work is dead dead slow

Not much to report apart from the fact that I have too much time on my hands

Dealing with Spanish Teens

I have two teen classes in a comprehensive school in Madrid. The first are little brats who just simply don´t want to be there. They´re only there because their parents want them to learn English. They´d rather be playing in the playground with their mates. I have a student called Paul (not his real name) who exceptionally disruptive. He spendes most of his time fighting with his friend Dave (again not his real name) over reward points and other things.
The second teenage group, however, is totally different. They are like little adults and well-disciplined.

till my ears bleed

I have been teaching in a typical Spanish colegio. The first class is a doddle. Two children, a girl, a boy and a text book. They're well-behaved and responsive. However, the next class is a different kettle of fish.... Seven year olds with an attention span of a goldfish..... Although I am a great teacher, I find young learners very challenging. They seem to be in a world of their own and seem to do as they please.

The colegio in Sianz de Baranda has children from 4-16. The place is really noisy. I feel I have to wear ear plugs when entering the building. Spanish children tend to be noisier than British children. However, the noise from the children is deafening. I honestly don't know how the teachers tolerate the deafening noise from the children.

They've taken the young learners group away from me... Now they're giving me a problem teen group..... Bring it on!!!!

Winter Chaos across Europe

In the last blog, I talked about how I may never get home due to the flight cancellations. However, I was one of the lucky few who managed to get home on time without any problems. Returning back to Madrid also managed to be plain sailing.
At the moment, things are pretty quiet. I only had two children out of nine in my kids´class. As a result the kids were well bwehaved and didn´t speak Spanish throughou the whole class. The office is very quiet as many teachers are still stuck in England.
Bliss!!!!

Am I going to get home....

The bad weather across Europe has caused mass delays ewverywhere. Saturday saw Eurostar trains being stranded for 15 hours. Easyjet flights everywhere have been cancelled.
While it may be nice to see snow over the Christmas period, it is still a realy pain in the arse to those whose loves have been disrupted. My flight back to London Gatwick is due to leave at 7.30 tomorrow morning. However, I am admant that this flight is going to leave on time... If it does, then Jesus (and the easyjet crew and Civil Aviation Authority) will have performed a miracle.
Fingers crossed

Order out of Chaos

I have been given two junior classes at my academy. I have two groups of 8-12 year olds. I love it. I love the fact that the kids are highly motivated individuals who love being in a class with a chaotic, scatterbrained teacher like myself. I love the fact that they throw things at eachother, have no sense of discipline, and do as they please.

Welcome to the world of teaching kids in Spain.

Working for a well-known international academy

I´m fed-up with working for unknown outfits that advertise block-hours when you are lucky they only have three hours a week for you. I´m fed-up with the tedium of turning up to large companies when no-one is there. I´m tired of women from such agencies phoning me to say that my class has been cancelled, therefore, you lose money. I´m tired of having very boring conversations with business executives who I have absolutely nothing in common whatsoever. I hate having to make endless photocopies that are goinhg to be thrown in the bin by the student(s) at the end of the day.
I´ve decided to work for a well-known academy that offers me guaranteed classes with very little travel. I´m guaranteed good hours and don´t have to run around like a headless chicken on the metro all day. I don´t have to carry heavy bags in a backpàck that is gradually falling apart. I can put all my beloved books into one locker. I know I´m going to receive the same amount of money every month.
However, the hours can be quite unsociable. When all my pals are down the pub on a friday night, I´m stuck in a classroom till 9.30pm. Afterwards, I can´t go out like most teachers, get blind drunk and whinge about the state of academies in Spain. No, I have to be up to teach 10-12-year-old kids who´d rather be somewhere else? So, why do I do it? I like the lifestyle. It beats the rat-race at home. I have more light in the winter in Madrid and am more likely to run into people I know than I am in my hometown.

Digging up Madrid

Madrid is getting ready for the possibility to host the 2016 Olympics. It is reorganising the city and installing new fast rail connections. What's more they are digging up every single space and taking ages. Calle Velazquez is a great example. It is now almost impossible to walk on as there aren't many pavements left.

Madrid:The Noisiest City in Europe?

