because the internet

Good Morning.

So glad to see we've all resurfaced and that all is going well for Megan, Sarah and Dee. I can't wait to hear about this first expedition in adulthood with an Undergrad under our belts. (I include you Sarah as a confidence in how swimmingly it'll go for you!)

 I'm still kicking it over here in London with Jam, teaching the tiny people. Come January I'll be here a year! Does that count as 'having lived in London?' legitimately then? Like a true resident I haven't taken advantage of many of the great things the city has to offer. I use my weekends to sleep in and experiment with cooking brunch using what's left in the fridge from the week(very often beans on toast.) If I were one for resolutions, ticking off some must sees would definitely be number one.

We have undertaken challenging construction projects...  

There have been plenty stumbled upon gems however, like this old school French bakery.

It's been a busy term in school finishing up my NQT year and getting into a routine that works for 30 small people and 3 adults who need to spend 6 hours a day together as harmoniously as possible. I hope not to have to eat my words when I say it's been ok so far...cue some blurred classroom pics.

Just understand maths already small folk!

My room was decorated in the summer and feels so...bare.

I've put up and decorated my first fake Christmas tree. The lack of wilting in the branches has been my greatest peeve about the transition  (I do accept that I should have anticipated this.) Winter geansais have been pulled out of the wardrobe and have made a very welcome return to my days and nights. I'll be home Christmas Eve for a few days and fingers crossed that schedules can be aligned so I get to see you all buds!

This years addition to my ever growing jumper collection.

This album blows my mind btw. It's currently on repeat.

Merry Happy Folks!

Ciara

x

And so they all returned safely. . .

This is a long overdue post and if anyone even reads this anymore, hi and thanks for bearing with us during that slightly longer than expected intermission we had over the months of July and August. I'm back from my gallivanting in South America and England and have been home about 2 uneventful weeks. It's been so odd being home and overwhelming trying to see all my friends in different parts of the country that I've gone a bit AWOL and haven't seen the light of day much. 

Even though I haven't been home for so long and I've been dying just to be home, relaxing, I thought it'd take me some time to get used to it again and realise I am home. But it hasn't. 

It's like I never left! I arrived home without any fanfares or trumpets. I got off the bus in my town and expected my family to be waiting. In typical Murph fashion, they were half an hour late! We went straight up to my old secondary school to collect my sister's Leaving Certificate results. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the little genius and wish her all the best as she starts her career as a Nurse! 

Some of this duvet-day behaviour was down to getting Erasmus papers in order [nearly ready to go!], my Co-Op report done [handed in already] and my FYP research started [still *ahem* working on this one] but really, I've been a bit lazy. Sorry to all my friends reading. I swear, for the next 3 weeks I am here, I will do my utmost to cater to you, particularly those of ye who are fecking off to France a bit earlier than I am to Austria. 

Though I did have a pretty good time out at the "Decades Festival" in Cork with Megan and Dee. We danced to "Mack the Knife". And certain people insulted a local Radio   DJ. Scarla'.

Some of my hermit-like behaviour is down to missing the intense lifestyle I had in England for 5 weeks. The same thing happened last year too. In a job where you work with a tight 25-strong staff, 300 kids, 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, it's a little claustrophobic so when you do have the opportunity to be free in the open air of cities, away from the madness, you begin to miss it. I love teaching, I really do, so I miss my classes. I had some great kids this year. I taught kids from all over the gaff; from Turkey, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan [yes, this is a country. I did not know this either],China and Sweden. We'd some great classes like a whole class on the meaning of "Imagine" by John Lennon, Scavenger Hunts and a film review class on "Mean Girls" [forgot about all the swearing in that film. Probs a mistake, that one]. There was mighty craic during the activities like a water balloon fight, fancy dress [soy loca como un ... cheetah?], a British fete where the kids had the opportunity to throw wet sponges at me, an "Egg Drop", a bin bag Fashion Show, a World Cup Football Tournament, the many Talent Shows - one kid played a song on his teeth and I won a marshmallow-in-mouth competition [17, oh yes]. The discos were probably enjoyed by the staff more than the kids but the atmosphere was pretty fun and nothing made it more worthwhile than seeing the kids making friends with kids of other nationalities. The below picture illustrates how we needed to be aware of different cultural traditions and customs - this sign was for the benefit of a 30-strong group of mental Chinese kids, aged between 7 to 13. 

They were adorable. One night, we heard a noise in the hall and went out to investigate to see that all the tiny little Chinese kids had gone and washed their school uniforms in the showers! The local pub was made home and I spent an extortionate amount of money there but in comparison to Ireland, twas' cheap as chips. There was cake fights and bush running and cat pushing and drinking games galore - necessary behaviour to ensure the craic factor was upheld. Being Irish was a benefit as the kids understood me quite well but some of the other staff members did do the usual "Irish banter" rigmarole. Thus I was dubbed "Potato" - by staff and kids alike - and this became my theme tune, played at every possible opportunity. 

