Day 981 – 30th November 2009

This guy, the one with the flags, decided to stand outside the town hall and annoy the hell out of everyone in the square. It disrupted lessons in the school today, and drove me nearly insane. All morning he stood there with his megaphone playing electronic versions of Christmas songs. He’d gone by lunchtime – I honest would have kicked his ass otherwise, I was that close.

Anyway, I got a video of him, just so you can get an idea. It’ll be uploaded in five minutes, hang on a second.

I don’t care what he was protesting about, that’s twice now this has disrupted the day – shut the hell up!

If you remember yesterday’s picture, then you’ll remember that I’m sleeping with my washing rack. This blocks off the passage into the kitchen and bathroom, leaving me quite literally in a situation where there really is a wrong side of bed to get out of! I can go left for the window and computer, right for the kitchen and bathroom…

I went to the bar tonight – it was empty, which was slightly depressing, but I had a couple of drinks anyway.

Right, the video’s up now – check it out here.

Day 980 – 29th November 2009

I’m sounding like a broken record, but it’s hasn’t rained for a month apart from when I want to do my washing. Today it was particularly bad, still is, so I’ve had to haul everything in – I’m gonna be sleeping with my laundry tonight. The worst thing is that it won’t really get dry at all.

Anyway, that’s my moan for the day – back to work tomorrow so I’m off to bed.

Day 979 – 28th November 2009

It’s Saturday night, there’s a nip in the air but nothing my dressing gown can’t handle, and I’m out on the balcony with a couple of beers and the iPod – perfect.

When I said Saturday ‘night’, I mean it’s dark, but it is only 0830 in the evening – I really want to go to bed, but I feel like I should make the most of the evening off! I’d go out to a bar if they weren’t all closed – I think I’ll watch a film and hit the sack.

Day 978 – 27th November 2009

I know, we got cherry picked again. It was funny today though, this guy was taking a picture of his mate who was opposite in another cherry picker. If I had two cherry pickers I’d probably mass about with them too.

The sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed the unusual amount of Segways down below (more than zero), this in fact was the tail-end of a swarm. For some reason, people seem to hire ‘the vehicle of the future’ around these parts without even flinching to stop and think about how stupid they look.

I’ve said a lot about Segways in the past so I won’t go on now – I’ll sum it up in a word. Walk.

Day 977 – 26th November 2009

A good busker is hard to find. A massive black guy with a double bass standing next to his exact opposite also isn’t something you see every day. The main thing is that these guys actually sounded good, but I must say they would probably have been picture of the day just for looking so odd…

Big day tomorrow – it’s my last lesson of the teaching course, all has gone well so far so I’m not too worried but an early night’s sleep is probably still a good idea.

Day 976 – 25th November 2009

My mantra is not to talk about Christmas until December, but this is the second time it’s happened now. I’m going against my own rule because Palma is so well lit and I might not really go back in December, so it’s worth getting a couple of pictures.

It’s not a brilliant one today, I was in the dodgy crime square, so I didn’t particularly want to hang around with a camera for too long at night – it’ll do though.

There was a protest outside the town hall today which is right opposite the school. Some worker’s union annoying the tits off everyone. Apparently it happens quite often – not very helpful when you’re trying to teach.

Day 975 – 24th November 2009

We got cherry-picked today. I was pacing about a room, planning a lesson, when I looked out of the window and saw a man staring back at me. He just nodded at me as if to say ‘alright’, and I found myself nodding back. As soon as he had descended from his cherry picker, I realised what a strange situation it was – why would I just accept the fact that someone is some how staring at me through the window when I’m the third floor?

It was late in the day and I was tired, so perhaps the concept of a flying man seemed quite plausible at first glance. Anyway, they’ve been putting up the Christmas lights which apparently won’t get switched on until December, or at least close to the end of the month. That’s good – I hate starting Christmas before we’re even in the right month…

I’ve mentioned that I was tired, that’s not changed, so it’s off to bed with me again. Sorry to be so brief – but I’m dropping off just typing this.

Day 974 – 23rd November 2009

TV’s not expensive to make here – one reporter, one cameraman, one woman they pulled off the street. You’d think with the endless ads that they’d have enough money to make something good. Instead, you get the crappiest shows from all over the world right on your screen…

I apologise for the poor picture, but I really didn’t get much else – it’s been a busy day. As I type, I feel much better than I did yesterday, or even this morning, so I hope whatever bug I caught has cleared off – I don’t want to have to take a lesson feeling like that again…

Day 973 – 22nd November 2009

I think my building might be coming apart – this a join between the corridor and the staircase, it’s a little too close to my flat for comfort. I hope it doesn’t fall apart – that would be quite annoying.