I find very difficult to get to sleep here, especially with the endless noise I have to put up with. I hate having to deal with the vibrations of the metro under my floor and the endless noise of people talking ´normally´next door.
When I play frogger´ in the traffic in Paseo de Castellana, trying to get from one side of the street to another, I find myself covering my ears to blot out the drivers horns. In Madrid, it seems that people love the sounds of their horns, even though they have no effect when the road is totally gridlocked. The police try and deal with the gridlocked street by blowing their whistles and throwing their arms into different directions. This doesn´t solve anything. It just makes my ears bleed. An ambululance and Civil Guardia patrol car whail their sirens to try and get through the daily disaster zone.
On the number 27 bus, there are 3 old-age pensioners talking extremely loudly to eachother as if they´re having a big argument. No, they´re not arguing. They´re having a normal conversation. Next to me, there is a man on his mobile revealing his entrire plans and life story to the whole bus..
The Production Line (Line 10 or the dark blue one) has its fair share of irritating buskers who disturb your pleasurable read or tune on your mp3 player.
I try and get some peace in the tranquility of one of Madrid´s parks. Again, my peace is disturbed by a Romanian playing When the Saints Go Marching in and pestering people for money afterwards.
So, why is it that Madrid is noisier than any other city in Europe? What can be done to eliminate some of this noise? How many Madrilenos are deaf as a result??





http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/out-of-spain-worlds-noisiest-city-turns-deaf-ear-to-acoustic-alarmists-1485957.html

You´ve gotta pick a pocket or two

Madrid is rife with sneky robbers. Not the kind you would find in the Bronx in NY or the ruthless maniacs you would find in Tranchtown. Satistically, you are less likely to be a victim of violent crime in Madrid than you are in most cities in Europe. However, Madrid is one of the cities you are most likelty to get pickpocketed. The most touristy parts and the busiest parts are pickpocketers´meccas.
Pickpocketers are real sneaky ****s. You won´t know you´ve been pickpocketed until you need to go into your wallet. The rush hour is the worst. Morning and Night. They know that people are are at their most tired at these times and less vigilant. What´s more, they will have to cram onto a crowded Metro carriage like sarines. Pickpocketers love this as they can easily slip their hands into people´s front pockets.
After nicking your wallet, they will get what they want out of it and bin the rest. I was told that if I return to the station that the slimey thieves got off, I could at least retain my wallet. I got my wallet back OK without my J and J books loyalty card, my debit card and my Metro pass.
Despite the fact that the ticket office knew my Metro pass had been stolen, they still stung me for 55 Euros for another mothly pass.
So what can people do???
Being vigilant is never enough. These people are professionally trained to nick your contents.
1. Try and avoid the centre carriages of the Metro. They pack out the most.
2. Try a money belt and keep the thing under wraps. That said, pickpockets have been known to rob moneybelts.
3. The FCO website asks people to avoid places lie Lavapies, Sol and Atocha on busy days.
4. Carry a dud wallet with no money and a strong message.
5. Never speak English on the Metro and don´t hang around reading Lonely Planet guidebooks at station platforms.




You see, Oliver...
In this life, one thing counts In the bank, large amounts I'm afraid these don't grow on trees, You've got to pick-a-pocket or two You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys, You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.

Large amounts don't grow on trees. You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Let's show Oliver how it's done, shall we, my dears?
Why should we break our backs Stupidly paying tax? Better get some untaxed income Better to pick-a-pocket or two. You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Why should we all break our backs? Better pick-a-pocket or two.
Who says crime doesn't pay?
Robin Hood, what a crook!Gave away, what he took.Charity's fine, subscribe to mine.Get out and pick-a-pocket or twoYou've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Robin Hood was far too goodHe had to pick-a-pocket or two.
Take a tip from Bill SikesHe can whip what he likes.I recall, he started smallHe had to pick-a-pocket or two.You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
We can be like old Bill SikesIf we pick-a-pocket or two.
Stop thief!Dear old gent passing bySomething nice takes his eyeEverything's clear, attack the rearGet in and pick-a-pocket or two. You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Have no fear, attack the rearGet in and pick-a-pocket or two.
When I see someone rich, Both my thumbs start to itchOnly to find some peace of mindWe have to pick-a-pocket or two. You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Just to find some peace of mind
We have to pick-a-pocket or two!

There´s always a lawyer in madrid if you need one.

I have been here for more than 3 months and I find that most people I meet in Madrid are lawyers. Not necessarily criminal lawyers, but mainly corporate ones. In addion, I find that there are even more Madrilenos who have done law degrees and are doing something else. Why is it that there are so many lawyers in Madrid in comparison to other professions?

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Back in Brown's Britain and NOT Smoking

I arrived back on the 19th December after having to deal with a 90 minute flight delay due to bad weather in Amsterdam. I don't know how that effects a flight from London to Madrid, but there you go.
For over two weeks, I can sit and relax without having to push myself on crowded Metro trains and running around a big city with photocopied pieces of paper to simply 'entertain' business people for a couple of hours. I don't have to think if there is going to be a class or not. I also don't have to worry about having to travel at all if I don't feel like it. I live For these two weeks, I don't have to worry about trying to communicate with people in another Language. Almost everyone in my home town speaks the same language.

What's more, I can sit in a pub or cafe without being in a haze of foul cigarette smoke. I can sit in pubs with carpets and nice comfortable chairs, as opposed to rickety bar stools.