  Catchy, right? Ireland's oh so wonderful run of losses in the pre- Rugby World Cup matches really helped too! Mind you, sweet revenge was had by inflicting upon some of them classic Irish slang such as "class" and "grand".

  I got to see a lot of the country on free trips to London, Bristol, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cardiff. Oh and Stroud. That mecca for all things cultural. Other events included having spinny chair races, watching "Come Dine with Me" drunk, hiding in bushes, jumping over fences, making fun of our resident Justin Bieber look alike, having a Chinese take-away on a stage with lights and dub-step and making "Total Eclipse of the Heart" so much better by adding the word "f**king" at regular intervals. Craic illustrated through the below snaps.

 Now, this isn't as exciting as Ciara's rogue adventures around California but I have neither the word space or energy to detail the end of my Argentina adventures. Ara, sure there'll be enough time for that. Except this weekend, as I am about to do a "Ciara" on it and feck off to a festival. 

 The lucky field is Stradbally in Co. Laois where my brother and I will spend the next 4 days volunteering at Electric Picnic '11 and seeing the acts when we can. Pulp are headlining too so after Ciara's recommendation, they have been upgraded from "If we can" to a "We must". Looks like it'll be a muddy one so full coverage from that and the end of Argentina adventures stories upon my return. I will leave you with the above pictures of Inglaterra to brood upon and some songs of the acts I'm most excited to see at EP 2011. 

Auf Wiedersehen.

S

A pic a day to pass the time

Seeing as I am ridiculously busy with teaching on this summer camp, I'll post a picture each day of the end of the Argentina experience or something from my time here in sunny South-West England. It'll pass the time till I can remember how to string a paragraph together.

Enjoy.

Copa America Football match between Brazil and Venezula in La Plata, Buenos Aires.

What.an.experience. Representing the homeland though.

S

Potatoes

Hurrah! Ciara is alive as is Megan. Dee is somewhere between Ireland and Argentina at the minute whereas I am still here in lovely England, working 16 hour days and not having any time to have a life.

Big quick update as we are expecting 190 children to leave today and 100 to arrive.

1/ Harry Potter in 3D last night. I have been right about Neville Longbottom all these years and only now do people listen. A dignified tear was shed. Unlike my friend who had her hanky out. Regardless, R.I.P my childhood.

2/ Haven't been paid yet so that means I maaaayyy have started a tab in the local pub where they call me "Sarah The Hat" as I have a tendency of forgetting my hats there after a few drinks.

3/Pork Scratchings. Ew.Ew.Ew.Yum.

4/Just Dance 2 on the Wii. Craic galooooorrreeee. We had the option of using the gym but that's the least appealling thing in the world after running around all day.

5/ Cheltenham. Quite posh.

6/ Stowford Press. Oo-arrrrrrr.

7/ English summers are quite wet but we're getting a few rays at the moment so it's a sharp contrast from cold Argentina.

8/ My students. I love them. They've been a great class and we've had some cracking lessons. We've done our futuristic cities, listened to a bit of John Lennon and learnt about the Clash. Superheroes and comics tomorrow!

9/ Being Irish in a sea of English will always provoke "banter". Thus the nickname "potato" has been born.

10/ There ain't no meat like Argentinian meat but then again it has been nice to eat regular meals of normal sizes with the addition of the magical properties of vegetables. Never shall I take the idea of a carrot for granted again. Also TWO desserts a day!

I only have about 3 weeks left here and there's plenty of banter with the 30-strong staff but I'm looking forward to putting on the brakes once I get home though that is not going to happen. I've Vienna modules to choose and Final Year Project worries on my mind as well as my Argentina Co-Op report to write.

BUT my brother and I were both accepted as volunteers for ELECTRIC PICNIC 2011!!!

One of Ireland's best festivals, with my recently-turned-18-year-old-brother, for 4 days, together, having the time and getting to see amazing bands for free. My highlights so far are Arcade Fire, Chemical Brothers, Sharon Shannon, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Foster the People, British India, Rubberbandits, Pulp, Beirut, Lykke Li, Midlake, Warpaint, O Emperor, Gemma Hayes and Best Coast.

And that's my life at the moment in a nutshell. I want to hear more about Huntington and Cork, bitte bitte bitte!

S

Bad blogger apology

Tis' I. The real slim Sarah. You've heard right. I've left my adopted mother land to return home to my mother but only for a fleeting 2 days. At present, I'm in the lovely Cotswold area of England, preparing for the arrival of 250 children in an English language summer camp. I.am.terr.i.fied. I've forgotten how to teach on my own and balance activities and trips and night duty and breakfast duty and roll calls and registers and intensive classes and projects and so on. BUT... it is very sunny and the village I am in has a pub with Pimms and there is an Indian take away and I love childern and we get to go to Cadbury's World. A world of CADBURY'S!

I shall be back with muchoooo updates about the mecca that is Buenos Aires and my time at home soon but until then accept my apologises and contact the Police in regard to Ciara's complete disappearance.

S