Also in annoying things that have happened, I seem to have some sort of lurgy. My throat feels like it’s on fire and my head feels like a steam engine. I feel like I need some sort of pressure valve to just let it all out. I did biology though. I know it doesn’t work that way.

Bed seems a good remedy.

Day 972 – 21st November 2009

A colleague and I went to some caves today, and very interesting it was too. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to take pictures or video, so this is about as good as I could get on the sly. It’s dark underground, so it would have been nice to get a shot from a stable position, but I’m sure you get the idea from this.

Amidst all the stalactites and stalagmites we were sat down in an underground amphitheatre and given a little concert in the caves. The musicians were on little boats in an underground lake, slowly floating by in front of us, carefully lit for dramatic effect. It looked good, it sounded good – but a floating underground serenade in the pitch black does get a little odd after a while…

Day 971 – 20th November 2009

On a day like today where I’ve been too busy to really get a proper picture, it dawned on me that I hadn’t ever got a picture from inside the flat. It’s for the record more than anything else really. It’s small, I’m standing by the door, but it’s cosy and it never gets cold, even though the wind whips though the window and the door at night.

This morning there was an accident in my road, so I couldn’t get out. There was no one around – it seems the only two cars on the road managed to hit each other, and in front of me. I wasn’t actually in the car at the time, but the whole kerfuffle made me an hour late.

I won’t go on about the rest of the day, it’ll only get more dull…

Day 970 – 19th November 2009

I taught English to beginners today for the first time. People who have no idea what you’re on about really do present a challenge, but I was happy with how it went and I just about managed to get across what I wanted to.

I do have quite a lot of work, so until tomorrow – goodnight.

Day 969 – 18th November 2009

This probably ends the food theme that’s been going on over the past week, but what a great one to end on. ‘Es petit bar’ translates to the little bar, and they’re not kidding. From where I’m taking this picture by back is almost up against the wall. The barman gets more room than the customers!

That’s partly why I love this place, it’s got a miniature charm, but also it’s right next door to where I’m training, making it a great place to have coffee in the afternoon. In fact, I come here most mornings for breakfast too, they do a great croissant!

That’s probably enough about the bar for today. It’s been another late night planning tomorrow’s lesson. I’m switching to teaching an elementary class – a radical change from the intermediates I’m used to, so I’ve had to be extra careful in the planning. Hopefully I’ll adjust quickly to teaching them, but at the moment it does feel somewhat like a step into the unknown!

It’s way past my bed time.

Day 968 – 17th November 2009

Back to food today – chestnuts roasting on an open fire. You can barely see the chestnuts and you can barely see the fire, but I think you get the idea.

My rule is not to mention Christmas before December, I’ve just broken it, I know, but I have to say that this is such a Christmassy thing. It’s a shame that it’s not cold, you can’t see your breath, even at the dead of night, so hot chestnuts really aren’t quite the order of the day – probably about as much good as mulled wine and mince pies. It’s weird to be thinking about such things when I’ve not even put my coat on yet.

Got stuck in traffic this morning so I was rushing to get my lesson set up, it all went well in the end so this is a bit of a non-story.

Day 967 – 16th November 2009

In another slight change of plan from the lunchtime food project, I chose another picture. Actually, I went back to the pizza place from the other day so I thought I should perhaps avoid repetition.

This is opposite the school I’m in, the square is a long way down below – the clock bongs every hour but I’m told it’s not quite the right time. If that’s true, it quickly shifts from being useful to really annoying.

Talking of school – I’ve been planning a lesson all night, so it’s easily my bed time now.

Day 966 – 15th November 2009

Once again, the day I decide to do some washing is the one day where it won’t dry. It’s not cold outside, it’s just that the clouds obscured the sun when it came round to my side of the building. It was sunny for the rest of the day, just not those three or so hours I needed it to be.

This happens almost every time, today I’ve had to stick the gas fire on to dry stuff out – I’m keeping an eye on it all just to make sure it doesn’t catch fire, as you can see it’s not the most up to date contraption. Fire or not, it’s getting mighty toasty in here with that heater on – I feel slightly guilty opening the window with it on, but it might just come down to that.

Back to work tomorrow, I think I’m just about ready – early night tonight.

Day 965 – 14th November 2009

The food mini series is taking a break for the weekend – there’s not many places you can go for a quick lunch where I live, and I think Burger King has probably featured enough already.

