So. I've finally started a proper blog, a blog that I will do my utmost to update and write in a full and satisfactory manner. Tis' a better alternative to a diary because I get terrible hand cramp and suffer from bouts of laziness.
The purpose of this blog is to entertain, inform and jot down my memories before I lose them in amongst the going-ons of everyday life. Bit more for me, than for you. Call me self-absorbed, why don't you! I prefer sentimental. I don't imagine this'll be read by many but I don't care either.
I titled this blog "Snapshots of Summer" because I have an interesting summer ahead, jam-packed of firsts.
My first foreign festival, my first summer job and my first time au-pairing. My first time to England, my first time to Spain, my first college results, some of my first grown up life experiences. Maybe some people might find some of this interesting! I can't promise any major literary genius at work here but I do love pictures so there'll be a sh*tload of them!
Without further ado, I'll introduce myself and provide a background to the stories you'll be reading.
I'm a 19 year old Languages student who has just finished her first year of University in Ireland. Now back at home after moving out from college, I am living with my family, waiting for the summer to kick itself into shape.
Having finished college about 3 weeks ago, I've pretty much none nothing worth recalling. I have a small part-time job supervising study for students about to do their Leaving Certificate examinations which earns me a bit of moolah for the coming 3 months. That will only last until the end of June however, when it all kicks off.
I am going to Glastonbury 2010, the 40th anniversary of the Contemporary Arts and Music Festival, with most of my family. My family is extremely close-knit and my relationship with my parents, particularly my mother, is something I am very grateful for. With the close age-gap between me and my siblings, we felt it's the right time to undertake this life experience and despite my months of research into the festival, I know nothing will adequately prepare us for what those 5 days will throw at us.
I am a crazy mixture of excitement, anticipation, nervousness and anxiety. Murphy's Law has already tried to interfere. Yesterday, while our tickets arrived, our main mode of transport died! Yet, this blog will detail my experiences of the festival despite these little bumps in the road. Why? Because to paraphrase Boston, it's more than a festival. More on this later.
Copyright: George Saguna http://workingwithlight.wordpress.com/
From Glastonbury, I return home on the Monday after. On the Friday, I fly out to a small town south of London to begin my career as a TEFL teacher. I will begin my first job, teaching 10 - 15 year old non-native speakers English, in July and finish in early August.
When comparing my preparation for Glastonbury, I feel I have neglected my preparation for this month long job somewhat. I don't even know where to begin. I was lucky to get this position in the first place as my qualification isn't exactly recognised by this overall institution but a very kind manager and a great ability to talk on my part did the trick! I am beyond excited and if I were to scale my anxiety on a graph of some sort, it would be off the charts. I have tried to prepare lessons already and have spent over 50euro on stationary and class activities, yet it's hard to know what to expect.
I want to teach English around the world during my interludes from college because I love travel and languages. By the age of 16, I had already been to 15 different European countries and aside from native English, I am at an advanced level in Irish and German and have begun to learn Spanish. I plan to shove another language or two in there along the way.
One of the things I am most excited about are the excursions! I have never been to England before, despite all my willful attempts. Glastonbury will be the first time but my heart is focused on London and with some of the excursions around the city included in my job profile, I think it will be the children trying to restrain me from running off down Oxford St! And there are excursion to Brighton! To anyone who lives near these parts or thinks I am an absolute mad woman, you cannot begin to understand my fascination with the complex country that is England. Perhaps, a compassion towards Jane Austen can be to blame for some part, as next on my list is the Lake District and all its country manors. All that and more to come.
The final part of my summer sees me finish in my English Summer School and fly out to Madrid where I will be an au-pair to what appears to be a lovely Spanish couple with one 6 year old son. They live in a northern suburb of Madrid and I will work and live with them for a period of 5 weeks.
If I thought I was little informed about my TEFL position, I forgot about this part of my summer. I have only conversed with the family via email and a quick Google name check backs up their story that they are doctors. They have sent my pictures of the family and their son and all seems ok. Yet, I am wary of the horror stories of previous au-pairs and having never been to Spain, let alone Madrid, before, I cannot help but feel ill prepared for the month of August. Mind you, it will be an experience. First time in Europe alone? My mother cycled around Europe on and off for 7 years, beginning by living in London at 19. My mother is my role model so I must go on!
I hope the family are as nice as they sound and that I do my job right. The boy sounds like a nice kid also and I am sure the experience in London will have given me a taste of dealing with young children. The main draw of au-pairing is not the money [80e a week, above average apparently] but the experience for my Spanish. Unfortunately, I wrote my emails in English and then translated them into Spanish via Google Translate so they may think I have superior Spanish to what I actually do have!!! Ooops!
If I push aside my worried thoughts for a moment, I cannot contain my joy at the idea of spending over a month in and around Madrid! I know very little of Madrid but I suppose that's half the fun of it. Madrid is super quiet in August as all the locals head to the sea, so I think there is a weekend by the sea for me too! This job could be the highlight of my summer or a complete unmitigated disaster.
After all that, I fly back to London on September 4th, from there home and begin college on Sept 6th.
Don't give myself much time do I!?!
I tell you all this because this is what you can expect from my blog. If I actually keep on top of the updates, I may continue to update it once I'm back in college and follow my journey to Argentina. As part of my course, I am required to spend 6 months [mid-February to July 2011] on Co-Op [working] abroad. I've chosen Argentina but there's no guarantees. Have to apply successfully and be interviewed! All in a year's work.
That's all I have to say at the moment. Hope all is well wherever you are, reader...
Oh and by the way with each blog, I'll link a great song I'm listening to at the moment. Just for funsies. Enjoy!
Till' then
Sar_bear
x
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