One of the main things I miss about Britain is being able to go for a drink without sitting in massive clouds of smoke. The smoking ban is working and makes life more comfortable for the majority of us. In Spain, it seems that everyone smokes wherever you go. It seems that smoking is a classless habit in Spain. It doesn't matter what the age or class of that person is. If that person is an adult, he or she is more likely to smoke than people from Britain or the US. There have been attempts to bring in a similar ban on smoking in Spain. However, they openly gave bars the choice whether to allow smoking or not. Most bars simply decided that they were not going to allow their customers to break a habit of a lifetime.

Spanish Flu

The weather is pretty mild here as one can imagine. however, the evenings are getting pretty cold. This means that there are lots of horrible viruses spreading around the city. Whenever I tavel on the metro, I find that at least 10 people are coughing their guts up. i have been a victim of this myself, as I´ve had a cough for over 3 weeks.

Spanish pronunciation

It is said that Spain and Portugal hvae the lowest number of English speakers in Europe. Speaking Spanish is essential to survive here.
The Spanish who do speak English often have problems with pronunciation. Many cannot make the ´sh´sound or the ´j´sound. The ´zh´sound is also another one. These sounds don´t exist in Spanish.
Whatsmore, some students have problems sounding some vowels. I recently had a student who couldn´t say the word ´sheet´without saying ´shit.´ After 15 minutes of trying to get him to make the ee sound, the guy just simply went back to saying ´shit.´

Teaching in Madrid

Spain is one of the most popular places in Europe to teach. According to tefl.com over 26% of jobseekers who have their CVs posted on their website is looking for a position there. Apparently, there are now more people entering Spain than leaving the country.
Why?
1. It probably hasthe best weather in Europe. Everyone wants a place in the sun.
2. Many people have a romanticised vision of the country. People have an image of the country being laid-back and relaxed.
3. The language is easier than Korean, Japanese, Slovak or Polish.
4. There is a large ex-pat community here. Apparently, according to the last count, 1,000,000 Britons live here. There are also a fair number of Germans, Canadians and Americans.
5. Thanks to low-cost airlines, it is cheap, quick and accessible to get here.
6. Spain is not too much of a culture shock.



Spain has always had many English language schools. Most of them are relatively dodgy outfits, which have a high turnover of teachers. Due to the demand of people wanting to live in Spain, they can keep wages relatively low. The current average wage in Spain is 1000 Euros a month for a teacher. This is only just enough to survive.
In Madrid, the salary is not much better, despite the additional costs.

Autumn in Madrid

It´s November and the clocks have finally gone back. It now gets light at 7.49 in the morning and the sun sets at 18.15. This isn´t as half as depressing as the UK when the clocks go back. What´s more, it is still relatively hot here with daytime temperatures of +20.

I thought I´d take advantage of the warm weather to take some pictures of Madrid´s finest landmarks such as this one: the Temple de Deboda, which was kindly donated to Franco´s government of the 1960s by the Egyptians. Apparently this building is over 2000 years old.

doce de octobure

October 12th is an important day for the people of Spain. It is Spain´s national holiday and gives people a chance wave Spanish flags with pride. I don´t know exactly why October 12th was chosen to be the national day, but I heard that Franco decided for some reason that this day would be Spain´s day.

The day is marked by a massive military parade on Plaza de Castallana. The whole boulevard is filled with tanks, armoured cars and other weapons of mass destruciton to show Spain´s military might. This mighty display would not look out of place in a country with a totalitarian regime.

As I struggled to get through the patriotic million strong crowd, I noticed how passionate people were about their country. As the jet fighters roared through the city centre, a number of people happily shouted Vive Espana!!!!

Welcome to Madrid

Madrid is apparently the fifth most visited place in Europe. Despite its popularity, it is a modern city with little to offer in the way of striking architecture. Yet people love Madrid for its vibrance and the fact that Madrilenos know how to enjoy themselves: By partying till 7 in the morning.

I am not actually living in Madrid, but in a town outside Madrid called Fuenlabrada. This town consists of red brick council flats and a large immigrant population. Chinese, Hispanics, North Africans and Black Africans live here as the rent is cheaper and there has been an overspill from the city.

Living in Fuenlabrada is fine as public transport to the city centre is excellent. Trains run every 10 minutes. It takes about 35 minutes into the city centre.

My apartment is really noisy as it is at some busy crossroads. There is no double glazing in my apartment, so I can hear cars, motorcycles and drunken Spaniards all night long. Earplugs are essential.

Mad in Madrid

I´m working at an academy, teaching businesses around Madrid. Unlike other places where I have worked, I´m practically self-employed, which means that I don´t get the perks such as flights and travel passes paid for by the academy.
The school, which will remain nameless, is meant to b one of the most prestigious academies in Madrid. However, this doesn´t stop the academy from being disorganised. They don´t seem to know who the teachers are or who the clients are or what levels of English they have.