I’ve done very little today, Saturday is my day off and I’m glad of it. I was also pleased to get some mail from people this morning, two letters. Weird they should both come today, as I haven’t received an actual handwritten letter for about three years now. It’s like a massively out of proportion version of the ‘two come at once’ bus joke. Still, I know that one of the senders reads this occasionally, so thank you, you know who you are.

Day 964 – 13th November 2009

The third episode in the run of lunchtime food suppliers is all about pizza. This, my friend, is a good place for pizza. Much like pancakes yesterday, it’s difficult to find a decent bit of pizza here so I’m ever grateful when one that makes more than edible food pops up next door to me.

In a strange turn of events, only one person turned up for this morning’s English lesson so it had to be called off. I was lucky not to be teaching myself, so it didn’t affect me much, but basically the morning was cancelled. The superstitious among you will note that it’s Friday 13th, the rest of you will just say it was hard luck.

It was awkward and odd to say the least, we can only hope it doesn’t happen again.

Day 963 – 12th November 2009

It’s day two of the lunchtime project, and today the unfortunate soul under scrutiny is the pancake lady. Well, they call them crepes here, but I call them pancakes…

It’s ironic I suppose that you can barely see the pancake in this picture, it’s all bleached out – the contrast between inside her little shop and outside was way to high to be able to get everything looking normal, so I went for the woman behind the pudding, rather then the pudding itself.

I like this place, mainly because, like all of these food pictures I guess, it tastes so good. I find it difficult to get my hands on a satisfactory dessert in these parts, so if you’re reading, Mrs. Pancake (I never did get your name), you have made my days just that tiny bit more bearable!

I stayed up very, very late last night to do some work and teaching this morning after four hours sleep was a struggle. I’m told it went well , but I honestly don’t remember much about it now. Looks like it’s going to be another late night tonight too – roll on the weekend.

Day 962 – 11th November 2009

In a new departure for picture of the day, I’ve decided to start a small set of images, a ‘mini series’ if you like, all about food. It’s mainly because that’s just about all I’m going out to see on weekdays at the moment – I thought it’s be nice to get some shots of people who feed me on a daily basis.

So here’s the first one, Wolfgang the wurst guy. It’s basic stuff, but it’s a very good lunch indeed and perhaps a little ironically for a sausage place, I’d recommend one of the burgers. I will add for detail’s sake that despite this being a very German food, Wolfgang is from Austria. So there you have it.

There shall probably be more of these in the coming days, although I won’t hesitate to briefly interrupt this series if something more interesting happens!

It’s Armistice day, something which I make a point of mentioning here every year – this one’s no different. No one wears a poppy here. No one has two minutes silence, but I wore it and I shut up at eleven o’clock (actually twelve on Spanish time).

Day 961 – 10th November 2009

With yet another lesson to teach, and some more work to get through, taking pictures wasn’t really on my mind today, so I’m afraid this is all I have to offer.

No lesson tomorrow so I’m only doing reading tonight. I really should do more, but I could use the sleep. I have nothing else to say. Today’s lesson went well – let’s see what happens tomorrow.

Day 960 – 9th November 2009

It was a long day today, and I had a lot of work to do when I got home, so I decided to grab a pizza as a quick dinner. I stopped at a place on my way to the car, and when I went in – look what I saw. I felt like I’d walked into Casablanca.

The place was quite nicely done up – the walls are all mirrored giving an impressive illusion of space. The pizza wasn’t so nice, and I probably won’t go back, but I thought it was interesting just as a one off.

I taught today, and I’ll be teaching tomorrow – probably best get off to bed.

Day 959 – 8th November 2009

It’s the same hill, taken from the same place at the same time – not at all the same day though. Yesterday we saw the clouds coming in from the left – they still haven’t gone.

It’s been stormy – wind, hail and rain have battered the building all day, and continue to do so. I’ve been cooped up inside all day working, and I’m glad I was!

I’m not feeling too well tonight – I won’t go into details but I’m off to bed early in the hope I can sleep it off. I’m teaching again tomorrow morning so I really do hope I feel a bit better by then…

Day 958 – 7th November 2009

I don’t know how many times I’ve got a picture of this hill, but today I think you really can see the storm coming in on the left so I stuck with it.

It’s been a nice day otherwise, it’s only this evening that the wind has started to batter the building, sending patio furniture flying around in all directions.

Saturdays are beginning to look like they might become my regular day off. Nothing to do for tomorrow and a full free day ahead of me to prepare for Monday – it’s the only day where I can sit back and not even think about work without feeling guilty. That’s what I did today, and I liked it.

