his friends. Really, it´s a time when people can get dressed up in traditional dress, have a few parades and eat and drink alot.

The first one I went to was last year in Fuengirola when were here on holiday. We went to the night one which is more of a funfair and went with people from church. It was good but a totally different atmosphere to San Pedro.

In Fuengirola we were a group of tourists, a bit unsure of what was going on and a bit shy in really taking part. In San Pedro we had gone with local people and saw a different side to the celebrations. What made it more special was Mike meeting some friends from when he lived here before and hadn´t seen them for over 6 years. This really captured the ferria for me because it is about a town getting together and just bumping into each other in the street and celebrating. It showed me that is more about communtiy then spectatorship.

Well it’s been quite a month! We have had the pleasure of both sets of parents visiting and now I am pleased to say they can now picture where we live when we talk on the phone : )
We certainly have a rounded repertoire of places to visit and things to do – sherry tours, trips to Gibralter, visits to the “white villages”, walks in the mountains, walks along the beach, so for those of you who are only thinking about coming…..
We have also had celebrations of my birthday and our wedding anniversary (2 years already!). Mike took me out for a very romantic meal of which the highlight was the dessert – profiteroles with a mascarpone cheese filling instead of cream mmmmm…..
Now the next occasion is christmas! Thankfully, things aren’t dominating the shops here- yet.

Since the last entry things have been steadily busy. I had a few weeks of work, injecting babies and taking peoples blood and we have had the lovely company of David and Gillian for a week.

However what I want to share is the new experience I had today. It is an experience that can be stressful enough in England when it comes to hoping people understand what you mean (especially for a woman); The Hairdresser!

Its funny, just when you think you are getting to grips with a language you decide to try something new out – like a spanish hairdressers. It seems like a good idea, a chance to practice the language etc. Except when you sit in the seat it dawns on you that you haven’t yet covered the vocab for “I want layers” or “side parting” in your lessons. Once I had rehersed the whole “can I have an appointment” vocab I felt pretty pleased with myself. But that was just the beginning…..

I could feel my heart starting to beat faster as I had images of my head bald or half of it really short on one side as I managed to stop him from cutting it all off. After hoping he understood my instructions I watched his every move and measured, in my head, every strand of hair that was cut and was (thankfully) pleasantly surprised!

I explained to him I was learning spanish and if I looked like I didn’t understand, that was why – just incase I needed to cry out uncontrollably at some point. But as it happened it was the best and cheapest wash, cut and blowdry I’d ever had!

I can safely say we are back into the swing of things after the adventure to the UK and back.( It was great to see everyone and realise how much you miss people!)

And I was back into the swing of giving babies pain – well, its something I´ve never done before… Amazingly on some days I am temporarily covering for a midwife in a private clinic and giving babies their vaccine jabs. They come in, mostly all happy and then leave with a wet reddened face. I could say the same for the mums but that would be unfair..

Actually it has been quite enjoyable and a new challenge for me. I´m having to do a bit of studying on the latest motherly advice but all in all the staff are helpful. Its also good because its a mix of english and spanish so I can practice without feeling isolated.

It was really good to see you all the other week and hopefully we´ll see some of you in September.

Liz

Today I just wanted to say that our thoughts and prayers are with all who we know and love in London. It has been such a shock to all of us seeing and hearing whats happened. It was strange to see some of my colleges on television in Spain and could only imagine the emotional upheaval they would have been experiencing caring for some of the more severely injured.

I was only in London myself on wednesday flying a private patient back to Heathrow for cardiac investigations. Initially I was going to stay over somewhere in a hotel and maybe surprise some people as everything was paid for. The results of the olympic bid was announced on the plane and everyone cheered, it was such a great atmosphere. As it happened I decided to get the first flight back as I felt it was too much of trying to cram everything in and prefered to see people at Revive. So I look forward to that time,

Bless you all and may He protect you xx

Where has June gone?

I thought it was about time I contributed, now we have a landline I´m not constantly looking at the clock….

I´ve pretty much got into a routine and I´m getting more confident in practising my spanish. It´s often funny and I can see people wincing at me while trying to understand what on earth I´m saying but generally I´m understood!

That is unless like today when a drunk columbian chap takes a shine to me at the bus station whilst waiting to get home. He started with an innocent request for a light and then proceeded in, drunken spanish, to guess which country I was from. The first was Ireland “what a lovely place”, then Germany “something to do with Hitler” and then I felt the need to put him out of his misery. “England” I said and noticed a young spaniard smiling. It was then I realised I shouldn´t have said anything.
I was now his new friend. Thankfully the bus came – good an escape – no, he decided to change his plans and travel to wherever I was going! Sitting next to me he cracked open an cruzcampo and continued his chat much to mine and all the other passengers dismay. Whilst praying for a way out and at the same time imaginging him coming back to the flat for a cup of tea, he fell into a drunken stuper. Praise the Lord! But oh I´m trapped by the window! Eventually we reached the end of the route and desperate not to disturb him, I climbed over the seats to get out. Ahhhh made it!

Other than that today I had an informal interview re. temp work in the San Pedro clinic. It was a call out of the blue on the bus to lessons. It looks promising and I´ll be going back next week for questions and details re my registration and stuff. So watch this space!

Well we´ve been here a month already! In this time I have come across people asking me the frequent question of…..so, liz what do you DO everyday? : ) .For those who think I lie on the beach all day (with my skin?!!), I feel the need to address this question right here and now.

Everyday I have 2 hours of Spanish held in a language school along the coast in San Pedro. In travelling time I need to give it 1 and a half hours each way. So, I leave the flat at 10 and get back at 330. I then have lunch (our body clocks have changed too). After homework + housework and maybe a bit of saxophone practice, Mike comes in from work.

It´s been quite a change to my routine in London. I can go to church every week and even attend band practice on a weds night AND have every saturday off (the first time in, I can´t remember when). I´m also feeling the benefit of not working night shifts too. This routine will probably go on for another 2 months at least and then we´ll start thinking and praying about what work I can do.
But so far between you & me I´m really enjoying it!!! and if there are further questions , email me : )

Today was our trip to Gibraltar. We went with Steve, a friend of Mikes from when he lived here before. We had heard various stories about the place and it certainly proved to be like no other place we had been to before.
On walking over the border and then the runway we took the cable car upto the top of the rock. On our arrival we soon noticed the monkeys who lived there. Whilst enjoying the view one had the cheek to sneak up behind me and attempted to raid my bag. After a little tussle the bag was free but I wasn´t, it was still touching my shoulder – much to everyone elses delight!!
Mike was a bit un-nerved by them too. When two monkeys were having a fight over some food near him I´d never seen him move so fast, he nearly sprung like they did. It would have been funnier though if he hadn´t landed on my toes in the process.
After that we took the long walk back down, through the undergrowth, past the fortifications of past wars, observing the English signposts, through the narrow Spanish pavements and finally dodging the mopeds.
It was a melting pot of history to say the least in such a small place and if you come and visit you could always fly in that way!!