Day 957 – 6th November 2009

It’s the end of the week. I’ve got work to do this weekend though – back to back lessons on Monday and Tuesday to prepare.

I’m liking my time in Palma though, it’s tough, but the colleagues on my course make it more than bearable. It’s a relief that everyone’s getting on so well, it does make life so much easier.

You probably already guessed that I didn’t really get a picture today – this was just on the way home before getting in the car. Still, I’m actually quite pleased with this one, however blurry and slightly dull it may be.

Day 956 – 5th November 2009

It’s the 5th of November, but here in Spain there’s not much to remember at all. I found out that they celebrate Guy Fawkes in New Zealand too – seems odd but hey, each to his own.

It’s also day 2 of teacher training – I gave a quick 20 minutes lesson which went pretty well. So far so good on the teaching front.

We saw these guys walk past during lunch. I’m not sure what some of the stuff they are holding is, but it was making a lot of noise – whatever they were doing, they seemed to light up the square in the fifteen seconds they walked through it.

Even better news than all of this, from my perspective anyway, is that as soon as I finish typing this picture shall go straight to the internet. I’ve got a 3G dongle now – and it feels good. It does disprove my theory about the internet being a complex series of tubes though…

Day 955 – 4th November 2009

Just look at those buttresses fly.

My first day of teacher training has been and gone, and very nice it was too. My colleagues are all affable and interesting – a good start by all means. I won’t drone on about what we did – mainly because I have so little time.

I’ve got all my work done for the evening, but it’s late and I need to be up in the morning – I’m teaching a 20 minute lesson. All I’m doing is telling an anecdote, but the amount of paperwork involved is stunning for such a simple task.

I’m trying to obtain a pay as you go 3G dongle, tonight’s late visit to Burger King was particularly unwelcome after a long day – although to the credit of the people who work there they were very friendly indeed.

The picture, I should say, is of the cathedral in Palma – as ever far too big to get in the frame.

Day 954 – 3rd November 2009

I went down to Palma today to give my workplace for the next month a quick once-over. This is the tree standing right in front of the place.

Palma is probably the only place I haven’t visited in any depth. It’s a nice place, lovely in fact, but I haven’t really fancied plodding around a sweaty Spanish city in the middle of summer. As I’ve probably already mentioned it’s cooler now so I was glad to have a potter around.

As crowded as Palma might be, and as bad as the traffic situation is, at this time of the year the island’s capital is the only place that’s alive on this chunk of land. The town around me has shut down in the space of a week. In contrast, everywhere in Palma was open, it wasn’t busy, but it was at least open. You can get breakfast from somewhere other than the supermarket. That’s a good feeling.

So, my training starts as of tomorrow. It takes a month. Hopefully they have wireless at the school so I might be able to dodge Burger King and sneak the odd picture up from there. Like I said, the building is directly behind me from where I took the picture, so don’t be surprised if there are a couple more pictures of the same tree in the coming four weeks.

Day 953 – 2nd November 2009

Two days into November and it’s still hot. Luckily, it’s not so hot at night these days, so this place is starting to become more and more bearable in terms of climate. November, December and January used to be my favourite months, but only because I could whip out the winter coat with all its much loved bulk and pockets.

I don’t know why I like to wrap up in winter, but I do, and I won’t be happy until it gets cold enough to do so on Mallorca. Locals have told me that there might be a week, if not less, where that might happen. No more. I hope they’re wrong – I’m really not ready to launch back into the really hot weather quite just yet.

I’m looking way too far into the future though. It’s been a fairly good day today – I finally picked up my bank card. You have to go to the bank to actually get it off them unlike in the UK where it just gets sent to you. That’s fine by me, it’s far more secure, however you also have to call when you get home to activate the card.

Considering I already showed my ID twice to obtain the card then went to pick it up in person at my branch, I found having to make the call illogical and annoying. You quickly realise the point of it though – once you’ve confirmed your details etc… they then proceed to give a ten minute speech trying to sell you some sort of insurance.

I kept saying no, but I still can’t be sure if I’ve actually ended up with something I don’t want.

Day 952 – 1st November 2009

Oh look – a cat on the stairs. I think I got a cat picture the other day, and it’s probably starting to seem like I’m some sort of feline freak but that’s not at all the case – it’s simply a repeat of yesterday… nothing much else happened.

I couldn’t help notice that its eyes were shining like in a cartoon – it’s almost all you can see in the dark!